3:1-2 This first verse asks: what are the benefits of living according to God's philosophy. And the second answers: God becomes committed to you, to your achievement, to your happiness, to your protection and strength.
3:3 Your relationship with God is independent of others' opinion. The love and support, guidance and protection He offers to you is abundant, agile and resilient, unencumbered by agnosticism or atheism. So the benefit of having Him continues: He's committed to you and His ability is not diminished or dependent on humanity's belief in Him.
3:4 "Men" meaning "humans" go back and forth and their minds change and they sometimes even deceive; but God is in a constant state of truth and stability. He is Who you can entrust your life with and nobody else. Nobody else is capable of ensuring guidance so absolute as His. Compared to Him, we're quite flimsy. It's not an insult to humanity it's just a truth: we are not as selflessly motivated as He is and therefore we make mistakes.
This verse references Psalm 51:4 which explains to us that only God understands and can examine our thoughts and actions without bias or partiality. He's sees us for exactly who we are. His analyzation of us is fair and complete. It's important for us to know this because 1) it's a massive relief to know that there is an entity who understands and empathizes with the emotions we experience and 2) it's a comfort to us to know that we do not have to worry about being misrepresented or unfairly judged.
3:5-6 It's unfair that so many blame God for the actions humans are responsible for: injustice, violence, chaos, unkindness. He has given us complete freedom and some people abuse their freedom. How can He be guilty for being generous with us? For letting us express ourselves how we wish to, without being controlled.
Always remember this before you blame God for something 1) humanity was given complete freedom, this has both good and bad consequences according to how people use their freedom and 2) God allows us to experience the repercussions of our own decisions; He wants us to be informed and in order to teach us, He allows us to experience the lessons our actions create.
God's judgement is largely misunderstood. We categorize ourselves by our actions. One road leads to Him and spiritual-prosperity and the other leads nowhere. He does not turn anybody away; people turn themselves away. These verses help us to understand that God continues to allow our freedom; if our actions are deconstructing our path to God, we can trust that He was fair and available to that person. He ensures that His children find His path and He wants us to understand that He perfectly recognizes and acknowledges His children.
God's judgement is largely misunderstood. We categorize ourselves by our actions. One road leads to Him and spiritual-prosperity and the other leads nowhere. He does not turn anybody away; people turn themselves away. These verses help us to understand that God continues to allow our freedom; if our actions are deconstructing our path to God, we can trust that He was fair and available to that person. He ensures that His children find His path and He wants us to understand that He perfectly recognizes and acknowledges His children.
3:7-8 This verse is a rhetorical argument: Do not play mind games, or live deceptively. Don't constantly excuse yourself (or others) for bad behavior, cruel actions, unkind thoughts. You are not supposed to judge but you are encouraged to be perceptive of and truthful to yourself and others. Identify things, ideas and people as they are; utilize your ability to see logic and sense. You can only create yourself, only grow in wisdom and strength if you are fair and accurate in perceiving yourself and the world. Examine the world and people, but don't judge them in the way of determining them inferior to you just because they're different.
Don't wait for God to correct everything: that is lazy. We are capable of so much and it's a privilege, it's fulfilling to contribute to justice and compassion in the world. Don't expect Him to cut you a bunch of slack, to excuse your laziness, because He knows what you are capable of and He holds you to a high standard. Don't be lethargic; don't be apathetic. Care and but your compassion in action. Be an instrument in the world, a vessel through which so much good can be inspired and established on our earth.
Don't get stuck in the attitude that you feel like you don't have to try because you're incapable or inadequate compared to Him. You are quite able to make an impact on the world. Don't just accept that there are "sinners" and "liars" and shrug your shoulders. Better yourself and your world through your actions, thoughts and temperament.
Don't wait for God to correct everything: that is lazy. We are capable of so much and it's a privilege, it's fulfilling to contribute to justice and compassion in the world. Don't expect Him to cut you a bunch of slack, to excuse your laziness, because He knows what you are capable of and He holds you to a high standard. Don't be lethargic; don't be apathetic. Care and but your compassion in action. Be an instrument in the world, a vessel through which so much good can be inspired and established on our earth.
Don't get stuck in the attitude that you feel like you don't have to try because you're incapable or inadequate compared to Him. You are quite able to make an impact on the world. Don't just accept that there are "sinners" and "liars" and shrug your shoulders. Better yourself and your world through your actions, thoughts and temperament.
