Flipping Things Upside Down

     In college, I often learned the equations, could plug in the right numbers, and come out with the correct answers, but never understood what just happened. I understood the process of solving problems but not the reasoning behind the equations. Anyone can obtain a correct answer but yet still not understand. Well, the same applies to Holy Scripture:

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men... Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? (Isa 29:12-13, 16)

     Church has become a one-act play, the sermon a soliloquy, and the service a ritual. Oftentimes people even applaud the performer without regard to whom the performance is for. I avoided the word, "worship" because it is often more performance than worship.
     Oftentimes, even when people testify, me inclusive, it may be to elevate us rather than to lift up God. I struggle with that. I struggle with why I study the Bible, and I struggle with why I write daily commentary. Am I drawing near God with my mouth and keyboard, and honor God with my words, but with my heart far removed? I am extremely afraid that happens, not only to me but to everyone.
     I don't know what to do to change that or to make me more sincere. I think I am this instant! Am I sincere right now, or is it a terrible ruse? Do I love God, or am I professing the precepts of men? Even if I profess God's precepts, am I doing it for Him or me? The precepts are not God's when they are not heartfelt. Jesus called the Pharisees "vipers" for professing His precepts with a unloving heart:

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (Mat 12:34)

     I don't want to be a Pharisee but yet oftentimes I am. I don't want to be a viper, but I often perceive that I am.  I am still learning to love, and so are you.  Love is hard work, and to love God is extra hard work! We can't embrace God physically and have charity for Him directly; we must, however, do that vicariously - experience through others communion with God.  How are we to commune with God - by loving Him - the Greatest Commandment.
     How can Christians demonstrate that love to God? By vicariously loving Him; that is the Commandment like unto the Greatest - to love our neighbors. How much? With all our hearts, minds, souls, and strengths (Luke 10:27).
     If we don't love others, and God, with are all, it may be that we are performing rather than worshiping. Even if it's only a performance, indeed it's a bad performance. We all would get the Academy of Hell's Viper Award; thank you very much for your support Devil.
     Human's have the propensity to flip things upside down: "Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay." Then the scripture goes on to add, "or shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not?"
     That passage is an example of the creation. Philosophers say that mankind created God because we need Him. The truth is that God created man because He wanted love. (John 3:16).  Anyone who says that God expects nothing from men are teaching their own precepts. God does expect something from us: to love Him back and manifest it by loving others! I get that. Many don't. I fail God there and realize it, but most Christians fail to realize their deficiencies. Believing that God loves us, but that we have no responsibility to love Him, is turning things upside down. Of course, His love is faithful, but ours is not. Upside down is that we are not expected to love Him like He loves us!
     My love is deficient. "Perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). Why should we fear? Because we do not have perfect love. What is perfect love? "Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him" (1 John 2:5). We love God if we keep His Word. What is God's Word? Whatever Jesus told unto men. He said and commanded many things both before and after He was made flesh. Thus, whatever God commands, obedience to those commands are the way we show love. For instance, if Christians have other gods before God, do they truly love God?
     Most Christians will respond, "But I have no other gods before Him? I propose that oftentimes we all have. We all do what we want to do, not God's will. That places ourselves above God - we are other "gods" in God's face!
    How about murder? Are you a murderer? "How dare you!" you exclaim. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer," (1 John 3:15). That's New Testament stuff. There are not Laws and lack of laws. Love is obedience to the Law. (John 14:15). People flip the precepts of God by considering that the commands are only for those under the Law. The concept of sola gratia - grace alone - undermines love if its meaning is obscured, because God does expect love and if he doesn't get it, are you a sincere Christian?
     Let me explain that: I had no role in saving mankind. Only God did. That grace was by God. Because, I don't have perfect love, and neither do you, we would want that some should perish and some not. We would judge others harshly. God "so love the world that he wants that none should perish." That is perfect love. The love is due God because of His mercy. We are not due any of that because our mercy is limited. Sola gratia is all God's - we weren't crucified - He was.
     If we had been crucified for the sins of all, that would be another scenario, but we were not. The glory belongs all to God. Thinking that we did something to save ourselves is flipping the precepts of God - the Doctrine of Christ - upside down. Being born again, is realizing that we cannot save ourselves but God can (John 3). Thus, the love of God is the only grace that is saving. Our meager efforts to save ourselves are pitiful, or as filthy rags in God's words. (Isa 64:6).
    On the other hand, we are to be crucified as well by picking up our "cross" and following Him (Mat 16:24). Why must we do that? "He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me" (Mat 10:38). How do we become worthy?  By "taking up (y)our cross". God expects your love. How can we show God that we love Him?

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Rom 12:1).

     There is a paradox here: We aren't saved by works but we know we are safe by our works. Are works saving or not? They are evidence of salvation, what we call "the assurance of salvation". If we are not working, do we truly love God?
     I have trouble with emotions. Agape love is not necessarily an emotion. Since love is commanded, then love is work - hard work. I spend two hours each day so that sinners can learn and repent. If that is really my reason, then I am loving God. If I write for recognition or to convince God that I follow Him, then all my work is for wrong reasons, and I flip God's will upside down! We must be careful to do things for right reasons.
     For instance, when a touching song is sung at church, oftentimes a person stands up. First off, is it for self-recognition, or to magnify God? Then nearly everyone else stands up? Is it ritual or magnification, or just the embarrassment of not standing? I will always stand up for God but not because everyone else is! By everyone standing, it disallows me standing in praise because that seems to force everyone to stand. That is not love but ritual. I try to demonstrate respect for God by not standing up for the song.
     The worst case of flipping God's Word upside down was a Methodist bishop's inspiration: God didn't punish Sodom because of homosexuality but because of homophobia. When I heard that, I nearly flipped over. Imagine God's disgust!
     If we aren't going to practice God's precepts, then we should quit calling ourselves Christians. Isaiah chapter twenty-nine is a warning to that.