The Great Commandment

LearningToLetGo said:
I agree with a caveat. You say "choosing to do the right thing becomes a lot easier" but what does it mean exactly to "do the right thing"? Specifically, what is "right"?

This question sounds stupid to some and contentious to others but I truly think it lies at the center of almost all of our doctrinal debates. As I see it, the "right" thing is to love. That's all. To love God. To love others and also ourselves. To be gentle, kind and loving.

Frankly I don't care about the rest because if I have love then I have God. Even if I am oppressed, beaten, starved and murdered I still have a choice: to love or to hate; and if I choose love I overcome.

`Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.` (Luke 23:34)

Of course, being human, I fail at this. I feel fear and anger. I lash out when I know better. But following in the footsteps of Jesus I beg forgiveness and I forgive in turn. As the days turn to years this grows easier.
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You seem to be a "philosophical deep thinker". I tend to be that as well. We look beyond the obvious to the root.

Anyway........James 4:17 says ..."So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

Doing the right thing to me means .....having the integrity to do what is right when no one is looking. (Actually CS Lewis said that).

Another thought I agree with is that - Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s right. (Theodore Roosevelt).

YES......the right thing to do is love!!!

YES.....I am in the same position as you brother. WE all are in the same boat. Don't allow a pious better than everyone else person to tell you any different!

YES....I promise you that time fixing a lot of our problems. TIME seasons us with experiences which gives pascience and understanding which allow us to love deeper and on a more fuller basis.
 
Major said:
YES.....I am in the same position as you brother. WE all are in the same boat. Don't allow a pious better than everyone else person to tell you any different!
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Thank you, my friend. I find myself tired as of late. Yesterday was the anniversary of my father's passing. He died eight years ago. There is much on my mind.

"As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him." (Romans 14:1-3)
 
LearningToLetGo said:
Thank you, my friend. I find myself tired as of late. Yesterday was the anniversary of my father's passing. He died eight years ago. There is much on my mind.

"As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him." (Romans 14:1-3)
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My dear brother..........welcome to my world. I was in the ministry for many many years. It is almost weekly that I get a call from a dear church member who has lost their spouse and want me to do their funeral.

I have buried my mom, dad, all my uncles and aunts and a grandchild!

I KNOW exactly what you are feeling and I sit right next to you on the couch of tears!
 
Cosia said:
Hi bobinfaith
I don't have the deep knowledge that my brothers and sisters have here. I have a very splendid faith and cannot remember chapter and
verse like you all can
I have to look that up on Gateway and that takes me a long time because of my very bad eyesight. So forgive the lack of chapter and verse.

To me The Bible is a love story from beginning to end.

1. What was Jesus expected to do?
I agree that The Son of God was expected to be obedient.
He was sent here by The Father to suffer and die on the cross, which He did. He was sent to save us from our sins. Jesus only spoke the words that the Father told Him to speak. He was the Son, The Lord of God as He lived amongst us. Everything He said and did was what God told Him to do. And Jesus was victorious.

2. What are we expected to do?
That could be too long a post for me.

Believe in Jesus, God The Son and that He died on the cross and rose from the dead. Confess and repent of our sins. Talk to The Father The Son and The Holy Spirit.
Above all keep those 2 great commandments to Love God and Your neighbour.

Paul told us even if we were to die a martyrs death but lacked Love, it would profit us nothing.

I believe this is very important. I cannot obey if I don't love.

I need more love in my heart and constantly pray for it.

God Bless bobinfaith and all your family
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Excellent post!
 
There is so much pain in the world, so much suffering. I look about and see people struggling to survive amidst the predation of their own minds and it breaks my heart.

The illusion of separation is the cause of many ills. We think we are alone and this loneliness drains our vitality, turning us into shadows of ourselves.

If we could but connect to one another we would see this for the illusion it is. We would see that we are one -- one species, one mind and one soul -- and our pain, borne not individually but collectively, would no longer be a heavy burden.

Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when he said his yoke is light.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)
 
LearningToLetGo said:
There is so much pain in the world, so much suffering. I look about and see people struggling to survive amidst the predation of their own minds and it breaks my heart.

The illusion of separation is the cause of many ills. We think we are alone and this loneliness drains our vitality, turning us into shadows of ourselves.

If we could but connect to one another we would see this for the illusion it is. We would see that we are one -- one species, one mind and one soul -- and our pain, borne not individually but collectively, would no longer be a heavy burden.

Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when he said his yoke is light.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)
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I agree but you must also know that there is nothing today that did not effect people since creaton! There is nothing new under the sun but the SUN in us is the hope of glory.
 
Cosia said:
Yes I agree but I have to decide the best way of doing it.
I have some ideas and do a few of them. I want to see a revival.
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There is only one way my dear..........Jesus!

Simply sit down with someone and tell them about Jesus! IT IS just that simple!

I can give you all kinds of methods...."FAITH 5 Step Plan"........"The Romans Road" and so on but they all boil down to one thing..........
Jesus!
 
Cosia said:
I already do that Major. We have large number of homeless people and i sit next to them and tell them about Jesus. But we need to reach many, many more.
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I understand that Cosia. One of the best ways to be a witness is to show YOUR LOVE!

“I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

By YOUR LIFE!
People see and hear what we do and say.

By YOUR WORDS!
Words hurt. They can build up or they can tear down, and if unbelievers see us cutting others down by our words, they’ll see us as no different from the rest of the world. That is the ONE thing I see here from people from time to time that really infuriates me. If there’s no difference between us and the world, why would they ever want to become a Christian?

One man said, “I love your Jesus…it’s your Christians I have trouble with,” !!!!
Unfortunately that’s too bad because a bad example is a bad witness for Christ. Truly, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (Prov 18:21). What we say matters. Jesus warned that “by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemn” (Matt 12:37), proving that “on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak” (Matt 12:36).
 
Cosia said:
I already do that Major. We have large number of homeless people and i sit next to them and tell them about Jesus. But we need to reach many, many more.
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Dear Cosia,

You are doing God’s work and that is a blessing and it is good in itself.

We had a teacher, who once advised us on this topic of saving as many as quickly as possible. He told us not to feel guilty or inadequate, that the reality is , “… you extend your hands, but you can only pull one person at a time up.”

God Bless you.
 
It's difficult for obvious reasons online, but in real life I find people learn far more from how you behave than what you say. There's something undeniable about simply being in the presence of someone in spirit.
 
LearningToLetGo said:
There is so much pain in the world, so much suffering. I look about and see people struggling to survive amidst the predation of their own minds and it breaks my heart. The illusion of separation is the cause of many ills. We think we are alone and this loneliness drains our vitality, turning us into shadows of ourselves. If we could but connect to one another we would see this for the illusion it is. We would see that we are one -- one species, one mind and one soul -- and our pain, borne not individually but collectively, would no longer be a heavy burden. Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when he said his yoke is light.
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)
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Hello Jason;

Thank you for sharing from your heart. I feel the same and it means so much to me. I'm blessed to know you, everyone in these posts and I are serving in the same Army of God.

May God bless you, brother and all of us.
 
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