Our problem: the law or unbelief?

Rom 3:20  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

God's law tells us how we are designed to live, i.e. if we live according to the law, we will experience the life God created and designed us for. This is a good thing, not bad. Therefore, the law too is good. The law is simply God's operations manual for how mankind can best function according to his design and, therefore, to his optimal capacity, bringing the greatest honor to God and drawing others to him. 

But in order for us to live according to the law, we must believe it is given by God for our good. So the problem isn't the law per se, it's our unbelief. We don't trust God, so we are unwilling to obey God and his directions for us. We believe our way is better than His. 

Because we have no faith in God, we have no faith in his directions (the law) for us either.

As a result, the law actually reveals to us how we don't trust God; how we have rebelled and continue to rebel from believing God is our Creator, director, rightful owner, sustainer, provider, lover, caregiver, protector; the all-wise, all-powerful, always present, always loving, all benevolent, beautiful God.

If we knew and believed God was all of this for us and more -- i.e. exactly who he says he is -- doing as He says; following His direction; and obeying the law would be no problem.

Unbelief/distrust is our problem, not the law.

The heart of the law brings all of this out most clearly.

Jesus answered, "The most important (commandment) is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 

The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mar 12:29-31

So are we good or worthless?

Rom 3:12  All have turned aside; together, they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."

We are not worthless, but we become worthless when we don't do good.

"Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Jesus. Luk 14:34,35

We can do good because we are created in God's image. But because of our disconnection from God, i.e. our rebellious distrust/unbelief, we cannot do good for we were never designed to operate without God, separated from his love for us that empowers us to be loving.

We can not love as we were designed to love because we have disconnected from the source of love. We are not the source of love, God is. Love comes from God to us, and out to others. We inturn are empowered to love others, because we are loved.

Obedience… drudgery or delight, part 2

The reason obedience feels like drudgery or hard work for many professing Christians is there is no "want to" in their actions. It's a "have to." It's performance based behavior. It's ¹"do it or else..."  

We don't have complete confidence and trust in God's love for us to follow his directions with delight yet. This comes over time as we get a fuller/clearer view of Christ and all He did for us. But also after trusting in, seeing and experiencing God's love in various difficult circumstances. As our trust grows, so does our increased willingness and desire to obey.  

In 1Jn 5:2,3 we are told

"...By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome."

When love is driving our actions, the doing/acting isn't a burden, drudgery, or hard work. It is actions from the heart, not out of shear "willpower." We "do" because we want to out of love for God and a desire to honor Him. This is the oil, if you will, that lubricates all our actions. It keeps things from wearing down, heating, and tearing up. 

When I used to surf, it was always a strenuous workout. I would usually be out for 2 or 3 hours per session. When I was done I was hungry, exhausted, and probably 1 or 2 pounds lighter. But I LOVED it! Did I exert myself? Big time! Was it work? Well in a sense. I definitely exerted a great deal of energy and effort, but it didn't feel like "work" because it was something I loved to do. ²It was something I delighted in.

The following passage captures the essence of this: 

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation (deliverance from behavior contrary to God's will and design) with ³fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. - Phil 2:12-13

When God's love gets a hold of us, it creates the "want" to pursue him. If there is no "want to" we need to take a hard look at whether we are truly his child that understands and believes in God's loves. 

The solution? Ask God to help you see more clearly what Christ did for you and why he did it i.e. fall more in love with Jesus!

Sometimes, the only way we experience God's love is to step out in faith on God's character and claims (promises) - regardless of how we feel - and love others. This is the essence of obedience to his greatest commandment to love him with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves. 

His character/love/wisdom has already been demonstrated to us by giving us Christ. This alone is enough when we really see and believe it. To step out in faith releases our experience of his love to us and through us. Not his actual love - which is already fully secured for us in Christ.

He who is forgiven much loves much.

And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher."  

"A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 

Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he canceled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly."

 

...Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." - Jesus Christ - Luk 7:40-43;47 

The truth is anyone who puts their trust in Christ is "forgiven much." Our problem is we don't have a full understanding of the greatness of our offense, how desperately we need God's forgiveness, how totally impossible it is for us to be righteous enough to be accepted by God, and what lengths God went to provide the solution to our otherwise impossible dilemma. The more we see the greatness of our offence and the completeness of God's solution the more in love with God we become. We love much because we see how we have been forgiven much. 

This is not just at our entry into God's reign of love over us - i.e. His kingdom - but at the heart of our maturing and where growth lies; in seeing the infinite extent of his forgiveness and great love for us and the extent of our absolute need for it. The power and influence of this good news - the gospel - in our everyday behavior is no only ongoing but increases over time.

For further discussion, click here. 

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¹or else you will be condemned, rejected, make God mad, etc. 

²obedience isn't always fun (often it is the opposite) but we know the outcome of it will be "fun" later, if not now. This is our hope. 

And this hope empowers us and makes it fun (rewarding beyond comprehension) in a real and vital way. It is living through dying; it is finding our life (truly and later) by losing it (now). It is dying to what we naturally want and living to honor God - which is ultimately best for us and most rewarding long term, if not always immediately rewarding.

³Why fear and trembling? Is it a fear of condemnation and rejection by God. No. It is a fear of the consequences of going contrary to God's design and dishonoring God after He did everything necessary to honor us. 

#Wantto #haveto #Drudgery #thotsaboutGod #thoughtsaboutGod