[Cal]

So what are church-building works? How many of those were commanded relative to others. How much of the "sermon on the mount" was about religious gatherings and the development of religious groups? How much was about your interaction with others — both your brother and your neighbor? How much was about your personal righteousness?

I never said the LRC was correct to focus mainly on church-building works. Just that that's what they did. My point is they labor, albeit in a somewhat misguided fashion. Ironically for all their belief that they are clearer on the word than most, they are actually quite mistaken on its emphasis. The word does not emphasize church building, it emphasizes being an example of Christ to all. And it says we cannot be proper examples apart from abiding.

Or that so many things were "simply Christ" that we figured that it would just work itself out. Those with a desire to be righteous will eventually do something. But when someone was having a hard time with something, somehow more meetings was claimed to be good enough. As if abiding is about meetings. As if simplicity in Christ is found in turning to your spirit, or calling on the Lord over and over. That's all you need.

I have to be honest that it seems to me in reaction to the LRC you have lost a little baby with the bathwater. The fact is, God is all you need. God's salvation cannot be disconnected from God himself. God's blessing cannot be disconnected from God himself, and God's commission cannot be carried out, let alone understood, apart from God himself. And being connected with God himself requires abiding.

You have to recall that the early LRC was a reaction to dead works. "Dead works" is a biblical phrase (Heb 9:14). Yes, it was referring specifically to Jewish works, but there's no doubt Christian works can be dead as well. The solution is to "serve the living God." Key phrase: "living." How to do that? The answer must be to abide in the Vine while laboring in vineyard. And many Christians don't abide in the vine even while laboring in the vineyard. That's just a fact.

On the flip side, abiding without the issue being laboring for the Lord is an oxymoron. Jesus' prescription for abiding contained the thought that our subsequent doing would not amount to nothing. James says true faith manifests works. So anyone who says "we don't need" works does not understand that true abiding issues in good works, whatever they may be.

So anyone who thinks he is abiding, but is not also serving is deceiving himself. But service takes on all kinds of forms, but it will always be there with true abiding.