God loves me. On a practical level, what does that look like?

Oldmantook said:

Who said righteousness comes by the law?? It comes by faith. However, Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.
I'll let you figure that out; if you're able.

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Right... God the Son... the very flesh of the Father and yet independent person of the TriUne ONE (Deuteronomy 6:4) is the only ONE that can “OBEY” God perfectly.

Fulfilled... as in John 5:39-40

The rest of us depend on His work, alone.

Ephesians 2:8 .... I’ll let you figure out what a gift is on your own... “if you can” understand how much the Gift Giver traditionally charges for a gift.

Faith plus what = salvation?

Hint... “It is finished” as spoken by Jesus in the exact verbiage recorded is Jewish/Hebrew book keeping speech for “Paid in Full”.

To even claim you “obey” is to deny that we all fall short!

The “Prosperity Gospel” is a falsification of redemption to set the eyes of man on self, wealth and health.

It is a lie that Paul shatters over and over again in his writings.

And... it is a lie that calls men to battle flesh and blood, though our battle is of NO SORT.

fhansen said:

Maybe more than one . Obedience is good, obedience by attempting to follow the Law on our own, being "under the law", doesn't work, it's a pretense of righteousness. Obedience comes the right way, God's way, only to the extent that we love, to the extent that we fulfill the Greatest Commandments, with the help of God, 'Apart from Whom we can do nothing'. Basil of Cesarea, a 4th century believer, put it this way:
"If we turn away from evil out of fear of punishment, we are in the position of slaves. If we pursue the enticement of wages, . . . we resemble mercenaries. Finally if we obey for the sake of the good itself and out of love for Him who commands . . . we are in the position of children."

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Once the word “obey” is pried in by hook or crook... the Gospel message becomes distorted.

Love is the standard... but we don’t even fully obey there.

God’s work alone is to be glorified...

Ephesians 2:8-9

Grip Docility said:

Right... God the Son... the very flesh of the Father and yet independent person of the TriUne ONE (Deuteronomy 6:4) is the only ONE that can “OBEY” God perfectly.

Fulfilled... as in John 5:39-40

The rest of us depend on His work, alone.

Ephesians 2:8 .... I’ll let you figure out what a gift is on your own... “if you can” understand how much the Gift Giver traditionally charges for a gift.

Faith plus what = salvation?

Hint... “It is finished” as spoken by Jesus in the exact verbiage recorded is Jewish/Hebrew book keeping speech for “Paid in Full”.

To even claim you “obey” is to deny that we all fall short!

Click to expand...

You have failed to explain how Jesus did not abolish the law but came to fulfill it. Try again.

dysert said:

We hear it all the time: God loves you. I struggle to figure out what that looks like on a practical, here-and-now basis? I can identify lots of things that it *doesn't* mean:

• God won't let me get sick
• God will heal me when I do get sick
• God will make me happy
• God won't let me lose my job

And there are many more. Can we have a discussion on what it means, practically, to say that God loves us?

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I received Christ as Saviour when I was 19 years old. I am now 70. I have been through 3 redundancies in my jobs, a divorce resulting me not being able to see my young daughter for 11 years, contracting alopeicia resulting in losing all the hair on my head and body, my youngest daughter going through 2 years of clinical depression with six weeks of those with me on suicide watch, disillusionment with a church that I had attended for 11 years, changes of churches because of moving to different cities, having to start at the bottom in a church after 30 years of being a believer and in previous leadership positions, having most of my Christian friends not wanting to know me because I got divorced, seven "storm and stress" years living below God's standards before He restored me to a better level of holiness, and having a 40 year old daughter who doesn't want to know me because I wasn't there during her childhood. After all these things, I can still say what I have at the bottom of my posts. He has been faithful to me even though I have not always been faithful to Him. Now I am happily retired with a second wife of 26 years and have everything I need. I am the senior elder and preacher in my church whose members say they love me and appreciate what I am doing for them. Although God does not give us all our wants, he supplies all those things He thinks we need.

He doesnt leave us.... thats what i reckon.
Our circumstances may be not good but nothing can separate us from His love that is found in Christ Jesus.

