Embracing Comprehensive Love: Theology Over Miology

Devotional

Day 1: Theology vs. Miology: Aligning with God's Will

Theology invites us to explore the nature of God, leading us to a deeper reverence and obedience. It humbles us, aligning our desires with God's will, and leads to true freedom. In contrast, miology distorts this by focusing on personal desires, resulting in a self-serving faith. This distinction is crucial as it challenges us to examine whether our faith is centered on God or on ourselves. True theology calls us to surrender our personal preferences and align our lives with God's purpose, leading to a more authentic and fulfilling spiritual journey. [17:02]

Jeremiah 9:23-24 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.'"

Reflection: In what ways have you allowed personal desires to shape your faith? How can you realign your focus to center on God's will today?

Day 2: Freedom from Bondage: Transforming Mindsets

The Israelites' journey from Egypt illustrates how one can be physically free yet mentally bound by past mindsets. Despite their liberation, they carried remnants of bondage within them, much like how we can be saved yet struggle with old habits and mindsets. True freedom comes from meditating on God's law, allowing it to transform us and yield fruit in our lives. This transformation is essential for living a life that reflects God's love and truth, moving us beyond the limitations of our past and into the fullness of God's promises. [09:31]

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (ESV): "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."

Reflection: What past mindsets or habits are holding you back from experiencing true freedom in Christ? How can you begin to meditate on God's word to transform these areas?

Day 3: Comprehensive Love for God: Surrendering All

Jesus calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, requiring us to surrender every part of our being to Him. This comprehensive love challenges us to move beyond a contingent love that only surrenders certain parts of our lives. It invites us to examine the areas we are comfortable with and those we hold back, urging us to fully align our desires with God's will. This surrender leads to greater joy, peace, and freedom as we experience the fullness of God's love and purpose in our lives. [14:51]

Deuteronomy 6:5-6 (ESV): "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?

Day 4: Loving Our Neighbors: Extending Sacrificial Love

The greatest commandment includes loving our neighbors as ourselves, extending beyond those we like to everyone God gives us the opportunity to impact. This love reflects the sacrificial love Jesus modeled on the cross, challenging us to move beyond our comfort zones and embrace a love that is selfless and inclusive. It calls us to see others through God's eyes, recognizing their inherent worth and extending grace and compassion in our interactions. This love is a powerful testimony of God's presence in our lives and a reflection of His kingdom on earth. [24:07]

1 John 4:20-21 (ESV): "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."

Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?

Day 5: A Lifelong Journey with Jesus: Growing in Faith

Our journey with Jesus is lifelong, filled with opportunities to grow and realign ourselves with His will. Even when we falter, God is ever-present, ready to continue the journey with us from where we are. This assurance is not just about where we will spend eternity but about living a life that reflects His love and truth. It invites us to embrace the process of growth, trusting in God's faithfulness and grace as we navigate the challenges and joys of life. This journey is a testament to God's unwavering commitment to us and His desire for us to experience the fullness of life in Him. [26:56]

Philippians 1:6 (ESV): "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Reflection: What is one area of your spiritual journey where you feel stagnant or discouraged? How can you invite God to continue His work in you and trust in His faithfulness to complete it?

Sermon Summary

In today's exploration of Mark 12:28-34, we delve into the profound distinction between theology and miology. Theology, the study of God and His nature, calls us to a deeper reverence, obedience, and love for God. Miology, on the other hand, distorts this by centering on personal desires and preferences, leading to a self-serving faith. Jesus, in His conversation with the scribe, emphasizes the greatest commandment: to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This comprehensive love requires us to surrender every part of our being to God, not just the areas we are comfortable with.

The Israelites' journey serves as a cautionary tale of how one can be physically free yet mentally bound by past mindsets. Despite leaving Egypt, they carried remnants of bondage within them, illustrating how we too can be saved yet still struggle with old habits and mindsets. The call is to meditate on God's law, allowing it to transform us and yield fruit in our lives. This transformation is not just about personal freedom but also about loving others as God loves us.

Jesus' teaching is a reminder that our love for God should be comprehensive, encompassing our emotions, intellect, and physical actions. It challenges us to move beyond a contingent love that only surrenders certain parts of our lives. True discipleship requires us to align our desires with God's will, leading to greater joy, peace, and freedom. The dual nature of the greatest commandment—loving God and loving others—reflects the cross, where Jesus modeled sacrificial love for both God and humanity.

This journey with Jesus is lifelong, filled with opportunities to grow and realign ourselves with His will. Even when we falter, God is ever-present, ready to continue the journey with us from where we are. The assurance of our relationship with Jesus is not just about where we will spend eternity but about living a life that reflects His love and truth.

