Friends,
It has so interesting to see what people think about this issue.
I think that outwards appearance is the biggest problem ever! Even today for we keep looking on the outside and conceal the inside doing that. I feel it is here we should focus - not otherwise!
A few things if we eat His Flesh - doesn't this mean our righteousness is complete - so what are we trying to add?
Demand for purity?
Psalm 1 hits the nail!
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Should we adhere social , moral or ethical, or any kind of written rule - before or after or anywhere else in our worship of Him?
Remember White Clothing - is righteous acts!(Rev 19) not conformity to the letter is it? (Romans)
Should we still be paying for Good? Belittle The Gracious Grace of our Lord? and rejecting Christ's sacrifice for us ALL -
still heeding must and, shall, ought, will, do, don't, go, stay, no, maybe - what more can I say?
What unbelievable misery has this thinking caused - see Sodom and Gomorrah the place our Lord was crucified?
For Jesus ate and drank with
sinners - and they called him a
glutton and a drunkard -
murdering Him for loving God's kids.
For is that not what we do when we deny someone else the FREEDOM to be as THEY see fit - but we ourself want the FREEDOM to demand that from them and ourself as well - thinking we are righteous - denying them their God-given life - doing that - for we arrogantly think we know the Law of God. Yet truly un-righeousness in the righteous is the worst of blasphemy!
Beloved I found myself to be naked when I did that - and God did not set me free from my sin but rather judged me with my own judgement - as He promised He wouldn't if we continue to despise His grace over ALL of us - John 3:16, Rom 2)
For God The Father says to His unfaithful people,
Hos 6:6
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
What is more Jesus was really cheesed of about all these laws and regulations as well - He understood Satan's scheming very well. The Jewish leaders had more than 600 hundred rules and regulations at the time - sadly we are very much worse than that even when it comes to religious demands on new converts, for example.
Where 'sinners murder' is demanded before acceptance will be handed out! The big strong I must do the job for Jesus - and Jesus? Oh those bloody piercings don't you reckon friend? 
(I wonder what they call that most bloody of idols again - his name slipped my mind Molech or something?)
This is how the Devil creates righteous looking people - who in reality are full of corruption within constantly judging themselves and their neighbour - thinking they are good and those not like them are not!
And so Satan has the majority of humanity tightly in his grip - as it is right now -- heaps of bad, poor, no good, ugly, wrong people, sinful people - labels to nail sinners galore - those who can't measure up to the rules of the righteous.
- fear of exposing eyes - everyone looking at their neighbours - betrayals everywhere - whitewashed graves galore.
And so that ugly snake can make bad life rule - creates Gossip - and so lost sinners hate 'good' and reject God.
Pretty good well designed net - that Fowlers net (psalm 91) - don't you think? - Both the righteous and the unrighteous! as it says in the word - we who love The Father and all His (lost)children - like Jesus does - may not partake in such thinking at all!
But our Lord Jesus hated all this guys!
Matt 9 :13
But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Paul understood things far better than Jewish and Christian tradition achieved that's for sure - though no religion I know of - has understood much of God's truth. Still The Word has explained everything perfectly.
I can't wait till we serve Him true that's for sure
for...Paul says
Col 2:6-23
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
(now lets explore from the above position...)
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
There is nothing left at all that's of us - all is Him in us - so we must stay in His truth - and want this for our neighbour as well for otherwise we break His love command instantly.
As Paul says...
In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,
because Jesus has done it - it is not ours to do! That's not what God wants from us.
He wants us FREE! So we can do as we like
- for we are in His TRUTHFUL LOVING WORD ALIVE!
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
(Indeed!)
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
These are a shadow of the things that were to come;
the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
This is the issue beloved. If we truly want to please God, then we must follow Jesus in our hearts - do as His loving truth in us says, not our sinful and worldly fleshly ways.
(For example I feel a need for a drink, I'm thirsty like anything!
Look right before me a couple of aborigines sitting beside the road, stoned of their faces by the looks of it, defiantly drinking in the middle of town - they greet me loudly but friendly.
Hey mate you want a drink - as they offer me a half full bottle of coke - they themselves had been drinking from. A toothless grin from the old ladies flashes my way - as they await me reply.
I see other people looking at me and laughing. I see the cars flashing by - all looking. I see dirty, poor, black people, possibly full of flees - I can easily what sinners these people are. A police see you standing there and slows down a police officer asks me if these people are bothering
I tell them no that it was okay - the police begin to hassle the blacks to move on and get away from there - I quickly turn around and walk away.
Luckily I see on the other side of the street - only about 100 meters away or so - a shop which sells cool drink - I see and hear that massive neon light clearly - 7 up - I see - and a big fat 6 painted beside the front door told me the street number of the place. Thank God for credit cards I thought as I paid.)
It is this that the Bible hates!
For...
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules:
"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"?
These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.
(Here comes the point we want to understand....)
Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
So that is what the Word teaches. Just read the next Chapter and you will see what Delights Jesus - Chapter 3 - all the way to the end though!!!
Let's go back to the Word once more and see if we can re-enforce this understanding.
James 2:1-13
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
See the problem? Good clothing, being neat and tidy, working hard and being diligent, honesty and integrity sacrificed when we think like this - Satan has robbed it all - just look around you!
So please lets take heed...
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you?
all those must and dos ruling us are not from God at all! They are made up by The Wicked to get control over us - Just think of The Jews in Jesus' day. as
And James points out...
Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.
But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
So we best get away from all such thinking altogether now!
Rather let us,
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
because otherwise.. if we keep judging our neighbours for not doing it right then this will certainly happen...
because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.
Yet in Christ's freedom we give each other mercy - for we know we need it our self.
And?
Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Please think deeply about all this beloved. Christianity has stuffed it up badly demanding all these sacrifices while our Heavenly Father wants to give mercy - conform rules disallow that.
Much love your way pondering on this
I wear it in a way that looks very natural.
