| Introduction to Christian View of Life and Living "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) I. A Christian View of life and living is based on the Bible rather than customs and traditions, and must come literally from Jesus the supreme example and supreme Teacher. And also as Jesus taught His Apostles how to write in the Bible. If the outstanding author, Bernard Ramm**, of hermenuetics and Science and Scripture could call his book "A Christian View of Science and Scripture", then such a Bible based ASPI version of the Bible on A CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE, can call this the Bible and Christian View of Life and Living. While far more practical for the life and living of the Christian life than Elton Trueblood's "Philosophy of Religion", it is consistent with it as with all Christian writings, regardless of denomination and nation, that have found in the Bible both intellectual honesty and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, also without a spirit of rivalry and discrimination. It is more consistent with Trueblood's book "Your Other Vocation", which suggests that your profession or work is your second vocation, while the call to be a Christian and "walk worthy of the vocation with which you are called" (Ephesians 4:1) is the primary vocation of any real Christian. That "Christian" has lost so much meaning testifies to the fact that a Christian Philosophy of Life and Living has been adjusted by each generation to mean what church members and their leaders want it to mean, most often to justify their own status in the world and style of life and living. {Likewise Oates', professor of Christian Psychology, writing on "Religious Dimensions of Personality" can assist us on this subject.} In this series, we are just saying get back to the Bible and the ASPI version of the Bible for an adequate and non-worldly philosoph of life and living. **NOTE: Ramm was head of graduate study in religion at Baylor before BBFs {Bible Baptists Fundamentalists} ran him off at the same time they were taking control of the SBC by destroying the reputations and careers of Christian brothers which they, in a spirit of warfare, and falsely slurred as "moderates" on the Bible Granted Ramm did make one mistake in his failure to admit the full Bible story of the Tower of Bible with the changing of languages, but goodness how many Bible mistakes do you make every week; and 99% on the Bible is a lot better that the 75-25 of the BBFs. This series listed, and to be expanded below, came naturally out of the request by constituents of SunGrist_Bible about Psalm 37. Any accurate ASPI exegesis of the Bible of Psalm 37 demands a look at the age old question of "Good versus Evil", and the continuous church member habit of today and previous years as they get their hands dirty with the very worldly words of "The Gospel of weath and the corrolary of success, so close to greed and covetousness and a "Pride of Life", demands an application of good over evil in a Christian Philosophy of Life and Living. Before the beginning of the list below, a reminder of the Authorized Semi-Public Interpretation {ASPI} is demanded: "...knowing this first, that no prophesy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, but prophesy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (II Peter 1:20,21) And you need an ASPI Bible version of what is "prophesy"? It is far more than predictions, and it comes very close to preaching or speaking in the church. "But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men." (I Corinthians 14:3) II. Facing up to some Bible realities not generally understood in the world of churches and denominations! 1. Bible reality shock #1. What this means is that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are ALL* working together for the good of the dedicated Christian {"all that will live godly in Christ Jesus"}, and actively "without variation or shadow of turning" right now in this world. "And we know that ALL* things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) 2. Bible reality shock #2. God deals with His own on a need basis, not on a want basis. The world motivates you according to what you deserve to satisfy your wants, or that they can lead you to think are the community needs of you and your neighbors. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) 3. Bible reality shock #3. God chastises only those He loves, so you are fortunate to recognize chastisement as the love of God for a child that is His own. Only a child of God gets this training toward righteousness. Take the example of Jesus, the real Jesus of the Bible and of the sermon on the mount. "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful, nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:3) 4. Take the long look by Being fearful of good times only and joyful with hard times. {Hard times help to yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness mentioned above in Hebrews 12:3.} "My brethren {for Christians only} count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4) 5. Trying times {trials in the words of the Bible} bring up special needs in the life of a Christian and in the Bible view, requiring a need for the wisdom of God. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given him." (James 1:5) Every child of God without exception and without any discrimination from God, or of past history or lack of history, is entitled to this wisdom. Like the grace of God, it is available for the simple asking in faith. (James 1:6-8) |
 |  |  |  |