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Mat 5:16 VS Mat 6:1 VS John 7:4

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kweli:
Hello everybody

Please help with these verses:

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

Matthew 6:1
Take heed that ye do not your almsgiving before men, to be seen by them; otherwise ye have no reward from your Father who is in Heaven.

John 7:4
For no man doeth anything in secret if he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world.

There may be others but these got my attention. And it's all Jesus speaking here. I do know about the flaw of showing off, so maybe I dont understand shining your light before men and doing things so that the world can see. What am I missing? I hope it's not the Spirit of GOD  :-[ :'(

Psalm 115:1

hillsbororiver:
Hi kweli,

These verses are not about standing on a soapbox and proclaiming your own righteousness and salvation, they are about living a godly life, by displaying His "divine nature."

 2 Peter 1

 3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

 5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

 6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

 7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

 8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

 10Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

 11For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

If we show patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity as we journey through each minute of every day, if we treat others and esteem them better than ourselves we will certainly be a shining light in this dark world. It is not about words or quoting scriptures it is all about a humble obedience, Christ living within us.

Peace,

Joe
   

kweli:
Hello Joe

There is exactly where I get lost in it. How can I be charitable and let the world see, and still not do my alms before men?

The reason I ask all this is, my brother asked me for the quadrillionth time this past Sunday to join their 'ministry' of helping the needy and "giving them the Lord". I have seen what they do out there and it is very noble, almost Scriptural (they make huge presentations for people once in a while in a public place and show them what they have done so far in order to gain their $upport). My brother says that is how we are a shining light. And it got me thinking...how am I shining a light if I'm always in the background, seeking to avoid showing off? I mean, how do I show anybody any good that may be in my deeds if GOD rewards that which is done in secret? I dont know if you know what I mean but it's almost as is I'm "sticking to verses that support my belief", as my brother put it.

I really need help.

hillsbororiver:
Hi kweli,

First off John 7:4 is not Christ speaking.

Read it again;

 John 7

 1After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

 2Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand.

 3His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

 4For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

 5For neither did his brethren believe in him.

Do you see here that John 7:4 is being spoken by the "brethren" that did not believe in Him?

Continuing....

 6Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

 7The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

 8Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.

 9When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

 10But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

Peace,

Joe

Craig:
Kweli,

Though good works have their place, how should we exhibit them?  I think of the preachers and churches that advertise their good works like this.

Lets say a person is in the dark and cold.  In the distance they see 2 lights one very bright and the other dimmer.  As most all would do, they go the the bright light to find warmth.  When they get there they find 1000 fluorescent light bulbs blinding them, but no warmth.  They stay awhile but still being cold they look for warmth elsewhere, they look for that other light but because of the bright light they are blinded, for a season.  Eventually their vision returns and they find the other, less bright light. They get to the light and find the warming glow of a fire.

That should be us, we should be the fire not the fluorescent bulbs.

Craig

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