edwinG:
To me you are beating your self unnecessarily.
Respectfully, edwin, I’m not “beating” myself, nor am I wearing a hair-shirt, I am a Christian who struggles against my fallen nature, as all good Christians do.
When have you disobeyed yourself is the question.
I hope you mean something more akin to when I have succumbed to my fallen nature, rather than lived in accordance with the dignity inherent in me as a creation of God. “I” have nothing to do with what is “right” about me and my choices. All good that I may do is a grace given me by God. So say I have “disobeyed [my]self…” (if that is indeed what you mean) is in fact wrong.
Well for you, when you have not obeyed all the different rules of your demonination.
I think you have a faulty understanding of the role of the Church. The “rules” (as you call them) are not a dictum from the Church. Things such as required Mass attendance are simply clearly defined guides. Because the Church points out to her members that choosing to serve self and forgo church services rather than spend an hour once a week worshipping God is objectively selfish and therefore sinful–the Church is not laying down some kind of “rule” to control her members–She is offering wisdom and guidance. I appreciate the clarity. I challenge you to name a “rule” of the Catholic faith that is not in reality moral wisdom and motherly guidance–ALL directed toward offering back to God the good that he has given us.
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In your own words, Church to guide
, as the church holds the fundamental truth for us, but the church can not tell us day by day where and how and what to do. The demoninational church is like the bible, except we dont have to search for the correct passage, we can fast track the process and ask a minister. I’m really not sure what you are saying here…I don’t receive any kind of telegram or e-mail laying out my schedule for the day…that’s silly. How is asking a minister any different than asking a priest? Really, what is your point?
But Christ wants us to obey Him because He has work for us to do. If the work is outside the guidelines of the denominational church we should be very careful.
I believe the "denomination "churches of which you speak ARE outside the fullness of God’s truth. Non-Catholic Christians are part of God’s universal church–but they worship without the benefit of the
complete revealed truth. Indeed, I agree…working outside of the fullness of truth, you should be careful. It is like sitting on a three legged stool–missing two of the legs.
You could free yourself of so much sin by not believing in all the rules because it is those rules which convict you.
Again–“rules”? Name them. Denying that something is sin releases me from sin? No. That is not so. That is like saying if there is no written law against something immoral, it really isn’t wrong. Not so. It is not the “rules” that convict me, it is the objective truth of the sin itself. Do you not agree that if one is capable, OBJECTIVELY, it is sinful to choose to not go to worship the Supreme Creator at least one hour a week. Do we not owe Him worship? Is it not pleasing to Him to see his creatures offer themselves back to Him in service? Would it, then, not be wrong to choose to serve my own whim, or laziness, or weakness and refuse to give back a tiny portion of his gift of life by attending a service to honor him? How is that a “rule” that convicts me, rather than an objective truth of my sinfulness that convicts me?
As Paul says I think in Romans, the rules or law is not bad, but in Christ the laws are fulfilled. Follow Him for in Him all rules and laws are obeyed, There is no sin then.
Are you sure you are following Him to the best of YOUR ability by the grace that God has given you?
Peace.
P.S. I hope it’s just a spelling slip—but two times you posted D-E-
M-O-N-inations instead of D-E-
N-O-M-ination…careful there…
I did it too…but I fixed it…don’t want to give anyone fuel for their fire!
