Rumblings and ramblings on all things of interest to me
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Quote of the Week
One mustn't make the Christian life into a punctilious system of law...Nothing gives one a more spuriously good conscience than keeping rules, even if there has been a total absence of all real charity and faith.
I think that's a danger in following any set of rules, including the Biblical commandments. There is a danger that it will become meaningless ritual with no spirit behind it.
Thanks for dropping by. I think I know what you mean by, "ritual with no spirit behind it." But in any case, here's what I think. Jesus didn't save me in order to give me the power to keep His commandments. Stated another way, keeping the commandments is not the goal of my salvation. I believe that God saves us so that we can have an intimate relationship with Him. We can fellowship with Him and he can reveal the depths of His love and acceptance to our hearts. Because of that revelation of His love and His displays of faithfulness in our lives, we grow to love Him more and more each day. The love we have for Him, and others, is an expression of His love to us, in us, and through us. It is that power of love working in our hearts that enables us to keep His commandments. It isn’t an insufferable thing to do or a thing that is done under compulsion, but an expression of our love for Him.
2 comments:
I think that's a danger in following any set of rules, including the Biblical commandments. There is a danger that it will become meaningless ritual with no spirit behind it.
Hi Judah,
Thanks for dropping by. I think I know what you mean by, "ritual with no spirit behind it." But in any case, here's what I think. Jesus didn't save me in order to give me the power to keep His commandments. Stated another way, keeping the commandments is not the goal of my salvation. I believe that God saves us so that we can have an intimate relationship with Him. We can fellowship with Him and he can reveal the depths of His love and acceptance to our hearts. Because of that revelation of His love and His displays of faithfulness in our lives, we grow to love Him more and more each day. The love we have for Him, and others, is an expression of His love to us, in us, and through us. It is that power of love working in our hearts that enables us to keep His commandments. It isn’t an insufferable thing to do or a thing that is done under compulsion, but an expression of our love for Him.
In Christ,
Gary
Post a Comment