Do you love God enough?

[The Brown Brink]

I wonder when we love a piece of beautiful music or just see the awesomeness of our pet dog for instance, are we loving God then?

Yes!
I believe that.
We are loving His work when we admire it.
He has such beautiful works!

 

[HeLeadethMe]

Try harder... is that the only answer Christianity offers?

No indeed, and I understand your point.........He has given us so much more........His indescribable gift, the very nature and Spirit of Christ dwelling within those who have received Him.

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

No indeed, and I understand your point.........He has given us so much more........His indescribable gift, the very nature and Spirit of Christ dwelling within those who have received Him.

Agreed. When we merely fear our parents, we obey until we leave the parental home--or perhaps continue the habits we were taught. When we truly love our parents, we want to please them in all things whether we are in their home or not.

 

[Aaron Rich]

Over the past couple of years I've met dozens of people that have studied their way into keeping God's ways. Not perfectly obviously, but they studied themselves into working toward that end. Rather than simply accepting the churches teachings of "it was nailed to the cross" they actually read the Bible themselves and discovered - not so! It's a beautiful journey to understand what Torah observance looks like in the 21st century. It's scary, but thrilling to understand what obedience looks like.

One couple I know began to ask their pastors questions after doing their studying. They also asked their friends within their congregation. People don't like those questions because it makes them realize how complacent we have been as a faith community. Ultimately, they were literally served with a cease and desist letter and asked to leave the congregation. Ultimately, that's what God intended because it allowed them to seek out what that verse "If you love me, keep my commandments" actually means.

I didn't read all of the responses to this thread, but one I did read said they admitted their shortcoming of not loving God enough and that the rest is up to Him. I can't express to you how sad that made me. Why do we expect God to take 100% of this relationship on Himself? Is that how we treat our spouses? Our parents? We're to be His bride. God doesn't use these terms of Father, Bride, Groom, etc. for the fun of it!! He wants us to use our healthy relationships of this world to learn of where He is leading us.

As I've spoken to people about the things I've be learning and relearning in detail, I hear the same questions almost every single time. "What have you learned that impacts your salvation?" I truly disliked that questions every time, but for a long time I didn't understand why. Then it finally hit me.

Is that how we treat our spouses? If your spouse approaches you to be intimate, do you first ask, "Have you paid all my debt yet? No? Well, then I'm not interested in growing closer to you until those debts are paid." In essence you are saying to your Groom - "I'm willing to be obedient once you set everything right. Until then, my pastor says I get to live as I please."

God is asking us to *CHANGE* ourselves to fit HIS ways. Instead we choose the path of saying "I confessed my shortcomings. Now it's up to Him."

Folks, you're entering into MARRIAGE with our King, Messiah and Savior. I have yet to witness a marriage that demonstrates a healthy relationship where only one spouse is taking on every bit of burden and work on themselves while the other becomes fat and lazy on their worldly riches.

Our Messiah gifted us with Righteousness. It's now your job to respond with Holiness. The only way to do that is to respond through obedience to your bridegrooms wishes and teachings.

Revelation 19:7 indicates quite clearly that it isn't our Messiah preparing His bride for the wedding. The bride makes herself ready by "setting herself apart" for her groom. Holy = setting apart for God. The Bible defines holiness as obedience to God's teachings. He doesn't expect you to do so inerrantly, he's already paid the price for our shortcomings. It's willful disobedience that's the problem. Heb 10:26 actually makes it sound like deliberately ignoring God's teachings is a bit dangerous to our salvation. Striving for obedience (even with failure) is what shows God's and our Messiah that we're serious about our love for Him.

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

Over the past couple of years I've met dozens of people that have studied their way into keeping God's ways. Not perfectly obviously, but they studied themselves into working toward that end. Rather than simply accepting the churches teachings of "it was nailed to the cross" they actually read the Bible themselves and discovered - not so! It's a beautiful journey to understand what Torah observance looks like in the 21st century. It's scary, but thrilling to understand what obedience looks like.

One couple I know began to ask their pastors questions after doing their studying. They also asked their friends within their congregation. People don't like those questions because it makes them realize how complacent we have been as a faith community. Ultimately, they were literally served with a cease and desist letter and asked to leave the congregation. Ultimately, that's what God intended because it allowed them to seek out what that verse "If you love me, keep my commandments" actually means.

