Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Rom.12:3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.

Here is the problem with our fallen flesh, it is as if its bipolar, going from feelings of nothingness into arrogance of pride. But the apostles Paul is not speaking to people of the fallen flesh, he is however, speaking to those of the Spirit, born new into a Spirit life of Christ Jesus. The Spirit of God is not effected by such mood swings, it is reasonable, it is peaceable, full of mercy and good fruits.

James. 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth.
3:15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Moreover, the mind of Christ body is the mind given the members of that body, it is Christ, not given to extremes unlike our fallen flesh mind found in fear and corruption from sin. Here is how the body of Christ should function in Spirit and truth, a truth that alines us with the Spirit and its fruits.

John 7:24 Don't judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

1Cor.1:29 that no flesh should boast before God.
1:30 But of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: 1:31 that, according as it is written, "He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord."{Jeremiah 9:24}

Romans 4:5 But to him who doesn't work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

Furthermore, who's body is it? Who is the owner of Christ body? You see, we are members of someone else body, not our own old body, dead to Christ. We cannot posses something that we don't own, so should that not in and of itself make us reasonable with each other knowing we are gifts too the body? Do you know how a company knows if they have a loyal employee? It is when the employee takes ownership of the company speaking as if its his, or her's company. But we cannot posses Christ because he is spirit, created from the Spirit of God as love too us.

Rom.13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Philippians 3:2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own.

In other words, he is a gift of God's love too us, freely given, not from the possession of the flesh, but the fruit of God's Spirit. Subsequently, the fruit of the Spirit gives each member within the body gifts, as part of the functioning whole. Those gifts aren't ours, they are for the body of Christ as gifts to the rest of the body, not to be possessed as treasure upon earth to build great things for the flesh.

1 Corinthians 4:7 For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn't receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

One of those gifts in the body is Christ own faith in his Father YHWH, because we are members we receive a measure of faith from Christ our head. It not ours, it belongs to the body, one faith, one body, one baptism, one head, one seed, not many, but one. In other words, all things are Christ and we live through him, as part of him.

Philippians 3:8 Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ

1 Corinthians 8:6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.

What separates the body of Christ the same separation the whole world was conceived in? Sin, that is, the fallen flesh that is one-hundred and eighty degrees the opposite of the Spirit. The flesh and its laws divided people into individual letting them think they have earned position in Christ by those rules of the flesh. They believe faith comes from themselves, their own power they can mustered up. Hence, they posses faith as personal property making themselves responsible for other people's faith by their own example, which most often burns out the flesh, by promoting personality worship instead of Christ.

Levitius 26:19 I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your sky like iron, and your soil like brass;

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

They make themselves into icons boasting in the power of their own will from their flesh, there is no gifts, but instead its earned by their efforts and if given its because they are more special than other entitling them to power and position over others. This division conforms the to the world and its mind. This is Paul point, and its should be considered by us very seriously. Do we have the attributes of the flesh or the Spirit?

James.3:12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, yield olives, or a vine figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh water.
3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.
3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth.

Do we teach flesh, now that is, the character of the flesh as being of Christ? If so we are making people part of this world in the name of Christ. You see, Grace cannot be earned, it is from God's love too us, it is the most powerful tool ever created by the God of love. Grace, and/or undeserved kindness, unmerited kindness, cannot be conquered by flesh. There nothing the flesh has or can do or say that it can earn a the gift of grace. The flesh is soundly defeated in all its efforts when grace rules in the body of Christ.

James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."{Proverbs 3:34}

1 Peter 1:10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you.

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action,{literally, "gird up the waist of your mind"} be sober and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ--

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

There can be no boasting in grace, because the flesh cannot obtain to grace only those walking in Spirit can, that is, the body of Christ have been given freely the gift of unmerited kindness. How reasonable should that make each one of us?

Romans 12:6 Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;

Romans 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

See also: www.nu-truth.com