Is a Christian bound to ethical behavior?

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Shem Yoshi
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Is a Christian bound to ethical behavior?

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Post by Shem Yoshi »

I once met a friend when I was sharing the Gospel in Boston. A young man, studying at a Christian College. We would jog around Charles River and talk about God, and he told me one day that his dad got a Doctorate degree by writing a thesis on why Christians should not fight wars, and I thought about how easy of a thesis that had to be. All the while how it feels like I fight a war every day.

Truly we look to the peaks of ethics a lot. The virtues of morality. And even the chastising of behaviors by the political correct. "Be kind", are words you see a lot, but a lot of the time it seems like what people mean by 'be kind' is 'dont talk about God'. A crowd of people would never argue with a loving person. right? But have you read about the "Riot in Ephesus" against Paul in Acts 19? A good Christian would never upset an entire congregation. Right? But what about when Jesus chased people with a whip in the temple (John 2)?

It seems to me a lot of the times, people dont speak up because it is seen as unethical. But Jesus said "shout it from the roof tops", "Go and preach the Gospel to every creature".

Can a Christian get mad? It seems to me a lot of people wont even talk about something if someone might get mad, but Paul said "25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not"... This admits that sometimes we get angry, Paul said be honest, and be angry if you need to "speak every man truth with his neighbour".

What about our own nature, the flesh?
Paul wrote "19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like."
But Jesus said "63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing." (John 6). "remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations" (Luke 24)

I am convinced we have freedom in Christ to live our lives. To just live. "fear no man" Jesus said "Let no man deceive you". What are we bound to? Ethics? I am convinced it is impossible to live up to the ethics of life. What one man thinks is right and wrong, contradicts another man. One person might get mad at you for not talking, another person might get mad at you for talking.

There is a time for everything Solomon said.
"A Time for Everything
3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."
“Them that die'll be the lucky ones.”

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