Our world has many things that can make us fear what is to come. Some people fear what Mr Obama will bring. Others fear that he will not bring the promised change. Others fear our collapsing economy and how we will survive. Others fear the increasing medical issues and the decreasing coverage of our health system and our health coverage. Others fear the terrorists and others still the wars that we wage to protect ourselves from the terrorists. Fear is everywhere.
This is not right!
Matthew 6:25-34, Romans 8:1-17
Our Lord Yhwh will care for us as his own beloved. He knows our needs and cares for our needs. We are our Lord's own children; we have an inheritance that he will one day give to us. But does he not give us his blessings each and every day - if only we "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
But it does not come for nothing. Salvation is by faith alone, but faith without works is not faith. Faith is an action; an understanding of our Lord's commands; and a turning to do what he would do. "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live."
But, you say, I am a good person and go to church every Sunday and Wednesday (or Saturday, or Friday). Or, I obey all 613 commandments and keep the Sabbath. But, I tell you that this is not enough in and of themselves. The actions that we take must be a side affect of the change in our nature. We must truly love our Yhwh with our entire being (Deuteronomy 6:5, Luke 10:27). And if we truly follow thru with this - the greatest commandment - then by our very (new) nature we will love all of our neighbors and do the same for them that we would do for our own selves (Leviticus 19:18, Luke 10:27).
What does this mean though - to love our neighbor as ourselves? Well, if you are trying to define what it means - and thus set limits, then you are not doing it. Do you try to define what you would do or what you would eat, wear, or buy to please yourself? No? Then doing that to define what it is to love your neighbor is in essence not loving your neighbor as yourself.
But as an example I go back to my last post - whose words our Lord Yhwh is speaking to us today:
Jeremiah 7:5-6 (TNIV)
If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm,
Can you see how Yhwh has said that defining the limits is not loving your neighbor? It is not a new fault, but one as old as the Scriptures themselves. We are called to "really change [our] ways and [our] actions." Examples are given - and in fact most of the 613 commandments are just that; examples of how to change our ways and actions. But the ancient expert on the Law had the true words on how to inherit eternal life - even though he then showed that he didn't really understand as he immediately tried to define limits to feel righteous (Luke 10:25-37). And his true answer was:
Luke 10:27 (TNIV)
He answered, " ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"
Do you try to define limits on what you must do? Do you ever feel guilty about not being able to do something for someone else? Do you seek the Kingdom of Yhwh above all else?
In closing, please take a moment to read 1 Kings 3:1-16. This passage has been one of the founding passages of my life - and thus my "avatar" picture of Solomon. Solomon asked of God for the wisdom to truly love his neighbor as himself and Yhwh was well pleased.
2 comments:
This really resonates with me as I have just been planning an essay on Luther and justification by faith through grace.
These last two posts were - in my head - the same post, but there just isn't enough time in the day any more to "plan" things so much. And this blog was started with the goal of not letting my brain get in the way of our Lord speaking.
Thus, quoting the chapter from Jeremiah (which I found with only a little searching) quickly expressed most of the thoughts that He was giving me. And then this post was my way of summarizing how my mind is interpreting and what it means to me.
I hope that it is in some way useful to any who read. And, sadly, it barely scratches the surface of what He is saying in that chapter of Jeremiah and there is so much more that we should take out of it. It is a warning to this generation as much as it was to that generation.
Yhwh is calling for our repentance thru faith. And as I mentioned, faith is an action - as shown by the definition of "repent" - "to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life."
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