How To Love God

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by TGBTG

So what you're saying is that we should keep the beatitudes? what other commands are there?

The beatitudes are the heart of Jesus teachings. If there are any others stated by him or the apostles we need also to know and observe them.

That is IF we love him.

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by jfrog

Don't esteem your own faulty definition of what it means to love God as being equivalent with God's definition. God's whole definition leaves place for those that love him yet fall. Yours turns them into God haters.

If one does not do Jesus commands he sees them as not loving him already. So no the doctrine of obedience will not make them into haters of God. If they are CONSISTENTLY DISOBEDIENT they already hate him.

If on the other hand peradventure they may be a true Christian who really has been falsely taught that you can continue in sin and still have God with you the teaching of obedience may work true repentance.

[Michael The Disciple]

Will obedience to the commands of Jesus bring about a move of God in your life?

The Apostle James taught YES!

4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:4-8

We see here that the sinning believer is not near to God neither is God near to him. Yet if one draws NEAR to God by obedience THEN it will happen that God will draw NEAR to the believer.

Note the MOVEMENT there. Instead of being far away God will now be NEAR!
So yes if we obey the commands of Jesus we can have a move of his Spirit in our loves.

[Michael The Disciple]

Another example of obedience to Jesus teachings can bring a move of God (some call this revival) into your life.

3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 1 John 3:22

God wants to reveal himself in answered prayers. If we meet his conditions John said he will do this very thing!

God will do this because he counts this as loving him.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

If one does not do Jesus commands he sees them as not loving him already. So no the doctrine of obedience will not make them into haters of God. If they are CONSISTENTLY DISOBEDIENT they already hate him.

If on the other hand peradventure they may be a true Christian who really has been falsely taught that you can continue in sin and still have God with you the teaching of obedience may work true repentance.

You are not the mouthpiece of Jesus. Do not presume to speak for him!

Stop fighting windmills Michael. I don't know of any Christian that believes he can continue in sin and still love and serve God. I do know a great many Christians that believe a person can fall over and over and over again and still be loving and serving God.

[jfrog]

If anyone wants to see the negative end of MTD's doctrine look no further than me. Assume for a moment that I believed his doctrine and consider my past: I fell over and over and over again to the same sin. I'm no longer a Christian. But considering Micheal's doctrine all the work and tears that I put into trying to overcome my sin mean nothing. According to him I didn't love God even though I was trying very hard to obey him. According to him I spent all my time in prayer and the bible during my highschool years for a God I didn't love. And if I never loved God through all that then why would I ever try God again seeing that it must be nearly impossible for me to love him? In other words his doctrine leaves me hopeless!

How can anyone hear my story and think for a second that he is right? How can MTD hear my story and think for a second that he is right?

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by jfrog

If anyone wants to see the negative end of MTD's doctrine look no further than me. Assume for a moment that I believed his doctrine and consider my past: I fell over and over and over again to the same sin. I'm no longer a Christian. But considering Micheal's doctrine all the work and tears that I put into trying to overcome my sin mean nothing. According to him I didn't love God even though I was trying very hard to obey him. According to him I spent all my time in prayer and the bible during my highschool years for a God I didn't love. And if I never loved God through all that then why would I ever try God again seeing that it must be nearly impossible for me to love him? In other words his doctrine leaves me hopeless!

How can anyone hear my story and think for a second that he is right? How can MTD hear my story and think for a second that he is right?

The problem with what you are assuming is that what I am saying is MY DOCTRINE. If you would read what I have written you would know it is not my doctrine but rather the doctrine of the APOSTLES handed down to them through Jesus Christ.

Now are you saying you are not a Christian or was that meant as a hypothetical saying?

[Amanah]

I have a book by Jerry Bridges, "The practice of Godliness"

He says in his book that that when you study scripture, you read about the Fear of God and the Love of God (his love for us). When you reverence God, and realize how holy he is along with understanding how much he loved us and sacrificed on calvary so we can be free, then you will develop a desire for God which will be the basis of Devotion to God.

Then Devotion to God will lead to becoming disciplined in the practices of reading his word, and prayer and fellowship, which will lead us to become mature Christians and producing the fruit of the Spirit.

There is a multiple pronged approach to becoming perfect (mature) in God.

For some reason MTD, your approach, while not lacking in truth, is discouraging. It's seems like part of the picture is missing.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

The problem with what you are assuming is that what I am saying is MY DOCTRINE. If you would read what I have written you would know it is not my doctrine but rather the doctrine of the APOSTLES handed down to them through Jesus Christ.

Now are you saying you are not a Christian or was that meant as a hypothetical saying?

If you are going to act like that then I can too. If you would have read what I have written you would know I am saying that your doctrine is NOT the fullness of the apostles doctrine concerning sin and loving God.

I am not a Christian. Got a problem with that? Go jump off a bridge.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by Amanah

I have a book by Jerry Bridges, "The practice of Godliness"

He says in his book that that when you study scripture, you read about the Fear of God and the Love of God (his love for us). When you reverence God, and realize how holy he is along with understanding how much he loved us and sacrificed on calvary so we can be free, then you will develop a desire for God which will be the basis of Devotion to God.

Then Devotion to God will lead to becoming disciplined in the practices of reading his word, and prayer and fellowship, which will lead us to become mature Christians and producing the fruit of the Spirit.

There is a multiple pronged approach to becoming perfect (mature) in God.

For some reason MTD, your approach, while not lacking in truth, is discouraging. It's seems like part of the picture is missing.

That is probably the best way that what I am trying to say can be said. His approach lacks so much that while there are elements of truth to it overall it paints a false picture.