Monday, May 9, 2016

Christians Overcoming this World!



When you are outside of a social norm, social pitfall, a social harm, and even social harmony, you cannot begin to grasp what it means to be a member of the social norm or under the thumb of the social pitfall, or hurt by a social harm and or even embraced in social harmony.  

Whose job is it to bring an individual into the social norm of things (the way things are done around here) or bring someone out from under a social pitfall or social direct them away from a social harm or bring them into the fold of social harmony? 

Christians... Yes, “We the people”.  Not via a top down government mandate, nor law or ordinance, and not the organized church either; but we can together... “Where two or more are gathered, there I am” ~ Matthew 18:20.  Between us, having the Kingdom within (Luke 17:21), being socially engaged in social interaction aware of the social norms, the pitfalls, the harms, we can bring about social harmony.

Where to begin? We can begin by looking at what is expected of us (love God and our neighbor - Luke 10:27) and what we have been designed to do. For instance, be responsible for the earth, and to procreate (Genesis) and preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15). 

Gender was created to be socially harmonic, a ying and yang which we recognize in all God’s design and harmony.  There is great beauty in masculinity and femininity that come together in the oneness of marriage.  To accept any blurring of that denies God’s design and social harmony.  Men as men and fathers, women as women and mothers build strong families and communities. They build social norms that act as guides for all social well being. 

Are there pitfalls in social norms? Yes, this is a fallen world (Isaiah 26:18); therefore, we can expect that even in our most determined endeavor to build strong families and communities that are the main components of/for social norms and act as guides for social well being, that there will still be social pitfalls and social harms. People are sinful... this is still a fallen world. But, thank God Jesus Christ died for our sins so that we may be forgiven and thereby given salvation...”for He is the way, truth and the Life” ~ John 14:6.

In this fallen world, in our yet sinful condition, it is only by being born again in the Holy Spirit that we are able to overcome the world. Not always in every instance; after all, this is still a fallen world. Paul said I do what I hate and not what I want (Romans 7:15).  However, we, together in Christ, can overcome this world spiritually ... though in baby steps or inch by inch. 

In our sinfulness, perhaps even pointed out by a fellow Christian (as it should be) we come to repent; and thus, we can come to a greater understanding of what it means to truly reach out to the Lord God Jesus Christ Creator of heaven and earth, to fully embrace His social harmony ... thus, overcoming this world.

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