So to me that means i have a friend walking with me through things.

Things still happen but practically God doesnt leave me. I kinda need that about God

dysert said:

We hear it all the time: God loves you. I struggle to figure out what that looks like on a practical, here-and-now basis? I can identify lots of things that it *doesn't* mean:

• God won't let me get sick
• God will heal me when I do get sick
• God will make me happy
• God won't let me lose my job

And there are many more. Can we have a discussion on what it means, practically, to say that God loves us?

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I used to measure God's love by my circumstances.
Have a bad day at school? God didn't love me.
Get teased by my brothers? God didn't love me.
Get told off for something I had/hadn't done - including homework and revising? God didn't love me.
Have a good day at school? God did love me.
Find a job/do well in it? God did love me.
And so on.

But God has showed me how much he loves me by the cross. When I was a sinner; grumbling about how he didn't love me, how rubbish my life was, how others had it easier, failing to accept his word etc - his Son died for me.

What does this mean for me, now?
THIS is love, that Jesus Christ gave his life for us, 1 John 3:16
While we were sinners, Christ died for us, Romans 5:8
He chose us, in him, before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight, Ephesians 1:4
God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
Nothing can separate us from the love of God, Romans 8:38-39.

God loves me.
He didn't wait for me to be perfect, or even adequate, before he accepted me.
He is for me, he approves of ME - not always what I do, but me, as a person.
He loved me before I was even born, before I could do anything at all for him and before I knew him.
Nothing - not all the bad days and experiences in the world - can change his love for me or stop him from loving me.

This makes me feel happy, thankful, awe-struck, grateful, accepted, loved and secure.
The fact that God loves me doesn't guarantee that this temporary life in this sinful, fallen world will be perfect/happy/acceptable/healthy/comfortable - these things are NOT an indication of how much God loves me.
Other people may believe that outward circumstances are an indication of God's love, but we are told to live by faith and not by sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7.

Oldmantook said:

Only IF you obey.

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No, that makes his love conditional.
While we were SINNERS, Christ died for us.

Dear dysert. God loves me, God is Love, and God`s Love is all around me. In Matthew 7:7-10:we are told: Ask and you shall receive, what could be more simple? We ask God for Love, then we thank God and know that God`s Love is all around us. We keep asking for Love, then thanking God and sharing all Love and Compassion with our neighbour. All we know and all we meet. God is LOVE, and we ask God for Love, and then share all love with all around us.
The Bible tells us, give up all selfish and unloving desires, ask God for Love and keep asking, then thank God and share all love and care with our neighbours. Keep asking for Love, then share it all around us.
God IS LOVE, and God`s Love will always be around us. It is always on a practical side, God IS LOVE. Jesus died for us, and now Jesus LIVES for us. Life is truly worth living. Always God`s Love around us. Why not try it, dysert? In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells us: The first and great Commandment is: LOVE God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. The second is like it. Love thy neighbour as thyself. That is what God wants from us. God is Love and we ask for love and thank for love, then share ALL LOVE, with each other. God will lead us if we ask HIM. I say this with love, and send greetings. From Emmy, your sister in Christ.

Oldmantook said:

You have failed to explain how Jesus did not abolish the law but came to fulfill it. Try again.

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It’s always the same...

Lofty speech of Lofty Mind to assert Lofty ideas that anchor to what you accomplish and not what Jesus accomplished.

The same old rhetoric comes from all that exalt self.

Well... I exalt Christ. I have zero confidence in myself for any part of Christ’s blessings.

Now pat yourself on the back and keep repeating that you’re better than other people.

That is your end game... after all.

You place obedience above repentance. We Repent, while Jesus Alone could “obey”.

Whatever silence you receive from me from here out... is a response to the cliche known as “legalism”.

Grip Docility said:

It’s always the same...

Lofty speech of Lofty Mind to assert Lofty ideas that anchor to what you accomplish and not what Jesus accomplished.

The same old rhetoric comes from all that exalt self.

Well... I exalt Christ. I have zero confidence in myself for any part of Christ’s blessings.

