Not By Works

Good Morning dcontroversal,

May I ask you a sincere question? By sincere, I mean to say I am not trying to make a point, just understand your understanding. If so, that question is; what did Jesus mean when he said:

Joh 14:21 KJV He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

It is interesting, because in todays society we are probably supporting adulterers, murderers and the like
rather than believing there is a moral perspective in society.

And the name for such behaviour is the right of the individual to bear arms and blow away those who
oppose them.

So our politicians can lie, be adulterers, watch porn, fiddle their taxes, desire to split society and claim
that group over there are the really evil people, rather than exalt good behaviour and righteous love.

Jesus came as a light, saying this is how to live, follow me.

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lol no prob - made for a nice diversion for a bit !

I will answer with a statement that gets swept under the table by many.....

Jesus was BORN, LIVED and DIED under the law which RATIFIED the NEW Covenant of GRACE. HIS words MUST be interpreted within the LIGHT of this TRUTH.........and lest we forget ALL of the law under the NEW COVENANT can be summed up under.....LOVING GOD and EACH OTHER......and PAUL, which was inspired by the Holy SPIRIT and taught by DIRECT REVELATION from JESUS takes it down to LOVING each other as we should which fulfills the LAW......JOHN taught the same thing.

So....are you under the LAW or UNDER GRACE and NOTE.....one of the two I just listed has been fulfilled in CHRIST and the righteousness of CHRIST WITHOUT THE DEEDS OF THE LAW is imputed to our account BY FAITH...........

SO.....where do you stand....!!

I am getting the felling, a very strong feeling that our pal from Italy is back..........!!

yes, this is true.

nice after long disagreements , we can find a little piece of common ground.

Greetings eternally gratefull,

To answer your question, I cannot really say, I have no recollection of that time. I had not yet reached the "age of reason and understanding".

I think you answered the question.

Now take that knowledge, and apply it to a newborn child of God.

He is just beginning to have his reasoning and understanding come, And this is a lifelong process. At this point, he is no more able to love God than you or I were as newborns.

I do understand where you are going with this, but even Paul declares that it is a Godly Sorrow that leads us to repentance that leads to salvation. So as a child we must have entered repentance by way of guilt associated with a knowledge of the Law.

Amen...
And I will say it again , thank God His mercy and His grace is new every morning , because we need it...xox...

All one has to know is that they have failed to live up to the requirements imposed by God (they are a sinner)

It does not mean they understand what it means to love God, know who he is, or what it takes to live righteous lives

Paul called the corinthian church babes, Because they were struggling deeply with sin. He never called into question their salvation, He instead urged them to grow.

The Law, the bringing to us of a new heart to fulfil the law?

I am not sure I see it like this. I do not need to know I do not live up to the requirements of others, I do not
live up to the requirements that I myself in love wish to live by. It is this struggle between wanting to love and
yet falling into sin and selfishness which plagues ones heart.

Now to have a changed heart, to be touched by healing love, to be filled with the Holy Spirit is a totally different
dimension. It is a few steps, and then the Lord confirms the right path.

Paul always wanted to know where he was in Christ, and to walk deeper. Because so many doubted their direction
he called on them to test themselves

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize
that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?
6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.
7 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we
have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.
2 Cor 13

It is clear to me, that some believe they not only want to judge others, but also reject them as
not being of the faith. Strange that these same people claim Paul never questioned their salvation,
because it makes me wonder, why are these people doing what they say Paul never did?

Have you ever given any consideration to "Godly Sorrow" vs "Worldly Sorrow"?

Yes

Godly sorrow led you to repentance

But it does not help you KNW god in a way you can possibly LOVE him.



Agape love (the love in the passage you quoted) takes a close personal intimate relationship between two people

At new birth, God Agape you

But you have no capacity to agape God.

it does not mean you WANT to continue in sin,

It means you have to learn what true sin is (not just the letter, but the spirit) and how to properly live a life which follows this way.

I was just sitting here wondering , how do we love someone that we really do not like...
I imagine something awful happening to someone I do not like , and I think " If they were in need , or was knocked down , could I walk past them " and the answer is no...

Before I was saved , if I thought such a thought , I would even wish something bad happened to them , but now I do not , I know for sure , that I would help them , is that loving them as Christ loves? , because to be honest , I still do not like certain people because they are horrible , especially a mother of my granddaughters , yet I would help her if she was in need , I believe that is because the Holy Spirit is me , and now I can show the love of Jesus , I do not like her , but I do not hate like I did before...xox...

Hi EG...Do you mean when the samaritan was the only one to help the beaten up man that was left for dead ?...xox...

For those of you who kindly contributed to the 'Go fund @dcontroversal to settle him into a old people home' I thank you.

The contributions will be kept or if you prefer used towards coffee and crema and the other stuff that helps this doddery old man come back to earth.

It may take time, lots of coffee and crema.
Just checked the money raised.
We have enough for one coffee but no crema.