Justice & Morality

After I read through my post from yesterday it struck me that it probably comes across as self serving - or self promoting. It really was my not my intend, but as the Lord says, "what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person". I guess things like will reveal the matters of the heart. Well, I hope this is still uplifting and encouraging...

Gi - Justice and Morality: "Be acutely honest throughout your dealings with all people. Believe in justice, not from other people, but from yourself. To the true samurai, there are no shades of gray in the question of honesty and justice. There is only right and wrong."

If a liar is telling you that he is telling the truth, how will you know? To my shame I struggle with this. My pride or selfishness get in my own way at times. Of late the Lord has been giving me the strength to run the race and tell the truth - even when it gets me in trouble. And I pay the consequences. I see others struggle to believe me, the struggle to have faith that I will do what I have said - or have done what I have said. Mostly I see this in my beloved. It is so true that it only takes once to ruin a confidence. Don't misunderstand me. I do not go around telling people that I've won the lottery, or that I am well establlished writter. Or even that I am God's gift to ___________. There are many who have asked me a question and I have told them my answer, and they have taken it for the gospel. But I want to share that just as it is with sin, once it is commited there is no going back. God's Word is truly black and white - and that is how we need to apply it to our lives. We need to seek God and the Holy Spirit to see what He is revealing to us in His Word - and then we need to walk it. But we also need to walk in grace. God does not reveal the same things to everyone. There is no one on Earth who could bear such a burden. There are some who, for example, should never take a sip of wine - and others need to use it for truly medicinal purposes. If I do not extend grace to others around me in things that God has revealed to me am I not in a way judging them? That is not to say that I should not share what the Lord has shown me - but it is not my place to condemn them if they are not in the same place. But just like we are not responsible for other people's salvation (it is Christ alone who saves), we are not responsible for other people's response. And who knows - maybe it is permissable for that person some how. It is only our responsibility to walk out our salvation (that is our sanctification) as He has laid before us. And that is what I see in there being no shades of gray - there is only right and wrong. Verse for today: 1 Corinthians 6:12, ESV “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. Note: this verse is in reference to sexual immorality. I know it has been used out of context, and I am in danger of doing so myself here. I encourage those who read this to follow the link and read it in its full context. -s4G