In November we studied the life and great preaching of Thomas Guthrie, Scottish minister, and humanitarian. We start with his famous sermon about true religion.
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).
The sky, whether studded with stars or hung in gold and purple or one azure field over which the sun wheels his glowing course, presents always a glorious, occasionally a very extraordinary appearance. Not one but two suns are there; and in the Arctic regions, as if to compensate the long periods when there skies are left to perpetual night, there are sometimes three – blazing away in brilliant rivalry, and shedding increase of light on sparkling icebergs and the dreary wastes of snow. Though there were not three but three hundred suns, only one of them could be a true sun. The others, which are produced by a peculiar state of the atmosphere, being, though bright, yet mere images, are analogous, to borrow a familiar illustration, to the multiplied candles that shine on the silver facets of a reflector.
As with these suns, so is it with the various religious systems of the world. They are numbered not by units, but hundreds. Almost every new country that voyagers have discovered, as with
new trees, new flowers and new animals, presented a new form of faith. The world has no building large enough to hold all the gods that men worship. Yet, though greater in number, and much greater in essential differences, than the races of mankind – differing in color and contour as the people of different races do, they met in Adam, God being made of one blood all the families of the earth-among these many religions there is only one true God; the other gods are false – false as the mock suns of an Arctic sky. For as God is one, truth is one; and though the true may be separated from the false by a line as the edge of a razor, still they stand as irreconcilable as they were parted by the whole distance of the poles….Many times, listeners ask us about what is right and wrong according to Christian believes? We discuss this subject in the series Book of Books.
In Christianity, the concepts of right and wrong are often grounded, obviously, in the teachings of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. While interpretations may vary among different Christian denominations, there are several fundamental principles that are generally considered as guiding ethical and moral standards. It’s important to note that different Christian traditions may emphasize certain aspects more than others, and individual believers may have varying perspectives.
1. The Ten Commandments: These are a set of moral and ethical principles given by God to Moses, as described in the Bible (Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21). The commandments cover a range of moral issues, including worshiping God, honoring parents, not committing murder or adultery, not stealing, and avoiding false witness.
2. The Golden Rule: Jesus taught the Golden Rule, which is found in the New Testament (Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31). It states, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” This principle encourages believers to treat others with love, compassion, and fairness.
3. Love and Compassion: Christianity emphasizes the importance of love, compassion, and forgiveness. Jesus’ command to love one another is a central theme (John 13:34-35), and believers are often encouraged to show kindness and mercy to others.
4. Personal Integrity: Christians are called to live lives of integrity, honesty, and righteousness. The Bible contains teachings about honesty, humility, and the importance of keeping one’s word.
5. Respect for Life: Christianity generally values the sanctity of life. This extends to issues such as opposing murder and promoting the dignity and value of every human being.
6. Avoidance of Sin: Christians are called to avoid sinful behavior as outlined in the Bible. Sins such as greed, envy, lust, and dishonesty are discouraged, and believers are encouraged to seek forgiveness and repentance when they fall short.
7. Social Justice: Some Christian denominations place a strong emphasis on social justice, advocating for the fair treatment of all individuals and addressing issues such as poverty, inequality, and oppression.As always, we have other projects under development that might be interesting to you. Come and download numerous Christian books, listen to our programs, see several video lessons based on Russian Christian art, look at pictures of beautiful Alaska, the home of our first radio station, KNLS.
Thanks for reading and for listening!
Categories: RUSSIAN