June 26, 2018
They pursued the Law
not by faith but as if it were by works. Romans 9:32
Obeying the law
doesn't save us, obeying shows our love to God BECAUSE He saved us.
It must have been a complete shock to the crowds, and
especially the Pharisees, when Jesus was talking about relationship saving us
instead of obedience in the Sermon on the Mount! Near the end of his message, Jesus speaks
about people who thought they were doing good works, and how being good people will gain us entrance to
heaven. Jesus walked through the
scenario, and then dropped the hammer on the idea by stating: Many
will say to me all the good things they did in this life, but I will say to
them: I never knew you – away from me!
It’s still the thinking today by some who practice
Christianity, and by most who don’t. The
thinking is that we are better than
others, and because we think of ourselves as good people, God will take us
into heaven. But Jesus made it
clear: Unless you are perfect, there is
no entrance to heaven based on your good works.
If we even sinned one time, either by an action, or thought, or word
said, then heaven is too holy for us to enter.
BUT… if we have a relationship with Jesus, then He (and only He), can
get us in. Jesus has a back-stage pass to heaven for all
of us who know Him personally.
Relationship gets us in, not works.
That doesn’t mean we can pile up the sins in this life. Obedience still matters for all of the
reasons the Law was given – to protect our hearts from idolatry, to save us
from consequences, to guard & care for our families & friendships, to
bring Glory to God, and much more.
Jesus said: If you love me, then
obedience will be your way of showing it.
So the evidence of relationship shows up in obedience, but it’s not the
main proof. The main proof is knowing
Jesus, and being known by Jesus.
Obedience to God’s law is still crucial for our lives, but
not the saving factor of our lives.
Having a relationship with Jesus leads us to obey out of faith in Him,
not as a factor in guaranteeing our salvation.
If we know Jesus, then we know the cross and the power of His
forgiveness in our life. Obey Jesus out
of faith instead of trying to prove something.
Allow your obedience to be a demonstration of your love for Him.
So start each day with a simple question: How will I be loving Jesus today?
No comments:
Post a Comment