It’s just not that complicated

[aspen]

There are lots of technical, elegant, complicated doctrines and theologies out there.....some people can explain them better than others, but Christianity is as basic as it gets: Love God; love neighbor; love God by serving others.

That’s really it. The Good News is simple to understand and difficult to carry out. Spending time quibbling and dissecting and building towers of babble can be an entertaining hobby, but if you aren’t putting on your armor and picking up your cross and loving your neighbor through service daily......you are missing it.

Doctrine gives our brains something to do while we practice our sanctification (loving others) and God transforms us into citizens of heaven (perfect lovers)

This is the gospel

 

[lforrest]

There are lots of technical, elegant, complicated doctrines and theologies out there.....some people can explain them better than others, but Christianity is as basic as it gets: Love God; love neighbor; love God by serving others.

That’s really it. The Good News is simple to understand and difficult to carry out. Spending time quibbling and dissecting and building towers of babble can be an entertaining hobby, but if you aren’t putting on your armor and picking up your cross and loving your neighbor through service daily......you are missing it.

Doctrine gives our brains something to do while we practice our sanctification (loving others) and God transforms us into citizens of heaven (perfect lovers)

This is the gospel

Yes practical service is not to be made second.

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

 

[brakelite]

Wholeheartedly agree. Love. The mark of the true believer.

 

[brakelite]

Wholeheartedly agree. Love. The mark of the true believer. But first we need to become a believer; to have the faith of Jesus, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe...it not only is the faith of Jesus, but also the righteousness of Jesus. All comes to us as a gift. The faith that we express through our works, belongs to Jesus. It is not our own. The righteousness that is imputed to us; that is accounted to us at Calvary, is also Christ's righteousness. Not our own. That love you speak of, well my friend, that is His also. It is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Spirit. All is His...without HIm we can do nothing. To God be all the glory, honour, power, and praise.

 

[kit]

Amen!

As said in OP, it is difficult. I find love for neighbour and serving to be endlessly complex in and of themselves. Often its easy and nourishing and often its not.

 

[Stranger]

There are lots of technical, elegant, complicated doctrines and theologies out there.....some people can explain them better than others, but Christianity is as basic as it gets: Love God; love neighbor; love God by serving others.

That’s really it. The Good News is simple to understand and difficult to carry out. Spending time quibbling and dissecting and building towers of babble can be an entertaining hobby, but if you aren’t putting on your armor and picking up your cross and loving your neighbor through service daily......you are missing it.

Doctrine gives our brains something to do while we practice our sanctification (loving others) and God transforms us into citizens of heaven (perfect lovers)

This is the gospel

The Gospel is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

Stranger

 

[amadeus]

There are lots of technical, elegant, complicated doctrines and theologies out there.....some people can explain them better than others, but Christianity is as basic as it gets: Love God; love neighbor; love God by serving others.

That’s really it. The Good News is simple to understand and difficult to carry out. Spending time quibbling and dissecting and building towers of babble can be an entertaining hobby, but if you aren’t putting on your armor and picking up your cross and loving your neighbor through service daily......you are missing it.

Doctrine gives our brains something to do while we practice our sanctification (loving others) and God transforms us into citizens of heaven (perfect lovers)

This is the gospel

You have covered and stated it very well. The denominational bickering and doctrinal comparisons will all come to nothing for us, if we fail to receive the message of God and apply it in our lives:

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity [love], I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity [love], I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity [love], it profiteth me nothing." I Cor 13:1-3

 

[Nomad]

There are lots of technical, elegant, complicated doctrines and theologies out there.....some people can explain them better than others, but Christianity is as basic as it gets: Love God; love neighbor; love God by serving others.

That’s really it. The Good News is simple to understand and difficult to carry out. Spending time quibbling and dissecting and building towers of babble can be an entertaining hobby, but if you aren’t putting on your armor and picking up your cross and loving your neighbor through service daily......you are missing it.

Doctrine gives our brains something to do while we practice our sanctification (loving others) and God transforms us into citizens of heaven (perfect lovers)

This is the gospel

Couldn't agree more. Excellent post.

 

[brakelite]

Might I suggest however, that as an expression of love, we should never pull back or be reluctant to do as Paul admonished Timothy,

2 Timothy 4:1-4
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

 

[Miss Hepburn]

I SO disagree.
It's not that hard to carry out.

(Gotcha!) *wink*

 

[DPMartin]

There are lots of technical, elegant, complicated doctrines and theologies out there.....some people can explain them better than others, but Christianity is as basic as it gets: Love God; love neighbor; love God by serving others.

That’s really it. The Good News is simple to understand and difficult to carry out. Spending time quibbling and dissecting and building towers of babble can be an entertaining hobby, but if you aren’t putting on your armor and picking up your cross and loving your neighbor through service daily......you are missing it.

Doctrine gives our brains something to do while we practice our sanctification (loving others) and God transforms us into citizens of heaven (perfect lovers)

This is the gospel

your OP may be admirable but:

just what is "Love God; love neighbor; love God by serving others." it seems every one has their own take on that, doesn't it aspen? and it also seems what the Lord says that it is, don't count, as long as one is doing what, and loving what they think is Christianity in their own judgement.

how can one love God if one isn't faithful to His Word first? its imposable.

I've seen people who see themselves as righteous because they run a soup kitchen but that's in the same country that feeds, houses, and provides health care to any citizen that applies for it, and is poor enough. so a secular gov also feeds and cares for the helpless. heck one could say the gov wears sheep's clothing if they were to seek to be preserved as "Christian".

 

[tabletalk]

Love God and neighbor is not the Gospel: that is what a believer does after believing the Gospel.