tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2477896295539142337.post5686289500084301626..comments2022-11-16T06:22:34.906-06:00Comments on Letters From Logan: Rules?Logan Vaughanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16130644147690148704noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2477896295539142337.post-77816117834607838602010-11-10T11:41:28.438-06:002010-11-10T11:41:28.438-06:00Yesterday, I listened to a snip-it of a message by...Yesterday, I listened to a snip-it of a message by Francis Chan. He taught about how we are not held to a list of rules or regulations about how to do this, or how to do that. I think Chan made his point in his sermon much better than I did here, but we had the same point: the grace of God frees us in His name. I think the two ultimate commands Jesus gave us (Love the Lord your God with all your heart... etc, and love your neighbor as yourself) are the code followers of Jesus should live and breathe. Everything we do needs to be first, for God, then second, out of selfless love for others. I believe if we do that, everything else falls into line. Francis talked about how some church-goers in America do not approve of jeans in church because that's "too causual" and "not showing respect" for God. He countered this belief by saying he wanted to be himself every day of the week, and he proved his point by wearing jeans for that message. Why? Because he wears jeans every other day, so why dress differently on that day? He even decided to wear the pair of jeans that had holes in them, and then joked he was preaching with his fly down, just to prove that you won't make it into heaven just for wearing a suit to church. The same principle applies to everything we do. But back to the Ten Commandments; I do not believe we should follow the Ten Commandments, just because they are the famous and iconic "Ten Comandments." I think we should follow the teachings of Jesus because we love Him and because He loves us. <br /><br />And for the record, Jennifer, you should re-read my paragraph where I mentioned killing. I did not say that if you killed a Christian, you'd condemn that person to Hell. I see that I made a mistake in placing the sentance about the attacker after the sentance about theChristian; I did not mean to combine those two separate points. But to reiterate my point, if you kill a fellow Christian (a.k.a. the Bride of Christ), you would be ending the life of Jesus' Bride. Not something a follower of Jesus would want to do. However, if I were to kill a non-believer who tried to rob me, would that not be the same as taking away any chances that person had to know Jesus? Would I not rather choose to allow my wallet to be lightened or my life be taken than to know I sent a fellow human to Hell? I think that if I surrendered my life to that person, I would be giving that person another chance in life to know Jesus.Logan Vaughanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16130644147690148704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2477896295539142337.post-27893239709014355112010-11-10T10:54:13.832-06:002010-11-10T10:54:13.832-06:00Hmm... First of all, the ten commandments were rep...Hmm... First of all, the ten commandments were repeated by Jesus in the New Testament. They all fall under the first rule, "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength" (my paraphrase), and the second commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (my paraphrase). I believe we should follow them, even now.<br /><br />I'm a little confused about how killing someone, even someone who is a Christian, would be condemning them to hell. Haven't heard that one before.<br /><br />Also, perhaps our interpretation of "keep the Sabbath" and "honor your father and mother" is a bit confused. What does "keep the Sabbath" actually mean? I don't believe it means "attend church" or "don't work." The Pharisees got in a lot of trouble when they created extra rules, like how you weren't allowed to cook on the Sabbath, or walk a certain distance, etc. <br /><br />What does "honor your father and mother" mean? Does it mean "obey?" If your parents demanded you to commit a sin, would you saying no mean that you were breaking that commandment? I don't think so. <br /><br />Anyway, I get your point; however, we often let our own misinterpretation get in the way of the truth. I think it is key that God gave ten commandments--not twenty, not eighty-three, not four. Each commandment is helping our relationship with God and with others.<br /><br />In Christ,<br />JenniferJenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13337500567333475158noreply@blogger.com