A Call to Moral Excellence...Can AFFers Take the Challenge?

[J-Roc]

Here is a partial list of commands presented in the New Testament, however, how many AFFers (not excluding myself) are constantly violating these commands in the way we interact with each other and sugar coating it with the idea that we're just funnin with each other...is this our opportunity to be carnal-minded (and sometimes sinful) and hide it underneath smilies?

• Be imitators of God and live a life of love, clothing yourselves with compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility and patience (Col 3:12; Eph 5:1-2)
  
• Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and let the word of Christ dwell in you (Col 3:15-16)
  
• Whatever is true, pure, noble right, lovely, or admirable, think about such things...be ready to do and devote yourselves to doing whatever is good (Phil 4:8-9; Titus 3:1,8)
  
• As often as you can, do good to all people, especially to believers. Let us not become weary in doing this, but continue to do good even when suffering. (Gal 6:9-10; 1 Pet. 4:16-19)
  
• You were called to be free, so use your freedom to serve, and submit to one another in love, and in so doing you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 5:13-14; gal 6:2; Eph. 5:21)
  
• Do not utter unwholesome words when talking to one another. Only use words helpful for the building up of others. (Eph 4:29; 1 Thes. 5:11)
  
• Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, and let your conversation be full of grace. (Eph 5:19; Col. 4:6)

Is this just wishful thinking here on AFF?

[Felicity]

Challenge.... that's a good word for what you're presenting here bro.

You got your rose colored glasses on this evening or what?

[SDG]

Originally Posted by J-Roc

Here is a partial list of commands presented in the New Testament, however, how many AFFers (not excluding myself) are constantly violating these commands in the way we interact with each other and sugar coating it with the idea that we're just funnin with each other...is this our opportunity to be carnal-minded (and sometimes sinful) and hide it underneath smilies?

• Be imitators of God and live a life of love, clothing yourselves with compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility and patience (Col 3:12; Eph 5:1-2)
• Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and let the word of Christ dwell in you (Col 3:15-16)
• Whatever is true, pure, noble right, lovely, or admirable, think about such things...be ready to do and devote yourselves to doing whatever is good (Phil 4:8-9; Titus 3:1,8)
• As often as you can, do good to all people, especially to believers. Let us not become weary in doing this, but continue to do good even when suffering. (Gal 6:9-10; 1 Pet. 4:16-19)
• You were called to be free, so use your freedom to serve, and submit to one another in love, and in so doing you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 5:13-14; gal 6:2; Eph. 5:21)
• Do not utter unwholesome words when talking to one another. Only use words helpful for the building up of others. (Eph 4:29; 1 Thes. 5:11)
• Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, and let your conversation be full of grace. (Eph 5:19; Col. 4:6)

Is this just wishful thinking here on AFF?

Boring.

[SDG]

Hey McFly... do you mean take the challenge or meet the challenge???

[J-Roc]

Originally Posted by Felicity

Challenge.... that's a good word for what you're presenting here bro.

You got your rose colored glasses on this evening or what?

It's too much to ask for, right? I think I was sipping on some

[J-Roc]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

Hey McFly... do you mean take the challenge or meet the challenge???

Pick your flavor...

[simplyme]

Originally Posted by J-Roc

Here is a partial list of commands presented in the New Testament, however, how many AFFers (not excluding myself) are constantly violating these commands in the way we interact with each other and sugar coating it with the idea that we're just funnin with each other...is this our opportunity to be carnal-minded (and sometimes sinful) and hide it underneath smilies?

• Be imitators of God and live a life of love, clothing yourselves with compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility and patience (Col 3:12; Eph 5:1-2)
  
• Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts and let the word of Christ dwell in you (Col 3:15-16)
  
• Whatever is true, pure, noble right, lovely, or admirable, think about such things...be ready to do and devote yourselves to doing whatever is good (Phil 4:8-9; Titus 3:1,8)
  
• As often as you can, do good to all people, especially to believers. Let us not become weary in doing this, but continue to do good even when suffering. (Gal 6:9-10; 1 Pet. 4:16-19)
  
• You were called to be free, so use your freedom to serve, and submit to one another in love, and in so doing you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 5:13-14; gal 6:2; Eph. 5:21)
  
• Do not utter unwholesome words when talking to one another. Only use words helpful for the building up of others. (Eph 4:29; 1 Thes. 5:11)
  
• Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, and let your conversation be full of grace. (Eph 5:19; Col. 4:6)

Is this just wishful thinking here on AFF?

Good thoughts; it has to start with the individual., a commitment to act responsibly, sincerely..and in honor of GOD., IS that too much to ask?
Apparently for some, it is.

[OP_Carl]

Amen or oh, me?

Oh, me!

You are correct that these commandments remain in the book, and not in our hearts, but it isn't just on the internet. The anonymity, the unlikelihood of meeting those we interact with online, and the greatly reduced chance to receive a punch in the nose all tend to bring out in people anything between friskiness and orneriness. And it isn't just on this forum. This forum is tame compared to non-religious forums.

In some ways, this forum serves as a safety valve for people, allowing them to say to virtual strangers things they'd never say in person. It doesn't feel like we've said it - we've only typed it!

More than half the battle lies not in the writing, but in the reading. Words and phrases written and intended in one frame of mind are interpreted by the reader through the lens of the frame of mind they are in at the time they read it. We can't see each others faces to tell whether we have mis-spoken or brought up a painful topic. We can't make those mid-sentence course corrections. We simply blast away obliviously.

There is no easy solution. You can see the great extent to which smilies are provided in an effort to convey extra meaning.

There is, however, an easy answer.

If you are thin-skinned and easily offended:

A) Stop reading stuff here.
B) Cancel your internet service.
C) Take an axe to your computer.

If you are veritibly consumed with concern about the folly, idle words, carnality, and other anti-Christian behavior here, you can:use the online behavior of individuals to determine who is not following these commandments, and presume that such behavior only hints at the shallowness of their salvation so you can:

A) Feel smug and a vast sense of superiority, knowing that you aren't one of those weak Christians.
B) Compose a list of people to pray for.
C) Sleuth their true identities so you can write letters of concern to their pastor and family.
D) Get over it. It's very rare that people's lives are meaningfully influenced on the internet.

[Sister Alvear]

I hope we all will be christians at all times.

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

I hope we all will be christians at all times.

And there it is a nutshell...just be Christian.

Your post reminds me of what one elderly pastor from the COOLJC wrote...

The youth were preparing to travel to the Youth Congress, and on the bulletin board was the flyer with details of services and such. The youth president had added a list of dos and don'ts...what not to wear and where not to go dominated the list.

With a black marker, Bishop wrote, "Just be saved!!"

That's about it, Mother A...if we can just act and speak as such as is becoming Saints of the Most High...what an impact we would have on those in our realm of influence.