Originally Posted by - DRA -
Concerning the comments that I put in red font, shouldn't God's people today try hard to do everything right (i.e. Luke 17:10)? Which things to you suggest it's okay to do wrong or not do at all?
It's a problem when you concentrate so much on figuring out the "right" way to do things that you forget why we're supposed to be doing them in the first place.
That sounds like a description of the church in Ephesus. They were diligently serving the Lord in many respects, but had "left their first love" (Rev. 2:4) I believe the remedy for that problem was to repent and put the Lord first. I don't think the remedy was to stop doing the other things that were right and in accordance to the Lord's will also, do you?
God's commands are not an arbitrary set of rules and regulations set up to test us; they are there for a very specific purpose. For instance, we are to take the Lord's Supper "in remembrance of Him" - if we take it without our minds set towards Him, does it matter how "right" we do it?
Hmmm. God "tested" Abraham (see Hebrews 11:17 - NKJV) by commanding him to offer Isaac. After Abraham obeyed (and God intervened), God said, "... For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (Genesis 22:12).
Jesus taught that those who loved him would keep His commandments (John 14:15). Wouldn't that imply/infer that those who do
not obey His commandments do
not love Him?
For sure, the Lord's Supper is a time to focus on Jesus (i.e. 1 Cor. 11:17-34.
I truly believe that the "rightness" of what we need to seek is in our hearts more than our actions. It's not a case of "do whatever you want to do", but an admission that any actions are futile when not done for God's purposes.
I see a potential problem with this reasoning. Saul. He had a good conscience, even when persecuting Christians (i.e. Acts 23:1). However, he was still wrong.
I agree that we must do things "for God's purposes." BTW, what was God's purpose for baptism according to Acts 2:38 and 22:16?
Food for Thought:
Jesus said, "So likewise you, when you have done
all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do' " (Luke 17:10). What does the word "all" mean?