no your not dumb friend, you are in a bible discussion forum seeking after more knowledge of the Word of God, as I and many others are.....that makes you a wise man
im not saying that we read the gospel and then have to make ourselves do something, Im saying that the things Jesus said in the gospel are spirit and life, and as we believe them they have the same creative power as when God said " Let there be light, and light began to shine"
His words create children of God because we believe in Jesus, and that includes believing His words are Gods word. thats why i quoted so much scripture there like in dueteronomy and acts 3 and 7 both reference that as being Jesus, "the One God would send with His own words in His Mouth" our place is to stand in the light of His word, we will indeed hear things that we arent living up to, but you see this is where the crucifixion and resurrection come in, that is meant to win our hearts back to God. so when we see those things that are contrary to our nature such as " turn the other cheek, and bless your enemies and do not curse them" <<<we keep those in our hearts and minds even when it shows us our lack, and because we have faith in Jesus, and keep thopse words in our minds and hearts not denying thoier truth, the words of God will take those sinful desires away, and renew our minds in His word.
Our actions are only a fruit of our heart, the hidden things within us that only God Knows and us when we reflect on them in the light of the truth of Jesus words.
matthew 15:19-20 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20These are the things which DEFILE A MAN: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."
how do are hearts become clean?
john 15:3-4 "Now ye are clean through the WORD WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."
John 15:10 "If ye KEEP MY commandments, YE SHALL ABIDE in my love; even as I HAVE KEPT MY FATHERS commandments, and ABIDE in his love."
The teachings of Jesus are what creates the heart of a child of God, they are the Words of His only begotten, remember God created the heavens and earth by speaking it forth, and it was. Jesus creates in us a heart of a child of God by speaking it forth, and it becomes, Our Faith is the only rewuirement. actions come from what Jesus makes in us, the inner things created By His word.
matthew 23:25-26 "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean THE OUTSIDE (actions) of the cup and of the platter, but WITHIN (the heart) they are full of extortion and excess. 26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is WITHIN the cup and platter, that the OUTSIDE of them may be clean also."
Jesus main issue with the pharisees was that the kept the scrupulous details of the mosaic Law, but in thoier Heart they were greedy, had no compassion for the poor and the " sinners" of society, the lame and blind were looked down upon, even though they kept the details of the mosaic Law, it was only an outward righteousness, a selfish righteousness. when the true interpretation of the whole Law was " Love thy neighbor as thyself" they wore thier phylacteries Long, shopwing how they kept all the laws, but had no Love in them for others, when they gave, they made a show of it, they Loved the places of honor, they made long shows of pious sounding prayers " Lord thank you that im not like the sinners" they were not clean inwardly so thier actions were as filthy rags.
this was thier issue
John 8:37 "I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, BECAUSE MY WORD HATH NO PLACE IN YOU"
this was the issue for them because
john 6:63 ".It is the SPIRIT THAT QUICKENETH; the flesh profiteth nothing: THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK TO YOU, they ARE SPIRIT, and they ARE LIFE."
also its why Jesus said this to them
john 8:24 " I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I AM HE, ye shall die in your sins."
who?
deuteronomy 18:18-19 "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and WILL PUT MY WORDS IN HIS MOUTH; and HE SHALL SPEAK UNTO THEM ALL THAT I COMMAND HIM. 19And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto MY WORDS WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK in my name, I will require it of him." ( acts 3, and acts 7)
Jesus continually claimed to be the One God sent. peter says this
acts 3:22 "For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you." continued on to v 26 "Unto you first God, having RAISED UP HIS SON JESUS, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities."
and jesus continually said " My words are not my own, they belong to the father who sent me"
His words are the key to Life, His death and resurrection are for the remission of our sins, His words circumcize our hearts, cleanse them and produce righteousness inwardly and that results in right living, right actions and God gets the Glory because it is all His doing, through His word as He always has created and made things to be. im not great at explaining things, i try to use the scripture to assist me.
ephesians 5:25-27 "...even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by THE WORD, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
the word of Jesus is Life, Just as the crucifixion and resurrection is our forgiveness and justification, so the gospel is our death to sin and rebirth in the spirit