Imagine that law enforcement was absolute, and there was zero tolerance for anything over the speed limit. A one-mile-over infraction would automatically result in a speeding ticket. Or, imagine an absolute enforcement of noise ordinances. If you raised your voice beyond normally talking volume, a fine would be assured.
Difficult as these two examples are, they do not begin to compare to God's meticulous law and its unswerving standards. And God is the ever-present enforcement, so the slightest violation is subject to penalty.
Many have misunderstood the purpose of God's law and have vigorously sought to live according to its impossible standards. But, His law is like the test in school that instructs your to read all directions before beginning, and the last direction is to ignore all the others, sign your name, and turn it in.
Consider this: "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24). God's impossible, perfect Law was never designed to be lived by us, but to point us to the only One who has satisfied its standards. By providing us with a working definition of sin (Galatians 3:19), the Law makes us well aware of our need for forgiveness and faith.
Jesus' Sermon On the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is a passage I often study, and in it Jesus makes clear that sin is not merely a matter of action, but also intention. It's not enough to avoid murder and adultery; anger and lust are the root cause, and who isn't guilty of these? Redefining sin is enough to lead us to despair, and that's exactly the point. When we fully face our inability to be "good", we're finally in a position to appreciate and experience grace and faith. As Jesus says, "Congratulations, you who are the poor in spirit! Yours is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3 - personal paraphrase).
Facing the ugly truth about our sin, and the impossibility of our personal "goodness" opens the door to profound appreciation of this great truth:
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Galatians 3:26-27)
Out of the despair of our hopeless "badness" comes phenomenal good news that will take a lifetime to savor and appreciate.
May complete and utter awe for what God has done for you in Christ lead you today to a life of grateful service and holiness.
Steve
Difficult as these two examples are, they do not begin to compare to God's meticulous law and its unswerving standards. And God is the ever-present enforcement, so the slightest violation is subject to penalty.
Many have misunderstood the purpose of God's law and have vigorously sought to live according to its impossible standards. But, His law is like the test in school that instructs your to read all directions before beginning, and the last direction is to ignore all the others, sign your name, and turn it in.
Consider this: "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24). God's impossible, perfect Law was never designed to be lived by us, but to point us to the only One who has satisfied its standards. By providing us with a working definition of sin (Galatians 3:19), the Law makes us well aware of our need for forgiveness and faith.
Jesus' Sermon On the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is a passage I often study, and in it Jesus makes clear that sin is not merely a matter of action, but also intention. It's not enough to avoid murder and adultery; anger and lust are the root cause, and who isn't guilty of these? Redefining sin is enough to lead us to despair, and that's exactly the point. When we fully face our inability to be "good", we're finally in a position to appreciate and experience grace and faith. As Jesus says, "Congratulations, you who are the poor in spirit! Yours is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3 - personal paraphrase).
Facing the ugly truth about our sin, and the impossibility of our personal "goodness" opens the door to profound appreciation of this great truth:
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Galatians 3:26-27)
Out of the despair of our hopeless "badness" comes phenomenal good news that will take a lifetime to savor and appreciate.
May complete and utter awe for what God has done for you in Christ lead you today to a life of grateful service and holiness.
Steve
posted by steve @ 8:50 AM
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