What does it mean to you?

[PJM]

One hears a great deal about personal relationships, following Christ; knowing Jesus. To you what do these thoughts mean and Require of you?

What must a "followe of Christ know and do?

 

[pamnbam]

I know it may seem cliche, but it’s very true: “Live as Christ lived.” We can do that as best we can, since Christ had both human and divine nature; we only have human, so we fall short all the time. But if we try our best to emulate Him and practice what he taught us (no buts), we’re well on our way to being most like Him.

 

[PJM]

=pamnbam;8511797]I know it may seem cliche, but it’s very true: “Live as Christ lived.” We can do that as best we can, since Christ had both human and divine nature; we only have human, so we fall short all the time. But if we try our best to emulate Him and practice what he taught us (no buts), we’re well on our way to being most like Him.

BUT?

Does it imply; perhaps even command more than emulation?

God Bless,
Pat

 

[Pfaffenhoffen]

One hears a great deal about personal relationships, following Christ; knowing Jesus. To you what do these thoughts mean and Require of you?

What must a "followe of Christ know and do?

Like sister Lucia said: “The sacrifices are to lead your ordinary life well” That is a great sacrifice for me. To accept what Jesus has to give to me in everyday, the good and the bad, the bad surprises, the little sufferings, the anguish, the anxiety of knowing what God has reserved for me the next day…

Disvoer his wishes and above all, His Presence. I cannot pray but feel His Presence in everyday Life, in whatever happens in Life, in Good and Bad thing, that is where i discover God’a wishes.

For me it is quite hard…

 

[JonNC]

One hears a great deal about personal relationships, following Christ; knowing Jesus. To you what do these thoughts mean and Require of you?

What must a "followe of Christ know and do?

While it isn’t the typical language for Lutherans, my perception is Mark 12:30-31 *And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like to it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. *

Jon

 

[Nick3886]

I suppose, simply put, that it is through my sufferings (and offering those sufferings up) that I can be most Christ-like.

 

[Trishie]

Love. Love God above all, others as self. Live a genuinely Sacramental life, live a life of practical kindness to others, in prayer, word, example, and act.
This is how Jesus sums up the Commandments: Matthew 22:37-40
biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A37-40&version=NIV

This is Jesus’ description of the Judgement of souls, Matthew 25 verses 31-46
biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A31-46&version=NIV

If I speak in human and angelic tongues* but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 1When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three but the greatest of these is love. [Corinthians 13:1-13]

usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/1corinthians13.htm

 

[PJM]

=JonNC;8512035]While it isn’t the typical language for Lutherans, my perception is Mark 12:30-31 *And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like to it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. *

Jon

Hi Jon,

Your right as usual, but what are the demands, the implications to our lives?

 

[PJM]

=Trishie;8512168]Love. Love God above all, others as self. Live a genuinely Sacramental life, live a life of practical kindness to others, in prayer, word, example, and act.
This is how Jesus sums up the Commandments: Matthew 22:37-40
biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A37-40&version=NIV

This is Jesus’ description of the Judgement of souls, Matthew 25 verses 31-46
biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A31-46&version=NIV

If I speak in human and angelic tongues* but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 1When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three but the greatest of these is love. [Corinthians 13:1-13]

usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/1corinthians13.htm

Love is certainly a GREAT part of it; BUT what does it mean in how we live our life? And is this the only THING WE NEED TO DO?

God Bless,
Pat

 

[Richard_Kastner]

One hears a great deal about personal relationships, following Christ; knowing Jesus. To you what do these thoughts mean and Require of you?

What must a "followe of Christ know and do?

Matt7
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

1Cor2
6Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Jn.14
15If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

 

[Trishie]

Pat, love in the gospel sense isn’t about feelings, it is about living out the commands of God, the commands of love. What Jesus said, what the Bible said about love, is that “all”.
Are you thinking of love in the corrupted social way it is used? Certainly that is peripheral to the deepest truth of the love we are required to live each day, the love that God, the Gospels, the Church speaks of and demands of us in our everyday life.
“Feeling” love/warm feelings/attractions etc may be present or may be absent, but these are incidental and not a necessary part of the love which is the lived-out-choice to live the Commandments of God, and of the Church (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit).

That love is often sacrificial, because often the last thing we feel like, is making a choice to love God, and to love other person in the real sense of love, which is to act for their true good when it would be far easier to indulge ourselves, and we’d really prefer not to bother, and in some cases, we don’t care about them personally but they need something from us. That is love.

 

[Trishie]

Far better explanation than I ever could begin to give regarding love, our Holy Father writes in DEUS CARITAS EST:

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20051225_deus-caritas-est_en.html

God bless you,
warm regards, Trishie

 

[pamnbam]

BUT?

Does it imply; perhaps even command more than emulation?

God Bless,
Pat

Hmm, I’m not sure I understand the follow-up, or maybe “emulate” wasn’t the right word…

When we look at our Sacraments and recognize them as such (for instance, becoming baptized, receiving absolution during Reconciliation, receiving anointing of the sick, holy orders/marriage, etc.), and receive them as Jesus said they should be received (not picking and choosing which ones are valid), that is following him.

Practicing what he taught (the Beatitudes, works of mercy, etc.) is following him.

Trusting in him wholeheartedly and not just choosing which teachings to follow is following him.

Hopefully this answers your question.

 

[PJM]

=Richard Kastner;8512532]Matt7
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

1Cor2
6Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Jn.14
15If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

RIGHT:thumbsup: But still an incomplete answer [IMO]. Is there even MORE?

God Bless,
Pat