Easter Workshop 1981
FREE TO CHOOSE (Moral Government)

A) Myself and my choices

Every right choice makes the next right choice easier. Every wrong choice makes the next wrong choice easier. Every time we choose, something possible happens. This is why every choice we make is a way of creating, it makes something real. This is part of what it means to be made in God’s image. (-Andy Raine)

BE A REAL PERSON. God wants you to be real with Him, with yourself and with others, to come down from the clouds of false spirituality and act responsibly as one who must give account.
“Well done! That was beautiful.”
“Oh, it wasn’t me, it was the Lord.”
“But I’m sure I saw your lips moving.”
“Oh you don’t know what I mean.”
“Yes, but do you know what you mean?”
Often we talk like this because our thinking is muddled. If it was the Lord when I performed well, who was it when I failed? The devil? Me? Many Christians suffering from a sickness called loss of identity, and one of its side-effects is a loss of accountability. With a real desire to give God the glory, we are not sure where we personally fit in. Are we, in parody of the well-known hymn?
Drainpipes only, blessed Master,
But with all Thy wondrous power
Flowing through us…..?
Let us beware of a ‘lost in God’ concept that appears to release us from individual accountability. (Terry Virgo)

…..Ultimately we alone must take responsibility before God for our actions. Regardless of circumstances that conspire against us, we are the ones who finally decide whether to give in or to resist temptation- the responsibility is ours. (-Dick Leggatt)

But the motions we go through must be real and authentic, not attempts in our own strength to live up to other people’s expectations. Often we put a cork called ‘law’ on us which says, ‘I MUST love my brother, I MUST read my Bible etc. etc.’ The pressure of that ‘have to’ begins to distort my personality or perhaps spills out in anger at my wife! The corks need to be thrown out, like many folk do when they “backslide” But that’s not all. Beware the “well, everyone else does it” syndrome. Even expression is dangerous if it’s not healthy. The re-pressers look more holy, but inside they are as dirty as everyone else. They’re more withdrawn from the world. The ex-pressers can be apathetic or “to hell.” But confession is the answer in the middle – be real with God first and then sensitively be real to others. Confess to God that things really bind me. God can “zap” us and set us free, but often he wants to work with our choices to implement His purposes. We shouldn’t be embarrassed in Christian circles to be real and honest with each other in an atmosphere of confession. (John Skinner)

A revelation of Christ is what delivers. (E.g.) if you are lonely you need Christ to reveal Himself as Friend. We don’t just need strength to battle through; we need revelation of Christ, embarrassing revelations, fresh baptisms of love. But with that increased light will come increased responsibility. (Winkey Pratney)

It’s a question of right choices, in Christ’s footsteps, along the pathway of the cross. Jesus made choices towards that final scream of agony all through His life. Hebrews 5:7-8 (Amplified Bible) ‘Although He was a son, He learnt active specific obedience through suffering.’ Jesus as a man grew in faith, grew in His understanding of His relationship with His Father etc. Jesus was prepared to do without things that were good, security, home, money, and marriage. Righteousness means traveling on the road planned for me by God and embracing His will for me. Jesus had to choose righteousness by denying things that are in themselves right. (John Skinner)

Just how important are our choices in God’s work in us? Think of the wooden forms that a carpenter builds before cement is going to be poured. These forms describe the shape which the cement will take. When the cement hardens, they will be thrown away; only the cement will remain. They serve a temporary function, whereas the cement endures. The wooden forms represent the believer’s choices. He does not himself work patience, kindness or love into himself, but simply constructs the outward form into which God pours His enduring work of holiness. The wooden forms which a carpenter builds are often a little ungainly. One board sticks out beyond the others. Two boards lying next to each other don’t match well. Another is marred and gouged. And so it is with the forms of holiness which we construct. They are only an approximation of outward conformity which we come up with. But when we do this for God, in faith that He will fill it, it serves His purpose. In due time, the ungainly outer form will have served its purpose and can be discarded. Only the divine cement will remain.
(Larry Christenson: “The Renewed Mind”)

