Even In The Law Obedience Was A Sign Of Love

"Know now then that the LORD your God is the only true God! He is the faithful God, who keeps the covenant and proves loyal to everyone who loves him and keeps his commands - even to the thousandth generation! He is the God who personally repays anyone who hates him, ultimately destroying that kind of person. The LORD does not waste time with anyone who hates him; he repays them personally." (Deuteronomy 7:9-10)

Not all scripture is comfortable. The fact is that Yahweh does not take kindly to the disloyal. These are the ones who have accepted Yahweh as God and have pledged themselves to him. For those who start off but turn their back, we have warnings such as:

"It’s scary to fall into the hands of the living God!" (Hebrews 10:31)

Even Jesus warned:

“No one who puts a hand on the plow and looks back is fit for God’s kingdom.” (Luke 9:62)

But there is no way that anyone who has tasted of the Lord and the Holy Spirit could possibly deny him, could they? I really depends upon what we set our eyes and what thoughts we entertain. Following Jesus is not a simple matter. The righteousness of relationship between us and Father is definitely the work of Jesus. He did it on the cross. But we have also been called to a walk of righteousness, which is a journey of progress and depends on us seeking it and surrendering to it.

Jesus told us:

Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

Although we are not held to the penalty of the Law, we have been adopted into a relationship of love. If our love is a sincere reflection of Father's love, then our great desire will be obedience to his will. Righteousness is living according to Father's heart. Jesus also told us:

“Whoever loves me will keep my word. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." (John 14:23)

Falling Short

Do you understand the difference between a covenant and a contract? You will be familiar with contracts if you have ever purchased software, rented an apartment, or entered into some kind of employment. A contract is pretty well one sided, listing all the protections of one party as well as the small benefit you will receive from their services. It certainly lists your obligations. On the other hand, a covenant is an agreement between two people that has nothing to do with protecting rights but a statement what each person will do for the benefit of the other. Marriage is a great example of this.

It is good to keep this in mind when reflecting on our relationship with Jesus because we are more than willing to accept what he offers but neglect our responsibilities in the covenant relationship. I talk about this a lot because we seem to think that our only responsibility is to worship. Jesus does all these wonderful things and all we have to do is sing some songs. The truth of the matter lay closer to what Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." That is our end of the covenant: Love manifested in obedience. But this is not anything new.

If we look back to Moses, we find a couple of verses, a quote from Yahweh, that was a nice summary of what he had said to Israel. We can call this the essence of the Law:

 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?" (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

This is why Jesus said it was all or nothing. Read through Jesus' words again and make note of when he specifically talks about our relationship with him. You will discover how extreme it is. He told Nicodemus he would have to experience a new birth. He told the rich young man to go and sell everything he had, giving it to the poor, and then follow him. He required the twelve to give up everything. He said that we would have to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him. He said we would have to love him more than our mothers, fathers, and children. He said that our love would be seen in our obedience.

The popular worship we know is only a tiny thing in our part of the covenant relationship we have with Jesus. True worship happens every day in everything we do and say. Jesus gave his life in this covenant and we are expected to do the same if we enter into it. He sacrificially gave his all to us and we sacrificially give our all to him. Does it not sound like a marriage? We are the Bride of Christ.

Do you think we might be falling short in our understanding of our relationship with Jesus?

Not All Marriages Are Equal

Who gets to define marriage? Should it be the Church which represents the Creator of marriage, or a government? Why does the Church require the government to issue a permit when it is a covenant witnessed by the Lord? Why not allow the government to have the secular version with its contracts while the Church deals with the covenant relationships between followers of Jesus? I believe it's the direction we are heading in anyway.

I know there is the issue of not being able to search data bases to make sure the couple is eligible to be married, as in they are not already married to someone else. But surely the Church could develop it's own data base to register a Church marriage. I don't know about everywhere else in the world but here in Canada the government doesn't see any difference between people who were married in the Church and those who have been living together for a year. There are no advantages to a government issued marriage permit.

The reason I bring it up is because the government  sees the Church as nothing more than another officiant, on the same level as a judge, clerk, or anyone else authorized to solemnize a marriage. Yet, we know the difference because a marriage has nothing to do with the government and everything to do with Yahweh. The government sees marriage as a legal contract but the Church understands it to be a covenant.

