The Essence of Christianity

edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
I've been wondering about this for awhile hopefully you guys can help me out:

First what is the essence of christianity, to go to heaven, to Love the lord etc. right? (if this is wrong just say so because it will disprove the next part)

1)Going to heaven
-If going to heaven is the ultimate goal is that just a selfish desire for happiness...heaven is known as "the good place" and hell as "the bad place" so is going to heaven just a desire to feel good? is it just utilitarianist thinking that we strive for heaven on earth, denying pleasure here on earth so that we attain eternal pleasure in heaven?

2)Loving the Lord
-Where does love for God come from? Is it just a sense of duty since he gave up so much, became man, died on the cross, and resurrected for us? Is it just the feeling that we owe God something or is it something more?

Please help me out with this topic

Comments

  • The essence of christianity for a true christian should be to be with the Lord in heaven not just to go to heaven so that you don't suffer. The love for God comes from God. and it should not just be because he died for you. why do you love your parents then. is it because they give you things and provide for you or is it because they loved you first. we should love God because He loved us first. and we can ask of Him to give us the love to love Him. sorry if i was rambling or if that didn't make any sense.

    God Bless and Pray for me and my weakness
  • I've been wondering about this for awhile hopefully you guys can help me out:

    don’t wonder too much... for it prepares the battlefield for the devil!

    First what is the essence of christianity, to go to heaven, to Love the lord etc. right? (if this is wrong just say so because it will disprove the next part

    )

    wrong... the essence of Christianity is to be like our Father who is in heaven... to praise him... to love Him... and to serve his creation... and through this we can go to heaven...

    "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
    And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so."
    (Gen1: 26-30)


    "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
    The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food… Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it… And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field."
    (Gen2:7-20)

    1)Going to heaven
    -If going to heaven is the ultimate goal is that just a selfish desire for happiness...heaven is known as "the good place" and hell as "the bad place" so is going to heaven just a desire to feel good? is it just utilitarianist thinking that we strive for heaven on earth, denying pleasure here on earth so that we attain eternal pleasure in heaven?

    The only reason a person would wanna go to heaven is because they want to be in the presence of God… but you know what I’m not gonna argue with you… go ahead think that… as long as you GO TO HEAVEN IN THE END!

    2)Loving the Lord
    -Where does love for God come from? Is it just a sense of duty since he gave up so much, became man, died on the cross, and resurrected for us? Is it just the feeling that we owe God something or is it something more?

    you cannot truly love anything except if you love God... for God is love... if you love you’re mom and dad just because you "love" them... then you’re only fooling yourself... TRUE LOVE is the one of which God is the head of... just pray and read the bible and do you’re mutanias... YOU’LL KNOW WHY TO LOVE GOD! its not you’re duty believe me!

    Please help me out with this topic

    the help is from God and God alone!
  • I have the perfect sermon for you:

    http://www.orthodoxsermons.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=203&Itemid=26

    Go to the bottom and click the sermon titled "The Power to Change Your Life" by Father Anthony Messeh. It has the answer you seek.

    I hope this helps.


    Please forgive me and pray for me,

    Godhelpme3691
  • Thanks everyone the replies were great
  • hi i am new in here but my friends told me about it so i wanted to join this site and i thank god that he gave me the apportanity to accually talk to people all over the world and i would like to say something about this disscution.

    you know some people just don't accually love god and they're just scared of him that they would go to hell if they didn't do what he says and they do the commandments just to be safe not just because they want to go to havean
    so tell me what you think and reply back thank you
  • [quote author=ceaserecs link=board=1;threadid=4829;start=0#msg65631 date=1167497084]
    I've been wondering about this for awhile hopefully you guys can help me out:

    First what is the essence of christianity, to go to heaven, to Love the lord etc. right? (if this is wrong just say so because it will disprove the next part)

    1)Going to heaven
    -If going to heaven is the ultimate goal is that just a selfish desire for happiness...heaven is known as "the good place" and hell as "the bad place" so is going to heaven just a desire to feel good? is it just utilitarianist thinking that we strive for heaven on earth, denying pleasure here on earth so that we attain eternal pleasure in heaven?

    i disagree. we ought to go to heaven because we were there when we were created and we just need to get back there. also we are sons of God, and Light. so we ought o be with Him who is full of the light or the source of light. you can't say you'll go to heaven so u don't want to go to hell. God on the last day will judge you according to you heart which mostly no one sees or know except Him alone. so if you're not worthy of it, you wont get it. and the worthy ones wont think of it as geting to batter pleasure from what we have on earth, but a batter and a true life with Him.

    2)Loving the Lord
    -Where does love for God come from? Is it just a sense of duty since he gave up so much, became man, died on the cross, and resurrected for us? Is it just the feeling that we owe God something or is it something more?


    well i think it's both. but God will concedr ur heart on the last day.
  • There is a book call Purpose driven life this book is so good .. you can read it over 40 days .. it answers all ur questions.. actually its the 5 purposes of life ..
  • Yeah it is a good book i already read it, though i don't think it answers my questions...
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