You cannot command anyone to truly love anyone. They may put on a show of love that is hollow for fear of retribution, but commanding people to love just does not work. Any God of Love would know this for a fact.
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mrsnacks responds :
Jason : God says "Love one another ." Love your enemies . Love your wives as Christ loves the church. Love God with all your .....etc.
They all sound like commands to me ! They are the ten COMMANDMENTS they are not the ten suggestions. He doesn't command us to do something because it will work. That's pragmatism. We do it because He tells us to. I don't like it any more than you do at times.
I can't tell you what to do ,but i know we are called to be fishers of men not to scare the men away . Yes if you face rude and obnoxious and stiff necked atheists than put them in their place but "don't answer a fool according to his folly ........"
We got to do it God's way. Yes honesty is right and pleasing to God, but so is faithfulness and obedience. He tells us how we should act and respond. Either he is God or we are.
What I say may make you upset . Hey I used to have a bad temper. I was a very impatient person. I was mad at the world and for the right reasons. But i was miserable because I was living in disobedience. God honors obedience. He honors that we are patient and gentle with one another. The ones that are nasty to me ( and i get a lot of them ) I deal with them biblically. I realize they are blind and in need of a Savior. I was blind at one time and God was patient with me and my rants at Him.It's hard but we have to work at it. So anyway take care -
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mrsnacks responds :
Jason : God says "Love one another ." Love your enemies . Love your wives as Christ loves the church. Love God with all your .....etc.
They all sound like commands to me ! They are the ten COMMANDMENTS they are not the ten suggestions. He doesn't command us to do something because it will work. That's pragmatism. We do it because He tells us to. I don't like it any more than you do at times.
I can't tell you what to do ,but i know we are called to be fishers of men not to scare the men away . Yes if you face rude and obnoxious and stiff necked atheists than put them in their place but "don't answer a fool according to his folly ........"
We got to do it God's way. Yes honesty is right and pleasing to God, but so is faithfulness and obedience. He tells us how we should act and respond. Either he is God or we are.
What I say may make you upset . Hey I used to have a bad temper. I was a very impatient person. I was mad at the world and for the right reasons. But i was miserable because I was living in disobedience. God honors obedience. He honors that we are patient and gentle with one another. The ones that are nasty to me ( and i get a lot of them ) I deal with them biblically. I realize they are blind and in need of a Savior. I was blind at one time and God was patient with me and my rants at Him.It's hard but we have to work at it. So anyway take care -