“Yesterday He helped me, today He did the same, how long can this continue? For ever, praise His Name.” What’s the Goliath in your life? The biggest thing that you’re facing? David said, “I’ll whip Goliath, because the God I serve delivered me in the past and will deliver me again.” We’ll overcome Goliath not only because we’ve got confidence in God, but we’ll face the enemy with courage. I don’t care who you are, if you’re a man or woman of God, you’ve had to face a Goliath. Ian McLaren, a great and famous old time preacher, said one day to his students, “Listen to me, be kind to everybody, because everybody’s having a hard time.” When someone begins to sing:-
“Sometimes there are threads of disappointment,
Dark threads of sorrow and pain,
But hold fast for God still holds the shuttle
There will be bright threads of victory again.”
I notice tears come into my eyes. I don’t care what you say, there’s not one of us not having a hard time. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not talking about defeat. I’m talking about growth because God allows difficulties to come to increase our faith. Courage in the face of the enemy is how we’ll overcome.
Gentleman Jim Corbett, heavyweight champion of the world, was a slim fellow who met many opponents much larger and bigger than himself. He was asked one day, “What is your secret of victory when you’ve fought so many heavier and bigger men than you?” Gentleman Jim Corbett said, “My secret is when the fellow hits me, and it’s the end of the round I turn back to my corner and my arms want to hang down and my feet feel like lead, I say to myself, “Jim Corbett, you’re not going to quit, you’re going to fight one more round, just one more round.” I’ve seen my opponent’s eyes grow large: when I appeared for the next round. Sometimes he thought he finished me that round, when I dragged myself back to the corner and I would say “Jim Corbett, you’re going to fight one more round.” I’d be up there when the bell rang and my opponent would say, “Can I never put him down? Can I never put him out?” He would begin to feel scared, he would begin to feel weary, to get frightened of me and one moment he’d take his guard down, then I’d deliver the knockout blow!” The way we’re going to win isn’t by fighting the whole fight, we’re going to fight one round at a time. We’re going to come up when the devil thinks he’s got us down.

When that problem thinks it’s got you licked, if it’s that feeling of rejection or unworthiness our people seem to be possessed with when the devil points at you, and says, “You’re not worth tuppence, you’re not worth anything,” and that negative spirit in you wants to make you lie down, there’s something in you that says, “Devil, I won’t give you the satisfaction, I’m coming up for one more round, just one more round.” Paul said, “I’m often cast down but not in despair.” One of the modern translations puts it, I’m often knocked down, but I’m never knocked out.” You may have had some news that broke your heart, you maybe going through a circumstance that would kill ten ordinary men or ten ordinary women and the devil hit you and said, “You’ll never come off that one. One, two. three – four, five, six – I told you they’re out – seven, eight, nine”…Hallelujah, the devil lost again. We’re going to win because we won’t quit.

The reason why some of us are so frustrated, the reason why so many of us are so tired is not because we’re over-strained, it’s because we’re under-motivated. I read recently of a woman who had been paralyzed for years and her little daughter was playing outside, while mama lay inside the house. Suddenly she heard that horrible screech of brakes right outside her door and she heard someone in the distance shout her little girl’s name. I want to tell you something, and this was the cause, that paralyzed women got up out and snatched her girl and bought her into the house. The motivation was greater than the pain, greater than the paralysis. We need to attempt greater things for God. (- Simon Peter Cameron)

Our right choices release God’s will into actuality in our lives. They are our way of seeing the His Kingdom come. A life of obediently turning away from the wrong choices Satan tempts us with is too big a task to think of facing, but we can face it one day at a time, by doing the next thing God says for us to do, and making right choices one at a time. (-Andy Raine)

…..God always has a back-up plan. God says His work will get done even if He has to call in someone else to do it – or He will do it Himself! ….God let me know that events which He has decreed HAVE TO HAPPEN! When He decrees it, an irreversible force is set in motion that nothing can stop. IT HAS TO HAPPEN! People He has included in His unfolding plan are not irreversibly stuck with that plan for themselves unless they want to be. God has predestined the event, but not the individuals. He said, “If you will link arms with Me, there will be joy and happiness in it for you. I have fore-ordained you to be a partner with Me in the great work that I am doing, but I will not hold you to it.”

