(Click on the link to read today's verses.)
Faith is being sure of what you hope for, certain of what you do not see. Abraham's belief alone made him righteous. It would be so much easier if we could see it right? I mean seeing is believing, or so they say. Keeping the law seems easier than faith at times. We can see the law, read the law, judge things by the law. Just make a check list of things to do... things not to do. Set it by your bedside... review it each morning. Take it along with you and check, check, check. At the end of the day weigh out the check marks. If you kept more law than not, well then, it was a day lived in righteousness... if not try again tomorrow.
There's just one problem with this kind of living... what happens to all those days labeled unrighteous? What happens if we have more unrighteous days than not? What will God do then? I know what you're thinking... no, this is where Grace comes in. Except it doesn't. You see, we can't separate what Jesus did into parts. We can't accept Grace for unrighteous days and still believe keeping the law gets us into the pearly gates.
Paul asked the Galatians one thing. Did you receive grace, mercy, salvation by works or believing what you heard? We might ask ourselves the same question. Paul urged the Galatians to give up this dual kind of thinking. We should too. Jesus completes the law in us. Growing closer to Him through the Spirit brings about obedience to the law... not the other way around.
Let's make a new list today. Not a check list but maybe just one phrase. The one phrase I begin teaching our children from the time they begin chapel at Readiness School. If they remember one thing when they enter youth ministry it is this:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Yep, that about wraps it up.
Lord, I choose faith over checklists.
Amen.
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