Now pat yourself on the back and keep repeating that you’re better than other people.

That is your end game... after all.

You place obedience above repentance. We Repent, while Jesus Alone could “obey”.

Whatever silence you receive from me from here out... is a response to the cliche known as “legalism”.

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I see that you are unable to answer my question. That speaks volumes.

Strong in Him said:

No, that makes his love conditional.
While we were SINNERS, Christ died for us.

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Then how would you explain Heb 5:9? How would you explain John 14:21?

Oldmantook said:

Only IF you obey.

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I believe nothing can take me out of His hand, not even myself.

dysert said:

We hear it all the time: God loves you. I struggle to figure out what that looks like on a practical, here-and-now basis? I can identify lots of things that it *doesn't* mean:

• God won't let me get sick
• God will heal me when I do get sick
• God will make me happy
• God won't let me lose my job

And there are many more. Can we have a discussion on what it means, practically, to say that God loves us?

Click to expand...

Practically, I think it means that God loves us and wants what is best for

a. His will
b. eternity

in that God's will will be done. People think that God should shield them from everything, but the fact is when things are going great, that is not when us, human beings reach out to God in faith. Also, it is not when others can see our faith in action, when things are perfect.

God tells us that it is our hearts and actions and love that we are to show to the world, to be 'a light in dark places' but when things are good, most often even if we are being the light, no one is really seeing it or they think well yeah, if my life was great, I'd be praising God too.

The other thing is God is preparing us to become residents of heaven, not residents of this earth. God is not preparing our hearts and souls for this earth, although while being prepared for heaven, we do His will on earth, we are future heaven dwellers and that is God's focus. To create future heaven dwellers.

StillGods said:

I believe nothing can take me out of His hand, not even myself.

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Why do you take out of context John 10:28-29?
Not being able to be plucked out of the Father's hand only applies to those sheep who hear and follow in v.27. V.27 refers to obedient sheep. Therefore sheep who disobey as evidenced by not hearing and following DO NOT have the assurances contained in vs.28-29.

..

Oldmantook said:

Why do you take out of context John 10:28-29?
Not being able to be plucked out of the Father's hand only applies to those sheep who hear and follow in v.27. V.27 refers to obedient sheep. Therefore sheep who disobey as evidenced by not hearing and following DO NOT have the assurances contained in vs.28-29.

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Nope.

It applies to all sheep. All sheep heard and followed His voice in faith. That is the criteria to become a sheep.

You are taking this verse out of context and adding to scripture.

ToBeLoved said:

Nope.

It applies to all sheep.

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Really? Verses 28 & 29 contain the word "them" which refer to the sheep in v.27. The sheep in v.27 are described by Jesus himself as those who hear and follow. It does not include any sheep who do not hear and follow. You are adding to the text your own interpretation which is not contained in the text itself - a risky thing to do.

Oldmantook said:

Really? Verses 28 & 29 contain the word "them" which refer to the sheep in v.27. The sheep in v.27 are described by Jesus himself as those who hear and follow. It does not include any sheep who do not hear and follow. You are adding to the text your own interpretation which is not contained in the text itself - a risky thing to do.

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You just don't understand the verse.

How does the Bible say that faith is gotten? Faith comes by HEARING, hearing the Word of God.

Romans 10:17 New King James Version (NKJV)
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Anyone who has faith has heard (see verse above) and followed.

Hence, they are sheep. So them are all sheep.

The verse is referring back to this verse, not standing alone.

ToBeLoved said:

You just don't understand the verse.

How does the Bible say that faith is gotten? Faith comes by HEARING, hearing the Word of God.

Romans 10:17 New King James Version (NKJV)
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Anyone who has faith has heard (see verse above) and followed.

Hence, they are sheep. So them are all sheep.

The verse is referring back to this verse, not standing alone.

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You neglected to note Heb 5:9. One's doctrine must be based on the whole counsel of Scripture and not just a few selected verses. Salvation is based on belief and obedience. The believing sheep - those who hear and follow - obey the shepherd. Those sheep who don't obey don't have eternal life.
And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, (Heb 5:9).
No obedience = no salvation.