First thought that comes to mind after this prayer,
"Why do I feel like God is going to command me to do something I DON'T want to do."
Why do I have this view of God? Is this how God is? I'm not really sure. I do NOT understand. Then my mind just keeps going.....I do NOT understand God. I do NOT understand Jesus. I do NOT understand the Holy Spirit.
I've heard many things, read many things about God. What is the TRUTH? I need a SOLID FOUNDATION to stand on. This could be an UNDERstatement!
NOTE: (For those of you reading this that feel like you know me. Yes, I've attended church for most of my life and I've had a relationship with Jesus Christ for quite sometime but that doesn't mean that I'm exempt from being deceived. Matter of fact, I think this makes me more susceptible to being deceived. Why wouldn't the master of lies want to keep me confused about the goodness of God!)
For quite sometime now when I have a question about God in my attempt to get to know him better, before I open my Bible I say a little prayer, "God, help me understand where I'm confused. I want to know you better."
I was thinking about the passage in Romans about Jesus dying for us while we were still yet sinners. Romans 5:8. So, I, led by the Holy Spirit, decided to read the recap at the beginning of Romans that the translators of my Bible wrote. It says, "Like a skilled lawyer....Paul established a SOLID FRAMEWORK for UNDERSTANDING the broad scope of the gospel of Jesus Christ."
God is so cool. He listens and he responds!
I feel led here to make sure you caught the connection in what I was feeling this a.m. and what God showed me I needed to read. I needed a SOLID FOUNDATION of UNDERSTANDING!!!
So, I guess this may be Part One of my Solid Foundation of Understanding according to God using the apostle Paul in the book of Romans!
Dear God, help me to see and understand what you need me to see and understand at this point in my walk with you. Help me to know you more and help me to know how much you love me just the way I am.
- Romans 2:4b Intention behind God's kindness=to turn me from sin.
- Romans 3:29b Intention behind God's law=show me how sinful I am
- Romans 3:22 Intention behind God's son=make me perfect in God's sight
Romans 3:28 We are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. (I'm going to put all scripture in red)
Can we forget about the law?
Apostle Paul says, "only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law"
What the heck does that mean? "God, I don't understand this, show me."
Romans 3:31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does that mean that we can FORGET about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
Purpose of the law=show me I need a Savior.
Faith=believing that Jesus Christ came and died for me.
This is my rewritten version.....
Only when we believe in Jesus Christ do we truly fulfill the purpose of the law, which is to realize we need a savior!
If we forget about the law, we forget we need a Savior! The thankfulness for having a savior will start to disappear.
I don't know about you but I need to be reminded every day that if it was not for Jesus Christ I would be accountable to the law and I would be punished.
So, what I believe God wants me to do today: Print off the ten commandments and put them up in my family room.
Why? Not to obey them. NO ONE can obey these. Just try for one day! I heard someone once say that any form of living under the standard of the ten commandments is subhuman behavior. Well, I guess everyone is considered subhuman if that is the case! (Oh and by the way, I'd much rather be subhuman and need Jesus Christ then be human and not need him!)
My reason to display the ten commandments is so that I can be reminded that each and every day I WILL fail at trying to keep these laws and that I DO need a savior and that through God's love and kindness for me and you he gave us Jesus Christ!
One more thing, I have not felt joy this week. I've been run down with a head cold. I keep hearing there is joy in Jesus Christ. This week has been a week where I have definitely asked, "Where the heck is the joy?" Here is my joy, "Oh, what JOY for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what JOY for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin." Romans 4:7-8.
Back to God's will for me today. I believe he wanted me to rest in his love for me. Rest in the fact that there is nothing I can do today that will keep him from loving me. Rest in the fact that I am free from the law because of His love for me!
New title in the Bennett household for the Ten Commandments:
"The Ten Reasons to Thank God for Jesus Christ!"
Living Loved,
Elizabeth
P.S. Feel free to join me in posting these in your home as a reminder of what Jesus Christ did for you! Just click on the link and you can print your own copy of the Ten Commandments.
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