Scuba Posted February 7, 2015 Posted February 7, 2015 Jesus didn't come to start a religion, He came to start a movement called the Kingdom of God. He came to teach kingdom principles based on loving God and loving others the way God defines love and the way Jesus demonstrated it. Christianity in not founded on a belief in a certain set of doctrines, but rather, it's a life devoted to service and love for all. When people see a Christian they should see someone who has been changed by God, they should see a child of God's kingdom now. Ron Amnsn 1 Quote Sometimes our behavior needs time to catch up to our salvation...
Administrators Gail Posted February 7, 2015 Administrators Posted February 7, 2015 Please read Pastor Harold's comments on this in the Pastor Harold forum... Quote Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
Scuba Posted February 7, 2015 Author Posted February 7, 2015 Please read Pastor Harold's comments on this in the Pastor Harold forum... Where do I find his comments? Quote Sometimes our behavior needs time to catch up to our salvation...
Administrators Gail Posted February 7, 2015 Administrators Posted February 7, 2015 Where do I find his comments? You should find them in the Inspirational section. Go down the Forum Index until you hit it. Quote Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
Stewart (SDA) Posted February 7, 2015 Posted February 7, 2015 Scuba, just to clarify something here about "religion". Galatians 1:13-14 speaks about "the Jews' religion", and of course the Jews' religion was not a good thing. But the Bible also speaks about "pure religion". "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." (Jas 1:27) "Pure religion" is what we need, and I suggest that it was "pure religion" that Jesus came to teach. Too often "religion" has been mixed with impurities such as pride and selfishness, and so "religion" for many people has negative connotations. But if our religion were more practical in nature (just as James describes it), then I think "religion" would be better understood and more readily accepted. Gail 1 Quote
Scuba Posted February 7, 2015 Author Posted February 7, 2015 In the millennium, doctrines will be straightened out. There will not be denominations teaching all kinds of different things but until that day God is looking at the intents of the heart, not how many doctrines we have right. In the judgement it will be based on how we responded to God's Spirit in emulating God's character. Matthew 25:31-40 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Stewart (SDA) 1 Quote Sometimes our behavior needs time to catch up to our salvation...
Stewart (SDA) Posted February 7, 2015 Posted February 7, 2015 Scuba, to me it is quite wonderful that you have quoted Jesus' words in Matthew 25, because I believe that in principle they are talking about the very same thing that James speaks about when he describes "pure religion". The practical elements of visiting people in their times of distress and trouble; the practical expressions of compassion and kindness. This is what distinguishes the Sheep from the Goats, and this is what distinguishes "pure religion" from something like the "Jews' religion". "... I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me..." James takes up this same principle and applies it to "pure religion". It "is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction...". Gail and Scuba 2 Quote
Scuba Posted February 7, 2015 Author Posted February 7, 2015 Scuba, to me it is quite wonderful that you have quoted Jesus' words in Matthew 25, because I believe that in principle they are talking about the very same thing that James speaks about when he describes "pure religion". The practical elements of visiting people in their times of distress and trouble; the practical expressions of compassion and kindness. This is what distinguishes the Sheep from the Goats, and this is what distinguishes "pure religion" from something like the "Jews' religion". "... I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me..." James takes up this same principle and applies it to "pure religion". It "is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction...". In today's government of God there are weightier matters but the weightier matters do not make void the less weightier matters. Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Love and service outweighs ritualism. Stewart (SDA) 1 Quote Sometimes our behavior needs time to catch up to our salvation...
Stewart (SDA) Posted February 7, 2015 Posted February 7, 2015 In today's government of God there are weightier matters but the weightier matters do not make void the less weightier matters. Matthew 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Love and service outweighs ritualism. Yes, again I agree with you. The "less weightier matters", like paying Tithe, ought to be done, but those things must not be allowed to interfere with [or negate] the weightier matters. (And of course there are weightier matters.) Sometimes we can be tempted to think that it is more important for us to go to church on Sabbath, when we know that we have an outstanding issue with somebody. But Jesus effectively teaches that it is important to clear up that matter before we go to the worship service, doesn't He? Matters of priority/weight need to be clearly arranged in our lives. And as you say, Love and service outweighs ritualism. Absolutely! Quote
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