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Thank you! We are delighted to serve you.
Thank you! We are delighted to serve you.
© Rooted In Christ Ministries 2008
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the
faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Rooted in Christ
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Questions & Answers
Questions
Answers
I read the Bible regularly, but the problem for me is understanding what I'm reading. I find that I take the Bible seriously, but not literally. Someone who prays for me daily believes I am going to hell, because I don't agree with his understanding of what the Bible means.
Micah asks what the LORD requires. He answers: To do justice, love mercy and to walk humbly with my God. What does it mean to do justice each day of my life? What must I do if I love mercy? What do I need to do today to walk humbly with my God?
The Bible says, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
The proper belief about the Bible does not save someone but belief in the One that the Bible reveals does.
On the one hand, there is the danger of an overemphasis on the purity of our beliefs being essential to salvation. It is simply not true that pure doctrine saves us. This overemphasis has obviously led to conflicts, divisions, and worse atrocities throughout history.
On the other hand, this is no excuse to toss out any hope at being able to conclude anything about the message of the Scriptures. Without a belief that God has revealed Truth to us through the Scriptures, we are left to pick and choose what we like. If the God we believe in only confirms our preconceived notions about the world and our place in it, then this is a God of our own creation.
The proper belief about the Bible does not save someone but belief in the One that the Bible reveals does.
On the one hand, there is the danger of an overemphasis on the purity of our beliefs being essential to salvation. It is simply not true that pure doctrine saves us. This overemphasis has obviously led to conflicts, divisions, and worse atrocities throughout history.
On the other hand, this is no excuse to toss out any hope at being able to conclude anything about the message of the Scriptures. Without a belief that God has revealed Truth to us through the Scriptures, we are left to pick and choose what we like. If the God we believe in only confirms our preconceived notions about the world and our place in it, then this is a God of our own creation.
We see Micah's command as a restatement of the two greatest commandments. Love thy God, with all thy heart, mind, strength and with all your soul. And love your neighbor as yourself.
To act justly and to love mercy is to love your neighbor and to love yourself. To love mercy is only possible when we have experienced mercy from God. Only then can we pass it on. God changes our hearts and we start feeling compassion for others who also need God's love and mercy.
The word translated "love mercy" is chesed. This word normally refers to the "love" that someone shows another person when they are not obligated to do so. That is, when God shows "kindness" and "love" to humans this is often called chesed-- God is not required to show these favors to humans. Thus, the phrase "love mercy" conveys the idea that a person values kindnesses which are shown to others when you are not obligated to do so and when there are no ulterior motives.
To walk humbly with thy God, is to love Him with all your heart, mind, strength and soul.
What does that entail, to walk humbly with your God? To make Him first and therefore you move into a distant second place. He was the One who loved us first and therefore we are able to love Him back. To put Him in first place results in our humility.
It is a daily challenge to put Him first, to examine ourselves-does He sit on the throne in my heart or is it me? Because it not human and we are not able to be humble ourselves by our own will, His love will do it.
To act justly and to love mercy is to love your neighbor and to love yourself. To love mercy is only possible when we have experienced mercy from God. Only then can we pass it on. God changes our hearts and we start feeling compassion for others who also need God's love and mercy.
The word translated "love mercy" is chesed. This word normally refers to the "love" that someone shows another person when they are not obligated to do so. That is, when God shows "kindness" and "love" to humans this is often called chesed-- God is not required to show these favors to humans. Thus, the phrase "love mercy" conveys the idea that a person values kindnesses which are shown to others when you are not obligated to do so and when there are no ulterior motives.
To walk humbly with thy God, is to love Him with all your heart, mind, strength and soul.
What does that entail, to walk humbly with your God? To make Him first and therefore you move into a distant second place. He was the One who loved us first and therefore we are able to love Him back. To put Him in first place results in our humility.
It is a daily challenge to put Him first, to examine ourselves-does He sit on the throne in my heart or is it me? Because it not human and we are not able to be humble ourselves by our own will, His love will do it.