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God defines everything else (and every “thing” IS “everything else”). The nature of reality, of “good” and “evil,” of mankind, what is right and what is wrong...even satan. Every “thing” has its definition in reference to the One Who created it: and each created being by our relationship to Him.

(Even atheists, like a man leaning hard into a strong wind that stops blowing, would fall flat ..."mean" nothing...if there were actually NO God to give their denial of Him substance.)

God frequently gives us exact definitions in words. I quote some of them constantly: what IS the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:10 and Romans 14:17), who IS Jesus and “what” (actually “Who”) IS Truth (John 14:6), what true worship IS (John 4:23-4), who satan and his followers are (John 8:44). God’s “I AM” means that whatever He says a “thing" is, it absolutely, entirely, always, IS.

Some of God’s definitions are not in “A = B’ format, but “between the lines,” or even by negation, for everyone with “eyes to see.” For example, we can know that He defines “wisdom” as understanding His will, since Ephesians 5:17 contrasts "understanding God's will" with “foolishness.”

So I’ve always wanted to ask some Christians what they make of Acts 4:34-35.

“…there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.”

I’ve always wanted to ask those Christians so terrified of “socialism” that they choose instead to follow liars and murderers, what they make of the fact that the first Christians, newly filled with God’s Spirit, practiced all-out “socialism” ?

Of course, God’s not giving a human-political definition of what it IS to be a Christian. No one can get there by politics, and God's definitions are NEVER man’s definitions.

But I’ve always wanted to ask those manipulated by fear of “socialism” where they get their definition of it ?

Obviously, not from scripture.  In scripture, Christians' life in the Spirit looks exactly like the (unattainable by human POLITICAL "works") ideal of “socialism."

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Integrity in Politics

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

“…every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” -- Matthew 7:17,18

INTEGRITY is the way Jesus says it is. People, and their “fruits” (words, thoughts, and deeds) are either “good” or “bad.”

Satan has especially led American Christians away from Jesus’ teaching through politics…in two different directions. Either that politics is not “spiritual,” and Christians shouldn’t dabble in it. Or that we can support political liars and murderers..and still be “good Christians” in God's eyes by going to church, praying, reading the Bible, and "talking the Christian talk."

Every person produces political “fruit” if they live in human society…even those who self-deceive that “I don’t do politics.” And every person brings forth political fruit of “righteousness, peace, and joy” (the Biblical definition of the Kingdom of God in Romans 14:17)…or of lies and murder (Jesus' definition of "children of the devil" in John 8:44).

God doesn’t judge by political party…that's man's stupid way of sorting out what "side" people are on. But we choose what soil we will grow in: and the soil we grow in determines whether we produce good or bad fruit.

And the fruit produced shows if the tree is good, or bad.

Amen.