A contract is set up to protect people. It is usually one sided, to protect a persons' rights. Look at any software licensing agreement to see what I mean. A covenant is about what you are going to do, to give, to act for the benefit of another person. It has nothing to do with rights and privileges and everything to do with your vow to the other person: "I take you to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part." Notice, it is what the husband is vowing to do for the his wife, and then she vows something similar, and they call on Yahweh to be the witness to this covenant. This is marriage. Covenant puts the focus on the other person.

It is the same relationship we have with Yahweh. It is not a one sided thing or even a contract we have with him. He has promised to focus on us and we in turn promise to focus on him. Let's use Jacob as an example. He had just left his father and mother in search of a wife when he encountered a vision of Yahweh. In this vision Yahweh made a vow to him, the same as he had made to his father and grandfather. He promised him land, that his family would become a nation, and that all nations would be blessed because of them. He promised that he would be with Jacob, would protect him wherever he went, and that he would bring him back to this land. Now look at Jacob's response and his end of the covenant:

“If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” (Genesis 28:20-22)

This is covenant. Consider us with Jesus. Look at all the things he has done for us, not for himself, in this covenant relationship. We often refer to these things as blessings but they are what he has vowed to us, those who enter into covenant. Our part is to say that he is our God, that we give ourselves fully to him, love him with our entire being, focus only on him, to obey, to worship and to serve. We are not always faithful to our vow but praise the Lord he is faithful to his.

So not all marriages are created equal. Not all are considered as covenants. Not all call on Yahweh as their witness. So why should the Church participate in what is nothing more than a shadow of the original? Why marry people who are going through a ceremony for the sake of tradition instead of truth? We are at a stage in history where we need to burst our little bubble, realize the world has changed and start drawing the difference between the sacred and the secular. Leave the world to call it what it wants but we know the real beauty of marriage is found in the covenant relationship that a man and woman enter into for the benefit of the other person, calling on Yahweh as their witness to their vows of love.

Understanding The Obligation

For the last little while I have been challenging us to consider our perspective on life. Are we sold out for Jesus or is he just someone in our life? Is Jesus the reason for the air in our lungs or do we just pull him out when we have to play the God card? Do we have an "all or nothing" attitude when it comes to serving God with all that we have?

Paul wrote to Timothy :

Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. (2 Timothy 2:7)

Let's review what it was that Paul was saying to Timothy:

- be strong in the grace of Jesus (not as you receive it but as you give it out)
- teach what you have received so they in turn can teach others
- do not avoid suffering in the mission
- do not get distracted by the affairs of this world
- serve according to the rules and principles of the Kingdom
- God provides through ministry

These are Paul's final instructions to this man he considered to be a son so we should consider the importance of these things.Too often we serve with no thought, no reflection, no understanding. Everything else in our lives we study, consider, measure, weigh and understand as we move forward. We do not invest money without understanding the risk. We do not take a job without knowing the job description and the salary. We make a decision based on amount of work, payout and interest. We do not begin a romantic relationship with someone without deciding whether we are attracted, if there is enough interest, if we can see ourselves with the person for the rest of our lives. We consider personality, physical appearance, similarities, the reaction of our emotions. Should we not also understand and engage with Jesus with this same effort and interest?

Service to Jesus does not depend on how we feel. We don't go to work or to school depending on how we feel about it. We have an obligation as we do with Jesus. Again I remind us that we are not free agents. We are not spiritual entrepreneurs. We have entered an agreement, a covenant with the King of kings. We no longer belong to ourselves. We have received instruction. We must understand our obligations and if our heart is right then it will be an obligation of love, filled with joy.

Most people hold back because they are afraid of reputation. They are afraid of what people will think. They are afraid of rejection. But the only rejection we should fear is the rejection of our Lord on the day we are called home. The only reputation that should concern us is one of faithfulness to our King. What the world thinks of us and what the world does to us should not dictate the actions of our day. Only the instructions and example of Jesus should have a direct impact on how we live each day.

So many people are wanting a deeper revelation. They want to learn more. They want to go deeper. Yet, we don't even do what we do know. We sit in classes, take courses, receive certificates but we are too afraid to tell people what Jesus has done for us today, which is our first obligation. Obedience is as simple as explaining to people why we are brimming with joy, despite any circumstance that may be against us. What is the point of wanting to learn more when we don't act on the revelation we have already received.

Oh forgive us Lord.

Let's be the army Jesus has called us to be; faithful, operating in grace, sacrificing as we are called upon to sacrifice, not fearing to suffer when called upon.To God be the glory!

