Wow - I have no idea where you are getting this. There is NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING that we ever did or can do to please God. NOTHING! Our works of righteousness are like filthy bloody rags. We can only love Him because He first loved us and died for us, imputing our sins on Himself so that we have the imputed righteousness of Christ. Not our righteousness, but His.
Really. What scale? What measurement? So many preachers and priests and scholars and even Popes have turned out to be criminals. They all disagreed with each other, they all "followed" the Bible to their own assessment, and they all thought people who disagreed with them were going to hell. Just like you, Bible scholar. There are many with equal or more Bible studies and religion studies who disagree with you - even to the point of belonging to different churches. They think you are going to hell, and you think they are going to hell. So tell me, who, among all of you, are not deciding for themselves what the Bible means? What the word of God means? Who?
I am no bible scholar. Just a sinner saved by grace who, by His grace loves the Lord because He first loved me. And I really don't care who thinks I am or am not going hell. And I can't make any judgment of anyone's soul. I can only judge their fruit, as I am called to do.
So tell me, who, among all of you, are not deciding for themselves what the Bible means? What the word of God means? Who? No one, that's who. We ALL decide for ourselves. Thats the elephant in the living room of religion - the sales job that just believing like the religion teaches makes you safe, as if you don't have to then answer for your personal beliefs.
No one is capable of understanding God unless He reveals His word to them. The Holy Spirit is who teaches us Truth. Not you, not me, not anyone by themselves. There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.
Peter says: No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Wrong-o. And loving God is not subject to a checklist, either. The purpose of the Bible is to help people love God. LOVE GOD. It's not a list of requirements. It's not subject to human judgement. In fact, anyone who who has actually experienced love for God tends to SHUT UP in its presence, because they are awed by it.
I agree that loving God is not a checklist. That would be works based salvation. The purpose of the bible, however, as it indicates is to reveal WHO God is, and Jesus Christ. (He even said that!) And when someone comes to realize (through the quickening of the Holy Spirit) who God is - and who we are in His sight, and then by the same Holy Spirit is brought to a Godly repentance and sorrow for their sin - THEN....they can understand the love of God. In response to that, He reveals to us in His Word how we are to worship and love Him.
Yes, it can all be summed up in those two commandments, but HOW that is done is detailed throughout scripture.
And He also said His "yoke" was "light." I think what He meant by that is that we don't have to worry about Bible thumpers, hell, or any other abomination. That our love for God and Him, and each other is not only enough - it's what He wants.
It isn't about what you think, or about what anyone thinks, it is about what the Lord meant. Again, see 2 Peter. How do you define what loving God looks like? How do God define it? Why do you want to throw out the entire scripture except for a verse or two? Jesus Himself said that not a jot or tittle will pass away until all is fulfilled. Why do you want to make it pass away?
You don't love God, I'LL tell you when you love God ENOUGH...
:: spit ::
YOU, on the other hand, can go back to reading your book. Maybe someday it will make your heart ache with enough dry judgement that you will fall to your knees and ask God to touch you with real love, and stop you from stomping on His children's inner communion - in the name of "Bible-Certified-Love TM."
Is this how you love others? Interesting. And very telling.
No blocking God's love pleases God. Letting God's love into our hearts pleases God. Striving to fulfill His commandments pleases God. Loving one another pleases God. Expressing God's love in our lives pleases God. Mercy pleases God. Compassion pleases God. Turning to God pleases God.
You are losts in your nightmares.
Says the slapped arrogant fraud who claims Jesus' assessment of the greatest commandment is wrong, and presumes to come between people's hearts and God's love with his own judgement - and all because he studied the Bible.
LOL, I hope it's telling. I sincerely would not want to be mistaken.
If you were the common result of studying the Bible, I'd have them all burned. Thank God you're in the minority.
You can go back to your hair shirt now, and raise your flared nostrils to the idea of your own perfect humility.