Thou Shalts and Thou Shalnts

What if God told you that your mission in life was to go to Iraq and "convert" those suicide bombers? You do not fear death, so...would you go?

I actually DO agree with your view more than Jars. I DO think, however, that Jars folksy approach is much better suited to convincing the non religious mindset that their efforts DO count even if they do not profess Jesus.Traditional belief would balk at such a thing, but I feel that Jar has the best intentions and intentions trump edicts and Canonical doctorines. Its like Jesus...when confronted by Pharisees who told him that he was breaking the rules healing on the Sabbath...Jesus told them that their rules were meaningless and that it was the intentions of a heart that God will judge.Even when Jar does things like calling God a "she", he is doing it to break the ice and cause reconciliations rather than divisions.

What about context? So lets focus on Jesus. He was said to be the fullfillment of the Law, yet He was not sent to abolish any law. I would say that there may well have been a Fall...we don't really know because we would have already fallen. We DO have a responsibility to make good choices, and I think that Jesus Christ is central to this. Having said that, lets assume, for a moment, that we are discussing choices with a group of secular people uninterested in the religion surrounding the Bible. Jars assertion is backed by Paul.Romans 1:11-18, I believe. Look at context. Jesus was talking to Jews who were already chosen, if not saved. They were asking which commandments were the most important. What were they seeking? A loophole? A conclusion? A revised version? Or...perhaps..they were seeking the Answer from Jesus. Yet Jesus told us that He was never here to condemn anyone. People felt condemnation only for when they did something that they knew not to do. Paul mentions no condemnation for folk who walk in the spirit.How do we tell a room of secular peeps to walk in the spirit?Perhaps we attempt to live it rather than preach it. Warning: Anyone who attempts to force the Bible into their head without taking into account the context of the world around them will be subject to brain fog, stubborn behavior, and irrational proclamations! OK...so when Jesus tells me to love God with everything I've got and I find that I do not, is it because I don't understand the Bible? Im trying, Im trying!