I found it to be VERY CONFUSING Myself. It looked like a Pharisee's attempt to dance around the Scriptures, and lowering it to something that he could keep, patting himself on the back, and saying Look what I did for the Lord. It reminded me of THESE so-called Christians:
Matthew 7:20-23 (HCSB)
20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ⌊only⌋ the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’
23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’
NO INNER, PERSONAL, LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD.
REPOST
Just remember JESUS said, BY THEIR FRUIT, YOU WILL KNOW THEM.
The Rocky Soil and the Thorny Soil, never produced Fruit. So they are counterfeit Christians.
Here is the FRUIT of a REAL CHRISTIAN:
Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Those are LIFESTYLE Characteristics. Notice that the PRIMARY FRUIT IS LOVE. Jews always when they make a list of things, put the Primary FIRST, and the Least Important LAST.
SO LOVE IS THE PRIMARY FRUIT OF A REAL CHRISTIAN:
1 John 3:14 (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.
You SAID:
Justification gives life to a once DEAD in sin person (Romans 5:18).
Now you should be able to see my POINT. The Rocky Soil and the Thorny Soil, Never produced FRUIT, and they remain in DEATH, therefore they were NEVER BORN AGAIN.
Only the GOOD SOIL produces a harvest, who are those who were Born Again.
This is not the same story, but Have you ever seen how Closely TARES (wheat-looking WEEDS) resemble WHEAT?
View attachment 189584
View attachment 189585
OH MY, VERY SIMILAR INDEED.
We had a guy here about 6 months ago, full of anger, calling us all hypocrites, and constantly trying to stir up dissension among the Brethren. I watched him closely for about two months, so I finally asked him, "Where is your LOVE, we do not see it." Shortly there after, he left our the Thread. I really believe, even with a young Christian, there SHOULD be a small amount of LOVE present, because GOD's LOVE was Poured into the Hearts of Born Again Christians, Rom. 5:5, but NOTHING with that guy.
#######################
Argueless said:
To clarify things regarding love, our LORD Jesus as a man though He is the WORD that became flesh-john 1:14- said: ... but the world must learn that "I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me." Paul said that though Jesus was the Son of God, HE learned obedience from what He suffered.-hebrews 5:8-
Would you agree that love is to walk in obedience to His commandments? (2 john 1:6, 1 john 5:3, john 14:15,21-24, Romans 13:10 and more)
God showed His love for us by sending His only begotten Son as an atoning sacrifice for our SINS. (1john 4:8-21, john 3:16) And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
You believe that we are SAVED through FAITH in the finished work of Christ on the cross.
Do you also believe that "salvation by God's grace and mercy through FAITH" is God's work of love for us?
We love God because He first loved us, and you believe that obedience is part of love but not a part of salvation.
How can anyone love God without obeying His command to love his brothers and neighbors?
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 1 John 3:16
“PAY IT FORWARD"
It is clear that when Jesus laid down His life for us, we were saved(justification) and we ought to lay down our life for our brothers(obedience).
We cannot separate obedience from salvation for "THEY ARE WHAT LOVE IS."