Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Values, Truth, Reality?

What is a value? It is an ideal we hold as a truth in our life, it may be a truth, or it may not be depending upon our reality. Reality is more about our real circumstance, it may be the truth, but again it may be far and wide of the truth!

Jer.17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?

Christian's in particular are faced with conflicting values in todays world, and truth(s) making it hard to know what reality actual is in their personal lives. For an example the bible says all are sinners, truth! Value says when some one sins we want them to meet are values of being perfect, which is impossible, so we become hateful and judgmental in not forgiving them. There are many codes of law, not necessarily God's laws, but laws of the nations that hold out certain high values we would all like to obtain too.

Ecclesiastes 7:16 Don't be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

But the truth is hardly anyone including ourselves can meet all the laws without being a law breaker in some fashion. Reality says we understand this condition so we will not become overly righteous and demand more from others than what we ourselves can actually do. Moreover, we know our true condition, and than act reasonably towards others. One is a truth, and the other is a value we hold dear, which in this case everyone should be perfect and meet our values we got from the truth, in this case the laws of the nations, but reality says its impossible for anyone to be that perfect.

Proverbs 29:7 The righteous care about justice for the poor. The wicked aren't concerned about knowledge.

Proverbs 21:4 A high look, and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, is sin.

Perfection Does Not Exist

Most human want perfection and demand it from others, but not so much from themselves, they instead want understanding and mercy for themselves, because they did their best, or were trying to do their best which is a reality that has nothing to do with the truth of God's perfection that He demanded through his rigtheous laws. In other words, perfection to God declares all human as weak sinners deserving of death, but God is reasonable, and compassionate because he is first of all love above all else.

Psalms 86:15 But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn't retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness.

Those finding imperfection so they can fault others is the definition of unrighteous person who takes the easy way out! Its like the person whom demand 100% truth doctrinally while failing to live up to truth in all aspect of their own life. Does this mean truth should lower its standards? Hardly, what does reality state rather we like it or not? We cannot meet such standard in our own life, why than should we demanded it from others, this point was proven long ago by God's own laws.

Proverbs 10:20 The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth.

Proverbs 11:18 Wicked people earn deceitful wages, but one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous weighs answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes out evil.

Truth and Standards

Destroying someone life over a truth, actually is the opposite of truth if the person cannot be, and/or act in truth themselves. Here is a telling example of that.

A client contact a person to clean their home that has been vacated, the home was not in prefect condition, and the owner acknowledge that, but they must get in on the market they were losing money! They wanted the home presentable for prospective buyers , they claimed the home was not dirty, and a light cleaning will do the job – not wanting the additional cost.

Once on the job the company cleaning the home finds there much more, but takes on greater task as the clients request with no extra charged to please the owner, because the owner had had many troubles over this home and with other contractors. The job that should have taken one day become five days, but still no charges was added too the owner. Once completed the owner faults the entire job over a hair they found on the floor stating: “the whole things was a disaster, and it could not be shown over a hair and a little dust on a widow cell!”

The person contracting the job was baffled they thought they had a working relationship with the client? Moreover, how could everything be a disaster, when all it would takes is a small adjustment to correct the problem? This was not an intentional evil act to beat owner out of more money, the company took on extra work without charge too the owner, for free? It was a simple overlook, perhaps? If the client was not lying?

1 Timothy 6:17 Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

This is totally unreasonable, the owner could not find anyone to do the job, let alone on time, or for the price. No one was going to fault the home whom was a serious buyer over a hair or a little dust on a window cell. How had this person mind gotten so far out of control too the extreme? What values had made them think in such high perfection something they could not do themselves or want done to them? Moreover, who could pay for such perfection? Why such a high standard, unless their reality was skewed?

Values That Lie?

Values that lie are values which are perfection, something no human can do nor wants to be judged by. But in today's world, there is a high-mindedness among some that demand perfection from others because they think “money” which is their value, is a god, and can buy everything. However, for Christian's, their values cannot be perfection living in the truth of their own fallen flesh a reality. Hence, they cannot demand perfection when they themselves cannot live in perfection by their values and /or standard while at the same time being a sinner falling far short of God's glory, reality says we should than be reasonableness, because the truth is perfection a value condemns all of us.

Luke 8:10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.
18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
18:12 I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.'
18:13 But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Religion as well as politics set up doctrines of high principles, some claim to practice them, but none really do, yet Christian's and politics will emphatic denounce and even destroy others over of such doctrines of law and religion. Christ himself was faced with this false value as each real Christian's will deal with it throughout their own life on earth. Double standards, demand perfection from one, while making all types of excuse for another they like.

Proverbs 20:23 Yahweh detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing.

Adultery is adultery those loving to judge others over such an evil offensive which is a truth that God does not condone adultery. But on the other hand these same ones easily condone their own lust in their hearts for the opposite sex. The Jews had stone to death many for the unrighteous act of adultery, but not their own selves, for it was OK, they justified it as long as they did not act upon the lust in their hearts. In other words, it was not a sin by their “values”, but was this the truth or even God's reality according to His values? The Son of God said; it was a sin deserving of death as much so as the physical act of adultery.

Matt.5:27 "You have heard that it was said, {TR adds "to the ancients,"} 'You shall not commit adultery;'{Exodus 20:14} 5:28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
5:29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.{or, Hell} 5:30 If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna.{or, Hell}

The truth is God does not condone either, but what is our reality in the flesh, do we pluck out an eye for a desire of adultery in our hearts? No, we cannot, what we do is ask God for forgiveness, which is the only reasonable approach if we cannot stop sinning in our hearts.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

The unreasonable approach is to demand perfection in others while practicing the same thing in ourselves. We fault the entire house for a hair, or the splinter in our brothers eye? We are all faced with the truth of our own reality, we are sinners rather physically or in our hearts, neither is condone by God. So do we look for the one hair on the floor to fault the whole person everlastingly?