I didn't read all of the responses to this thread, but one I did read said they admitted their shortcoming of not loving God enough and that the rest is up to Him. I can't express to you how sad that made me. Why do we expect God to take 100% of this relationship on Himself? Is that how we treat our spouses? Our parents? We're to be His bride. God doesn't use these terms of Father, Bride, Groom, etc. for the fun of it!! He wants us to use our healthy relationships of this world to learn of where He is leading us.

As I've spoken to people about the things I've be learning and relearning in detail, I hear the same questions almost every single time. "What have you learned that impacts your salvation?" I truly disliked that questions every time, but for a long time I didn't understand why. Then it finally hit me.

Is that how we treat our spouses? If your spouse approaches you to be intimate, do you first ask, "Have you paid all my debt yet? No? Well, then I'm not interested in growing closer to you until those debts are paid." In essence you are saying to your Groom - "I'm willing to be obedient once you set everything right. Until then, my pastor says I get to live as I please."

God is asking us to *CHANGE* ourselves to fit HIS ways. Instead we choose the path of saying "I confessed my shortcomings. Now it's up to Him."

Folks, you're entering into MARRIAGE with our King, Messiah and Savior. I have yet to witness a marriage that demonstrates a healthy relationship where only one spouse is taking on every bit of burden and work on themselves while the other becomes fat and lazy on their worldly riches.

Our Messiah gifted us with Righteousness. It's now your job to respond with Holiness. The only way to do that is to respond through obedience to your bridegrooms wishes and teachings.

Revelation 19:7 indicates quite clearly that it isn't our Messiah preparing His bride for the wedding. The bride makes herself ready by "setting herself apart" for her groom. Holy = setting apart for God. The Bible defines holiness as obedience to God's teachings. He doesn't expect you to do so inerrantly, he's already paid the price for our shortcomings. It's willful disobedience that's the problem. Heb 10:26 actually makes it sound like deliberately ignoring God's teachings is a bit dangerous to our salvation. Striving for obedience (even with failure) is what shows God's and our Messiah that we're serious about our love for Him.

Do we set ourselves apart or does God do that by the power of His Holy Spirit? (Philippians 2:13 may be applicable here). Shalom!

 

[GrammyJ]

It's a trick... you can't keep God's commands. If that were possible then Jesus wouldn't have needed to die on the cross. The Law would have been enough. But scriptures state the weakness of the Law was that no body could keep it!

Soooo what about all this obey stuff?

The life we are told to live is predicated upon living by the Spirit's guidance! Jesus when speaking for the last time to the disciples in John 14-16 starts, reinforces, and ends that most precious lesson hammering the disciples with the TRUTH that they would not only receive the Spirit, but it would be the Spirit that gives them power to obey.

So when we say... I just need to obey God's commands more, we need to readjust our focus.

I am CRUCIFIED with Christ - my flesh, my past life, my striving to do it on my own.

Therefore, I no longer live - that part of me is dead! Never to live again!

Jesus now lives in me - This is the power of the Christian life and its secret... that Christ lives in us and that is what gives us life!

This life I continue to live in the body, I will live BY FAITH in the Son of God - I will not strive to do it in my own strength, but I will trust Christ who lives in me to do it!

Jesus:

I AM the vine, you are the branches.... anyone who abides (remains) in me will bear much fruit!

Amen, well said! And here's the thing, we must be born again, and once that happens and we are made a NEW creation with a NEW heart, our wants and desires are completely changed - all BRAND NEW! And we are then led by the Holy Spirit, rather than by our former guardian, the law.

Folks, if your focus is on obedience, you are focusing on YOURSELF and your pathetic performance (for it can NEVER meet God's requirement for absolute perfection). Focus not on yourself, but on the Real Thing - Focus on Jesus!

 

[cuja1]

Do we set ourselves apart or does God do that by the power of His Holy Spirit? (Philippians 2:13 may be applicable here). Shalom!

 

[cuja1]

Over the past couple of years I've met dozens of people that have studied their way into keeping God's ways. Not perfectly obviously, but they studied themselves into working toward that end. Rather than simply accepting the churches teachings of "it was nailed to the cross" they actually read the Bible themselves and discovered - not so! It's a beautiful journey to understand what Torah observance looks like in the 21st century. It's scary, but thrilling to understand what obedience looks like.

