THE OLD and THE NEW

THE OPERATING MANUAL SAYS

Whether one believes the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God or fiction does not diminish the importance as a guideline and explanation of mans nature and dealing with societal and personal situations.  It does affect the trust and belief we put in those writings.  As a Reborn Christian I am under the New Covenant and believe the New Testament and the teachings of Christ to be all important in how I live my life.  The Old Testament shows the sinful nature of mankind, The New Testament shows Gods forgiving and loving nature towards man. 

The Old Testament does give us some examples of acts of forgiveness, such as the Prodigal Son, and Josephs act of forgiveness toward his brothers but it is more helpful in showing us the repercussions of excluding The Father God from our lives.  The New Testament shows the pathway to Heaven through atonement and forgiveness.  If we use the Old Testament as a study of the pitfalls that will separate man from God, or in the case of non-believers, separate man from the good in life it maps a way of life that puts our feet on a better path.  Going through the Old Testament one can find almost every failing of mankind and the resulting consequences.  One other thing it points out very emphatically is the result of wrath when used against humanity.  Not a very pretty picture and it points out the fact that without an escape plan mankind in total would face a disastrous finality. The New Testament explains the need for, the how and the why of forgiveness.  Through Christ’s words we are able to cross reference to the Old Testament and see the affects of the seven deadly sins (Pride, Lust, Anger, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony, and Greed) and how virtue can overcome these. We have been given the tools to counteract and avoid the consequences.

Chastity - overcomes the sin of Lust.

Liberality (Generosity) - overcomes the sin of Greed.

Temperance -overcomes the sin of Gluttony.

Brotherly Love -overcomes the sin of Envy.

Meekness -overcomes the sin of Anger.

Humility - overcomes the sin of Pride.

Diligence -overcomes the sin of sloth.

Oddly enough these tools are all attributes of those most appreciated when we find them in others with whom we associate.  These are also the traits of some of our most successful humans.