Do not be deceived by what people tell you or by your own thoughts. In order to avoid being deceived we must admit we need Christ in us to tell us right from wrong as we read His Word and pray for wisdom.
2 Timothy 3:16
"16 All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness;"
Many "Christians" think because they do not commit adultery, or steal from others, or murder anyone they are right with God. But God said if you so much as hate your brother it is the same as committing murder. Just the hatred without actions is enough to be counted as having murdered someone in God's eyes.
Proverbs 4:23
"23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."
Luke 6:45
"45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."
If a person treats parents disrespectfully without kindness and empathy it is the same as dishonoring parents.
Exodus 20:12 "12Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. "
Proverbs 1:8
"Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,"
Honoring father and mother is a commandment of God. If someone honors only one of them they are in violation of God's commandment.
James 2:9-11 "…9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 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.…"
There are those who believe sending a card or gift once a year for a holiday is honoring parents or showing someone respect, these people do not understand respect.
Respect for anyone is to value them as a person and accept them in their flaws and warts while appreciating their talents and gifts. When someone cannot be honored or loved unless they measure up to our own idea of special, then we have demonstrated hate, not love. The one who uses conditional love as their criteria are using people as objects to glorify themselves.
Perhaps those who send gifts but dishonor through disrespect think the gifts can be instead of the attitude of honor. God hates this as much as we do, when those who pretend to love us show us lack of respect but send a gift to pretend respect.
Matthews 15:7-9 "…7You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ ”…"
No one enjoys being honored falsely through insincere gifts. When the gift comes but the rest of the year the receiver is treated with contempt, the gift means nothing and is even offensive. It very likely is a covert means of pretending honor to others looking more than it is anything to do with the one who received it.
Those who don't want to live in the truth are living in darkness, they have no light in them.
Isaiah 8:20 "20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn."
Galatians 5:16-18
"16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law."
Do we have to force ourselves to breathe, no, because we do it naturally, when we walk in the Spirit we will desire the things of the Spirit, to walk as Christ walked, and to love as He loved.
It is possible that if someone is trying really hard to be good with all those man-made rules that they follow while oppressing others with them, they have never been born again.
When the principles of God are burdensome then there is no Spiritual inclination to obey what they should love, God's Law is not burdensome to those who Love Him.
1 John 5:2-4
"2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith."
Hallelujah!
