Standards We Live By:

[Aquila]

Here's a thread where everyone can list the "standards" they live by. Some of us are more conservative than others but I think we should respect each other regarding our personal convictions. Here are mine...

I'm UPCI and many of my convictions are a result of that upbringing in the Lord. I'll also share some of my wife's convictions...

Doctrinally I believe....

I believe in Oneness to the core of my being.

I believe in Acts 2:38 salvation. I believe that the blood is functional through every step until a fullness is experienced. I believe that water baptism is a command that must be obeyed. And I believe that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his. However, I don't assume to know the mind of God. God may count one's efforts with more grace than I would.

In my eschatology I have strong Partial Preterist leanings combined with a cautious nod to futurist possibilities.

Regarding standards I believe.....

I don't believe in non-functional jewelry. My wife and I only wear watches and plain gold wedding bands. Nothing that is strictly ornamental.

I don't wear shorts. My wife only wears skirts and dresses.

I believe in being clean shaven. My wife and I also don't believe that women should wear makeup.

I don't believe in long hair on men. My wife's hair is long and uncut, though she has no issue with perms (and secretly wishes she felt comfortable about trimming it because it's uneven and has dead ends). I know this because she's confided in me about her feelings.

We both believe in modesty of dress with no extremes in style, cut, or excessive tightness.

My wife and I do have a television. However, it's primarily tuned to news and educational programs. I spend most of my time about my daily tasks and posting here not watching TV. I do believe that entertainment should be relatively clean. Excessive worldliness or brazen immorality portrayed without consequences bothers me.

I don't believe that having a glass of wine is a sin. Moderation is what I believe the Bible teaches.

If a friend had a baby and gave me a cigar I'd proudly smoke it with him, but as a general rule I don't smoke.

I don't believe that "standards" are kept to be saved. I believe that standards are personal efforts to please the Lord because one is already saved. I don't believe that violation of these standards will land one in Hell. Paul said that it's a shame for a man to have long hair...not a sin. The principle is modesty....while I believe that dresses and skirts are more modest than pants, I don't believe that Apostolic women who wear pants are instantly going to Hell. I believe that, in context, Pauls words regarding hair standards illustrate that violations of hair standards are a "shame" not a "sin".

Commandments

I believe that the violation of any of the the following commandments and/or the principles embodied in them could cost one their soul...

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make idols or bow down to them, nor serve them.
3. You shall not use the name of the Lord your God disrespectfully.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not lie about your neighbor.
10. You shall not lust for your neighbor's house, or his wife, or any
thing that is your neighbor's.

I believe these Commandments are best expressed or catagorized as falling under one of the following:

Mark 12:30-31
30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

[Hoovie]

I mostly agree and see things as you, though I had a beard for a while and don't do TV.

Regarding how you see principle #10... What if the nieghbor happens to have a daughter instead of a wife... (think polygamy thread)


There I go and mess up a perfectly good thread!

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover

I mostly agree and see things as you, though I had a beard for a while.

Regarding how you see principle #10... What if the nieghbor happens to have a daughter instead of a wife...


There I go and mess up a perfectly good thread!

LOL

The idea is that coveting (same as lusting in my mind) is a sin. Coveting (lusting) is like an inner conspiracy to actually take and/or to use that which belongs to another for one's own personal gain and/or pleasure.

[Praxeas]

I want to add $50 dollar hair cuts for men are of the devil and for sissified gurly men.

[Pro31:28]

Good for you Aquila!

[OnenessWoman]

Originally Posted by Stephen Hoover

There I go and mess up a perfectly good thread!

As usual!!!

[Jack Shephard]

I think that standards that one lives by is a personal issue. I appreciate this thread and the open forum that Aquila is trying to provide us. However, unless I change my mind I am not going to tell on here that which I have not even told my wife. My wife and I do advise one another of some standards, but for the most part they are personal. IMO

[LUKE2447]

I pretty much agree with about everything except a few minor things here and there but for the most part we are of the same kind of thought! Though we may vary a little on Baptism as I see it as the point of remission through faith. We both agree it must be done, so in reality.... Also you could add me to the more Messianic side.

I would also agree in part with your view of preterism and futurist but only in the Post Trib sense. I could never agree with Pre Trib!

Oh and though I would not condemn someone for smoking no way am I putting that nasty c#ap in my body. blaaaah I believe in treating your body as a gift from God not something you can treat poorly!

Also though Godly standards in themselves don't save us they do reflect a failure in our nature or relationship with him. As I see faith as the response to God's will in our lives which starts from the very beginning. Either we are led by the Spirit (faith) or we are not which is according to the flesh which is unto death. So to me works are unto salvation as I see it as the walk in the Spirit that fulfills the requirements of the law. Thus we walk as he did by following the leading of God. Failure to follow the leading is to fall back into submission to the flesh as we are slaves to whom we obey.

[deltaguitar]

I just follow the Bible . . .

[LUKE2447]

Originally Posted by deltaguitar

I just follow the Bible . . .

isn't that what we all say.