Currently, the way justice is routinely spoken of is about social fairness or government intervention or institutional transformation. I have no doubt that justice is often related to these concepts. But classically, justice was a personal virtue a habit of action and thought with reference to giving what is due to others. It is a personal virtue that is outwardly focused. Currently, I think justice is used to refer to a self-focused virtue to be demanded of external circumstances. When Fredrich Hayek talked about it in this video:

Intro

Similarly, in the Christian life, we can easily misapply things. This is especially so in the case of the Bible’s language regarding Christian growth and God’s grace. For instance, some see the passages about justification by grace through faith is the ultimate or only expression of the Christian life. In so doing, they can actually believe/explain a version of faith that does not lead to good works or obedience in Christ.

A few months back, I requested a review copy of All that the Prophets have Declared (APD) from it’s editor Matthew Malcolm. He graciously sent me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

In the 1950s, C.H. Dodd said that the New Testament’s interpretation of the Old Testament, particularly in terms of the notion of fulfillment seems to"govern the early Christian interpretation of the gospel events." Understandably, people interested in understanding the Bible and it’s gospel have studied the subject carefully.

There are two modes of public discourse that deal with syllogisms:

1. Rhetoric – the art of persuasion
2. Dialectic – the art of discovering/explaining what must or may be true or false based upon facts and reasoning.

1. Pure dialectic – Exact discourse using facts and logic (think math lectures)
2. Truthful Rhetoric – Rhetoric that appeals to emotions while being backed up by careful research or absolute truth.
3. False-Dialectic – Attempted dialectic that the wielder does not realize is actually rhetoric.
4. Sophistry – the intentional use of emotional rhetoric to convince people to act/feel/believe without reference to the truth.

1. Deliberative Meant to persuade people to act.

2. Judicial Meant to convict or defend people based on their deeds.

3. Epideictic Used to raise support for and adherence to group values. In other words, it is meant to inspire or please the hearers. A secondary use is to portray a person, group, or idea as honorable or shameful.

For instance, Christians often use epideictic rhetoric that is designed to inspire deeper commitment to Christ amongst believers to share the gospel with outsiders.

One of the lost virtues for modern man is art. In a previous, post I argued that know-how is crucial for man’s happiness. This is not just a claim made by ancient philosophers (which would make it worth entertaining anyway), but studies have demonstrated today that having beliefs about personal abilities improve one’s subjective sense of well-being.[1] Based on the fact that art is a virtue and virtue leads to happiness, I suspect that what follows will be helpful.

Introduction

But that’s not all. His system gains a larger audience that he then uses to bounce more provocative ideas, but these ideas are seemingly meant to actually improve civilization. He’s written about gun safety, diet, and in this case marriage. In his book on failure he catalogs the dozens of big ideas he’s pursued until their death.

In Scott Adams great little book, How to Fail At Almost Everything And Still Win Big, he says that putting yourself first is crucial for being able to help other people:

"In hard times, or even presuccess times, society and at least one cartoonist want you to take care of yourself first. If you pursue your selfish objectives, and you do it well, someday your focus will turn outward. It’s an extraordinary feeling. I hope you can experience it." Adams, Scott (2013-10-22). How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life (p. 50). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

1. God's testimonies are opposed to selfishness. (Psalm 119:36)
2. Love your neighbor as yourself (Levitivus 19:18).
3. Put the interests of others above your own (Philippians 2:3-4)
4. Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4 and Mark 12:30).
5. Selfishness leads to disorder. (James 3:16)

Not but that a man should take care of his worldly affairs, and look well unto them, and provide things honest in the sight of all men, for himself and his family, otherwise he would be worse than an infidel; but he is not to seek his own private advantage, and prefer it to a public good; accordingly the Syriac version reads it, "neither let anyone be careful of himself, but also everyone of his neighbour"; and the Arabic version thus, "and let none of you look to that which conduces to himself alone, but let everyone of you look to those things which may conduce to his friend"; but this respects spiritual things, and spiritual gifts: a Christian should not seek his own honour and applause, and to have his own will, and a point in a church carried his own way, but should consult the honour of Christ, the good of others, and the peace of the church; he should not look upon his own gifts, he may look upon them, and ascribe them to the grace of God, and make use of them to his glory, but not to admire them, or himself for them, and pride himself in them, and lift up himself above others, neglecting and taking no notice of the superior abilities of others

1. Getting wisdom is only guaranteed to benefit yourself in the end. (Proverbs 9:12)
2. Getting wisdom is showing love to your soul. You're commanded to be wise, so you're commanded to love your soul. (Proverbs 19:8)
3. Proverbs challenges us to be good at our jobs. (Proverbs 22:29)
4. Jesus appeals to our sense of self preservation to tell us not to be financially selfish or obsessed with riches. (Matthew 16:26)

On the other hand, is selfishness, as I defined it above, evil? Yes.

Introduction

The topic of emotional growth and transformation in the life of God’s grace is dangerous, though. It’s dangerous territory because emotions are pathologized in many ways. In this post, I do not mean to:

In Luther’s 95 theses, he observes, “Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.”

I think that Luther is correct here. For instance, in Romans 12:2, Paul summarizes the Christian life as being “transformed by the renewing of the mind.” Luther’s thought is that the entire Christian life is looking to God’s revelation in Christ, looking to ourselves as sinful and in need of grace and mercy, and transforming our minds on the basis of that revelation.

There are many passages of Scripture that give instructions whose application is not always apparent.

One of the most important disciplines prescribed in your Bible is to "set the Lord always before" you (Psalm 16:8). Elsewhere it is put this way, "In all your ways, acknowledge him..." (Proverbs 3:6).

But how? Dallas Willard gives us solid direction here: