In
its historical Old Testament context, the law gave humanitarian guidelines to people whose world was immersed
violence and immorality. Though we may
now view them as harsh and archaic, they were the beginning of a trajectory
which would speak to all people, in all places, at all times. They introduced compassion, mercy, love and
personal responsibility in a way that was revolutionary to the surrounding
cultures of the time. Then along comes
Jesus, who draws the trajectory out further by not only addressing physical
actions and spoken words, but calling for compassion, mercy, love and personal
responsibility even in thoughts. Old
Testament laws may prove difficult to keep, but Jesus’ law of love proves
impossible.
Faced
with the impossibility of meeting the criteria, you may:
1. Run from God as fast and hard as you can—this
may include denying His existence and indulging your desires while you strive
for peace and freedom. But Truth will
still be Truth, and you will still be stuck with yourself.
2. Run
toward God by getting to know Jesus (who is the express image of God), and
receive the love and grace that God has for you even in your current imperfect,
sinful state. Truth will still be Truth,
and in Jesus Christ, it will set you free and bring transformation in love.
Part of what Paul is addressing
in Galatians 2 is the reality that the Jewish believers had chosen to run to
God, ask for his mercy and grace in Jesus and even walked in that freedom for a
time. Yet they now seem to be setting
certain standards and requirements that are not an improvement or advancing of
the gospel, but are opposed to the gospel since they rely on human merit.
At times, I too find
myself in this folly. I begin thinking
that I must earn God’s favor by my own right choices. The result is I get very stressed about
decisions—I must make the right
one. I become critical of others who are
not trying hard enough—real
Christians want to do, and be, the best.
I torment myself for any failures—my
role is of grand proportions. I have
rebuilt the very thing I destroyed—my own self-righteousness—and there is
certainly some bad fruit that shows! If
you have done the same, then let us each die to self, and live by faith in the
Son of God who loves us and gave Himself for us.
Read and Pray:
Romans 8:1-4, Habakkuk 2:4, 2 Timothy 2:10-12, Romans 1:17
No comments:
Post a Comment