Dogma is not enough.

Dogma is not enough.

While my last post expounded the importance of doctrine, this post should provide a nice, confusing and concise, seeming contradiction to that premise.

"What is the greatest commandment?" Out of 623 laws, which could be the most important? And which one would cause such a shift in our relationship with God that, while the 623 were perfect, we would only need one that would provide a more perfect way?

"Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind and strength. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself." Two? No, really, one. For the latter consists in the former. "God IS love." Without the first, there is no second.

Thus, if you do not have God, you do not have love, you do not have love for your neighbor, and you do not have love for yourself. "Beloved, let us love one another. For love is from God and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God. He that does not love does not know God, for God is love."

Dogma is not enough.

If you do not know love, you cannot know Scriptures. If you do not know Love, you cannot rightly interpret Sciptures. If you do not know Love, you will always make law out of what you perceive to be love.

There is a more perfect law to which we have been called; one not of rules and regulations, but one of relationship. Yes, the old law was perfect - perfect in its effect. It tells us how unworthy, how far from love, we are. The better law is the law of love, and if you have God, you have perfection in love. The rest is just dogma that cannot save, only enslave.

Love is enough - and it is confirmed in His Word.