Raven

If we go below the surface stories, we find that gossip is more about self-promotion. "Look what I know", "see how wise I am", " a friend told me...". etc. Slander is more about self-righteousness. "I'll show you who is right", "I'll judge you as wrong - and tell everybody too," "I will revenge my pride", etc. prop·a·gan·da ˌpräpəˈɡandə/ noun 1. derogatory information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. Propaganda is self-promotion. so it is more in line with gossip, but the gossip can contain slander, which is self-righteousness. If it contains slander, then it is self-righteousness supporting self-promotion. It is ALL self-exploitation to validate our false-self. To validate our so-called important role in the worldly view. It is valuing our worldly-self above our spirit-self. The exercise is both folly and vane.

If we go below the surface stories, we find that gossip is more about self-promotion. "Look what I know", "see how wise I am", " a friend told me...". etc. Slander is more about self-righteousness. "I'll show you who is right", "I'll judge you as wrong - and tell everybody too," "I will revenge my pride", etc.

Hello mickiel. God's word is Truth. At the end of everything, only what is true will remain, anything untrue will perish. Therefore what is true will return to God. 'Every knee shall bow' refers to being humble, and wherever there is humble, humility, there is truth. 'Every tongue shall swear to me' refers to speaking only their truth. Please discern and consider this. Salvation is about be being true. Jesus was sent by God to show us a man of truth By believing in Christ and through Christ's way, truth, and life, we too can become people of truth.

That would be an exercise in futility. Each one must give account individually. True. It might be an exercise of futility for perfection, but why neglect it. I still endeavor to know my sins, so I can ask God for forgiveness and guidance. By doing so, I have become less judgmental and more forgiving, tolerant, patient, loving, and caring.

Don't have any political view. Why? Conformity to other than truth, irks me.

Gossip is self-promotion. Slander is self-righteousness.

Only the True (without sin) can judge what is not true. Or else they will deem their own sin as true (not in error), and be a self-deceived. Denial is self-deception, self-sabotage, self-righteousness, and self exploitation. To point out someone else's sin, without looking at your own sins, is to be in denial of yourself. But denial counts for nothing for the self. For it exposes self to be judged as self-deceptive. If we realized this, we would be humbled and not self-righteous. The reason denial is deceptive is that we cannot deny anything without first knowing what we are denying. It's a catch-22. So, by judging others, we are simply exposing ourselves for judgement without knowing it, because we are self-deceived ourselves. It is another example for "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34. However, on the Day of Judgement, all these truths hidden lies will be exposed. "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:36-37. So, we are totally responsible for our own thoughts, words, and actions. We cannot blame, or judge, and think we can get away with it.

In regards to the original post. If we knew our own sins, how can pointing out someone else's sin forgive our own.

Sorry Butero, I will not engage in your challenge for validity. I have already told my truth, turned my other cheek, and now will leave you to it - alone.

Dear Butero. Some of the words and expressions you use in this thread express a fair bit of tension and criticism. I pray that you will simmer down and find some peace within yourself again. Let go and let God.

I suppose Jesus always had his hair trimmed short and a clean shaven face. 1 Cor 6:19-20 is about sexual immorality. It has nothing to do with appearances. 1 Cor 11:2-16 is about having correct propriety in worship (between man and woman, for that time and culture). Unless you are referring to some other 1 Corinthians scripture, then I apologize for not realizing that.

Hermits chose poverty for spiritual reasons, and ending up with long hair, beard, old stained clothes, etc. Yet they were most easily accepted and listened to by the poor and broken - many were saved.

I find, for me, attraction works better than promotion. It is easier for me to just be me. Whenever I am aware that I am in Christ, my heart overflows with love and gratitude. Who I am is just that. Others, including myself, are naturally attracted, and feel safe, to those that are at peace and loving. So, just be yourself in the Lord, out of love for the Lord, and the rest will take care of itself.

