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Eternal Values |
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Values are standards, principles or qualities that are highly esteemed. They define what is important to an individual or society and, to a large extent, dictate personal and societal thought and, subsequently, behavior.
Personal values are usually formed early in life through the influence of parents, teachers and other authority figures. Reinforced by emotional investment, they gradually become incorporated into thoughts, feelings, attitude and behaviors. Human lives are a reflection of their values. I once attended a church service where the pastor asked the children among the congregants, “What do your parents value?” As parents sat mortified, many children answered with complete honesty. The answers included TV, work, family, computer, etc. The exercise simply revealed that human beings do what they value and value what they do. |
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Change
Once ingrained, values prove difficult to change. In fact, change is typically sought only after the experience of a significant crisis. The pain and suffering associated with various crises provide great impetus for motivating change in life. They serve to encourage a serious reconsideration of personal or societal values. While crises often provide the motivation to reconsider values, they cannot furnish the power necessary for actual change. God alone can provide the necessary power to move from worldly to biblical values. Both believer and unbeliever experience pain and suffering in the world. It is the indwelling life (zoe) of God alone that sets them apart. When the believer encounters difficulty and suffering, he or she can take comfort in the fact that the indwelling God is gently and lovingly working to resolve the conflict through the gradual renewal of the mind with values of eternal significance. In contrast, the unbeliever has nothing more than the finite resources of the world to attempt to assuage his pain and suffering. Church Values The values of a particular church group are evident to all who are familiar with their practice. Whether they are associated with the temporal, organized church or the eternal, organic church of the New Testament, values serve to guide mission and activity. As a consequence, they reflect the direction and fruitfulness of the church. The distinct church of the New Testament church bore spiritual fruit in significant quality and quantity. In stark contrast, the temporal, religious church is significantly limited in the production of spiritual fruit. It does not bear the quality and quantity of spiritual fruit reflected in the pages of the New Testament. The discrepancy is related to the values they embrace. It is clear from the New Testament that the early church valued: |
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The values of the church serve a significant role in determining its spiritual vitality and fruitfulness. The primary factors that shaped the values of the early New Testament church were the leading of the risen Savior, the teaching and tradition of the Apostles and prayer. As evidenced by church history, whenever and wherever these same values are cherished they contribute to the bearing of spiritual fruit in New Testament quality and quantity.
© 2018 James Hiatt |