Do you know….
That if even one member of your family is living for God, each individual member is highly favored?
That a great host of angels has been assigned to bring these highly favored people to God? That they have orders to listen to no objections, but to hasten individuals to a point of choice? That if a person chooses the wrong way, the angels will begin the cycle all over again? (‘Angels on Assignment” – Charles and Frances Hunter)

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B. The Character of God and the Sacrifice of Christ

What is God like? He is Good. He is Righteous. He is Loving. He is Faithful. He is Jealous. He is Just. He is Merciful. He is Gracious. When man sinned, God in justice had to wipe us out. God realized He could not remain righteous if He wiped us out, though He would be just. But he loved us, and so found a way out- Grace! The way out, “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” He said ‘I will forgive you if ….’ That ‘if,’ repent and believe, was an arbitrary legal category. So God we find is just, merciful AND righteous. God’s divine characteristics of mercy and grace were always potentially there, but the fall of man sadly made it necessary for them to be activated. (Uli Kortsch)

When God asked Abraham to take his son and be prepared to sacrifice his life, He knew how hard it was to do just that. Jesus, like Isaac, had to carry the wood for the sacrifice. God Himself provided the Lamb. In Abraham’s case that actual slaying of the son was spared him, though he has clearly shown he was prepared even to murder Isaac if God told him to. When God made man He knew there was the possibility he would choose to walk into sin and need redeeming. The Father and Son both knew that unless Jesus were willing to be born and die instead of guilty man, they could not make man in their own image, capable of choosing wrongly. In this sense they had already faced the issue and chosen to still go ahead and create man. This is how we can call Jesus ‘the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.’ As Christians we are told to reckon ourselves dead to this world. The early martyrs had often been aware at their baptism that their faith could cost them their lives- they were living as dead men, whether they were called to die or not. Jesus was potentially the sacrificial Saviour even before man chose to sin and made the sacrifice necessary. The plan of redemption was only God’s glorious back-up plan. (-Andy Raine)

C. Creation and the Fall

(See also ‘Destined for the Throne’- Paul Billheimer)

Creation happened from an overflow of love. God has in Himself a complete loving fellowship and communion, He did not need to create anything, but generously He wanted to. Our limitations become our great next asset as we creatively overcome them. God made man finite and the universe infinite, that man through his limitations might conquer the infinite. However, the world as we know it now is bound in many ways it was not before the fall. Eve didn’t freak out when the serpent was the cleverest of all the animals BUT some of them obviously spoke. Things have really changed…. When we became slaves of Satan we forfeited the rule of the universe. So Satan now became the master of this world, the prince of the powers of the air. Satan’s power and rule over the earth can still be seen in various ways unknown before the fall.
1) Disease
2) War
3) Carnivorous animals
4) Changes in climatological phenomena
5) Death
6) Entropy
(and perhaps 7) Relativity)

Changes in Climatological Phenomena

(See Age-graph above) Cosmic radiation which lessens life-span increased after the fall, as cloud cover decreased. After Noah we see a drastic fall in life span. God did not desire the flood, but His justice, and Satan, demanded it (Uli Kortsch)

Methuselah, the man who lived longest of all was the son of Enoch who became a prophet, and from the birth of his son walked with God. Finally he walked with God and was not for God took him! He named his son ‘After he’s gone it shall come’ prophetically meaning the impending destruction of man. God knew He must judge man, but was so reluctant to do so that Methuselah lived even longer than his own son who died of old age, the year he died the flood came. (-Andy Raine)

The rainbow after the flood was a sign of covenant. It was then a new thing. Why? – no rain before this. There was dew, tropical humidity, but the sun was not visible; continuous cloud-cover, but no extreme temperature differential, and so no rain. By Genesis 11 or 12 we see physical stability of the earth. After the flood the sun began Entropy

The 2nd law of Thermodynamics. ‘Every system naturally decays i.e. you can’t win. Entropy today is the biggest single limiting fact in the universe. Romans 8:22. This law virtually makes man impotent. Nothing you can do can last (in the physical world.) The law of entropy is in direct conflict with the theory of evolution, and poses a real problem for evolutionists. Sir Julian Huxley tried to solve their problem by saying energy from the sun stops the earth from ever being a closed system, but this is no answer since the energy from the sun is not directive energy, but random energy. Entropy says, whatever I do increases random, non-directive energy = wastage. Entropic energy is useless, chaos.

The law of relativity is a limiting factor. (E.g. speed limiting factor = the speed of light) This is only more or less proven, some aspects not yet proven. Also it is only theory that this is a consequence of the Fall, but if man is to rule the universe, when these consequences are reversed it seems to be a logical area of re-adjustment. (- Uli Kortsch)

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D. Man – in God’s image

What is man like? – moral, limited, finite, in God’s image, governor, prince, a creator.

