The church seems set to create doctrine based on what makes sense to them. Jesus said if we loved him we would obey his commands....he told the disciples to go out and make disciples of all the world and to teach them to obey all that he had commanded....What did Jesus command?

the 10 commandments

The ten commandments are old testament....what did Jesus say we were to do as an evidence of our love for him.

Ever notice all these major churches/faiths never let women make decesions and usually treat them like cattle or property. Seems to me it all about money, power and control of the masses....

Jesus commands us to love our neighbor in the same breath that we are commanded to love God. St. John goes as far as to say that "If any one says 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." (I Jn 4:20)

You could be right which brings us back to the question what did Jesus tell us to do?

Sara Matthew 5 is a good place to begin seeing what he actually said we were to do.

love your neighbor as yourself

let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and glorify God.

I think SaraC has it down pat.

We're supposed to spread love and good works.

That's it.

It's as simple as grandma's apple pie.

Where what you are saying is true how did Jesus say to do that?

It's in the abiding...

Luke 10:26-28 (KJV)


26He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

My X-Husband told me the same thing.

If I love someone I think they would know it. I don't think they would ask me to prove it by telling me that "if I loved them I would obey their commands.

That is manipulation.



Well since Jesus is said to be God, then the ten commandments and any other perceived commandment in the entire Bible, old testament and new, have to be credited to him.

If they are not, then he is not God.

JB

The way we get to the point of loving God above all others and loving our neighbors as ourselves is to learn to obey the numberious commands that he spoke during his ministry. By doing so we peel away the physical and begin revieling the spiritual within us.

It is manipulation to ask a person to comply with the wishes of Jesus. In the same way it would not be a manipulation in a physical relationship. However, it should be obedience out of love not love because we have to.

When anyone says to another "If you loved me you would do this...."

That is manipulation.

Here are some examples:

If you love me you will have sex with me.
If you love me you will kill my husband for me.
If you love me you will do as I say.
If you love me you will obey my commands.

I do not believe that we learn to love by obeying our master.
I do not believe we can love someone on command.

If your neighbor is a jerk and a child molester who threatened your life and throws garbage into your yard and sick his dog on you and someone commands you to love him, do you think you can really do that on command?

I doubt it.

The purpose of life itself, I believe, is to learn to love and be loved in return.

But you can't do it on command.

JB

Well actually...that is exactly where it is at JB.

I know people have trouble with the concept of complete surrender to God of our pride &/or whatever we use to resist in times of troubles.

I know it only comes from God to be able to love & be kind & gentle & forgiving in the face of persecution. To be able to count it joy when people persecute. Again...no one can do that in the natural.

The scripture says...and when the enemy came he found nothing in me. Well that's what it means. It only comes from the ressurrection power. The secret things of God revealed that let's humanity know that He exists.

For you it might be something awful or some human manipulation, but for us is getting out of the way & letting God take the lead so His glory can be revealed to others. It's only an awful thing to those who never experienced the power of God.

Again...this is the Christian experience & not anything else thrown into the mix.

Many years ago some shared with me that sometimes you have to lose it all to gain it all. It seemed a bit strange to me at the time till I appiled it to my walk with Christ. Then it made perfect sense. Most people who can't understand the concept of love and surrender have been hurt by so many people. ecause of that they can't imagine a loving God allowing for such things to happen. Because of this they are blcked from recieving the love that God offers us through Christ.

Because of that block they can profess the end result should be loving one another...but can't take the steps identified by Christ to get there.

I hear that... it's a tough one to get past... but I am confident that God knows what it will take for people to get "there," whatever that will take.

For me it was a healing from thinking God forgot me to knowing that he didn't by His intervention. It was a real turning point for me. That's what gave me the courage I needed to believe Him.

I stopped wondering why it took this long & thinking that I failed God someway. We can't question God's timing. He doesn't think of time or success the way we do. God also never gets weary or tired of us either. Thank God for His goodness & mercies.

We need to remember that none of us deserve the love God offers and yet he offers it anyway...what is the value of anything we could do...but our seeking after obedience to His commands is a small thing compared to His love and the life he offers.