While predicated on love, God's Commandments also are irrevocably linked to His authority. Anything we claim today as being a commandment of God which may in appearance be loving, is worthless if the authority commanding it is other than God. Even the church issues commandments... One church has even codified doctrine and tradition into what they call 'Canon law'. These, while passed off as commandments of God, may in reality be only expressions of the opinions and interpretations of man. Authority, particularly when it comes to worship, is God's alone. To worship in Spirit and in Truth, is to worship in full harmony with those commandments that are to be obeyed for no other reason than God said. Much of Christianity today, in the manner in which it is expressed and practiced, is not built on the Cornerstone of a "thus sayeth the Lord", but on a "thus sayeth last century's church synod", or "thus sayeth such n such whom we believe was the apostle John's favorite pupil". Authority. Who may we attribute credit for establishing the doctrines we hold dear? Not wanting to derail this thread, (although it is mine and I think I can possibly do what I like with it), but seeing it is humming along quite nicely so far, without being explicit there is one important Christian doctrine that the majority hold as absolute and rarely consider discarding it, but have no real "thus sayeth the Lord" in it's defense, but only "thus sayeth me because that's what I think scripture means". That reasoning removes God's authority, and establishes oneself as an authority over God.
I agree with what you have expressed. I would add though something Jesus said about the Kingdom of heaven.
It is like a seed that grows into a massive tree. I see as in the parable of the seed and the sower, the fruit of the people
of God are Gods words in living form spread to others.
The essence is Gods love working through His peoples lives. The words spoken are equally as meaningful as scripture, as
they are scripture in action. As scripture is very flexible in how it is interpreted, so are our lives Gods work from eternity
to eternity.
Years ago I used to wonder how scripture could contradict itself. Hate your family, honour your parents, hate sinners, love
the righteous. In an absolute verbal sense these isolated statements of facts do not make sense. But we all know emotions
have contexts, are balanced and co-exist. I hate my husbands ...... , how he ...... , I love my husband. We could say the same
about friends, brothers and sisters both spiritual and family. We know context and feeling are everything.
I have come to see many who follow Christian ceremonies and traditions, have not met Jesus, though everything would seem
to shout they are believers. Jesus put it simply as thorns and thistles from someone, or grapes and figs. I know a counsellor who
was helping a believer who knew how they should behave, and made sure they did behave like this, but what they really felt or
wanted was something else. They believed this was faith, rather than this was pretend and not being sorted out.
Jesus sorting our hearts out takes time, love, support, care, trust, faithfulness, patience. Whatever denomination or background
the straight path has always been the same. Seeing the light from within as Jesus works, rather than the doctrines and structure
without is key to finding ones way through.
God bless you