If God made us to be His sons etc. why or how are we limited, finite? What is the point of man being here on earth, post-Fall? To make moral choices. This can only be done because of limitations. Today the state of redeemed man is higher than that of Adam and Eve. We are in the Kingdom today, heirs of the Kingdom. Satan worked for God unknowingly. 1 Corinthians 2: 6-9. We as Christians are today creating and learning how to be creative.

“Made in God’s image” – physically means nothing, i.e. if a man loses a leg he’s still in God’s image. What is spirit in a person? It’s dead until made alive by the Spirit of God, like a balloon that’s never been blown up. Man’s WILL can be operated by soul or by spirit depending on which is in command at the time. The spirit is that central part of you which when it is alive directs all of you. When the spirit is dead then the soul directs the body. (some people’s soul has died, and they are just ruled by their body – often they need to be put in special institutions!) A lot of the soul is bio-chemical, but the spirit isn’t at all. E.g. Women’s emotional changes are greater- that is bio-chemical. We can rule there (or learn to!) by living with the spirit in control. Body is 100% physical. Spirit is 0% physical. Soul is a mixture of physical and non-physical. At death the soul goes on identically, but it’s physical part drops off with the body. When we come to know God our spirit gets saved first, then our soul (e.g. the renewing of the mind,) then finally the body. Saving = reclaiming= redeeming. “I praise the wounds, and the Blood of the Lamb that heals the weakness of my body, soul and spirit.” Your soul and body may be really messed up before you find the Lord, and these take time often to be redeemed progressively. (Unless Satanically involved) your spirit has not been messed up, just plain dead.

Dreams are normally regurgitation’s of our mental state. Choices in dreams are even if “wrong,” only indicators of areas of weakness NOT of conscious decision. We are not able. Just take it to God on waking. Don’t get condemned though! (Romans 8:1) Often it is God clearing things out of our system. If it’s a nightmare, ask God to relax you. If you feel a demonic problem in dreams just take authority and receive peace from God. Next morning you can pray: ‘Lord, You know and I know that I didn’t enjoy what happened last night. Please, Lord, let there be no repeat performance. If You can teach me something through it, then please do so, but do it clearly.’ Unless God specifically convicts you it is not necessarily sin. Whatever happens never get condemned. Time also is a good healer: Before we are saved we are 100% problems. At conversion God may immediately clear 80%, so as to leave 20% for you to battle with to strengthen your character as He clears them one at a time. (-Uli Kortsch)

Man is a moral being

“Man is a free moral agent.” Gordon Olsen
Free – able to choose, influenced, perhaps, but not caused to…
Moral – having to do with a sense of “oughtness,” obligation, duty concerning “right’ and “wrong.”
When you do wrong intending to do right God sees what you did in your heart, and therefore pardons you BUT will often expect you to put it right if possible. (cf Leviticus 4 – sin of ignorance.)
Moral Government is government based on RIGHT CHOICES.
A government is that structure by which there is authority and responsibility in the legislation of all actions of all. Moral government is that government which operates on the basis of free choices. In other words, God’s government of His people is inherently based on the working assumption that we, His subjects, have free choice. Any ruler who makes real laws is bound by them himself. God created the law and in doing so accepted it. The law was based on His character anyway. He is free from law – but if He breaks the law it changes. God cannot give you free choice and force you at the same time.

What about “Original Sin?”

Often what we mean by “original sin” would be better termed “original guilt.” As it is often taught it raises 3 main problem questions:
1. Aren’t free choices and original sin incompatible? (YES)
2. Is sin an “it” communicated to a child through genes? (NO)
3. What about God’s justice? (-Uli Kortsch)

(At risk of being controversial it is possible to argue that the assumption of the inerrant truth of this teaching of original sin (=guilt!) historically contributed to 1) the popular idea that sex, even within marriage is in some way dirty and sinful and a consequence of the Fall, rather than part of God’s original plan, 2) a popular superstitious view of Baptism of infants as an insurance policy against hell-fire, 3) various doctrines of later Catholic tradition concerning Mary, being adopted (e.g. her continued virginity) 4) the idea that Jesus didn’t sin because He couldn’t, rather than because He chose not to.
(-Andy Raine)

Ezekiel 18 and the weight of the rest of Scripture indicate clearly that a man is accountable for his own sin i.e. we are not guilty for Adam’s sin, but we are guilty of our own. Sin is not in the genes, but disease etc. in the genes is a result of Adam’s sin. Morally, there is a pressure upon me to sin a) from my body, b) from my environment, parents etc, c) from Satan. This is a consequence of Adam. Sinfulness is a moral state. We have an in-built tendency to sin. Accountability increases with understanding.

