BECAUSE we love him we STRIVE to be obedient but fail all the time..that's where grace n mercy n forgiveness come in..God doesn't NEED our love..He wants us to FREELY give it..God doesn't NEED us to keep the laws and commands because He knows there's NO WAY we can do that APART from Him..He WANTS us to FREELY be obedient...
See..OT was keeping God's commands out of obligation..the NT is keeping them out of Love..there's a difference
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Now I must totally disagree with your Conclusion that I highlighted in Red. Those are the Two sides of the Same Glove.
How do you plan to be obedient to this verse
WITHOUT LOVE:
Leviticus 10:3 (NKJV)
3 And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: '
By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy;
And before all the people I must be glorified.' " So Aaron held his peace.
And How do you plan to be obedient to these verses
WITHOUT LOVE:
1 John 4:18-19 (HCSB)
18 There is no fear in love; instead,
perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment.
So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.
19
We love because He first loved us.
How do you plan to Strive to Be OBEDIENT to This verse
WITHOUT LOVE:
1 John 5:3 (HCSB)
3
For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden,
Now THAT IS NOT Perfection of OUR LIVES, but rather the DIRECTION OF OUR LIVES. We are the ONES who Strive to OBEY, and OBEDIENCE comes from THE LOVE THAT GOD POURED INTO OUR HEARTS,
AFTER WE WERE SAVED.
Romans 5:1-5 (HCSB)
1 Therefore,
since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance,
4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.
5
This hope will not disappoint ⌊us⌋, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE GOD POURED HIS LOVE INTO THE FERTILE SOIL OF OUR HEARTS?
So that it will produce a CROP of LOVE FOR HIM, and OTHERS.
1 John 3:14-19 (HCSB)
14
We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does
not love remains in death.
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16
This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.
17 If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his ⌊need⌋
—how can God’s love reside in him?
18 Little children,
we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.
19
This is how we will know we belong to the truth and will convince our conscience in His presence,
The TRUTH is GOD NEEDS AND WANTS OUR LOVE, that is WHY HE poured HIS LOVE directly into the Soil of our HEARTS, to act as a SEED in that Fertile Soil, because HE KNEW WE WERE LACKING. Do you not believe that GOD Searches the HEART for the MOTIVE on WHY WE SERVE HIM? It is NOT that we Serve Him out of a sense of Duty; but rather the
PURE MOTIVE OF LOVE, otherwise it is wood, hay, and stubble, or just a Pile of FILTHY RAGS.
1 Chronicles 28:9 (ESV)
9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind,
for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
Romans 8:27-30 (HCSB)
27 And
He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.
29 For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.
Revelation 2:23 (HCSB)
23 . . . Then
all the churches will know that I am the One who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
I need to remind people that SALVATION, is NOT a heavenly reward,
IT IS A FREE GIFT.