Two views seem to exist on Christian living
1) live the minimum necessary for salvation
2) live perfectly as Christ is

The Catholic church defines this paradox quite well in the Evangelical Counsels. They state living perfectly is not for all Christians, only a select few who vow to follow poverty, chastity and obedience. "The love of riches is opposed by the counsel of poverty; the pleasures of the flesh, even the lawful pleasures of holy matrimony, are excluded by the counsel of chastity; while the desire for worldly power and honour is met by the counsel of holy obedience." I would also include nonviolence in the counsel of holy obedience.

The resolution to this paradox is in Luke 7:31-35
"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:
   " ‘We played the flute for you,
      and you did not dance;
   we sang a dirge,
      and you did not cry.’ 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ‘ 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children."

John the Baptist was separate, whereas Jesus live in community with society. Both were poor, chaste and obedient. It doesn’t matter how much you know, do, have faith or give up, but how much you love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

John the Baptist and Jesus both satisfied the Evangelical Counsels. kdf dfjd hfjdhf dfhdsj fhsdkfh sdjfhsd jfhsdjfhs d jldkf sjdklfjsd

Simple Living and Evangelical Counsels

This entry was originally published at Interconnectedness by Mikhail (Misha) Lomize