We certainly serve a God of grace and mercy! His grace revealed to us through His Son is something that I have no idea how to comprehend! It is simply amazing! God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, He doesn’t require that we follow a set of do’s and don’ts. In fact, Jesus came to give us freedom from the rules (or law). Jesus came to give us freedom from a religious system. Jesus came so that we would be able to do as we please and still recieve forgiveness. Our relationship with Christ doesn’t put restrictions on us, it sets us free! Christ doesn’t limit our actions, He allows us to live in freedom!
So, what’s the point of good works? Why should we even worry about doing the right thing? The answer is just two words…LOVE and GRATITUDE. That’s the reason we feel the need to live according to the Spirit. Our love and appreciation for Christ motivates us to live in a way that’s pleasing to Him. 1 John 2:3 says that we know we love Christ if we obey His commands. This is said because it is impossible for us to do the right things out of our own power, it has to come from a love and appreciation for the grace of God. Recieving God’s love requires a RESPONSE of our love.
Many times, I find myself trying to obey the rules. I find myself so caught up in the rules that I completely lose sight of my motivation for following the rules. I become like a Pharisee loving the law, rather than the law giver. I can never obey all the rules. Jesus proves during the Sermon on the Mount that it is impossible for man to be perfect (Matthew 5-7). I do, however, have to live out my gratitude and love for Christ. Where does your motivation come from? Where is your focus? God doesn’t want our perfection, He wants our love and appreciation!
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