The first think I cam across is 1 Peter 3
8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters.[a] Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.
9 Dont repay evil for evil. Dont retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 10 For the Scriptures say,
If you want to enjoy life
and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies.
11 Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
against those who do evil.[b]
Seems we are not of one mind, or maybe not all who claim God are actually His? We are to test everyone who comes in the name of the Lord with The Word. Do they preach with God Word or against? How do they react to the truth of God's Word? How do they act when shown wrong? do they admit it, do they accept they are wrong? or do they rebel and have pride and arrogance. God hates both pride and arrogance? Proverbs 8:13
13 All who fear the Lord will hate evil.
Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance,
corruption and perverse speech.
I was once attack for a post I did when I was shock by a gay man I was playing a game online with. He was talking about things he wanted to do to other players. People on this very forum attacked me because I was shocked. Now I just found I was correct to be shock as I just found this passage once again. So If people argue for perverse speech are they children of God? Well you can break it down for your self. Are they arguing for God or against. well Here we see it is against. So they are on opposite side arn't they? But one case does not make this as there are exceptions, but when the person time and time again preaches against God's word how can they say they are on the side of God?
Proverbs 6:16
16 There are six things the Lord hates
no, seven things he detests:
17 HAUGHTY EYES,
a lying tongue,
hands that kill the innocent,
18 a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong,
19 a false witness who pours out lies,
a person who sows discord in a family.
see that part in bold lets look at that for a min.
Here is the dictionary definition.
adjective, haughtier, haughtiest.
1.
disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious:
haughty aristocrats; a haughty salesclerk. (dictionary.com)
lets look at websters.
haugh.ty adjective ho-t, h"a-
: having or showing the insulting attitude of people who think that they are better, smarter, or more important than other people
So wait does insulting people mean your haughty. Well God tells us not to purposely insult people could this be why. I think it is interesting. I am learning here I am Just outlining my journey, you decide for your self.
But you see how proverbs 6:16 fits with 1 peter 8? and that is why we study all the Bible over and over again and write God's Words on our hearts, because we read one thing and see how it fits with another thing said or complement's it. Peter tells us not to insult other and repay insult with insult and then in Proverbs we see God hates these things. See how the New Testament can be traced Back to the Old, and Like wise we can draw from the Old to move forward to the New. God said teacher of religious Law, well I'll post it. Mat 13:52
52 Then he added, Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.
Do you see why this is? God is unchanging, what is true in the Old is true in the New, but wait they stoned people, but look to Jesus. Jesus kept all the Law and never once stoned anyone. as Jesus explain many times the Jews had not understood God. Eye for and Eye mean do on to others as you would have done to you. The Golden Rule.
That is why you can not fully Get what God is saying by reading Just the New or just the old as Jesus said the two go together.
Let turn now to James 4 with the heading of drawing close to God.
4 WHAT IS CAUSING THE QUARRELS AND FIGHTS AMONG YOU? DONT THEY COME FROM THE EVIL DESIRES AT WAR WITHIN YOU? 2 You want what you dont have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you cant get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you dont have what you want because you dont ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you dont get it because your motives are all wrongyou want only what will give you pleasure.
what does that say about this forum? How many fights go on? and why, Has God not just said why?
James 4:
4 You adulterers![a] Dont you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.[b] 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,
God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.[c]
see that, there it is again God hates the proud, gives grace to the humble. what did 1 Peter say? Peter 3:8 Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. What did proverbs says God hates pride. Let's be clear God does not hate at all when i use that word I am saying reject, how it was meant in Jacob I have Loved and Esau I have hated. More accurate translation Is the Jacob I have accepted and Esau I have rejected. That is closer in the Greek. So God does not hate at all, hate is the opposite of love, if Love is Good then hate is evil. It really is that simple.
James 4:7
7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
what does God say about judging? James 4:11
11 Dont speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.[d] If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging Gods law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?
Now lets address this hear. This fits with Romans 14
14 Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and dont argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes its all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who dont. And those who dont eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn someone elses servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lords help, they will stand and receive his approval.
See this is what James is speaking of and what Paul is addressing also. It is the conflict between believers. See how the Books fit? See James says you are judging the Law and you are not to do that. Paul is speaking of the food Laws, do you see?
So those weak in faith should not judge those who are strong in Faith. Like I say it does not matter what day i rest a week just as long as I do and reflect on God. But some Christians may say I must keep Sunday Holy and Jews might say It is Friday sundown to sundown Saturday. It does not matter i keep it in spirit. They need a set day neither is wrong, understand?
lets complete James 4
13 Look here, you who say, Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit. 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fogits here a little while, then its gone. 15 What you ought to say is, If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that. 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.
17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
Also Paul again In Romans reminds us it is a sin if we believe in our hearts it is a sin for us, for us that believe that its a sin. So for those who keep the food Laws or Holy Days, it is a sin for them not to keep them because they believe it is in their hearts. See how the books fit?
James 1:26
26 If you claim to be religious but dont control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
So we see controlling our tongue is important.
this is long so I will end with this.
Mat 5:43
43 You have heard the law that says, Love your neighbor[q] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![r] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[s] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
I hope this has been as fruit full for you as it has been for me, and I hope you can see how a person is led by The Holy Spirit through scripture because i very much was through this and outlined it for you. I also hope you can see how the whole Bible fits together.