You Are Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams

You are not an ordinary person and you have to stop seeing yourself as ordinary. If you think of yourself as ordinary then you are going to do ordinary things, speak ordinary words and have ordinary expectations. As a follower of Jesus Christ, a child of the promise, born of the Spirit, you have been called out from the ordinary and you are intended for great things in the Kingdom of God.

Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, explaining to them why we are so special. He used Hagar and Sarah to make his point:

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. (Galatians 4:22-23)

We also come from that promise. Earlier in the letter Paul had argued that the promise predated the law and was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We too are born of this promise. Paul continues:

These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. (vv. 24-26)

This is a wonderful illustration that assumes we know the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. If you don't know it then you should read it. Basically Hagar was Sarah's servant whom she gave to her husband to have a child because she could not have one of her own. This son was then born in slavery. Sarah eventually had a son; the son promised by God. The son born of slavery represents the law, the work of our flesh, our attempt to do things ourselves. The son born of the promise represents salvation by faith, birthed by the Spirit, our reliance on the works and promises of God.

Paul also points out something very interesting because the son born into slavery persecuted the son of the promise:

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman. (vv. 28-31)

So this is the problem we often face; we have an identity crisis. We are born of the Spirit, children of the promise but we act and think as if we are children of slavery. We are born by the grace of God and according to that grace we are free, no longer in slavery to the law, covered by the blood of Jesus. We are not covered by our human effort but by the loving act of Jesus. What we do in the way of acts of kindness is not a requirement of some law but instead is a fruit of the spirit of love that we have been given.

Stop feeling guilty, you have been freely forgiven. Stop trying to earn your way into God's good graces, he has already brought you there by his grace. You are rich beyond your wildest dreams because you have every blessing ever promised by God. His storehouse is full and it is all for you. So start living like the rich kid that you are. Daddy has given us a job because he wants us to participate in his mission. It is not a job that earns us anything because we already have everything. It is a job that we want to have because the love of Christ compels us to participate in the family business: the salvation of the world.
 

Something Worth Celebrating

What a beautiful day! To wake up to the reality of God's love and his presence can't help but put a song in our heart. He loves us! That is the reality in which we live; He loves us! And because he loves us we have nothing to fear or worry about. Apostle Paul put the truth of it quite simply when he wrote that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Try to name one thing that you think God's love is not strong enough to overcome. It has overcome sin and death so what little insignificant thing do you think is more powerful than sin and death?

Part of the problem we have is that we do not understand just how strong God's commitment is to us. If we consider it in legal terms, we all understand what a contract is. If I enter into a contract with some person or some company we have come into agreement with terms that spell out the responsibility and obligation of both sides to each other. No one can add to that contract and no one can take away from it. If either tries then there are consequences spelled out in the contract. This is how Apostle Paul explained it to the Galatians:

Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. (Galatians 3:15-18)

What God promised to Abraham he fulfilled in Jesus Christ and he signed that covenant with us in blood. There is no way that God is going to break that covenant because our God is not a man that he would say yes today and no tomorrow. Our God is the God of "yes" and "amen". He is the promise keeper, the Rock, the only one we can fully depend on. Come on now, he has even defeated sin and death to get to us with his love, so what is a little morning blues to that?

We need to find a way to get rid of our doubts, shake ourselves up, realize his love and purpose for us, and live in the grace and power of that love. We have no reason to face this day with fear or worry. We have no reason to feel defeated or overwhelmed. We have no reason to feel weary and burdened. We are loved by our faithful, loving, powerful God who has promised us all things. We have been told that whatever we need we only have to ask for it in the relationship we have with Jesus Christ. Through Jesus we have become the children of God and as children we have access to the throne.

The access I speak of is not revoked because of our unfaithfulness and sin. Are you kidding? God's grace is so amazing and so plentiful that when we sin grace is immediately applied as we repent. Look at Abraham. He was far from perfect. In fact there were times that he was a terrible man, giving up his wife to another man to save his own skin. But God's grace constantly covered Abraham and Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Come on my friend, don't allow this spirit to stay on you. You are not defeated and you are not weak. You are a mighty warrior, victorious in all things because God is on your side. More than that, through the Holy Spirit in you, Jesus himself is with you today and in his authority all darkness is vanquished from your sight. You have no reason not to smile, laugh and enjoy this day. You are loved with a love that no force in all of creation or outside of creation can touch, disturb or destroy. You belong to the great Covenant Keeper and that is worth celebrating.