CODES FOR LIVING

MOSES: 1393 BC (Israel)
The 10 Commandments   Exodus 20:1-17   Thou shall have no other God’s before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images.  Thou shalt not use the name of the Lord thy God in vain.   Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy. Honor your father and mother.  Thou shalt not commit murder .   Thou shalt not commit adultery. …Thou shalt not steal.  Thou shalt not give false testimony against your neighbor.   Thou shalt not covet anything.

Seven Deadly Sins:  .970—931 BC, (Israel)    “Catastrophe is just around the corner for them, a total smash-up, their lives ruined beyond repair:     “ Seven Things God Hates 16 Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion: 17 eyes that are arrogant, a tongue that lies, hands that murder the innocent, 18 a heart that hatches evil plots, feet that race down a wicked track, 19 a mouth that lies under oath,    and a troublemaker in the family.”  (Warning on Adultery & Gossip.)   Proverbs 6:15-19,  Isa. 14:13-14

Siddhartha Gautama   563 AD:   ( India & China & Japan.)
Four Noble Truths and Eight fold Path. These truths are the Truth of Suffering, The Truth of the Cause of Suffering, The Truth of the End of Suffering, and The Truth of the Path that Leads to the End of Suffering.  The Eight fold Path consists of eight practices: right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right awareness

The Rules of Bushido  1185–1333 AD    ( Japanese Samurai code as judge/jury & executioner.)
1. Have Integrity, and hold yourself to a system of justice and  responsibility.  Have a moral compass and stick to it.
2. Be Courageous, and put others before yourself, even if it means losing.
3. Be Compassionate, and seek to understand others, from all walks of life and beliefs.  Have empathy for everyone, even if you don’t share the same ideals.  Live the Golden Rule.
4. Respect yourself, and respect those who can do nothing for you.  Do not step on the weak.
5. Be Honest with your word and do what you say you will do.  Speak only what you truly believe.
6. Have Honor, and live by it.  Take personal responsibility and be chivalrous.  Know your identity and deliberately act by that code of honor daily.
7. Be Loyal to those you have committed to, be it friends, family or colleagues.  In the same vein, loyalty goes both ways.  Blind  loyalty to someone who brings you harm is not an authentic approach.
8. Control yourself – mentally, emotionally and physically.  Think productive thoughts.  Control your emotions when others let theirs fly.  Know your physical power, never abuse it.

So seems in time, there has been a need to consolidate the peaceful ethics of living together?  So as Christians (bond slaves of Jesus/Yeshua) the following codes are inclusive as to obedience.

Apostles Creed: Early Church, 330 AD    I believe in God, the Father almighty,  creator of heaven and earth.  I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.  He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.  He suffered under Pontius Pilate,  was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended to the dead.  On the third day he rose again.  He ascended into heaven,  and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit,  the holy catholic Church,  the communion of the saints,  the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Nicene Creed   381 AD    We believe in one God, the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one lord, Jesus the anointed, the only begotten son of God, begotten of the father before all worlds, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the father, by whom all things were made. Who for us humans and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the holy spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the father. And he shall come again to judge both the living and the dead. Whose kingdom shall have no end.  And in the holy spirit, the lord and giver-of-life, who proceeds from the father, who with the father and the son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.  And in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Nicene Creed updated to be more inclusive of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, 2020
I confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord, Master and Savior.   By faith in Christ Jesus I am forgiven,  cleansed,  healed  and made a citizen of His eternal kingdom.  Jesus Christ  has redeemed me from the curse of the law of sin, sickness, weakness and eternal death through His death on the cross for  me.  I believe in the Trinity of  one God: Almighty  Father, Word of God and Holy Spirit.  I believe that Jesus Christ is the Creator made flesh, The Word of God who was begotten as the second Adam.  He was  born of  a  virgin,  died for my sins,  rose for my justification  and is coming again soon,  in great glory, to establish His Kingdom on earth. I believe in the new birth from above,   the baptism in water,  and the baptism in the Holy Spirit.   I confess that the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all my sin,  I am now being made in the righteousness of God in and through Christ Jesus.  I confess that I can do all things through Christ who is my strength as I abide in Him.   I confess that this world is not my home.  I confess that I  am a pilgrim in a foreign land and I look  for that certain  return of my Lord Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.   I confess that there is but one holy universal and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ and all those who are born from above are brethren and citizens in His kingdom as the family of GOD.  I believe that the Church of Jesus Christ is being perfected by the Holy Spirit through the apostles,  prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers and other ministries of His Church  until  the faithful come into the unity of the faith and the bond of peace and are changed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ. 1 John 4:17 ( Look up this verse, please !!! ).

Rules of living can be sometimes seem simplistic when approaching areas of complexity. But simplicity also allows us to remember these codes when it matters most.  So, what code do you live by? Your own?: “Self Centered” or “GOD Centered?”  Jesus came to set us free in our Creator’s Truth so we could become like HIM and Learn to live with HIM in Love and Righteousness,  if we really want to.  But it takes our 100% commitment and HIS power to make it happen.  Gen.1:26.   Otherwise we get seduced by the world as John shares with us in 1 John 2:15-17 into darkness.