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Sin is often described as breaking God’s Law.   According to John MacArthur, by thinking evil, speaking evil, acting evil or omitting good.  Lehman Strauss makes a strong arguement for it being “missing the mark”.  The Apostle Paul in Romans makes it clear that for whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23)

Do we make sin too complicated?  Do we work too hard to construct a “doctrine of sin”? 

Jesus makes it clear we are to do two things - Love God and Love our Neighbor.  Is sin simply doing those things that do not demonstrate a Love for God or a Love for our Neighbor?

Paul, at the end of Second Corinthians, closes with:

Finally, brothers and sisters,  rejoice, set things right, be encouraged, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.  NET Bible, 2 Corinthians 13:11

Several  observations:

This is addressed to a church, to a family of believers (brothers and sisters in the NET, brethern in the NASB, brothers in the NIV).  While there is certainly an individual componant to this, it is first and formost to a group of believers - actions to be done together.  Should we also apply this, or think of this, in terms of how we interact on the web, on blogs where there is a “community” of believers?

Second, as Bob Deffinbaugh observes, these are commands - they are not options within the family - he expects these to be lived out by the Corinthians

 Third, Bob also identifies that there is a promise to those who follow the commands - if you do these things, the God of love and peace will be with you.  

Bob doesnt go further though by asking the question - will God be with those who do not follow his commands?

A sobering question - if we do not do these things while we are in the company of believers, will God be with us? 

Sola Amare - By Love Alone

This has been an idea running around my head for a while now.

The Five Solas - all true, all fundamental, in the end, are not enough - not enough because they do not tell us how to live as Christians. Yet, so often, it is all the reformed focus on. They have lasered in on the five solas, and missed the big picture - they see the tree, but not the forest.

The Big Picture - how shall we live as Christians? We shall live by love.

22:34 Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together. 22:35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: 22:36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 22:37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,and with all your mind.’ 22:38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 22:39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 22:40 All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (Mathew 22:34-40, NET Bible)

Over and over - the commandment is two fold - Love God, and Love your Neighbor.

Sola Amare

It was my daughters birthday recently. As we were discussing the menu plans for her birthday fete, the topic of desert arose.

Cake was the decision, chocolate. My wife suggested a cake from the bakery, as we were in the middle of the school year (with my wife back in college also).

My daughters response - NO.

A store bought cake is not made of love, she proclaimed.

She did not say made with love - she said made of love.

It struck me at that moment that in our house, making meals are made of love. That when I cook, I do it from love - for the doing for my family. When I am home alone, my meals are modest. But when made for others - I plan, I labor, I put forth every effort, even for a simple lunch.

What in your house is made of love?

hmmmm