2023-10-01

B) God himself is teaching you to love one another..




Well, “all of us have knowledge,” as they say.

It's true, though sometimes knowledge puffs up so.

But knowledge that is friendship has a way

of building up the others that they know.


Unlike the knowledge of concept or thing,

that often isn't comprehensive, full;

the person who loves God is known by him, 

- and friendship is a thing with two-way pull:


A friend is someone you disclose things to.

It's not about some number (seven times?).

But they disclose things back again to you.

It's not about how much, or how sublime,


the things you know - it's more about the who

knows you, & whom you really know and sing

about. The issue's: "Where's love in this too?"

How will I treat this brother of my king(?)


-  or sister, mother, for whom Christ has died.

To follow Jesus means I follow him

in God's own motivations, as he cried

that streams of living water on God's whim


would flow out - motivation, impetus,

would change from what might please me, my desires;

into the holy will of God for us, 

from Father with his motives so much higher.


Love won't be stopped by ignorance within

a brother for whom Christ (from love) has died,

as though no knowledge of facts is a sin,

and knowing them's no virtue, as implied.




On the last and most important day of the festival Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, “Whoever is thirsty should come to me, and whoever believes in me should drink. As the scripture says, ‘Streams of life-giving water will pour out from his side.’” Jesus said this about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were going to receive. At that time the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not been raised to glory. John 7:37‭-‬39 GNTD


Now, concerning what you wrote about food offered to idols. It is true, of course, that “all of us have knowledge,” as they say. Such knowledge, however, puffs a person up with pride; but love builds up. Those who think they know something really don't know as they ought to know. But the person who loves God is known by him. 


… e.g. it's not just an issue of what is the truth of ANY matter. …


 But not everyone knows this truth. Some people have been so used to idols that to this day when they eat such food they still think of it as food that belongs to an idol; their conscience is weak, and they feel they are defiled by the food. 


…There is the issue of "Where is the love in this matter?"...

..

Be careful, however, not to let your freedom of action make those who are weak in the faith fall into sin. Suppose a person whose conscience is weak in this matter sees you, who have so-called “knowledge,” eating in the temple of an idol; will not this encourage him to eat food offered to idols? And so this weak person, your brother for whom Christ died, will perish because of your “knowledge”! And in this way you will be sinning against Christ by sinning against other Christians and wounding their weak conscience. 1 Corinthians 8:1‭-‬3‭, ‬7‭, ‬9‭-‬12 GNTD



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