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Returning to the church, I decided to go the non-denominational route so as not to get caught up in doctrine and dogma. These churches are more liberal. They are all about grace, and believing that Jesus fulfilled the old law and gave a new, simpler law. The new law is to love God first and completely, and then love everyone else like you love yourself.
So, worshipping God is not about rules, it's about love.
I have to say, I've learned a lot about love in the last few years. My heart has softened somewhat from the cold lump of rock it was. I also have to admit to having a long way to go.
But if that was all there was to it, wouldn't the bible be much, much shorter?
I read a passage this morning in Hebrews that seems to imply that we should still be honoring the Sabbath. There is also a lot of talk in the gospels about Jesus trying to lighten up the restrictions of the Sabbath and restore the spirit of the day. So which is it? Are the 10 commandments old news? Or are they still law? Oh! Maybe they've been converted to "guidelines".
These questions, and many more, plague me with doubt. James says that if you want to know, ask God... but then gives a tongue-lashing to anyone who doubts.
"Answer me speedily, O Lord; my spirit fails! Cause me to hear your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Teach me to do Your will, for you are my God." Psalm 143:7-10
This is what prompted this rambling. This passage and a couple of others. It seems like I'm asking, but either I'm not listening, or He's not answering.
I'll write about the other troubling ones next.
3 comments:
"But if that was all there was to it, wouldn't the bible be much, much shorter?" You are right. If that was all there was to it, the Bible would probably be shorter.
Love is the main thing. The Bible says, "God is love" (1 John 4:8, 16).
One of the ways we love God is by believing and obeying what He says. And God has given us the whole Bible to teach us HOW to love Him and love our neighbor. The two great commandments tell us to love God and love our neighbor. The Ten Commandments break this down into more detail and the first four commandments teach us how to love God and the last six commandments teach us how to love our neighbor. Then the Bible is full of instruction and examples that teach us in even more detail how to love.
I think God wants us to make the effort to read His Word, believe what He says, and do our best to obey Him. Expressing love towards God according to His own instructions, not according to our own ideas about love, is the kind of love that God is pleased with.
You mentioned the Sabbath day and the Ten Commandments. If you are looking for answers, I recently added some postings in my blog that explore these issues in depth. I was in a debate with another blogger about whether the Sabbath is still in force for Christians and whether the Ten Commandments were abolished with the Old Covenant. He challenged me on many points, and I backed my position with many scriptures, so the discussion was pretty thorough and detailed, I think. You can check it out if you are interested - you might find some answers to some of the questions you have. You will at least see both sides, and you can post questions as comments to my posts or post questions to the other blogger's blog to get both sides.
God dosen't listen. Don't waste your time.
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