3:9 No culture of people or group of people (or any other categorization of people humans insist on creating) is better than the other. We are all deeply valued by God. Likewise, are all susceptible to making mistakes; none of us are perfect.
3:10-18 Several books of the Bible are referenced here: Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Isaiah. It is unfortunate that there have been and are, people who are culpable of these offenses. These verses represent disparate groups of people over the course of time who have lost or never developed their compassion, wisdom, or logic. God wants us to understand that greed, selfishness, deception and chaos are detrimental to our health: mental, emotional and physical.
Our relationship with our creator is so important because our spirit is of Him. He understands us and therefore knows intimately how to protect, guide and strengthen us. He knows how to give us, each individually, the comfort and love we need.
3:19-20 All of the wicked in the world will be stopped. No unkindness or injustice will escape through. At the same time, He is our purest peace and knowledge and encourages us not to look at any other person or ideology for comfort; He cares about you so much more. He is capable of so much more.
3:10-18 Several books of the Bible are referenced here: Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Isaiah. It is unfortunate that there have been and are, people who are culpable of these offenses. These verses represent disparate groups of people over the course of time who have lost or never developed their compassion, wisdom, or logic. God wants us to understand that greed, selfishness, deception and chaos are detrimental to our health: mental, emotional and physical.
Our relationship with our creator is so important because our spirit is of Him. He understands us and therefore knows intimately how to protect, guide and strengthen us. He knows how to give us, each individually, the comfort and love we need.
3:19-20 All of the wicked in the world will be stopped. No unkindness or injustice will escape through. At the same time, He is our purest peace and knowledge and encourages us not to look at any other person or ideology for comfort; He cares about you so much more. He is capable of so much more.
3:21-23 Paul is addressing the arrogant. God does not want us to be boastful of ourselves. As humans, we are flawed. He does not want us to focus on our flaw or to be tethered to the acknowledgement of it, but He wants us to remain humble. In our humility we fairly live and work and express.
3:24-26 Our ability to live and breathe and express has come from our creator. He never wants us to forget that we have been created and encouraged; the entirety of nature and the universe has been our home. Paul is reminding the recipients of His letter that the entirety of nature and the universe has been created and given to us by our creator. Paul's message came through Jesus; the apostles work came from and through Jesus and Paul wishes that everyone remember this compassion and wisdom's origin. To not become too inflated with themselves.
3:24-26 Our ability to live and breathe and express has come from our creator. He never wants us to forget that we have been created and encouraged; the entirety of nature and the universe has been our home. Paul is reminding the recipients of His letter that the entirety of nature and the universe has been created and given to us by our creator. Paul's message came through Jesus; the apostles work came from and through Jesus and Paul wishes that everyone remember this compassion and wisdom's origin. To not become too inflated with themselves.
3:27-28 Paul explains that there is no point to arrogance or boasting; you cannot buy your way into heaven with a wicked heart. Your true nature is what identifies you as a member of God's family. You can't sneak in there based on how you pretend to be here. God knows you by your faith; develop your relationship with Him. It is through your faith that you live, spiritually, eternally, in compassion and wisdom.
3:29-30 This life and universe is not a "Game of Thrones" so to speak. There aren't multiple gods or authoritarians competing for power and control. We have one God, who is the father of all of humanity... He is the Father and creator of all life and space and time and wisdom. People come to know and understand Him through different faith and types of spirituality but He never changes. He is our constant, though learned of in different ways.
3:31 God identifies you by your faith and the nature of your character, and arrogance and scheming cannot and will not give you access to truly knowing Him. Though He knows us by our faith: He still has given us this great instruction on how to be compassionate, wise spirits and it's imperative that we follow and fulfill our purposes; this is the corroboration of our faith.
3:29-30 This life and universe is not a "Game of Thrones" so to speak. There aren't multiple gods or authoritarians competing for power and control. We have one God, who is the father of all of humanity... He is the Father and creator of all life and space and time and wisdom. People come to know and understand Him through different faith and types of spirituality but He never changes. He is our constant, though learned of in different ways.
3:31 God identifies you by your faith and the nature of your character, and arrogance and scheming cannot and will not give you access to truly knowing Him. Though He knows us by our faith: He still has given us this great instruction on how to be compassionate, wise spirits and it's imperative that we follow and fulfill our purposes; this is the corroboration of our faith.
