Our childlike faith should never be calloused by the weight of the world. That being said; there is no escaping the fact that we are in mortal bodies which are perishing daily such as 2 Corinthians 4:16 indicates. We have treasure in earthen vessels; though ( 2 Cor. 4:7). There is a healthy abandon which should accompany a mature faith; these aren't needing to be mutually exclusive states of mind and practice. We see those in the parable of the seeds and the sower who have immediate joy but no root in themselves ( Luke 8:13). We also have warnings to the Ephesian church in Revelation about leaving their first love ( Rev. 2:4).
The difference in these two verses is those who have an emotional reaction to the Gospel not rooted in faith; and in the second case those who had a true love in Christ and followed all the right doctrines but didn't continue to have love of Christ as their prime motivation. If we love Him we obey Him ( 1 John 5:2; John 14:21). Love of proper doctrine; law and other protocols should be the offshoot of that love but it must keep a root in a living; active faith else it slips into a religious set of moral dogmas that seeks to either squelch the flesh or brings an attitude of pride and self righteousness to the ecclesiastical leadership that leads to a dead religious set of rituals. Eventually; of course that leads to the tendancy of additional rituals in a Pharisaical manner if we are not careful.
Avoiding dead fellowship is no excuse for a permanant retreat from fellowship; however. Especially as we see the day of His return drawing near we are told NOT to forsake the assembly of one another ( Heb. 10:25). Our identities should be seen as adopted sons and daughters and being part of that heavenly assembly ( Heb. 12:1). There is a knowledge that the earth and heaven must be remade; all creation is groaning and will be until that Day comes ( Romans 8:22). Satan's accusations show us earth is not our home.
Our childlike faith should never be calloused by the weight of the world. That being said; there is no escaping the fact that we are in mortal bodies which are perishing daily such as 2 Corinthians 4:16 indicates. We have treasure in earthen vessels; though ( 2 Cor. 4:7). There is a healthy abandon which should accompany a mature faith; these aren't needing to be mutually exclusive states of mind and practice. We see those in the parable of the seeds and the sower who have immediate joy but no root in themselves ( Luke 8:13). We also have warnings to the Ephesian church in Revelation about leaving their first love ( Rev. 2:4).
The difference in these two verses is those who have an emotional reaction to the Gospel not rooted in faith; and in the second case those who had a true love in Christ and followed all the right doctrines but didn't continue to have love of Christ as their prime motivation. If we love Him we obey Him ( 1 John 5:2; John 14:21). Love of proper doctrine; law and other protocols should be the offshoot of that love but it must keep a root in a living; active faith else it slips into a religious set of moral dogmas that seeks to either squelch the flesh or brings an attitude of pride and self righteousness to the ecclesiastical leadership that leads to a dead religious set of rituals. Eventually; of course that leads to the tendancy of additional rituals in a Pharisaical manner if we are not careful.
Avoiding dead fellowship is no excuse for a permanant retreat from fellowship; however. Especially as we see the day of His return drawing near we are told NOT to forsake the assembly of one another ( Heb. 10:25). Our identities should be seen as adopted sons and daughters and being part of that heavenly assembly ( Heb. 12:1). There is a knowledge that the earth and heaven must be remade; all creation is groaning and will be until that Day comes ( Romans 8:22). Satan's accusations show us earth is not our home.
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