Re: It's all about behavior. Look up the word.

Ok, so you didn't say God's love has to be earned. I was stating a general statement that many christians do say that, and I wasn't sure about you, but I'm glad you say you do not think God's love has to be earned.
And, I didn't say that our love for God is not shown through obedience. I believe our love for God is shown through obedience. But I believe obedience and love on our part all comes from His righteousness and His love working in us. In other words, we have nothing to boast of, everything good in us, comes from Him. We don't have to prove anything to God. He knows exactly where we are in our love for Him. He knows the areas in our life where we still struggle to trust Him. He knows the areas in our life that we haven't surrendered to Him. But He's not wringing His hands in Heaven over us, frustrated at our progress. We are only going to change when He changes us, and He knows this. This is why sanctification is a process, it doesn't happen overnight. We rely on God's work in us for sanctification. That's how dependent we are on Him. We can't just decide we are going to fully obey and then give it all our might to do it. We will fail at our attempts to become more Christlike if that is what we do. This is what Steve Mcvey was talking about in that message. If we put the focus on us, always seeking to be better for God, then that is missing the mark. If we put our focus on God, trust Him that He is going to finish this work He started in us, trust Him with His sanctifying work, rest in Him daily for all this, this is how true obedience comes about. It's about trusting Him, instead of ourselves. It's about relying, instead of self effort. This is what pleases God, and if we are His children, He will bring us to this point, in His timing.

Steve Mcvey also was not saying reading the bible, praying, serving God, etc. were wrong in themselves in anyway. What He was saying was that if these are done to prove our love for God, or obtain blessings from Him, etc. then we are doing them for the wrong reasons. I'm not saying you are doing this, and of course I don't know your heart with God, but many christians do attempt to obey God for the wrong reasons.

Congratulations for your four kids, and three grandkids! I love watching my parents be grandparents! Tweet