Bible Study - Class meets on Thursday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CST.

[WindComeWindBlow]

Teaching about Vows

33“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’o 34But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

This is from the NLT online.  Is this teaching about swearing and/or making promises?  Just curious.

[WindComeWindBlow]

Matthew 5:5 the meek
 
Meekness is the opposite of being out of control.  It is not weakness, but supreme self-control empowered by the Spirit as stated in Galatians 5:23... "gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law."  Gentleness... better translated "meekness" is a humble and gentle attitude that is patiently submissive in every offense, while having no desire for revenge or retribution.  In the New Testament, it is used to describe 3 attitudes:  submission to the will of God (Collosian 3:12), teachability (James 1:5,6), and consideration of others (Ephesians 4:2). 
 
Self-control refers to restraining passions and appetites as instructed in 2 Peters 1:5,6... "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindess love.

I like the definition of meekness here. 

[LadyLionness]

Teaching about Vows

33“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’o 34But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. 35And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

This is from the NLT online.  Is this teaching about swearing and/or making promises?  Just curious.

Matthew 5:33 - You shall not swear falsely expresses the teaching from Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2, and Dueteronomy 23:21, 23.
 
Matthew 5:34 do not swear at all
This should not be taken as a univeral condemnation of oaths in all circumstances.  God Himself confirmed a promise wiht an oath in Heb. 6:13-18 and in Acts 2:30.  Christ Himself spoke under oath in Matthew 26:63-64.  And the law prescribed oaths in certain circumstances (e.g., Numbers 5:19, 21; 30:2,3). 
 
What Christ is forbidding here is forbidding here is the flippant, profane, or careless use of oaths in everyday speech.  In that culture, such oaths were often employed for deceptive purpposes.  To make the person being victimized beleive the truth was being told, the Jews would swear by "heaven," "earth," "Jerusalem," or their own "heads," not by God, hoping to avoid divine judgment for their lie.   Hmong people do this too... except swearing by Jerusalem.
 
But it all was in God's creation, so it drew Him in and produced guilt before Him, exactly as if the oath were made in His name.  Jesus suggested that all our speech should be as if we were under an oath to tell the truth.

[LadyLionness]

I like the definition of meekness here. 

Until I did this study, I was at a loss of what meekness was... b/c I didn't know how to be meek according to the world's definition.

[LadyLionness]

It's taken me really slow to get through this chapter, so I hope you guys will bear with me, but I have to be honest that of all the scriptures in the Bible, the Beatitudes have me totally beat.  No matter how much I read them over and over, I simply don't get it.
 
Time is up, so can you pray for us, Wind?  Thanks.  We will continue where we left off next week.

[WindComeWindBlow]

Matthew 5:33 - You shall not swear falsely expresses the teaching from Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2, and Dueteronomy 23:21, 23.
 
Matthew 5:34 do not swear at all
This should not be taken as a univeral condemnation of oaths in all circumstances.  God Himself confirmed a promise wiht an oath in Heb. 6:13-18 and in Acts 2:30.  Christ Himself spoke under oath in Matthew 26:63-64.  And the law prescribed oaths in certain circumstances (e.g., Numbers 5:19, 21; 30:2,3). 
 
What Christ is forbidding here is forbidding here is the flippant, profane, or careless use of oaths in everyday speech.  In that culture, such oaths were often employed for deceptive purpposes.  To make the person being victimized beleive the truth was being told, the Jews would swear by "heaven," "earth," "Jerusalem," or their own "heads," not by God, hoping to avoid divine judgment for their lie.   Hmong people do this too... except swearing by Jerusalem.
 
But it all was in God's creation, so it drew Him in and produced guilt before Him, exactly as if the oath were made in His name.  Jesus suggested that all our speech should be as if we were under an oath to tell the truth.

I see.  Thanks!

[WindComeWindBlow]

Lord, thank you for bringing us together again to learn of your loving words.  May it humble us and consume our hearts, Lord.  As we depart today, I pray that you bless each one of us with the protection and joys within our relationships.  Lord I pray for that your kingdom will come soon.  Continue to use us to do you work, to bless others through us, Lord.  I thank you and pray in Jesus' precious name, Amen. 

[LadyLionness]

Amen.
 
Thank you for stopping by.  See y'all next week... same time, same place!!!

[LadyLionness]

Hi LL,

For our Bible Study group we read Romans 5.  I was still a little puzzled after the reading and discussion.  Could you break it down for me?  When you have time, babe.  Thank you.

Wind

Wind,
 
No worries about not understanding this chapter, b/c it contains some difficult concepts... but it's good that youa sked though - you will need to understand this to get through the next four chapters.
 
First, keep in mind the two aspects of the Christian life.  On the one hand, we are complete in Christ (our acceptance wiht him is secure); on the other hand, w are growing in Christ (we are becoming more and more like him).
 
At the same time, we have the status of kings (children of God, who shares in the inheritance with Christ Jesus as God's adopted children) and the duties of slaves (to serve others as  he had served us). 
 
