Posted on 02/17/2016 8:47:22 PM PST by Charles Henrickson
You shall have no other gods.
What does this mean?
We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
Ping.
Money. Sex. Hedonism. obama....
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."
Nothing about fear in there, let alone first on the list. I guess Jesus just didn't understand human beings properly. Thank God preachers have corrected that terrible mistake over the past two thousand years.
The Reader's Digest Version.
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” —Jesus, Matthew 10:28
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Prov 9:10
See? Jesus got his priorities wrong, just like I said.
Fear first, love later - maybe.
But what do you expect from someone who taught to turn the other cheek, right?
Full Definition of fear
transitive verb
1
archaic : frighten
2
archaic : to feel fear in (oneself)
3
: to have a reverential awe of -fear God-
4
: to be afraid of : expect with alarm -fear the worst
: preceding all others in time, order, or importance:
as
a: earliest
b: being the lowest forward gear or speed of a motor vehicle
c: having the highest or most prominent part among a group of similar voices or instruments
So what is your agenda?
Funny, I thought taking Jesus at his word was being a Christian. And I thought changing his word was having an agenda.
My mistake.
Your forum page quotes the Tao. No biblical references at all.
Do you claim to be a Christian?
Do you claim I'm not?
Who cares what my forum page quotes? I had a recipe for pork ribs up for awhile. Does that mean I'm not a Christian? Do you regard yourself as able to judge the relationship of my very soul with Christ? Maybe you're what's wrong with what is called "Christianity" - ever think of that?
And why ask me at all - because I quoted what Jesus said Himself was his "first and greatest commandment" AS His first and greatest commandment? Really? Why would that alarm a true Christian?
But that didn't answer your question, did it? And you still presume the right to inquire into the nature of my soul, and judge it, don't you, "Christian"? Yes, you do.
So I'll answer it. I have no idea whether my relationship with Jesus is adequate for the likes of you. None at all. Maybe you could ask Jesus about it. Or maybe you don't have to - how about you just send me Bible lessons, and take responsibility for my spiritual education? Not that you'd have to answer for anything to God, of course. Oh no. You'll just get to judge my soul, with no effect on your own. Hey, why not? Isn't that what Christians you approve of "do"?
Get thee behind me.
So your agenda is just to cause strife on this thread?
Is that it?
Well done.
EXCEPT Saint RAFAEL “The Face Of God” Cruz (May His Name Be Blessed) and Saint Heidi, holy wife of the Face of God, Hail Heidi Full of Grace.
“fear: to have a reverential awe of -fear God-”
The Bible quotes mainly do talk of that type of fear. But Charles uses the more common use during his sermon - as in not fearing the outcome of breaking a Commandment. For example, Adam and Eve didn’t fear the results of disobeying God, and look where THAT got us.
I’m just thinking aloud - but I can see these things in different orders depending on my life situations.
If I don’t realize I’m a sinner (fear), I won’t turn to God for His forgiveness (love). If I haven’t seen God’s love, maybe I don’t trust Him. Or, sometimes, I have to trust God, even if things in my life don’t make me want to love him.
Thanks for the sermon Charles!
What is the point of repentance if you have no fear of God?
If sin has no consequence, then the sacrifice of Christ is of no effect.
That's where I believe Jesus said you're wrong. You stated an order of priorities - first fear, then love. Jesus distinctly rejected that order, and placed love of God first. That's what Jesus said, not me, but when I point it out I'm attacked as, of all things, being anti-Christian! And it's happened before on FR. Nevertheless, I believe it is a profound teaching of Christ, and that He made it simple and direct because He knew people would reject it - in His name, no less. And they have, and they do. People, in fact, hate this teaching. They call anyone who takes it face value anti-Christian, and they are utterly shameless about it. It astonishes me to witness this rank hypocrisy, over and over again.
But maybe, just maybe, Jesus knew what He was talking about? Maybe he wanted love for God to be taught first and foremost? Maybe He was denying hypocrites the leverage they need to scare people who He well knew were already frightened and didn't need anymore fear?
And more profoundly, maybe God's love doesn't need a cause to effect? Maybe that infinite love, for its own sake, in its own power, with no human "justification," is what Jesus was actually teaching? Maybe thinking of God's love as needing ANYTHING, even fear, is completely shutting off from it and missing its awesome independent power? And maybe that's why people teach fear first, because they HAVEN'T experienced the power of God's divine love, because if they had, they would understand it does not rely on ANY preconditions? And maybe that's WHY Jesus taught it the way He did, so we wouldn't shut ourselves of from it with our limited expectations and understandings?
In any event, it's what Jesus Himself said. So who had the authority to change it? You? Because I don't. And I'd this is thread disruption, then maybe the thread deserved disruption for denying the ACTUAL teachings of Christ.
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