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Exploring Christianity
Do I have to celebrate Roshashona and Yum Kipur (might've spelled that wrong lol)
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<blockquote data-quote="Greg J." data-source="post: 70236655" data-attributes="member: 385249"><p>[USER=375022]@Soyeong[/USER] and I have explored our different perspectives elsewhere, so I'll try not to be repetitive. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p><em>For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.</em> (Hosea 6:6, 1984 NIV)</p><p></p><p>God desires our hearts not our actions. A perspective I heard about was from a Rabbi (Judaism) is that by fulfilling the Law, those under the New Covenant can no longer take actions for justification, but must be obedient from our hearts, something that we cannot choose to do, hence (from the Jewish perspective) we can do nothing to be saved. However, from a Christian perspective the same words have a different meaning: that is exactly the point of Jesus' death and the New Covenant. We CAN'T do anything to be justified before God. Fortunately, Jesus Christ became our justification for us.</p><p></p><p>One of the effects of sanctification is that the person <em>wants</em> to live pleasingly to God. However, if one starts seeing the Law as what we need to do to be pleasing to God, then we are trying to become slaves again, not to keeping the Law to be justified, but to the Law to be pleasing to God. In actual fact, the life that is pleasing to God is difficult to explain theologically, but not that hard to understand. What does it mean to <strong><em>you</em></strong> to love God and other people with your whole heart? That's a reasonable way of explaining what God wants you to do.</p><p></p><p>For many people, that has nothing to do with obeying the Law, but rather seeking Jesus for what he wants you to do now, today, and what to plan for the future. God doesn't want you to sacrifice a sheep any more to please him (an action) and neither does he want you to keep any rule (an action) or enact any idea to please him. In Christ he is already pleased with us—an enormous amount. Rather he works in our hearts to want to live pleasingly to him, because that is what is best for us. But our obedience is then from the heart, which is a fancy way of saying we look forward to doing what God wants and it brings us joy. It may be that we need to do things we don't want to for our own good (pray, Bible study, go to church, ...), but that is not God's goal for us. His goal for us is Christ in us.</p><p></p><p>Keeping the Law or any particular rule no longer pleases God—it never did. It is acting out of a heart of love, thanksgiving, and humility that pleases and honors him and his sacrifice. Treating your actions as what you can do <em>for a good relationship with Jesus</em> is the best way to boil down all the theology and make it practical. If you could choose to do anything as long as it seemed to you that it would please Jesus, then do that. It is what will please Jesus, because it is from your heart (as long as it is within the boundaries of what is right and good). It's like giving a gift to a relative that loves you. That you cared enough to carefully choose a gift matters more than what the gift itself actually is.</p><p></p><p>Another concrete example is the Psalmist who wrote Psalm 119. If you read it with sterility you will see how wonderful God's Law is. But you're missing the whole point if you are not viewing the Law with the same joy as the Psalmist.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Greg J., post: 70236655, member: 385249"] [USER=375022]@Soyeong[/USER] and I have explored our different perspectives elsewhere, so I'll try not to be repetitive. :) [I]For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.[/I] (Hosea 6:6, 1984 NIV) God desires our hearts not our actions. A perspective I heard about was from a Rabbi (Judaism) is that by fulfilling the Law, those under the New Covenant can no longer take actions for justification, but must be obedient from our hearts, something that we cannot choose to do, hence (from the Jewish perspective) we can do nothing to be saved. However, from a Christian perspective the same words have a different meaning: that is exactly the point of Jesus' death and the New Covenant. We CAN'T do anything to be justified before God. Fortunately, Jesus Christ became our justification for us. One of the effects of sanctification is that the person [I]wants[/I] to live pleasingly to God. However, if one starts seeing the Law as what we need to do to be pleasing to God, then we are trying to become slaves again, not to keeping the Law to be justified, but to the Law to be pleasing to God. In actual fact, the life that is pleasing to God is difficult to explain theologically, but not that hard to understand. What does it mean to [B][I]you[/I][/B] to love God and other people with your whole heart? That's a reasonable way of explaining what God wants you to do. For many people, that has nothing to do with obeying the Law, but rather seeking Jesus for what he wants you to do now, today, and what to plan for the future. God doesn't want you to sacrifice a sheep any more to please him (an action) and neither does he want you to keep any rule (an action) or enact any idea to please him. In Christ he is already pleased with us—an enormous amount. Rather he works in our hearts to want to live pleasingly to him, because that is what is best for us. But our obedience is then from the heart, which is a fancy way of saying we look forward to doing what God wants and it brings us joy. It may be that we need to do things we don't want to for our own good (pray, Bible study, go to church, ...), but that is not God's goal for us. His goal for us is Christ in us. Keeping the Law or any particular rule no longer pleases God—it never did. It is acting out of a heart of love, thanksgiving, and humility that pleases and honors him and his sacrifice. Treating your actions as what you can do [I]for a good relationship with Jesus[/I] is the best way to boil down all the theology and make it practical. If you could choose to do anything as long as it seemed to you that it would please Jesus, then do that. It is what will please Jesus, because it is from your heart (as long as it is within the boundaries of what is right and good). It's like giving a gift to a relative that loves you. That you cared enough to carefully choose a gift matters more than what the gift itself actually is. Another concrete example is the Psalmist who wrote Psalm 119. If you read it with sterility you will see how wonderful God's Law is. But you're missing the whole point if you are not viewing the Law with the same joy as the Psalmist. [/QUOTE]
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Do I have to celebrate Roshashona and Yum Kipur (might've spelled that wrong lol)
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