|

|
|
|
Posts: 146
Joined: August 2021
|
|
|
|
Forums31
Topics8,349
Posts56,545
Members992
| |
Most Online2,383 Jan 12th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 36
Newbie
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 36 |
Your last reply has helped me understand you!
Now I would like you to understand me more completely. This may be difficult but please bear with me and consider, for a moment, three states of spiritual development. These could be called the “knowing” state, the “doing” state and the “being” state. Now let’s apply these three states to “the role of a servant”. In the knowing state the servant would only “know the tasks” that a servant should do. In the doing state, he would not only know what to do but he would also “do the things a servant is supposed to do”. In the being state the person would not only know and do what a servant does but he would also "desire to be a servant”. In this last state he would have what could be called “the spirit of a servant” or “servant’s heart”. David was said to be a man after God’s own heart. God’s priority for me is to have the desire to do His will. Love is unique in that it brings with it a “desire to do” and a “want to do”. This is why Paul calls love “the most excellent way” before the beginning of I Cor 13. It is also the most excellent way to accomplish the duty you talk about. Sure, I can “do the duty” without love but I may be labeled a Pharisee by God who watch me do the duty and correctly see my heart. Consider the wisdom of God at work in I John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.” Here it is clear that if I am going to love God as He would want me to, I have to first develop a deep understanding of His love for me. I need faith in the fact! My faith needs to be the kind that move mountains!
The divine plan then is for “love to beget love”. This is why I am to love my enemies. Love is not just “expressed duty” as you have defined it, it is the “means to” and the “most excellent way to” an end. Imagine what love can accomplish in the face of opposition….”And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”
When it comes to duty and love, I must avoid getting the “cart before the horse”. “It is better to have the want and not do the duty then to have done the duty without the want.”
Wayne
|
|
|
|
|
Entire Thread
|
Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Wayne@purpose
|
Thu Feb 20, 2014 1:32 AM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Pilgrim
|
Thu Feb 20, 2014 11:05 AM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Tom
|
Fri Feb 21, 2014 4:13 AM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Wayne@purpose
|
Sat Feb 22, 2014 7:20 PM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Pilgrim
|
Sat Feb 22, 2014 9:12 PM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Wayne@purpose
|
Mon Mar 03, 2014 2:46 AM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Pilgrim
|
Mon Mar 03, 2014 3:34 AM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Wayne@purpose
|
Thu Mar 06, 2014 4:07 AM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Pilgrim
|
Thu Mar 06, 2014 11:47 AM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Wayne@purpose
|
Wed Mar 19, 2014 1:56 AM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Pilgrim
|
Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:09 PM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
goldenoldie
|
Sun Mar 23, 2014 3:40 AM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Wayne@purpose
|
Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:19 AM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Pilgrim
|
Fri Apr 25, 2014 5:00 PM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Robin
|
Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:01 AM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Wayne@purpose
|
Sat Apr 26, 2014 7:58 PM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Pilgrim
|
Sat Apr 26, 2014 11:13 PM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Pilgrim
|
Sun Apr 27, 2014 6:58 PM
|
Re: Questioning God’s Greatest Commandment
|
Robin
|
Sat Apr 26, 2014 10:54 PM
|
|
|
|
0 members (),
117
guests, and
33
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
S |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
|
31
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are no members with birthdays on this day. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|