Everyday, everywhere, we have rules. In our house, we're told not to run. In the library, we have to check out the books. We are expected not to yell during the sermon at church. The list keeps going. We get them in church, public-parents are big. Once my youth pastor told me that if he didn't have his parents, he probably would have done a lot of bad things. I think the same about me-if my parents let me do whatever, I'd probably make a lot of bad choices that I might later regret. God gives us our parents to protect us and our parents give us rules because they love us (yes!! Seriously). They want what's best for us, they want us to be great. A good son is the pride of his Dad.
Have you ever thought how God doesn't give us rules? He doesn't say "do this" "don't do that". God wants you to obey Him because you love Him, not because you don't have a choice. (John 14:15). If we love God, we will totally, seriously do what He tells us. It's a reaction to our love for Him. Because Jesus the Messiah came and we no longer need rules or have to sacrifice animals. It's because we no longer live under law (Leveitcus and Deuteronomy-that's two of them-is God's law to the Isralites). We are living under grace. Because of grace, we don't have to follow rules anymore. It's about a relationship with the Creator! God wants to be your friend.
It's not by rules (or doing good things!) how we're saved. It's grace. Ephesians 2:8 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast." We're all saved by grace thru faith. It's not by good works we're saved so we don't have to compare ourselves to other Christians. Please, please let's not live under rules but under grace! Follow God because you love Him, do what He wants because you love Him, not to "get right with Him!"
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