What a great teaching by Pastor MacArthur.

Thanks–

Jeff

John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

John 14:23-24 “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” 24 “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”

Jesus proved His love for the father by His obedience John 14:31 “But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.”

John 15:10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

And something His disciples said as well…

1 John 1:6 “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”

1 John 1:3-6 ” Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected ​in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him h​ought himself also to walk just as He walked. ”

1 John 4:20 “20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. “

I find your quote completely lacking in grace. Does this sound like something Christ would say? No! Does this sound like something a Father would say to his children? No!

Parents and Pastors need to be careful that their zeal for Christ doesn’t become an overbearing yoke of burden on their children and flock. I go to a church where people have been removed from service because they allowed their 16 year old to read/ watch these movies.

What you fail to realize is that by forbidding people to “sin” you have become their “holy spirit”. Service to Christ must be willing! Far worse than this movie is the resentment and rebellion such overbearing zeal can foster.

Grace, Mercy and Love. When did Jesus shepard His people without these at the forefront? When did Jesus try to force people to do things his way? He let people make mistakes.

Calvary Chapel’s overbearing and legalistic stance on this movie will (and has) become a stumbling block to many good Christians.

I struggle with my sister over matters such as this. Her family are very carnal, though they admit and confess to Jesus Christ. On the weekend she allowed her 13 year old daughter to see this movie.

Whenever I use scripture to try and provoke her to see God’s plan for our ives, and that we must obey His commands and live within His will… not that of the world’s… she despises me further.

She demands that she interprets the Bible for her family, and that it is different than how I do. However I do not interpret anything… it seems to do that by itself… after all it is the Living Word of God.