The important thing to keep in mind, when interpreting the Bible, is to never use verses to interpret the Bible, but rather, use the Bibe to interpret the verses.
If I read a verse such as this, "John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments" I can make it say anything I want if I just focus on the verse without drawing from the rest of the Bible.
The Ten Commandments are foundational to true worship and godly love but they are also the enemy of the flesh. If we're in the flesh and never come to allow God to write His Law on our heart we will refuse to allow John 14:15 to be referring to the Ten Commandments. If we're a disciple of Jesus we will use the Bible to interpret John 14:15. When we do this we will see that to love Jesus means to keep His commandments as found in His words and His commandments, found in His words, direct us to love one another.
John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.''
Now the big question.
What does love look like?
My interpretation of love may be different than yours. I might say that it's okay if I have sex with woman as long as I love them. You might say different. But how does God define love.
Romans 13:8-10 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery,'' "You shall not murder,'' "You shall not steal,'' "You shall not bear false witness,'' "You shall not covet,'' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
The foundation of God's defination of love is found in the Ten Commandments. They are not the end all of godly love but they are the foundation of godly love. In other words, if I go to church, read my Bible, pray, feed the hungry and cloth the naked all while I'm living in adultery all my worship and good works are worthless.
If I'm going to church, reading my Bible, praying, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked yet I'm forgetting to keep the seventh day holy or dishonoring my parents God says my worship is worthless.
Matthew 15:3-9 Jesus replied, "And why do your traditions violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God's law is `Honor your father and mother; anyone who reviles his parents must die.' But you say, `Even if your parents are in need, you may give their support money to the church instead.' And so, by your man-made rule, you nullify the direct command of God to honor your mother and father. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, `These people say they honor me, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is worthless, for they teach their man-made laws instead of those from God.''
Why would my worship be worthless if I'm dishonoring my parents or fogetting the Sabbath? Because God looks at the Ten Commandments as a chain with ten links. If I break one link the chain is broken.
James 2:1-11 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, "Do not commit adultery,'' also said, "Do not murder.'' Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
If we use the Bible to interpret John 14:15 we will all come to the same conclusion of what the commadments are as it relates to godly love.
If I read a verse such as this, "John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments" I can make it say anything I want if I just focus on the verse without drawing from the rest of the Bible.
The Ten Commandments are foundational to true worship and godly love but they are also the enemy of the flesh. If we're in the flesh and never come to allow God to write His Law on our heart we will refuse to allow John 14:15 to be referring to the Ten Commandments. If we're a disciple of Jesus we will use the Bible to interpret John 14:15. When we do this we will see that to love Jesus means to keep His commandments as found in His words and His commandments, found in His words, direct us to love one another.
John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.''
Now the big question.
What does love look like?
My interpretation of love may be different than yours. I might say that it's okay if I have sex with woman as long as I love them. You might say different. But how does God define love.
Romans 13:8-10 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery,'' "You shall not murder,'' "You shall not steal,'' "You shall not bear false witness,'' "You shall not covet,'' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'' Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
The foundation of God's defination of love is found in the Ten Commandments. They are not the end all of godly love but they are the foundation of godly love. In other words, if I go to church, read my Bible, pray, feed the hungry and cloth the naked all while I'm living in adultery all my worship and good works are worthless.
If I'm going to church, reading my Bible, praying, feeding the hungry and clothing the naked yet I'm forgetting to keep the seventh day holy or dishonoring my parents God says my worship is worthless.
Matthew 15:3-9 Jesus replied, "And why do your traditions violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God's law is `Honor your father and mother; anyone who reviles his parents must die.' But you say, `Even if your parents are in need, you may give their support money to the church instead.' And so, by your man-made rule, you nullify the direct command of God to honor your mother and father. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, `These people say they honor me, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is worthless, for they teach their man-made laws instead of those from God.''
Why would my worship be worthless if I'm dishonoring my parents or fogetting the Sabbath? Because God looks at the Ten Commandments as a chain with ten links. If I break one link the chain is broken.
James 2:1-11 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, "Do not commit adultery,'' also said, "Do not murder.'' Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
If we use the Bible to interpret John 14:15 we will all come to the same conclusion of what the commadments are as it relates to godly love.
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