OrthrosGnosis

Just because we have the freedom to do whatever we desire, we do not have the right to do whatever we want. As followers of Jesus Christ, our focus must be on motivating ourselves and others toward holiness. We cannot allow our “freedom” to cause anyone else to fall into sin. The Apostle Paul makes this very clear in 1 Corinthians 8.

Food and sex are two very misused, abused, and misunderstood subjects. Sex is not mere pleasure, the metaphysical nature of it literally connects two people. Using food as a means of pleasure misses the point that food is for sustenance, and should never control us. The Apostle Paul explains the nature of these two subjects in Second Corinthians 6.

Christianity in the West has zero experience or understanding of being persecuted for pursuing godliness in Jesus Christ. To be a follower of Jesus Christ is to practice and believe what the Church has always practiced and believed. We should be radically different than the culture around us.

In his second letter to the Church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul clearly identifies the Church as the people of God and the Church as the temple of God, thereby disqualifying the Israelites and the physical temple. But the pursuit of purity and holiness is required of those who are part of the Church.

The Christian life is one of self-sacrifice, striving for holiness, and putting others first, rather than your pursuit of comfort, wealth, and ease. The Apostle Paul addresses this in 2 Corinthians 6:1-10.

Jesus said, "It is finished," which means that he accomplished his work of salvation for all mankind, but each person has the responsibility to work out their salvation.

We should follow the example of the Apostle Paul, who, knowing the depth of heinousness of his sin, also understood that God forgives those who genuinely repent.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus heals ten men from leprosy and only one returns to say ‘thank you’. Are we thankful for everything that we have, everything we enjoy, or are we self-centered and thoughtless? Learn to recognize the good and verbalize your thankfulness.

In the epistle to the Church in Ephesus, Paul teaches them about what Christ accomplished, who he is, and the gifts of leadership he gave to them.

At Jesus’ baptism we see all three persons of the Trinity. The incarnation took place so that man could come into God’s presence and work out his salvation.

In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he tells him that he will soon face death but will inherit a reward for his faithfulness. And this is true for everyone who is faithful, who has, as Paul says, looked for and embraced the coming of Jesus as the Messiah.

We read Jesus’ genealogy at the beginning of the gospel of Matthew. While it may be boring to read, it shows us that Jesus is truly human. If Jesus is not truly human, then it would have been impossible for him to save mankind. One cannot redeem what one is not.

The Christian life is not about following the rules of the Old Covenant, it is not about having the right doctrines in one's head, it is about a comprehensive change in every aspect of one's life.

In the Gospel of Luke, we read about Jesus healing a woman who had been sick for 18 years, but did so on the Sabbath. The religious leaders tried to chastise him for it but everyone else saw the wonder of what he said and did.

A link to the full talk: https://youtu.be/x13fOBmsOmc A short autobiography from the Apostle Paul and some thoughts on Church authority / Краткая автобиография апостола Павла и некоторые мысли о церковной власти

To rightly understand Jesus' teaching and actions, one needs to be aware of the historical and covenantal context in which these took place.

We are responsible to love all men, regardless of how they treat us. If we do not forgive others for their sins against us, God will not forgive our sins. We cannot expect to receive what we will not give.

The parable of the talents that Jesus taught, describes more than merely using one's abilities. As Christians, we are responsible to take action not merely believe something or have nice feelings. The responsibility of the Christian is to love God, love neighbor, and to pursue holiness.

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Paul reminds the church in Corinth of gospel that he preached, that they embraced, and how they are responsible to hold fast to that faith based on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 9:2-12, Paul reminds the Church that it is good and right to support the apostles in their work of spreading the gospel. And even though it is appropriate, Paul and Barnabas have chosen not to seek after money and wish nothing to inhibit the gospel of Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 4:9-16, Paul describes the suffering he and the other apostles have undergone for preaching the gospel, as well as the importance of imitating the Fathers in the Christian Church.

In 2 Peter 1:10-19, Peter reminds his readers that it is their responsibility to pursue holiness and righteousness and to be a light to the world around them. The authority in the Church comes from the foundation of Jesus Christ and the apostles. The light of the Gospel will change the world.

In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul reminds the Church in Corinth that all authority is found in Jesus Christ, that we are baptized into Jesus Christ, and that we should be labeled by no other person.  We are the Church, the body of Christ.

In Romans 15:1-7, Paul shows how important it is for those who are strong and mature to help those who are weak in their faith. Peace, harmony, and humility ought to be the markers that identify the Christian faith.

In Titus 3:8-15, Paul instructs Titus to lead his people to doing good works, for this is the fruit of one who is a Christian. He warns him that there is no value in stupid controversies, genealogies, or arguments over the law.