Man says, “You have to choose whether you’re a Calvinist or an Arminian … Unitarian or Trinitarian … Baptist or Anabaptist … Traditional or Non-traditional worshiper … Sunday worshiper only or worshiper on other days … weekly Eucharist observer or non-weekly Eucharist celebrant … transsubstantiaton or consubstantiation subscriber … indwelling Holy Spirit or Holy Spirit through the scriptures only vessel … literal six-day creation believer or figurative six-day creation believer … Pre-millenialist, Post-millenialist or Amillenialist advocate … Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican or Protestant Christian …” and on and on and on.
Christ says, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)
Man says, “You have to have all the right answers, know all the right answers, and believe all the right answers.”
Christ says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” ~ John 11:25-26
Man says, “God’s unknowable nature is completely knowable – His unfathomable justice and mercy are comprehensible – because He has revealed them completely in the scriptures and given us reasoning powers to decrypt it there and if we all would just read the same Bible and learn Greek and Hebrew and think straight, we’d understand everything exactly right – you know; the way I think.”
Christ says, “Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does.” ~ John 10:37
Man says, “Choose my way of thinking.”
Christ says, “Choose to do, not just think. Choose to live, not just believe. Choose God’s way. Choose Me.”
Blog In My Own Eye 
Hello! Unfortunately many Christian people’s practices/doctrines seem to ignore what Jesus said was rule #1 LOVE!
It always saddens (and sometimes even angers me) when I hear or observe theology that’s about peoples “religiosity” instead of about expressing Gods love through the gospel to the world.
Remain Blessed! Jeff
How do you know that rule #1 is love if you have not already followed rule #?: “Hear my words and practice them” (Matt. 7:24,26)?
In other words, what right do we have to place an order of hierarchy on God’s commands? Yes, Jesus said that love of God is the greatest or most preeminent, yet one cannot please God without faith (Heb. 11:6). So, maybe faith is rule #1 and love is the required add-on to make it worthwhile (1 Cor. 13:2). We could go on and on trying to say what is first, but why don’t we just use our common sense and realize that Jesus gives us a life to live and it takes many facets of thought and practice to live that life in harmony with the divine spark that resides within.
Matthew 22:36-40
36″Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37And He said to him, ” ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’
38″This is the great and foremost commandment.
39″The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’
40″On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
LOVE for God and fellow men covers all Law and direction given before the coming of the Savior, yet look how hard the religious authorities pushed to cause men to “worship correctly”. Why does it not surprise me that the religious authorities today can not accept the idea of Faith with out pushing man to “worship correctly”?
I give you a new commandment: Love one another. Those words sound familiar don’t they?
Great points, Keith. Each reminded me of some Scriptures as well. Man says, ”You have to choose.” Christ says, ”You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit.” Man says, ”You have to have all the right answers.” God says, ”Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Man says, ”God is knowable through our own reasoning.” God says ”this mystery” is ”Christ in you, the hope of glory…in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge…for in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” Man says, ”Choose my way.” Christ says, ”I am the way and the truth and the life.” You’re right, Keith. It is really all about Christ.
Thanks for your insight. You do know the rule keepers are going to be offended if you keep this up. 🙂
Good post, Keith. THANKS!!
Dee
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Nice post thanks forr sharing