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If you love me you will obey me

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Richard D:

When I read the Sermon on the Mount the message moves me with delight and wonder. As I dwell on every word uttered in that beautiful sermon I feel a sense of love, hope and peace. Then it hits home hard as I realize every word uttered I have not the ability to live by its truths.

Jesus says if I love him I will obey his commandments but the truth is I’m not able to perform and keep all His commandments to the letter. NOW having read Rays papers on free will I realize or believe I can not obey unless God allows me.

I say I love God but God says I don’t unless I obey. I’m perplexed. I know through and through I can not boast. Where to from here is all I ask.

Beloved:
Wow what an interesting observation, I too have been struggling with this.

As I have studied His Word, I took notice of the words he used.

One of the recent post quoted

(Luke 18:8)  "I say to you*, He will execute justice for them with quickness. Nevertheless, the Son of Humanity having come, will He find faith on the earth?"

But read the next sentence

(Luke 18:9)  Now He spoke this allegory to some, the ones having confidence in themselves that they are righteous, and despising [or, looking down on] the rest:

If God has opened our eyes, we now see that we have no free will, and that we are the beast who sat on His throne.  We know that none except God are righteous and that we are incapable of obeying the letter of the law.

If you listen to Rays teaching on Faith vs works, you now know that Faith is not only knowing but also acting like GOD IS IN TOTAL CONTROL.

We are to try to walk through this physical life seeking HIS WILL. But we have to remember that we are carnal and therefore will fall, we are to repent and continue..

It is not about reaching a pinnacle but it is about endurance.

That is why the second sentence is important re finding faith, that is why Jesus marveled at the centurion and woman from cana, and constantly chided his disciples of having little faith.

Jesus is not the Shepard of thoroughbred race horses but of sheep (someone just recently posted on their special qualities  :P ). 

We are to hear the Shepard and to follow Him...we are not to improvise or to consult mapquest.

Everything that happens is of God's Will, if we lose a job, get married, get a promotion ...all of God. Every person who comes into our life, is an opportunity to show His love, not ours.

This is a mighty work that He is working through His elect.

beloved
 

Dave in Tenn:
Matthew 11:28  `Come unto me, all ye labouring and burdened ones, and I will give you rest, 29  take up my yoke upon you, and learn from me, because I am meek and humble in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls, 30  for my yoke is easy (or pleasant), and my burden is light.'

A yoke ties two laborers together.  It's His yoke, and He invites us to take it with Him, rather than pull this weight on our own.  As we do, He teaches us.  He teaches us because He is meek and humble in heart.  Maybe that's the first thing He wants to teach us.  Find you some rest to your soul, Richard. 

Dave in Tenn:
I was just thinking about this yoke thing, and it dawned on me that the 'burden' is not a work in vain.  You don't yoke two oxen just so they can drag a plow around.  There's a purpose for it.  Maybe it's removing a stump, maybe it's plowing a furrow--but whatever it is, it's not meaningless.  We may not even know what the purpose is, but the Owner of the farm does. 

Just thoughts. 

OBrenda:
Good Stuff Here!

God has always been in control, we've never had a free will.
What is different for me now, is being aware of that! I can surrender to the outcome of every detail of my life.  I need the scriptures to navigate, not mapquest ;). But he controls the winds, the currents, the storms etc.

Obedience by the Spirit of Law means more to me by:  Acknowledging him in all things, his will be done.
Obedience to the Old Law, is a check list of do's and don'ts that our carnal mind takes pride, and credit for.

If we first acknowledge He is All, it is his will that will be done.
Then to the best of our understanding of scriptures purpose to follow him. [LOVE]
Maintain our faith, through any fiery trial and trust his will, in spite of physical evidence.
Make corrections in ourselves, continue to dethrone the beast!

We become partakers of our obedience, but not the source....does this make sense?

Brenda

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