What does your religion demand of you?
Recorded on Sunday 18th October, 2020.
It seemed like a natural progression, having considered Jesus’ commands, to move on to think about the teachings of our church. What demands does your faith place upon you? You may find it useful to reflect upon this question in the week leading up to the service.
Music used before, during and after today’s service: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dguB1qODKYQ with thanks to Steve Farmer’s Soothing Music Relaxation channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0tAvrifStV0CWDM62W69EA)
“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:16,17)
Hear now what the Lord says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear your voice. 2 Hear, O you mountains, the Lord’s complaint, And you strong foundations of the earth; For the Lord has a complaint against His people, And He will contend with Israel. 3 “O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me. 4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. 5 O My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled, And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, From Acacia Grove to Gilgal, That you may know the righteousness of the Lord.” 6 With what shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:1-8)
“Let him who wishes to be eternally happy know and believe that he will live after death. Let him think of this and keep it in mind, for it is the truth. Let him also know and believe that the Word is the only doctrine which teaches how a man must live in the world in order to be happy to eternity.” (Heavenly Secrets 8939:3)
“Since (the Lord’s life on Earth) people have been required “… to lead an inward life, which is a life of faith and charity, as well as an outward life shaped by inner realities.” (Heavenly Secrets 9026 [End])
“The essentials of the Church, which unite themselves with a faith in one God, are charity, good works, repentance, and a life according to Divine laws; …” (Brief Exposition 96)
“ … it is not necessary for the person to know anything more than to refrain from evils as sins and look to the Lord. Only thus can a person’s life’s love, which from birth is hellish, be put away by the Lord, and a heavenly life’s love be implanted in its stead.” (Divine Providence 125)
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Galatians 5:16,17)
What does your religion demand of you?