gloria schreef:To clarify: when I said self-love must be out, I obviously did not mean that we could or may not love ourselves. Of course we do, and should. But our worship of God must not arise from the benefits we think He gives us, but because He is worthy. Self-love is out in terms of being a motive for worship. We should take good care of ourselves and our neighbours equally, hence the second table to the moral law.
True.
Paul could write what he did to the whole church, because churches back then consisted of believers. I believe the strict baptists are fully correct in their view of church structure. The outer court of the church is for the gentiles, they may certainly attend the worship service, but the promise is not to them. But even if an angel told me I was a child of God, it could not (should not) truly comfort me. God himself must tell us by opening His word to our soul.
He did to me and to many others. His word proclaims that all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Saviour, may be sure that they are childs of God, and the Spirit already works in them, else they couldn't believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, to set us free. And Romans 8 tells us that all who are led by the Spirit, are also sons of God. And we have received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry: Abba, Father, and he makes us believe that we are Gods childeren...
So please don't judge people who say God is there Father, and don't tell not to be sure of this, when the Spirit showed this to them. It's okay to judge your own life, and if you that you can't be sure that you are a child of God, and be allowed to call Him Father, then pray (Our Father?), read the Bible, and believe what is written.... if you do so, the Spirit convinced you of this.
And for crying out loud, Christ did not mean that the sabbath was made for men to do as they pleased, but for men to worship God in reverence, love, fear and humility. Open your eyes once to see with how great and infinite a God we have to do (see His works in nature, in providence, in grace), and you will not think playing soccer with your friends is the appropriate way to honour God. How on earth can you glorify God on the soccer field, when the whole point is to have fun and enjoy yourself, or compete with another team. Stop thinking that God is pleased because we are having fun. Do you seriously pray to God before your Sunday soccer game and ask for his blessing and communion, and tell Him the only reason you want to play is because that way you can give Him the greatest possible honour and glory? And do you seriously think that is the case? Gimme a break, man.
You forget that the sabbath wasn't only made as a worship day..... Of course it is a day to worship, but the bible also tells us that it's a day to rest and relax. You are also allowed to do that on sunday, that's why God also gave us this day. Many people seem to forget that, thought the bible is clear about it. So it's no problem to relax by playing soccer with friends from my church at sunday-evening. I don't pray for the soccergame, I pray God and ask him to bless the sunday.... and at sunday-evening, I can thank him for the service in church, and also for the nice time I had with my friends.
It saddens me to see that you made an unbiblical caricature of God.... Tell me friend, why did God created Adam and Eva in paradise, where they could work, walk in the gardens and even have fun, instead of creating them in a church so they could sim songs from him and worship Him with their voice 24/7?
3 But you should not criticize others for eating or for not eating. After all, God welcomes everyone. 4 What right do you have to criticize someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right, and the Lord will make sure that they do right.
5 Some of the Lord's followers think one day is more important than another. Others think all days are the same. But each of you should make up your own mind. 6 Any followers who count one day more important than another day do it to honor their Lord. And any followers who eat meat give thanks to God, just like the ones who don't eat meat. (Romans 14)
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (Col 2)
So if you want to live as the bible tells you, then stop judging, if you don't want to be judged. Don't judge people who want to live by the laws of God, don't judge them if they can play a game of soccer on sunday-evening and can thank God for it afterwards. That you cannot believe they can, doesn't mean you are right.
And I know, sitting in church out of superstition is an abhorence to God too ("I cannot away with the noise of your solemn assemblies, I hate, I despise your feast days... ").
True. But that's a totally different discussion. Doing more on sunday besides going to church is not superstition
I hate making senseless rules as well. "Rule upon rule, line upon line. Straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel" (i.e. neglecting to love God). However, Nehemiah and Ezra were clear about keeping the sabbath, preventing people from travelling needlessly, doing business, etc, and their reason was that breaking the sabbath was one of the reasons God sent them into captivity.
What did Jesus do? He travelled on the sabbath. He and his disciples walked through the grain fields... And Nehemiah and Ezra tell that you should not WORK on the sabbath, just as the God tells us in the Law. But they don't forbid recreation, walking, cycling, playing a game of soccer etc.
And now I'm going to take a nap... Sunday is also a day to rest
