Appendix 2H; Peace and Rest From Living inside the Boundaries
Christian cognitive consistency shinE s Christ to your neighbor as you walk with integrity to God (John 3:20-21, 14:6).
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God is love. God is truth.
Walk free under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
1 John 4:16, John 17:17, Galatians 5:16, 2 Corinthians 3:17, 1 John 2:6, see more video scriptures here.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:8-10
Online advertisers and grocery stores offer plenty of things you want, but most times you tell yourself “no”. You’d like to exceed the speed limit and run through stop signs, but again, you tell yourself “no”. The word, “No”, represents a boundary people draw to reach their goals and to avoid negative consequences like poverty, jail or anxiety. Your choice of self-discipline shows that you accept the limits imposed on you by your bank account, your body/health, your employer, the government and the law. Without these limits, society as a whole would fall into chaos (2 Corinthians 5:14, 1 Corinthians 14:1,33).
Sometimes freedom comes from a decision to use self-restraint.
How well you balance your desires (free will) with responsible community living (boundaries) will determine your level of psycho-social well-being (1 Thessalonians 5:8). Individuals who don't make this choice show, by their actions, that they value their own free will and are stuck in their illusion of control. Sooner or later they will experience their own personal chaos (Galatians 6:2-3, 6:7-9).
As you gain knowledge and understanding of the workings of the Triune God in your life, you incorporate your faith (what you believe) into your personality and actions. With the knowledge that God loves you and you can trust that love, you will be able to use self-discipline to adhere to the limits society has set. A faith-filled perspective (security knowing you are a child of God) grows into your insight - another skill God develops in you to encourage you, and others you interact with, to keep trusting Him (Romans 8:28-31).
The Spiritual change that is accompanied by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord, causes a change in your spirit that reduces the urge to say “yes” to indulgence or people pleasing that would otherwise steer you into behavior that violates personal and societal boundaries causing unrest. A heart awakened by the Holy Spirit, that is acted out physically and produces a sound mind which is the crux of your well-being (2 Timothy 1:7). Christian cognitive consistency is achieved by your choice to live within boundaries of a Holy, Loving and Just God. It is this realization that begins to clear up cloudy decision-making so you can walk confidently in Christian cognitive consistency.
A changed perception of reality that matches God’s truth actually unlocks a behavioral change in you that motivates you to live inside the boundaries of Godly love, where peace and rest are found (Isaiah 26:3, John 15:4, 16:33). Such faith gives you both the discernment to make decisions consistent with your faith and the insight needed to do the right thing under stress. Boundary-less people such as Co-dependent or Narcissistic Christians,
typically fall victim to self or people pleasing thinking which taints their decision-making. Christians who have not embraced God's love and their new identity in Christ fall victim to this self-first mentality. Jesus warns His followers to “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves" (Matthew 7:15). The term “false prophets” can be easily overlooked by self-proclaimed Christians and, in so doing, misinterpret the warning issued by Jesus. One way to think about interpreting this broadly defined warning to all believers in Christ, is to look at it as abusing the grace of God - Christians who prioritize self/people pleasing over practicing self-restraint for God’s glory. Christ died to give you the choice to say “no” to sin by using the power of the Holy Spirit in you so you decide to use self-control to please Him.
Christian insight is built on the foundation of faith in the truth of God's Word. It's the personalization of your religious views - acting consistently with God's principles (willing using self-restraint) because you know what the Word says and you trust in God's goodness (Psalm 121:1-3). From this you develop Godly insight - acting on value-based intuition (for more see Appendix 2G and Appendix 1H). This Christian intuition is called hearing (recognizing) a “Word of knowledge” from God at just the right time (1 Corinthians 12:8). Because you are in Christ and want to honor Him, getting a Word of knowledge is like being struck with understanding that fits the situation you are experiencing (without taking the time to analyze, contemplate, or give in to fear) so you can take swift, bold, and loving action that hits the mark (Proverbs 28:1, Hebrews 4:16, 2 Timothy 1:7).
This reinforces your security "in Christ" and drives away the discomfort of uncertainty and anxiety so you can focus your thoughts on how to maintain your peace-both internally and in your social environment (Ephesians 4:1-3). Choosing like-minded friends balances your psycho-social development so you feel at ease acting out your values in public while embracing your God-informed boundaries as rules for right living, working, and socializing (1 Timothy 6:6-12, 2 Timothy 1:7). You learn contentment (as opposed to striving after happiness) from experiencing life consistent with your values, compelling you to want to live in moderation with an inner circle of friends who perpetually build you up so you are encouraged to stand firm in the Christian faith (Philippians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 16:13).
