Understanding His character, but not necessarily understanding the reasons for His commands. Those are two different things.

Tom, does God expect us to obey His commandments even if we don't completely understand all the reasons why? Is it still a sin if we choose not obey a certain commandment until after we understand all the reasons why?

Yes. I've pointed this out. You may wish to re-look at the thread, this latter part. See the comments about having hooks upon which to hang our doubts.



A sin is when you know something is right and you choose not to do it, or if you know something is wrong and you choose not to do it anyway. You can know something is right (or wrong) without knowing *all* the reasons why. Indeed, we'll never understand everything. That wouldn't be in harmony with the principle of free will. God doesn't overwhelm us with evidence. He gives us enough evidence to make a well informed, reasonable decision. He won't remove every hook upon which we can hang a doubt.

If God said to keep the 7th day holy, as opposed to another day holy or every day as equally holy, is the fact that God said it enough for you to conclude that it is right to do that?

Conversely (or is that inversely), if God said to not do something, is that enough for you to conclude that it is wrong to do that?

IOW, is God's word, apart from your understanding of His word, a sufficient guide to determine what is right or wrong? IOW, in case the first set didn't make sense, if God said it, is that good enough for you?

I don't think this would be enough for God. That is, God is not interested in an obedience which would be based on something arbitrary, like His simply saying something with no reason at all. I don't think God wants us to do what He says for no other reason than "I said so."



Certainly God is trustworthy, so His saying not to do something is reason enough not to do the thing, but I don't believe He is interested in an obedience based simply on His say so.



I don't see how this makes sense. God's word, apart from someone understanding it, doesn't mean anything, it seems to me. I guess it's like the question if a tree falling in the woods makes a sound if nobody hears it.



You mean like "God said it. I believe it. That settles it." This seems to me like a description of slavish obedience. This doesn't seem like "I have called you friends, not servants."

You have asked me a bunch of questions about what's good enough for me, but I don't think this is the issue. The issue is what's good enough for God, and I don't think an obedience based on nothing other than "I said so" is good enough.

I gave this historical evidence earlier, but you didn't address it. I'll try again.

God gave the Israelites 10 commandments, rather than 10 explanations. Yet, He still expected them to do as He said while He was meeting with Moses and giving him more details. And when they disregarded His "say so" He almost wiped them out for it.

The Biblical evidence is that God's word is binding, with or without an explanation.

What is this from? Is this just your idea, or are you quoting this from something?



I don't think God is like what you're implying. I think the ideas you are presenting here are diametrically opposed to those taught by Jesus when He said, "I no longer call you servants but friends."

It seems you and I have very different ideas as to God's character.

Exodus. Around the section the 10 commandments.


While God is your buddy, God is my Daddy. Yes, we may have very different ideas.

Do you ever submit to your friends?

Exodus doesn't say anything about 10 explanations. I disagree with your take on what happened in Exodus. I don't believe God "wipes people out" because they don't do what He says. Jesus Christ was the revelation of God. Did He wipe people out because they didn't do what He said? No, He allowed Himself to suffer the most atrocious death rather than "wipe them out." He could have "wiped them out," as He explained to Peter, but this simply isn't God's character, as Jesus explained:



This is God's character! Rather than "wiping out" those who don't do what He says, He gives His life for them.




That God is our Father is not opposed to the idea that He is our friend. Abraham was called the "friend of God," and he is the father of all who believe.

BINGO!