I spent the weekend in the Sierras with a group of men sharing about the transformation afforded to us through the power of the cross. We had talked about performance based living, versus affection based, and how the law is fulfilled in us as we live a life of love, not as we try to fulfill the law. Live loved, and love! It IS as simple as that.
At the end of the session one of the men sat down next to me. “You know what I’m hearing you say about the law?” he asked.
“I think the law tells us how to treat people we don’t love.”
Isn’t that a great statement? And I think it’s truth goes beyond people. Here’s what to do if you don’t love God enough to walk with him as Father. Here’s what to do if you don’t love yourself enough to live in God’s truth and instead want to indulge our free appetites. Here’s what to do if you don’t love others enough to treat them fairly, respectfully, and kindly.
But if you discover the power of God’s kind of love the law is a cheap substitute indeed. It only shows you what MUST be done, not what you CAN do to love as we have been loved by God. I really like that definition of the law.
The problem is, until you discover the power of love, you’ll never be able to keep the law. It is not in us to do by our own self-effort! Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ and his work in us!
“I think the law tells us how to treat people we don’t love.â€
That’s a good statement we often see working in many and at one time, myself. I get a little upset when I here preachers (?) say we have to do this or that. I remember a fellow in town who I came to know who had a stroke and couldn’t walk or speak very good. People used to shun him but I used to love to spend time with him at the coffee shop. I actually understood what he was taking about most of the time. When I saw a pastor (office holder) whom I respected shun him I also started to avoid this person because I wanted to be accepted by the leaders in the church (?) I attended. The more I avoided this wonderful guy the more my heart would ache. Took a long time to get the message but I pray I never do anything like that again.
“I think the law tells us how to treat people we don’t love.â€
That’s a good statement we often see working in many and at one time, myself. I get a little upset when I here preachers (?) say we have to do this or that. I remember a fellow in town who I came to know who had a stroke and couldn’t walk or speak very good. People used to shun him but I used to love to spend time with him at the coffee shop. I actually understood what he was taking about most of the time. When I saw a pastor (office holder) whom I respected shun him I also started to avoid this person because I wanted to be accepted by the leaders in the church (?) I attended. The more I avoided this wonderful guy the more my heart would ache. Took a long time to get the message but I pray I never do anything like that again.