...it is a mistake to reduce every decision about Christian living to a "Heaven-or-Hell issue."For example, some ask if the Bible specifically says a certain action is a "sin" or will send them to "Hell." If not, they feel free to indulge in that action unreservedly and ignore any scriptural principles involved. But this approach is legalistic, which means living by rules or basing salvation on works. It treats the Bible as a law book, focusing on the letter and looking for loopholes.By contrast, the Bible tells us that we are saved by grace through faith, not by our works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace teaches us how to live righteously, and faith leads us into obedience. (See Titus 2:11-12; Romans1:5; Hebrews 11:7-8.)
In our post-everything culture, obey has become a four-letter word. Obeying is for wimps. Obeying is for people who didn__ do well enough on their SATs to write their own rules. Only the weak and the feeble and the young_-well, not even the young anymore_-need to obey. Funny, because the root of the word obey is from the French verb meaning __o listen, or to give ear to._ It was never intended as a militant word, but one of hearing, of understanding. Of getting it. For a world obsessed with staying in constant communication, we aren__ really very good listeners.
Elijah & the SAT: Reflections on a hairy old desert prophet and the benchmarking of our children's lives
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In our post-everything culture, obey has become a four-letter word. Obeying is for wimps. Obeying is for people who didn__ do well enough on their SATs to write their own rules. Only the weak and the feeble and the young_-well, not even the young anymore_-need to obey. Funny, because the root of the word obey is from the French verb meaning __o listen, or to give ear to._ It was never intended as a militant word, but one of hearing, of understanding. Of getting it. For a world obsessed with staying in constant communication, we aren__ really very good listeners.
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We live in an age so legalistic, we find it hard to imagine someone wanting to obey their Lord simply because they love their God.
The apostle Paul urges Christians everywhere in all ages to be nonconformists as far as the world system is concerned. We are not to conform. A true Christian, living an obedient life, is a constant rebuke to those who accept themoral standards of this world.
It's not at all hard to understand a person it's only hard to listen without bias.
Sorry," I said. There was little healing power in the word, but maybe the Inspectre wasn't looking to heal. Maybe he didn't want someone to fix it. It had been broken too long for me to think anything I said would actually help. It was like trying to put a Band-Aid on a shark bite. Sometimes people just needed to vent and get it out of their system.
Satan takes occasion of the frailty of the bodily temple and says, 'Now you know you cannot do that; you are so infirm, you cannot concentrate your mind,' etc. Never allow bodily infirmities to hinder you obeying the commands of Jesus.