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To: CaptainMorgantown
By one interpretation, what she is saying here is that by going to church and worshiping, you are not just obeying arbitrary rules, you are doing what you are made for - that is what will ultimately give you joy and fulfillment in this life and the life to come.

While Christian obedience brings happiness of soul, if done in order to be blessed then it i will work against obedience, and will not bring true lasting joy.

Once one's own happiness becomes the motive, and not to please the One who gives us life, breath and all things, sacrificially "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all," (Romans 8:32) then we will be selective in obedience, and will become more easily tempted to indulge in sins which offer us happiness, since that is out motive.

Instead, while in condescension to man God does appeal to self interest in order to motivate him to salvation and growth, this is not conformity to Christ and His joy, but true obedience is that which is driven by desire to make the One who is perfect happy, and at its highest form is not even motivated by the danger of negative consequences of disobedience.

Motive in obedience is to start and end with God, and like the the flocks of Jacob which conceived after the rods they looked at, so we will be conformed to Christ if He is our supreme object of affect and allegiance, and our desire is to please Him to His glory.

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:34)

And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. (John 8:29)

We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. (1 Thessalonians 4:1)

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (2 Timothy 2:4)

Now to do it better and more!

54 posted on 08/30/2014 5:19:50 AM PDT by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: daniel1212

A very appropriate sermon for this thread. Thanks.


81 posted on 08/30/2014 11:13:17 AM PDT by redleghunter (But let your word 'yes be 'yes,' and your 'no be 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one.)
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