Standards

[good samaritan]

Back to standards, though. I want everyone who makes our church their home to feel peer pressure to live higher standards. I will teach standards in dress as well as many others, but I want people to freely choose. Birds of a feather flock together. I would rather influences in our lives to push us to live better, rather than the be drawn in the opposite direction. I want to get deeper in my walk with God. We should all want to represent God in the highest possible way and that is inwardly and outwardly.

My wife and I seen a lady today and from a distance she seemed to have a noticeably modest and pretty dress on. When we got closer, we realized they were pants. They were distinguishably female and I told my wife I couldn't see a lot wrong with them. My wife has chose to not wear pants at all, though, and her standards make me a proud husband. Outward standards seperate us from the world, but are pointless without God's Spirit operating in us inwardly.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by good samaritan

Outward standards seperate us from the world,

I see error in that statement. My thoughts anyway. I don't see where the bible hints at that thought whatsoever. Men? Maybe. Bible? Nope.

Carry on!

[ApostolicKitty]

Originally Posted by good samaritan

Back to standards, though. I want everyone who makes our church their home to feel peer pressure to live higher standards. I will teach standards in dress as well as many others, but I want people to freely choose. Birds of a feather flock together. I would rather influences in our lives to push us to live better, rather than the be drawn in the opposite direction. I want to get deeper in my walk with God. We should all want to represent God in the highest possible way and that is inwardly and outwardly.

My wife and I seen a lady today and from a distance she seemed to have a noticeably modest and pretty dress on. When we got closer, we realized they were pants. They were distinguishably female and I told my wife I couldn't see a lot wrong with them. My wife has chose to not wear pants at all, though, and her standards make me a proud husband. Outward standards seperate us from the world, but are pointless without God's Spirit operating in us inwardly.

I don't find putting peer pressure on people to be acceptable. Influence is fine, but influence them to follow the Word of God. Any amount of standards keeping that is not done from a genuine love of God and His leading is phony and will not last. I've seen it time and again... and these people end up being confused over it. It does not make them separate from the world either. I've seen many people who are standards keepers who are very worldly. I agree with you that doing so without God's Spirit operating in us it is pointless.

[good samaritan]

Originally Posted by ApostolicKitty

I don't find putting peer pressure on people to be acceptable. Influence is fine, but influence them to follow the Word of God. Any amount of standards keeping that is not done from a genuine love of God and His leading is phony and will not last. I've seen it time and again... and these people end up being confused over it. It does not make them separate from the world either. I've seen many people who are standards keepers who are very worldly. I agree with you that doing so without God's Spirit operating in us it is pointless.

When I say peer pressure I don't mean shoving something down someone's throat. I mean peer pressure. When you were in school did anyone tell you to wear a certain kind of shoe or did you want to because the pressure you felt from everyone else doing it. When I first got into church I wanted to emulate the leaders of my local church. I wanted what I presumed they had.

Any amount of standards keeping that is not done from a genuine love of God and His leading is phony and will not last

Sometimes we try to be more spiritual than any of us really are. sometimes it is hard to tell if I am genuine or not. I like to think that I am, but Paul talked some about how when he would do good evil is present with him. God will judge our hearts, but I would say rarely are any of us perfectly holy about every thing in ourselves. There are somethings that I do because I just know they are right.


I know very few standard keepers who are worldly. I've known them to be mean, cold , and calloused but not worldly. Hypothetically speaking, a Mennonite may be mean, but I wouldn't say worldly. Maybe our definitions of worldly are different. I guess it would depend on what standards they are keeping.