A NEW SET OF RULES

026 – OCTOBER 2005

A NEW SET OF RULES

Have you ever been ill-treated by someone, maybe for the 10th time, when you finally decide, “There’s a new set of rules to this old game.”?

Mt 10:16 “… be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

The virtues of a Christian walk include gentleness, forgiveness, humility, love, mercy, and grace … to name just a few. Yet, you notice that foolishness is not on that list. Foolishness is not a virtue.
For example - You have a business and someone bounces a check for the 2nd time. The next time you do business with that person, you might want to ask for “cash only, please.” And, this does not make you a bad person.
Or, someone simply takes advantage of your good nature. In your kindness, they repeatedly walk all over you! You might begin to add some wisdom to the predicament. You might take a courteous but firm stand and say “There needs to be a new set of rules to this old game.”
Fool me once – Shame on you. Fool me twice – Shame on me !!! ???

Pr 26:11 “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool to his folly”
Pr 18:23 “Happy is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gets understanding.”

Sounds pretty good … right?
Well, maybe! Maybe not! … Because having presented this thinking - How do we reconcile it to what Jesus said?:

Mt 5: 39-40 “… but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have
thy cloak also.”

Or,
Mt 18: 21-22 “Then came Peter to Him, and said, Lord, How oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Till seven times?”
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but Until seventy times seven."

The scriptures cannot be contradictory so how do we put these 2 seemingly opposing thoughts together What can be the answer?

I have a few thoughts but maybe I’ll just let you think about it !! ?? J