One couple I know began to ask their pastors questions after doing their studying. They also asked their friends within their congregation. People don't like those questions because it makes them realize how complacent we have been as a faith community. Ultimately, they were literally served with a cease and desist letter and asked to leave the congregation. Ultimately, that's what God intended because it allowed them to seek out what that verse "If you love me, keep my commandments" actually means.

I didn't read all of the responses to this thread, but one I did read said they admitted their shortcoming of not loving God enough and that the rest is up to Him. I can't express to you how sad that made me. Why do we expect God to take 100% of this relationship on Himself? Is that how we treat our spouses? Our parents? We're to be His bride. God doesn't use these terms of Father, Bride, Groom, etc. for the fun of it!! He wants us to use our healthy relationships of this world to learn of where He is leading us.

As I've spoken to people about the things I've be learning and relearning in detail, I hear the same questions almost every single time. "What have you learned that impacts your salvation?" I truly disliked that questions every time, but for a long time I didn't understand why. Then it finally hit me.

Is that how we treat our spouses? If your spouse approaches you to be intimate, do you first ask, "Have you paid all my debt yet? No? Well, then I'm not interested in growing closer to you until those debts are paid." In essence you are saying to your Groom - "I'm willing to be obedient once you set everything right. Until then, my pastor says I get to live as I please."

God is asking us to *CHANGE* ourselves to fit HIS ways. Instead we choose the path of saying "I confessed my shortcomings. Now it's up to Him."

Folks, you're entering into MARRIAGE with our King, Messiah and Savior. I have yet to witness a marriage that demonstrates a healthy relationship where only one spouse is taking on every bit of burden and work on themselves while the other becomes fat and lazy on their worldly riches.

Our Messiah gifted us with Righteousness. It's now your job to respond with Holiness. The only way to do that is to respond through obedience to your bridegrooms wishes and teachings.

Revelation 19:7 indicates quite clearly that it isn't our Messiah preparing His bride for the wedding. The bride makes herself ready by "setting herself apart" for her groom. Holy = setting apart for God. The Bible defines holiness as obedience to God's teachings. He doesn't expect you to do so inerrantly, he's already paid the price for our shortcomings. It's willful disobedience that's the problem. Heb 10:26 actually makes it sound like deliberately ignoring God's teachings is a bit dangerous to our salvation. Striving for obedience (even with failure) is what shows God's and our Messiah that we're serious about our love for Him.

The motto try harder has never worked for me when trying to earn my salvation and I see no reason to believe that if I try harder again that I will be any more successful at earning my salvation.

I do believe that there are sins that will keep you out of heaven, but it seems like anytime I have had success in overcoming those sins, I look back and find that I can only give the credit to God for that victory. Perhaps I am not giving myself the credit that I'm do though. Somehow I don't think that that's the case.

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

The motto try harder has never worked for me when trying to earn my salvation and I see no reason to believe that if I try harder again that I will be any more successful at earning my salvation.

I do believe that there are sins that will keep you out of heaven, but it seems like anytime I have had success in overcoming those sins, I look back and find that I can only give the credit to God for that victory. Perhaps I am not giving myself the credit that I'm do though. Somehow I don't think that that's the case.

Yes, I agree. I don't think that any believer has ever gone wrong by giving God the glory. It is much more common that we try to steal His glory.

 

[Mountainmike]

That's the question I asked myself at Church today. As the priest read the Bible" If you love me, you will keep my Commandments."
Obviously I don't . Otherwise I'd be trying harder to keep His commandments.
I don't know about other people, but I am going to work on this one. With His help of course.

No, but we can only hope and trust that "blessed are the poor in spirit" the ones who know they fall short, but in their depravity still actively seek Him and hope in Him,

At times when I feel as you do most keenly, I read such as the biography of St Margaret Mary, or writings of such as catherine of Siena They read like a love story, a hunger and thirst for our Lord.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Folks, if your focus is on obedience, you are focusing on YOURSELF

Don't see how that is logical really

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Try harder... is that the only answer Christianity offers?

