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I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

How Do You Love God With All Your Heart ...

 You start out by acknowledging God in all your ways (Prov. 3:5-6) and submitting to His will. It isn’t based in emotion, though they do result. God’s love is shed abroad by the Holy Spirit into our hearts by a work of grace (Rom. 5:5). Remember, the proper divine order is “fact, faith, feeling.” You learn to trust God by acknowledging Him in all your ways and taking baby steps of being faithful first in small things and letting God trust you with more. We progress from "faith to faith." (Rom. 1:17).  We all take a leap of faith in salvation and must go wherever God leads like Abraham went out not knowing where he was going.

 Now we all live in a doubt-certitude continuum and our faith must grow from faith to faith (Rom. 1:17). We practice our faith and obey (they go together hand in hand) God makes it grow. It isn’t how much faith we have as much as how big our God is and if we are obedient to the faith. Faith isn’t as much about believing despite the evidence or how big your faith is, but how much you obey--they go hand in hand (Heb. 3:18–19). It isn't how big your faith is, but how well you obey. Faith is not believing despite the evidence or how convinced you are, but obeying in spite of the consequences. 

What believing with all your heart, mind, and soul means is that it is with all we have, our whole being withholding nothing and not having some area of our lives that isn't surrendered to His will.  We prove it by our lives and testimony: "All that counts is faith expressing itself through love." (Gal. 5:6).  This doesn't happen overnight. The more we love our neighbor is indicative of our love for God. We commence by loving them and no one who doesn't love his brother can claim to love God.  Thus, the command to love our neighbor as ourselves, even becoming good Samaritans, thinking of their affairs, not just our own and meeting them in their time of need and using whatever resources, gifts, talents, opportunities, time, blessings, or relationships you have to their benefit.   

Note that  to love God with all our heart, soul, and spirit means with all we are and with all our being--all the bases are covered! 

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