The cure for all those who still have unsurrendered sin is, Joh 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. It is a choice and then a journey. Lord, in Your mercy, keep us from marring Your image before others. Let us be reflections of Christ in all areas. Amen

That’s right! It means you can’t cuss at that person who makes you angry. That’s right! You cannot ignore that person who is hungry or sick. That’s right! You must forgive that person who hurt you and used you. That’s right! You need to speak the Truth, show love to those who seem to be unlovable, pray for those who are hurting, and minister to those who feel alone. That’s right! You can’t hang out in the gossip group; laugh at filthy jokes and agree with ungodly decisions.

You’re a rep. for Christ; created in the image of God….ACT LIKE IT!

I'm attempting to restrain my horror and anger at the torrent of legalism in this OP but am failing miserably. However, I'm editing myself tightly so at least I won't have anything I need to repent from or apologize for.

Representing Jesus Christ means demonstrating unconditional acceptance, speaking the truth in love, freely laying down one's life for others (not necessarily in a crisis situation, I'm thinking of the humble, day-to-day sacrifices we make for others.) It all boils down to loving others as we would want to be loved, and loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Honeybee, your post is death on toast. I believe you have good motives in posting this, but what you posted is the killing letter of the law and not the grace of Spirit.

Yes, I can cuss out the person who cuts me off in traffic. It's called freedom. It's no profit to me, and not a good habit to encourage, but there's no "can't" involved in doing it.

God demands we forgive those who wrong us, true. Yet that forgiveness must come from one's heart and soul, not as a knee-jerk response to a negative situation. It's one thing to say it, it's another to mean it.

For me to post this response is my attempt to show love to you and to anyone else reading this thread. I believe what you're saying is technically true, but it's expressed shallowly and reeks of legalism and performing to earn God's approval, as though He were some petty-minded, sniffy moral bookkeeper.

As for laughing at filthy jokes, sometimes they're the only ones worth laughing at. Sometimes our lives seem like nothing but an off-color joke, and either we laugh or we explode. For people in crisis, sometimes a dirty joke is the only way to break the ice and get to smile and then to talk.

Now, disagreeing with ungodly decisions? Who defines "ungodly"? What happens when there's no clear right or wrong and someone has to make the best of a bad situation? What happens when Joe Bob says the decision was ungodly but Carol Ann says it wasn't? What happens when someone's 27-year old son comes out of the closet and says he's gay, has always been gay, will always be gay, but still loves you Mom and Dad? How does a good parent and a sound believer treat him? What if the son wants to bring his partner home for Thanksgiving?

I agree with both honeybee & Ken, both.

As Christians, we are automatically ambassadors, but we tend to put too much emphasis on how we look & how we act, that we forget we are also priests & our personal relationship with God is of primary importance.

When a new Christian begins his journey, he does not automatically quit cussing, smoking, chewing, etc. Quitting bad habits or personal sins, & looking "pure" can be done by an unbeliever. Anything an unbeliever can do is not Christian spirituality.

For a Christian, lifestyle changes occurs from the inside out, and are supernatural manifestations of our priesthood, our personal relationship with God.

We are commanded to have the "mind of Christ", and that occurs through the daily intake of Bible doctrine (God's word), through the filling of the Holy Spirit and through the gift of our right Pastor- Teacher who studies & communicates the word of God to us.

When we have to try to be "good", without doctrine resident in our souls, & apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit, then it becomes "human good".

When we do "good" as a result of doctrine resident in our souls, AND with the filling of the Holy Spirit, then it is "divine good".

New believers & immature believers don't know anything of God yet, so the only "divine good" they will have is the work that Jesus Christ did on the cross. Although that is enough to get them into heaven, they need to "grow in the grace & knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Since we all know that this doesn't come over night, we can't expect the new or immature believer to have the "fruits of the spirit", including wisdom, and therefore be performing "divine works". This is one reason we are commanded not to judge others. Only God knows someones heart, their motives, and where they are in their Christian walk.

And Ken is right, throwing out an occasional "skubala" is just what was needed at the time!! LOL

A wise believer will know how to think and behave in the scenarios Ken gave, because they will have "the mind of Christ." : - ) What a wonderful God we have!!