In Isaiah 29:20, it is written, " 20 For the 1terrible one is brought to nought, and athe scorner is consumed, and all that bwatch2 for iniquity are cut off. " God commands that we be courteous, for example, to others. In 1 Peter 3:8, it is written, " 8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be 1pitiful, be courteous. " The one who is ruthless is not going to give consideration to the feelings, for example, of others. However, in Matthew 7:12, it is written, " 12 Therefore all things awhatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for bthis is the law and the prophets. " Jesus said that we are to do to others as we would have them do to us. Jesus also said that the entire Bible rests on this one principal. A ruthless person is not going to do this. Ruthlessness is rooted in selfishness. A ruthless person pursues whatever he or she wants, even at the expense of others or their lives. Selfish ambition leads others to behave this way. Ruthlessness is contrary to Christian living. In 2 Peter 1:5-9, it is written, " 5 1And beside this, agiving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue bknowledge; 6 and to knowledge 1temperance; and to temperance 2patience; and to patience godliness; 7 and to godliness brotherly kindness; and ato brotherly kindness 1charity. 8 For if these things 1be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be 2barren anor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is ablind, and 1cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was 2purged from his old sins. " God says that brotherly kindness, for example, is to be in us. Once we have been Scripturally baptized ( see Acts 2:38, 41, and 47, for example; KJV, for example ), the things mentioned above must not only be in us, but they must also abound. Over time, as slaves of God ( see Romans, chapter 6, especially verses 3, 4, 10, and 22, for example ), for example, the things mentioned in 1 Peter 1:5-9 must increase in us, so that we become more like God ( see John 1:1; Hebrews 5:11-14; and 2 Peter 1:1-3, for example ).
Brotherly kindness would certainly be diametrically opposed to ruthlessness. Offering a brother or sister in Christ ( see Galatians 3:26, 27, for example ) the right hand of fellowship ( see Galatians 2:9, for example ) would be an act of brotherly kindness. In Proverbs 18:24, it is written, " 24 A man that hath friends 1must shew himself friendly: aand there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. " What intentions do we have toward our neighbor? In Proverbs 3:29, 30, it is written, " 29 Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth 1securely by thee. 30 aStrive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm. " In this latter passage of Scripture, there is an element of trust involved. Our neighbor trusts that he or she can dwell securely by us. Through our godly living ( see 2 Timothy 3:12, for example ), as children of God, we will earn the trust of our neighbor, such that he or she will feel secure in knowing that we will do him or her no harm. Striving with one's neighbor without cause would tend toward ruthless behavior.
In John 15:14, it is written, "14 aYe are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. " Jesus ( see John 14:23 ) said that those who do what He commands them to do are His friends. Since Scriptural baptism results in one being added by Him to the church, this means that anyone who is not a member of the church of Christ is not a friend of Jesus. Jesus very clearly taught the concept of separation of the church and State, for in John 15:19, it is written, " 19 aIf ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but bbecause ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you " ( Emphasis mine, R.E.W. ). The church is not involved in politics at all. It has been rightly stated that politics is cruel. Ruthlessness and politics are intertwined. Ruthless politicians seek power above all else. However, in Philippians 2:5-8, it is written, " 5 aLet this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, abeing in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 abut made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form bof a servant, and cwas1 made in the likeness of men: 8 and being found in 1fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and abecame bobedient unto death, even the death of the cross. " Since world governents and secular institutions are not the kingdom of God ( of which the church is the earthly realm — see Daniel, chapter 2 ( especially verse 44, for example ); Joel 2:28-32; Luke, chapter 1 ( especially verses 26-33, for example ); and Acts, chapter 2, for example ), this means that there is only one other possibility for them, that is, they represent the State. Therefore, the New Testament church is not the State. Thus, as Christians ( see Acts, chapter 11 ( especially verse 26, for example ), for example ), members of the church, our goal on this earth is not to seek political office and the power that accompanies it. Remember, Jesus made Himself of no reputation, during His 3½-year earthly ministry. This sinful world ( see Matthew 26:36-46 ( especially verse 45, for example ), and cf. 1 Corinthians 11:1, for example ) considers Jesus to be a nobody.
Contrary to famous artists' renderings of Jesus, He does not have long hair. Jesus was not a Nazirite ( see Numbers, chapter 6, for example ). In Matthew 27:48, it is written, " 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, aand filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink " ( Emphasis mine, R.E.W. ). Furthermore, in Isaiah 53:2, it is written, " 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath 1no form nor 2comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no 3beauty that we should desire him. " This passage of Scripture is written of Jesus. Based on this description of Him, if we were present in the first century A.D., we might have difficulty identifying Him in a crowd. Jesus did not come to this earth to have fanatics. In John 15:18, it is written, "18 aIf the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. " He came to seek and to save the lost, for in Luke 19:10, it is written, " 10 aFor the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. " Disciples of Christ are not fanatics or zealots. Look up the words " fanatic " and " zealot " in a dictionary. Finally, in John 8:31, it is written, " 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye acontinue1 in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. " As disciples of Jesus Christ, let us be kind — not ruthless. Please seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read ( see Isaiah 34:16, for example ). 🕮
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