Hello walla299. I know exactly what you must be feeling and thinking. I think the question I am left to ask myself is whether Jesus Christ, or God, prefers to be believed, or prefers that a person lives a truthful way of life. Personally, I find it hard to believe that God, or Jesus Christ, would rather seek recognition more than what is in a person's heart. But that is just my opinion.

People of truth, as Jesus saw them as, do not need to be tested, for they are already true in Christ's judgement.

Does God love everyone? My understanding is that God loves the truth in a person. Does God love everyone the same? My understanding is that everyone has their own unique measure of truth.

Having thoughts and actions from a spiritual (truthful) reference.

Faith is from the spirit, not from the self (false-self, or ego). The self can think it claims things for itself, but that is a fallacy because the self is not real, it is not valid. The self is just a thought produced by brain (body) activity. Only the ego creates a story about claiming and possesing anything that will make its invalidity appear valid. The self cannot claim anything! Faith belongs to the spirit. Faith is believing something to be true, and the truth belongs to the spirit, not the self.

For me, there were many steps I had to learn to truly know myself. Every one of those steps took courage and faith in Christ and God. Over the years, I also learnt that the Holy Spirit of truth always waits for me to put myself aside. So I can discern what the Spirit of truth is counselling me, from what Christ wishes me to know. I see it like this (an analogy). My body is like an empty room, or a shell. My false-self, or ego, takes up this empty space with all sorts of self-centeredness, and playing god. Then something reminds me, like hearing a truth, or like feeling tense, or sensing an ego fear. This reminds me that I am running on self-will run riot mode. For me to vacate that room, I have to act in faith and melt myself away. As the room empties, the Spirit of truth occupies the empty space I made for it. This melting away is me being soft and gentle (humble). At first, I noticed that truth humbled me. Then I learnt that I can surrender myself, to become humble enough, to see the truth.

Dying to self occurs when we are true. A person of truth.

Truth is everything (Real). Anything that is not truth is a deception, illusion, and not real. The price for everything real costs everything not real (including our false-self - ego).

Judgement is almost impossible to avoid. The most common fear that humans have is being judged. To fear judgement already includes judging others may judge us unfavorably. As soon as we compare our self with others, their beliefs, chosen words, expressions, etc., we are judging. The problem of judgement is separation. We separate our self from others, losing that common identification of imperfection, fears, losing the plot, etc. Sometimes our judgement leads us to think we are superior (playing god), and caught up in our false-self, leading a life that is not really real or genuine. I believe that judgement goes too far as soon as we start exploiting our self and others through our judgement.

Humble is … Humility is … Humiliation is … In all cases we hear the Truth.

No. The word believe is a strange one. It is similar to faith in some ways. To believe, also means, trying to be convinced it is true. But once you are convince that it is true, it is no longer a belief (as such) but a conviction of something obvious. I would not point at my computer and say, "I believe this is a computer." I would say, "It is a computer," because it is obvious to me that it is a computer. I have tested it, and it computes. So, a person can say they believe scripture, but do not follow it, are still not convinced that the scripture is true and detrimental to salvation. So they do not really believe (so to speak).

Hello ayin jade. It is better to love a person for who they are spiritually. This type of love can lead to unconditional love. It is a love that has a place in one's heart as being spiritual. It becomes a reference for why you love the other person. Once married, a commitment of spiritual union, the union will more than likely be based on that spiritual aspect throughout life. To have sex before marriage taints the love into expectations of how love should be. It is a love based on conditions. This type of love resides in the mind, and feeds the ego. It becomes the dominant reference for why you love the other. A real marriage, a spiritual union (unconditional), is a life long death (humility) of ones ego-self. To the spiritual, it is an agreement of self-vulnerability and honest exposure. It is more of a funeral to our false-self and a marriage to our spiritual-self. A unreal (worldly) marriage, a physical union (conditional), is a life long feeding of one's pride. To the physical, it is an agreement of self-denial and deception. It is more of a funeral for the spiritual-self and a marriage to our physical-self (self-exploitation, and exploitation of the other person).