Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Our confidence in Christ does not make us lazy, negligent, or careless, but on the contrary it awakens us, urges us on, and makes us active in living righteous lives and doing good. There is no self-confidence to compare with this
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Psalm 119:105 (NASB). “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
Revelation 21:23 (NASB). “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
James 3:17 (NASB) “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”
“God’s Word helps us clearly see where we are—and where we need to go.”
“Look at a light pollution map on the International Dark-Sky Association’s website, and you’ll quickly see how difficult it is to find complete darkness. But in the premodern world, people spent much more time in darkness. So today’s promise—that the Word can be a lamp and a light—would have had far greater impact before the advent of electricity.
God’s future kingdom is light-filled—“its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:23). As dim as our world sometimes seems, we need God’s light both to understand where we are and to see where we’re going. That dual sense is present in today’s passage.
God’s Word is a “lamp to [our] feet.” A lamp illuminates the area around it. Likewise, the Bible is essential for seeing and interpreting our emotions, relationships, and circumstances. Our own perceptions may be incomplete or unreliable, but the lamp of God’s Word reveals everything.
We also, however, want to move forward. The Word shines a light on the path, showing us where we’re headed. With God’s help, we may move in discernment, using the “wisdom from above” (James 3:17).
Whether you face difficult circumstances or have a decision to make, let the Word serve as a lamp and a light. You can trust God to help you see more clearly and move ahead without fear.”
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
You know…. When people make abortion a religious issue — I.e., “Stop trying to push your morals and religion on everyone else!” I’m like…. First of all, flattered that you think that, go Christianity for having a reputation of protecting the unborn and the mamas! And people aren’t even /wrong/ in the sense that all morality stems from God because He wrote the code for it in our hearts (Mere Christianity by CS Lewis explains this better, but not the point).
But like second of all, GOSH I HOPE IT IS NOT /JUST/ A CHRISTIAN VALUE TO BE AGAINST INFANTICIDE. That would be a scary world.
And third of all, it’s really, really, really not a religious issue aside from the inherent morality — which is the same morality that applies to, um, murder. It’s a biological issue. And biology says baby is a life from conception, so abortion = murder = everyone already thinks murder is wrong = not a religious issue.