Perfection
Be perfect: (Titus 1:15) Matthew 5:48, (Isaiah 38:3) James 1:4, 1 John 1:1 -2:3, 1 John 3: 1-9.
We need to obey the law to be perfect. Phillippians 3: 12, 15.
2 words for “perfect:”
Teleou – a) ceiling-high such as God has
b) perfection to the level of understanding

i.e. Light (internalized knowledge) = responsibility
So Matthew 5:48 ‘Be perfect even as your Heavenly Father is perfect.’ means ‘Be perfect to the level you can, even as He is to the level He is (infinitely) capable of.’ i.e. ‘Eat your dinner up like your Daddy’ NOT ‘Eat up your Daddy’s dinner.’ !!!! ( -Uli Kortsch)

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E) God and the Future

God’s actions have a past, present, future – succession.
His Being is eternal.
TIME – a) SUCCESSION OF EVENTS
b) DURATION (even has units of it –e.g. minutes, years.)
Time is a limiting factor. “Entropy is time’s arrow,” said Eddison. God is not limited by the b) factor at all, but God does make successive choices = a). Our units of time are an arbitrary thing and under certain scientific and mathematical conditions can change. God’s “time” has no beginning and no end, but a Christian’s time only has no end. Future decisions of both man and God are not now realities. Choices are not real until they are made and there are therefore a flux of alternatives. God knows the alternatives perfectly, but gives us real choices of blessing or curse. It becomes reality as we create it by choosing it. God’s total knowledge is of all the choices. (Past, present, future are not all the same to God. The concept of the ‘Eternal Now’ is not, Biblical but Eastern/Greek. The future is not fixed, but a flux of alternatives within certain certainties. God predestinates the unity, but not the diversity. It is as if He determined a ship going from Dover to Calais, but what happens within the ship is not determined.) God has perfect recall of all past events and perfect cognizance of future alternatives. There are various words for ‘time’ in Greek. When the scripture says that time will be no more, the word used is ‘chronos.’ “Chronos” means quantity of time, certain amount, succession, duration, space and date. It is this that will pass away. When God’s Divine time intersects our time and acts the word is ‘Kairos.’ “Kairos” means quality of time, epoch marked by features of event, season, appointed time. This will continue.
So 1. God knows everything
2. God knows the future
3. Future choices do not exist yet. (- Winkey Pratney)

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F. Summary of some main points of Moral Government teachings

1. God acts in true succession and lives in endless time. Future decisions of both God and man have not happened and are therefore truly in the future. They are not present realities.

2. God’s rule over His moral creation is moral and not coercive. God does not use brute force to rule in bringing us to salvation. (Nor can we as children use force to save men- our job is to give them more light, living light, to enable them to choose Him.)
a) Since moral rule is antithetical to force, man can and does resist and refuse salvation.
b) Unless men meet God’s conditions He cannot wisely save them.

3. God has a right, a Moral Right, to rule man
a) Evangelism based on human “need” is inadequate in its motivation. Our focus must be the heart of God, not people.
b) Christ’s “challenges” to salvation are really commands, not invitations. “Come, follow Me!” This was no option, but an ultimatum.

4. Man’s choices originate in himself
a) Man is a created, finite creator
b) Because we create choices, we are responsible for them (In Ezekiel 21:19 and 1 Samuel 17:8 the Hebrew word ‘barah’ is translated ‘choose,’ but always elsewhere means ‘to create.’)

5. Man’s sin has truly hurt God (Genesis 6:6)
a) Grief is proportional to intimacy of a person. God knows us best and is most intimate, therefore the phrase: “it’s OK as long as I don’t hurt anyone” is ridiculous, because selfishness hurts God the most.
b) This hurt has not caused Him to become bitter, but has resulted in loving willingness to forgive.