Romans 7:12 Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.

Can Perfection be Purchased?

Romans 3:10 As it is written, "There is no one righteous; no, not one.

What is the price for perfection, and can it be demanded or purchase by the richest people in our world? This is a great deception of our human mind which distorts truth and reality into a value, money to be exact. Allowing them demand perfection if a person obtains enough wealth believing they can buy perfection or just simply move on to someone that can give them perfection, while treating others like objects that can be bought and sold.

James 5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming on you. 5:2 Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten. 5:3 Your gold and your silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be for a testimony against you, and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up your treasure in the last days. 5:4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Armies{Greek: Sabaoth (for Hebrew: Tze'va'ot)}. 5:5 You have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure. You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 5:6 You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous one. He doesn't resist you.

First, even the greatest works of man were sorely flawed with imperfection, but someone had worked through those problems so other could say the work of art or whatever is perfect! But let us answer this question squarely, perfection cannot be bought by the greatest and riches people in the world, why? Christ was perfect none of the greatest kings in the world could have purchased what Christ has done for us. God himself provided us perfection because no human could be perfect enough to meet his standards, or his values which the truth us human are all imperfect and sinners. God through a gift purchased human from sin and destruction.

Psalms 49:7 none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him.

John 1:29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

God needed to be reasonable, not demanding perfection from something flawed as humans under sin. God needed to remember we are but flesh, and reasonably and compassionately deal with us as such. He did not look at perfection and become enraged against the human race wiping them off the face of the earth because they could not meet his perfect laws. God extended a welcome to sinners those that were hated and cast out from association of the so called clean, he continued loving and teaching each one of them, the peace of Holy Spirit which is a good works towards those whom are unreasonable. Can you or me purchase perfection in earning merit with God by our good works that we should harshly judge our brothers?

Titus 3:2 to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men. 3:3 For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 3:4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, 3:5 not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
3:6 whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior.

The standard of God's truth is we will each be brought to perfection because God is reasonable, and because he is love; knowing we are but flesh, He will not fail and become provoked because we do not have perfect doctrinal truth, he will kindly lead us and teach us because he is a good and reasonable God whom does not fault us for the one hair found on the tile!

Micah 4:1 But in the latter days, it will happen that the mountain of Yahweh's temple will be established on the top of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills; and peoples will stream to it. 4:2 Many nations will go and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Zion will go forth the law, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.

Does Being Reasonable Mean Condoning Unrighteousness?

Does a person being reasonable mean condoning unrighteousness? Here is another story that might help with this subject. A very wealth woman needed a new maid after she hired one she went to check out her work. When she got to the beds in her house she flew into a fit of rage shouting at the new maid: “I want my beds made with five points on each sheets, like a five star hotel”!

The maids reply was: “Mam, some of us have never been in a five star hotel.” The wealth lady than showed her how to make a bed like a five star hotel, and found out later this was the only maid she'd could trust to clean her precious home.

God is wealthy he has very high standards that he does not compromise over, he does not condone evil, but brings us up, at his time and good pleasure to the level he wants called perfection of faith, not perfection of law, do you know why? Because perfection of faith means ones heart mind and soul are involved in loving some one so much they desire to please them on all levels, but fall short because they are human.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.

Luke 14:21 "That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.'

It is in our failures that we perfect faith, we come to learn of God's great love and mercy towards us, we come to understand in real terms God's love does not leave us or fail us. Yes, we are corrected, we are refined, and we are discipline, but we are not faulted for our efforts over one hair in the house of faith.

Hebrews 3:6 but Christ is faithful as a Son over his house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end.

Heb.2:17 Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. 2:18 For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

We on the other hand are learning what? We are learning how to be compassionate with other humans that are yet weak and sinners, we are learning how real love is reasonable towards sinners, we are learning that not much good dwells in us because of sin, and how wonderful it is to have Christ taking away the bad and replacing it with his good life so we can do the will of God. No! We are not compromising our values because we are reasonable we are slowing down our anger waiting patiently upon God's workings in our brothers and sisters as we want done towards us. We are not demanding perfect truth when we can't ourselves handle all the truth at present.

Matt.7:1 "Don't judge, so that you won't be judged.
7:2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 7:3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? 7:4 Or how will you tell your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye;' and behold, the beam is in your own eye?

What are we looking for in others, the good or evil? Evil is everywhere and is easily found in human under sin and death, imperfection are everywhere according to our judgments, but whom can find the gold the good in us? Who of us can see the whole picture, the real value God is looking for in redeeming and loving the world? Who of us has not changed our minds many times in our life only to learn our judgments were wrong our reality skewed? There is truth, values, and reality, but none them will be correct until we become reasonable as God is with us, such godly reasonableness is our peace!

James 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. 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.

Rom.9:22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath made for destruction, 9:23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, 9:24 us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles? 9:25 As he says also in Hosea, "I will call them 'my people,' which were not my people; and her 'beloved,' who was not beloved."{Hosea 2:23} 9:26 "It will be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' There they will be called 'children of the living God.'"{Hosea 1:10}

Let us be reasonable with one another, let us know the reality of ourselves we all have been unreasonable at times from faulty values, we can do this if we walk in God's love.

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.

3 John 1:11 Beloved, don't imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn't seen God.

Romans 12:21 Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Completed on: June 21, 2014

by: Daniel a Slave of Christ Jesus