J
doing my best was a reference in how i study what Jesus taught. to me Jesus and what He taught is greater than salvation and only salvation, its a way of life. its not about putting my faith/life in Jesus and ending my walk there and going no further.
By default in the church today generally, the answer to whether or not we are saved lies in whether we A) Believe in the divinity of Christ and B) Accept the sacrifice he made to atone for our sins.
This is all well, good and dandy but there is so much more to the character of Christ and what we have to learn from him and his life about how to be a force for righteousness in a fallen world. SO MUCH.
How can we count on his divinity and sacrifice for our salvation and throw everything else he stood for out the window, then expect to be held blameless before the Father through him when the time comes?
He nailed it here:
Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep." (John 21:15-17)
HUH.
"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (James 1:27)
“The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)
How we can just nail a perfect man up there to atone for our sin then fail to put honest effort into standing for the things he stood for in life (Jesus is about life ultimately, not death) and then expect to be accepted by him is beyond me.