6. Man must meet certain conditions to be saved. Grace is the grounds, Repentance and Faith are the conditions. These (repentance and faith) cannot save, but because He has extended the GRACE, we can respond. 1 John 4:19. (The conditions are that you honestly repent and believe, but these are not the grounds of pardon- you’ll never earn it.)

7. Love is an unselfish choice for the highest good (This is an unselfish choice for the highest good of God and His universe, according to their real, related values.)
a) Love is not a feeling. It can be (and is) commanded, and that command fulfilled, as a chosen direction of life. Because love is a choice it can be commanded.
b) Sin (or selfishness) is the opposite of Love.

8. Holy living – is daily loving obedience to growing light.
(It is loving obedience, not grim-lipped.)
a) God holds us responsible for what we truly know about Him and His Law. (It depends partly upon whether we’ve fully understood the truth.)
b) Holiness is measured by Him as our conformity to His standards, His revealed light.
c) Holy habits are established by fresh revelations of God’s character, and by consistent drawing on God’s strength and love.
d) Holiness is something that you are, not something that you have (as a possession.) Christian “perfection” is commanded and is therefore possible, and is living up to the light you have.
Light = responsibility. Light, when obeyed = growth, not just growth in knowledge, but in grace. (-Winkey Pratney)

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How is your love for your friends and family? Here’s a test to help you decide.

Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Then in each aspect ask yourself from 1-10, 1 being very weak and 10 being very strong. For instance, on ‘patience’ you might circle ‘3’ because you lose your temper a lot, but you are not as bad as you used to be! Be honest. Be very honest.

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Love is patient, love is not jealous, or conceited, or proud,
love is not ill-mannered, or selfish, or irritable; love does not keep a
record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the
truth. Love never gives up; its faith, and patience never fail.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.

Love is patient: I keep calm when friends or parents annoy me. I don’t get angry when some one makes a mistake even more than once. I rarely yell at people or lose my temper.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love is kind: I really try to be thoughtful to those around me. I am willing to praise the success of others. I share my time and concern when it’s needed, and I’m always on the look out to ‘build up’ my friends and family.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love is not jealous: I’m not upset when friends perform better than I do. I am not threatened by others’ talents. When I’m overlooked, I don’t punish people with my moods.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love is not conceited: I don’t hog the spotlight in the group. I avoid focusing the glory on myself. I strive to make the others look good, and never tell exaggerated stories about my performance.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love is not proud: I know my limitations and work within them. I don’t need special attention or favors to get me to co-operate. I don’t go around putting people down.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love is not ill-mannered: I avoid making any crude or sarcastic comments to others or about others. Instead, my conversation is polite and supportive and my approach to others is sincere and friendly.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love is not selfish: I am not self –centered. I avoid making others fit my expectations. I am not possessive of my friends or my position. I don’t always insist on my way. I want to learn other people’s ways of doing things.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love is not irritable: I am not touchy, cranky, defensive, or super sensitive. I don’t burden others with my bad moods. I am approachable, warm and open, and easy to get along with.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love keeps no record of wrongs: I am quick to forgive those who have hurt me. I don’t fight back or seek revenge when criticized by someone. I forget mistakes others make and avoid holding a grudge against anyone.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love is not happy with evil: When someone is proved wrong, I avoid self-satisfaction. I never take delight in the failure of another, even if it has made me look good. When anyone slips up, I am there with encouragement rather than ‘I told you so.’

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love is happy with the truth: I welcome honesty and justice, even when it shows my weaknesses. I am willing to give credit and praise wherever it is due. I live my commitment to God honestly, and am willing to admit my mistakes.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Love never gives up: Even when a game seems lost, I keep playing my best. When my relationship with someone is a struggle, I keep sharing. I never miss an opportunity to help someone. There is no rejection or failure that can make me give up my commitment to love.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Verdict

1. I now feel like (circle one):
a. crawling into a hole
b. giving up
c. trying harder
d. starting all over again
e. crying for help
f. shouting
g._______________

2. For me, loving as Christ loved is (circle two):
a. impossible
b. beautiful
c. hard, but worth trying
d. a nice ideal, but
e. something I’ll need help on
f. something I’m really committed to
g. what it’s all about

3. If I am going to do anything about this, I need a little more (circle two):
a. guts
b. faith in Christ
c. support from my friends and family
d. grounding in the Bible
e. confidence in myself
f. determination/ commitment
g. direction
h._____________________

Lyman Coleman