We feel both the presence of Christ and the pressure of sin.  Because we are sent out into the world, but we are NOT to become part of the world.  We are called to become lights to the world, to not hide our light under the bed... so while we are in Christ's presence, we are also out there in the world where we are being tempted daily.
 
We enjoy the peace that comes from being made right with God, but we still face daily problems that help us grow.  For all leaders are created in the desert (remember Moses)... and Jesus' 40 days of fasting in the desert... as well as John's growing up in the wilderness.... wearing rough cloth and eating locust and honey.
 
If we remember these two aspects of being a Christian, we will not grow discouraged as we face temptations and problems.  Instead, we will learn to depend on the power available to us from Christ, who lives in us in the person of the Holy Spirit. 

[LadyLionness]

Romans Chapter 5 continues...
 
Paul complted his case that God justifies sinners on the basis of faith alone, and he turned his pen to counter the notion that although believers receive salvation by faith, they will perserve it by good works.  He argues that hey are bound eternally to Jesus Chrsit, preserved by His power, and not by human effort. 
 
For the Christians, the evidences of that eternal tie are:
1) His peace with God (Romans 5:1)
2) His standing in grace (Romans 5:2a, 3)
3) His hope of glory (Romans 5:2b-5a)
4) His receving of dine love (Romans 5:5b-8)
5) His certain escape of divine wrath (Romans 5:9, 10)
6) His joy in the Lord (Rom. 5:11)

[LadyLionness]

Romans 5 con't
 
Having been justified - it's a ONE time legal decision with continuing results... not an on-going process. 
 
Peace with God - starting from Adam, man has been "at war" with God b/c of our sinful rebellion against Him and His laws.  However, upon justification, the first thing that happens is that our war with God has ended forever (Col. 1:21, 22).  This process of no more fighting with God is called "being reconciled to God."
 
Paul wanted us to understand that as believers, we now stand in a place of highest privilege.  No only has God declared us not gulity/ he has DRAWN us close to him.  Instead of enemies, we have become his friends - in fact, we are now his own children.
 
 

[LadyLionness]

Wind,
 
There is lots of things in Chapter 5... did you have specific questions or should we go through it verse by verse?

[LadyLionness]

May 10, 2012
 
Heavenly Father,
 
Thank you for this opportunity to share and discuss  your word.  Please be with us and bless us today as we get together to learn more about you and your will for our lives.  All this I pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.  Amen.

[LadyLionness]

Matthew 5:6 hunger and thirst for righteousness
 
This is the opposite of the self-righteousness of the Pharisees.  It speaks of those who seek God's righteousness rather than atempting to establish a righteiousness of their own.  Romans 10:3 states that "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteiousness of God."  Ignorant both of God's inherent righteiousness revealed in the law and the rest of the Old Testament (which should have shown the Jews and us... our own unrighteousnes s) and of the righteousness which comes from HIm on the baiss of faith. 
 
Righteousness is the state or condition of perfectly conforming to God's perfect law and holy character.  Only God is inherently righteous (Deut. 32:4; Job 9:2; Psalms. 11:7; 116:5; Roman 3:10; 1 John 2:1; Rev. 16:5).  Man falls woefully short of the divine standard of moral perfection.  But the gospel reveals that on the basis of faith - and faith alone - God will impute HIs righteousness to ungodly sinners.
 
... their own righteousness - is based on their conformity to God's law and often to the less demanding stands of their own traditions.  I see this in a few of the Hmong Christian Churches.  This balance of tradition and trying tot conform to God's law.
 
Philippians 3:9 states that "And  be found   in  him,  not  having   mine own  righteousness,  which  is of  the law,  but  that which  is through  the faith  of Christ,  the righteousness  which  is of  God  by  faith:" (KJV) or as stated in the New Century Version:  "and to belong to him. Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law, but because I believed in Christ. God uses my faith to make me right with him." 
... not having my own righteousness from the law... this is the proud self-righteousness of external morality, religiousritua l and ceremony, and good works.  It is the righteousness produced by the flesh, which cannot save from sin.  ... faith in Christ is the confident, continous confession of total dependence on and trust in Jesus Christ for the necessary requirement to enter God's kingdom... and that requirement is the righteousness of Christ, which God imputes to every believer.
 
What they seek will fill them, for instance, it will satisfy their hunger and thrist for a right relationship with God.

[LadyLionness]

Matthew 5:7 the shall obtain mercy. 
 
And the converse is also true, as we have read in James 2:13 ... which states that "For judgement is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.  Mercy triumphs over judgement.  A person who shows no mercy and compassion for people in need demonstrates that he has never responded to the great mercy of God, and as an unredeemed person will recieve only strict, unrelieved judgement in eternal hell.  The person whose life is charactrized by mercy is ready for the day of judgment, and will escape all the chares that strict justice might bring against him b/c by showing mercy to others he gives genuine evidence of having received God's mercy.