The Adamant Stone

This article follows on rather closely to the previous one* and is perhaps nearer the bone and may cause feelings of resentment or guilt in certain born again readers. However, this is good if the end result is a closer walk with God.
: And the word of the LORD came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.; (Zechariah 7:8-14)
Zechariah was a prophet in the latter time of the Babylonian captivity and all the warnings that God had given to Judah and Jerusalem through servants like Isaiah and Jeremiah had come to pass. The Jews had seen this and even though prophets such as Ezekiel and servants such as Daniel had been amongst them, telling them that out of love for them God would forgive them and cause them to return to their homeland, yet, while still slaves, they didn't like what God expected of them.
This is repeated today by many professing Christians who just don't like being obedient to God's wishes.
: For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not: So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.; (Zechariah 8:14-17)
: And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.; (Zechariah 8:18-23)
We see here how faithful the Lord of hosts is to His Covenant. This is end times not so, still some time in the future even now.

It is evident here what God required of the Jews in the dispensation of the law.: He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?; (Micah 6:8); Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.; (Zechariah 7:9-10); These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.; (Zechariah 8:16-17); Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.; (Zechariah 8:19)

This is confirmed by the words of Jesus in Matthew chapters five to seven and the words of Paul as we have previously seen*
It all boils down to one word - righteousness.
This, coupled together by the presence of the Holy Spirit living inside our bodies will change our outlook on life in this present world and influence others who we come in contact with.
This Christian walk is evident through our words and our actions.

The following passages of Scripture have caused much contention in the church and much discussion between born again Christians:: Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?; (1 Corinthians 11:14); In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;; (1 Timothy 2:9)
They may be rather out of context of what Paul was teaching, but on their own have been discussed on numerous occasions among Caucasian Christians.

"I am a man who wears my hair long and when I approached our Pastor for the purpose of joining the church choir, he refused my request, citing my long hair as the reason."
"I am an attractive young lady and it makes me feel good inside when men take notice of me and are attentive, so I dress accordingly."

This is soul fruit, not so.

It's not the long hair or the mini skirt that clothes the body that's in question, but the reason why the soul finds the need to draw attention to itself.

While on the subject of attractive or beautiful women, or rich and powerful men; it must be extremely difficult to remain righteous under such circumstances. Consider the actresses in Hollywood - it is exceptionally rare to find one that has had only one spouse, that lives a humble life. The glitter and power of beauty, the necessity of pushing one's body in front of the cameras to gain success must surely make it virtually impossible to obey the words of Jesus. How tragic, that all the success of this temporary life results in spiritual death . . . for ever.

Most actions that we take are as a result of the prompting of the soul, and because the soul is the "me", the actions of our bodies reveal the state of our righteousness or otherwise, which in turn proclaims the extent to which the Holy Spirit has influence over us.
: And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.; (John 17:11-21); O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.; (John 17:25-26); But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.; (Romans 8:11)

Someone once wrote:
The owner of the tenement which I have occupied for many years has given notice that he will furnish little or nothing more for repairs. I am advised to be ready to move.
At first this was not very welcome notice. The surroundings here are in many respects very pleasant, and were it not for the evidence of decay, I should consider the house good enough. But even a light wind causes it to tremble and totter, and all the braces are not sufficient to make it secure. So, I am getting ready to move.
It is strange how quickly one's interest is transferred to the prospective home. I have been consulting maps of the new country and reading descriptions of its inhabitants. One who visited it has returned and from him I learn that it is beautiful beyond description; language breaks down in attempting to tell you of what he heard while there. He says that in order to make an investment there, he has suffered the loss of all things that he owned here and even rejoices in what others would call making a sacrifice. Another, whose love to me has been proven by the greatest possible test, is now there. He has sent me several clusters of the most delicious fruits. After tasting them, all food here seems insipid.
Two or three times I have been down by the border of the river that forms the boundary, and have wished myself among the company of those who were singing praises to the King of the other side. Many of my friends have moved there. Before leaving they spoke of my coming later. I have seen the smile upon their faces as they passed out of sight. Often I am asked to make some new investments here, but my answer in every case is, "I am getting ready to move."
: For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.; (2 Corinthians 5:1)
: For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.; (Romans 14:8)

*The War Against the Soul