I didn't say its the only answer Christianity offers.
It seems you are not the only poster who seems to think that more effort is almost a form of narcissism. I realise this is not all about me. I cant do it alone. And I don't believe God just magically helps people who ignore Him.

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

Don't see how that is logical really

What he may be saying is that when we focus on how our performance measures up or fails to do so, we are focusing on ourselves and not on God.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

What he may be saying is that when we focus on how our performance measures up or fails to do so, we are focusing on ourselves and not on God.

Well they should've expressed themselves more clearly. You can twist it to make it sound as if I am glorifying my own performance. we are all called to repent. That requires self-examination. Reviewing your past sinful behaviour. you could argue that this is self-absorption. We all need to look at ourselves in the mirror and realise our inadequacy and that more effort is required and in that effort, God will assist.

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

Well they should've expressed themselves more clearly. You can twist it to make it sound as if I am glorifying my own performance. we are all called to repent. That requires self-examination. Reviewing your past sinful behaviour. you could argue that this is self-absorption. We all need to look at ourselves in the mirror and realise our inadequacy and that more effort is required and in that effort, God will assist.

Yes.

 

[stealthsaint]

That's the question I asked myself at Church today. As the priest read the Bible" If you love me, you will keep my Commandments."
Obviously I don't . Otherwise I'd be trying harder to keep His commandments.
I don't know about other people, but I am going to work on this one. With His help of course.

LOVING OUR GOD IS SERVING OUR GOD
God IS Love. His love has been poured into US by Holy Spirit given to USROM 5:5. Want to flow in Love? Flow in Lord’s Holy Spirit! His flow is the empowerment to love and follow Lord’s daily communicated commandments ransforming US. As soap and chlorine clean up dirty stained cloths, love flows to clean up the “old man” spotted by the world of deception of the authority of darkness. Holy Spirit coming through OUR lord takes away the “harder” unless one finds obedience to Lord’s mostly still small voice. Lord Spirit brings freedom, to overcome deception. This process of obedience leads to walking in the resurrection power today to do God works and greater works than these.

Below is further dialogue how to love the God we are to serve to obey and make disciples.

"IF" one has not been baptized by the Holy Spirit with POWER, as it was with JesUS, at the time of water baptism, something is lacking in the fullness of OUR inheritance of Christ. Eph4:4 is truth, "of ONE baptism, . . . " Most of " Ep 4:4 One Body and one Spirit, even as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, ONE baptism;

I contend that “man organized religion" “IS satisfied” in water baptism and do NOT vigorously pursue the NECESSITY of the complete baptism modelled for US. Rationalization has deceived US from the whole truth of “ONE BAPTISM”. JesUS Wwas led into the wilderness dominated by the devil to come out in the POWER OF Holy Spirit. We are born into that same wilderness and need Lords Spirit leading to “spiritual” to empower US to overcome by subduing evil through the “Excellency of His power not of US” 2Cor 4:7.

NOW WE, though still in the world and led of Lord Spirit, have overcome world authority of darkness, and have been transferred into the KINGdom Son of His LoveCol1:13 where we find UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FLOWING bring change through INTIMACY of RELATIONSHIP.

NEXT: HOW do we agree to SPECIFICALLY DEFINE COMMANDMENTS. The Old Testament commandments are fulfilled in Christ’s indwelling Spirit of freedom to Love, when willing to follow daily instruction unto transformation (carrying our cross dying to self (our humanity) daily. Fulfilled because an intimate relationship established in partnership with HIS DESIRE, WILL, requires flow of His indwelling love to flow allowing US to love GOD with as commanded and our neighbor as self. Love of God, poured into OUR heart by Holy Spirit, flows out as we allow the flow. IF there is no outward flow we become satagnent and become hungry desireing more of what we received in JOY when we first believed having received that love.

AGAIN: Commandments are the daily instructions given to a worker by his EMPLOYER(LORD SPIRIT” through intimate relationship. Want to make God laugh, beginthe day with your own agenda telling what you are doing to build His KINGdom. As a worker, moving in the mind of Christ, running the race set before US, in obedience to; "go ...and make disciples" you cannot rely on own understannding.