Key Takeaways

1. **Theology vs. Miology:** Theology centers on God and His nature, leading us to deeper reverence and obedience. Miology distorts this by focusing on personal desires, resulting in a self-serving faith. True theology humbles us before God, aligning us with His will and leading to true freedom. [17:02]
2. Freedom from Bondage: Like the Israelites, we can be physically free yet mentally bound by past mindsets. True freedom comes from meditating on God's law, allowing it to transform us and yield fruit in our lives. This transformation is essential for living a life that reflects God's love. [09:31]
3. Comprehensive Love for God: Jesus calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This comprehensive love requires surrendering every part of our being to God, not just the areas we are comfortable with. It challenges us to move beyond a contingent love that limits God's influence in our lives. [14:51]
4. Loving Our Neighbors: The greatest commandment includes loving our neighbors as ourselves. This love is not limited to those we like but extends to everyone God gives us the opportunity to impact. It reflects the sacrificial love Jesus modeled on the cross. [24:07]
5. A Lifelong Journey with Jesus: Our journey with Jesus is lifelong, filled with opportunities to grow and realign ourselves with His will. Even when we falter, God is ever-present, ready to continue the journey with us from where we are. This assurance is not just about eternity but about living a life that reflects His love and truth. [26:56]
** [26:56]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:12] - Introduction and Context
[00:51] - Theology vs. Miology
[02:30] - Jesus' Conversation in Mark 12
[04:19] - Jesus' Response from the Torah
[06:10] - Israel's On-Again, Off-Again Relationship
[08:30] - Freedom from Bondage Mindsets
[10:09] - Saved but Stuck in Old Patterns
[12:21] - Meditating on God's Law
[14:34] - Comprehensive Love for God
[16:28] - Theology vs. Miology Explained
[18:25] - True Discipleship and Surrender
[23:47] - Loving Your Neighbor
[26:07] - Lifelong Journey with Jesus
[28:00] - Assurance of Salvation

Sermon Clips

"Jesus answered the most important is hero Israel the Lord our God is the Lord the Lord is one verse 30 says and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength verse 31 and the second is this you shall love your neighbor as yourself there is no other commandment greater than these." [00:03:16]

"Like the Israelites, we can be physically free yet mentally bound by past mindsets. True freedom comes from meditating on God's law, allowing it to transform us and yield fruit in our lives. This transformation is essential for living a life that reflects God's love." [00:09:31]

"Jesus is declar claring uh that the Lord is God and watch we should love him comprehensively it's a comp comprehensive love this means our emotions our spiritual life our intellect and our physical actions should all reflect our devotion to him this is what he's Jesus is is referring to a comprehensive love." [00:14:34]

"Theology is the study of God the study of his nature the study of his will and works as revealed in scripture it's meant to lead us into deeper reverence it's meant to lead us into deeper obedience it's meant to De uh to lead us into a deeper love for God." [00:17:02]

"Miology occurs when people distort theology to make it about themselves they distort all of this that it's about them and their desires for personal preferences rather than God's truth theology is is that God is the center of my life miology is that God revolves around my wants." [00:17:59]

"True theology humbles us before God leading us to worship uh repentance uh true freedom and alignment with his will miology on the other hand exalts self resulting in a faith that sees personal interests rather than serving Christ mology doesn't line up with what Jesus said is the greatest commandment." [00:18:44]

"Jesus adds this addendum the gentleman asked what's the greatest commandment and Jesus responds with the shama but then he tags on this addendum and that you shall love your neighbor as yourself he he responds with the Dual nature of the greatest commandment encompassing both love for God but also love for others." [00:23:47]

"Love God love people is horizontal watch it gives us the perfect picture of the cross that Jesus modled at Calvary suspended Between Heaven and Earth saying God this is really hard but if this is what you've called me to do I'll do it and who am I doing it for my neighbors and the people that you sent me to love." [00:25:28]

"This is a lifelong journey with Jesus and I'm so thankful for that because I'm not a very good test taker I used to make like a lot of wrong answers I would like you know M up you know one plus one five I don't know I just I'm not good at this." [00:26:07]

"Here's the good news is that we don't serve a God that when I mess up I have to immediately turn around and retrace my steps back to the moment I got off course like I got to get back to the yellow brick road okay we serve a God that all I have to do is turn around." [00:27:23]

"The Bible says he's an everpresent help the Bible says what can separate me from the love of God I don't have to retrace my steps I just have have to turn around and recognize that he's there and we start right from where we are continuing on the journey." [00:27:46]

"Where will you spend eternity because again you will live forever somewhere it will either be you'll be given a body fit for Glory encountering the presence of Jesus and encountering the presence of God where the Bible says you will be given a body fit for Destruction where you will be given a body that can endure the torment of being separated from God forever." [00:28:23]

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