Some Things I’ve Learned From Christianity
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When asked what the greatest commandment was of the 10 commandments, Jesus said this:
And 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. Luke 10:27Luke 10:27
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
27 And 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.
WP-Bible plugin
This is one of those events recorded in each of the gospels, and I think the reason is that what Jesus said here was was one of His most important teachings.
In 1 Peter 4:81 Peter 4:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. shall: or, will
WP-Bible plugin, Peter tells us that love covers a multitude of sins:
And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
Finally, in 1 John 4:81 John 4:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
WP-Bible plugin, we learn that God is love:
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
What I have learned from this is that first, love is powerful. After all, God is love, and He is the most powerful force in the universe.
Second, we will be judged by how much love we show for others. If we don’t show love and mercy, we can expect to be judged by the same standard we applied to others.
If we don’t love ourselves first, then we can’t love God, and we can’t love others.
I grew up in a home where there was a lot of hell fire and brimstone teaching. The problem with that kind of teaching is that it’s really a warning to non believers. If you’re saved, there’s really no reason to spend your time obssessing over Hell. I was also discouraged from reading the Bible. I think a lot of ministers, and a lot of people don’t want you reading the Bible because then you might know something they don’t. Or worse, you might know that what they’re teaching is false. It’s about power, not about doing the right thing or serving God.
There’s a lot of false teaching being spewed from the pulpits out there. It’s why I’m always careful about who I listen to. It’s why Joel Osteen’s church is the fastest growing church in the United States. People are tired of being preached at. I mean give me a break. What purpose is there to having any kind of relationship if there’s no benefit? I don’t know what kind of benefit God gets out of having a relationship with us. I know plenty about the benefit of me having a relationship with Him. I now have a life that works.
I don’t get depressed anymore. I don’t go around saying what a poor pitiful Christian I am. God has given me purpose and meaning to my life, and if we’re to accomplish the things here on earth God wants us to do, we have to get past all of the hell fire and brimstone to find out what God really wants for us. When you want what He wants, you find out it’s what you really wanted because it’s the real desires of your heart.
Jesus never said He came to condemn the world. He said exactly the opposite. He came to save the world. God demanded a sacrifice. A perfect sacrifice that would unite us with Him. When Jesus died on the cross, He made the perfect sacrifice.
One thing that annoys me to no end is when atheists accuse Christians of having a free pass on sin. We don’t get a free pass. Unless you are truly repentent, and that can be quite painful, you are not forgiven of your sin. It’s not enough to drop to your knees and ask God for forgiveness; you have to forgive yourself, and you have to repent.
God can only give us what we ask for, and He may only give it to us if we truly believe we deserve it and it is in line with His will. It’s not that hard to find out what His will is either. All you have to do is read your Bible. Then you’ll know if what you are praying for is in line with His will.
Want your prayers answered? Then pray in His will. You can’t know what that will is if you don’t read the Bible.
I practice the K.I.S.S. principles of Christianity (Keep it simple stupid):
1. Love God, love others, and love myself.
2. Take on the weapons God has given us to win victory in life (These weapons are listed in Ephesians 6:11-18Ephesians 6:11-18
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. flesh...: Gr. blood and flesh spiritual...: or, wicked spirits high: or, heavenly
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. having...: or, having overcome all
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
WP-Bible plugin.) We’re in a war here. We can choose to be victorious over sin, death, and Satan only if we fight with the weapons God has given us. Frankly, I don’t want to go through life miserable. I just think it was meant to be so much more. We’re supposed to enjoy our lives. We’re supposed to experience joy, happiness, and peace, and you can have all of these things no matter your circumstances. You have to live from the inside out, not the outside in.
3. Don’t worry about the current political or economic climate. Pray. Believe. Take action. Obey God. This will put you above the fray.
4. Forgive. Love. When you love others and forgive, they have no power over you. Satan has no power over you. Too many people live lives of complete misery because they won’t let go of their hate and resentment, and they are under the misguided notion that they are hurting other people by holding onto this. You’re only hurting yourself. Forgiveness isn’t about giving the other person a free pass; it’s about turning that person over to God to handle.
Before my last divorce was final 10 years ago, my second ex husband told me he would never forgive me for what I had done to him. Never mind the things he had done in our marriage to hurt me. What I realized that day though was that he thought that by saying that, I would hold onto it. That was probably the first day in my life that I knew I was truly free. He wasn’t hurting me; he was hurting himself. I forgave, and I forgave as soon as I was ready because I just didn’t want it hanging over my head. It was just another burden to carry around.
I’m so glad I did. My life is so much better today. I’m free of him, and I’m free of a marriage that was destroying my life. I take responsibility for my part in it, but I’ve forgiven myself.
Ultimately, that’s the most important part of forgiveness; don’t forget to forgive yourself.
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October 28 2008 10:50 am | Christian News and Real Christianity
