Subject: MARK 16:16: Was it perverted? |
Bible Note: Greetings AO! Here are my 2 cents: Looking at 1 John 4, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that God loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. . . . everyone who loves has been born of God." (vv 10;7) It seems to me that apart from God, we can not love! Jesus said, IF you love Me, you will keep my commands (John 14:15) - Jesus told us "Love the Lord your God" . . . and HOW do we express that love? BELIEVE in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ.(1 John 3:23) Love originates with God and those who do not love God have not BELIEVED Him. Belief comes first; it is the only response that God responds to. (Ecc 3:11)God has set eternity in the heart of man - we have God-given knowledge of His existence. In fact,(Romans 1) He even gives us that kernel of faith, the ability to recognize and respond to what HE HAS DONE - loved us first. Those who respond in belief, receive His Love,(Jesus, as noted in 1 John 4:10) which grows and continues to respond to God in our thoughts, attitudes and actions. I think that it is very dangerous to presume that there is anything we can do ON OUR OWN, like even loving God - for without Him, we would have no means to even respond to Him. To love means to believe - this is the starting point in our relationship with God. As we contine to place our trust in Him, HE lives through us, expressing Himself and His obedience to the Father. Jesus said, "apart from Me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5)Therefore, apart from HIM, we can not even OBEY God. We are saved by Grace, not works - which "obedience" apart from Jesus really is! You wrote, "most people would say it is unlikely a person will reach heaven if they do not love God." The problem is that most people do not know what loving God really means! They confuse "good works" with believing faith. Faith comes first, then we are born into that Love which expresses Itself through us. Eph 2:10 - "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God in advance has prepared for us to do." mommapbs |