MAKING DISCIPLES: Discipling is modelling, and giving testimony of experiences of believing exercising the faith in the authority, given to US by grace, through nothing of ourself. Those being disciple need to practice as the early believers after Pentecost, STEPPING OUT in BOLDNESS, doing "these works" as they had seen JesUS gradually seeing they have a part in preparing the harvest of a mature divine Body in divinity spotless and unwrinkled acceptable to Lord on His return.

GOING AS A WORKER: Are you loving God, begs asking the question are you listening to hear what Lord is saying to give you "unction" as JesUS spoke only words given to Him, by Holy Spirit. Only Lord knows the hearts of men and He is the only one that can lead others to salvation. It is from Him not from our understanding. WE MUST Let go of our own understanding of what constitutes works by a worker unto salvation. without.

1Co 3:15 If anyone’s work is consumed, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? QUESTION? Is the Spirit of God flowing in and out of you?

Only Lord can SAVE and only if we follow HIS direction with words of Knowledge etc. Many can get a confession that leads a "convert" into religion BUT drops the accountability to disciple showing them how to let OUR Lord BE LORD of their life.

LORD of OUR LIFE: His leading teaches US about transformation and the HOW to MAKE disciples;

1J 2:26 These things I have written to you concerning those who lead you astray. 27 And as for you, the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone teach you; but as His anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true and is not a lie, and even as it has taught you, abide in Him!!

DISCIPLINING is by DIVINE SPIRIT LEADING; bring US into "true" repentance. AGAIN. Without divine discipline unto repentance there is nothing to harvest. Only The Spirit’s anointing flowing from within can teach US.

LORD DESIRES NO MAN become established in a social club having an outward form of godliness that does not express/reveal the power of God to heal and bring change to assist in the “RESTORING OF ALL THINGS”MARK 9:12. All that came to Him were healed.

As a saint that is commanded to ALSO manifest JesUS in His Body and His mortal flesh2nd Cor 4:7-11 We are to "Go" and make disciples the same way JesUS modelled. When we are in the world healing they will come out of the darkness and into the light. They come with faith to be healed as they heard "TRUTH by TESTIMONY by seeing or experiencing healing". As in JesUS time "all that came to Him were healed. All I speak of requires understanding of the POWER of FELLOWSHIP with OTHERS LED of LORD SPIRIT, OUR CORPORATE Senior Partner for KINGdom growth.



Jn 8:12 Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. AS ‘IAM” is the light of the world as “we are” in His image firstfruits as overcomers in His likeness, seed after His kind!!!! IF we choose to allow LORD SPIRIT discipline

 

[stealthsaint]

In addition to my previous journal. For those that did not feel like a read IT IS WRITTEN:
1Th 4:8 consequently, he who rejects, rejects not man but God, who also gives His Holy Spirit anointing)1JOHN2:26,27to you. 9 Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for me to write to you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another

 

[Open Heart]

That's the question I asked myself at Church today. As the priest read the Bible" If you love me, you will keep my Commandments."
Obviously I don't . Otherwise I'd be trying harder to keep His commandments.
I don't know about other people, but I am going to work on this one. With His help of course.

In my humble opinion, a lot of Christians spend all their time excusing themselves from obedience with their "I'm saved by faith, not by works" thinking.

 

[Blade]

I can't speak others but.. for me I can't love someone I don't know. I can look at hear so many things in this world and have all kinds of feelings..but in love with. Not the same. For me love sufferes long, and is kind love envieth not, love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Does not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil, Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. Beares all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Now.. this for me never happen RIGHT when I meet Christ. Granted my spirit was made new and I had been given SO MANY new things that are PART of Him..yet.. for me.. to say I loved Him from the start would be a lie. Took me years to realize I was thinking of ME not Him and what He wanted. Like I did my wife my kids. How many times did I ask HIM what do you want and truly wanted to know? Man tells us condemns us with "oh if you love Jesus you dont do this or that you obey HIM!"

How can I love someone I dont know.

 

[Open Heart]

How can I love someone I dont know.

Love is not a feeling. It is a set of behaviors. Feelings are fickle. Sometimes we feel them and sometimes we don't. When my son has been a jerk and I don't feel particularly loving, but I still am nice to him and cook him dinner and give him a hug before bed, that is truly love.

When I choose to give food destined for the homeless, when I give clothes to the salvation army, when I elect representatives that designate tax payer money towards the poor and sick, I am loving those whom I don't know.