ALL GOD WANTS FROM US 1

The Christian life can be confusing at times, so many requirements… do this, do that… be this, be that! It’s no wonder people sometimes give up.

God’s people, under the Mosaic Covenant, had 613 laws to obey to become “righteous”. Even then, if they did obey all 613 laws all the time, their righteousness would only have been ceremonial, not spiritual.

Hebrews 9:9-10 NIV
[9] “This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. [10] They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.”

Hebrews 9:13 NIV
[13] “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean.”

Hebrews 10:1, 3-4 NIV
[1] “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship….
[3] But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. [4] It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

God’s conclusion about all of humanity is,

Romans 3:10-12 NIV
[10]… “There is no one righteous, not even one; [11] there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. [12] All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”…
[18] “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

The law was never intended to make people righteous. Rather, it was given for another purpose.

Romans 3:20 NIV
[20] “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.”

Now, that’s helpful! What good is it if we are constantly being reminded of our sinfulness with no solution?

It’s little wonder, then, that most of God’s people didn’t even try to keep His laws. They simply followed their evil hearts.

God’s solution to this dilemma is both effective and permanent.

Hebrews 10:11-14 NIV
[11]”Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. [12] But when this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, [13] and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. [14] For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

Our faith in Jesus and what He did for us by dying on the cross, forever absolves us from trying to keep the law. Instead, we rest in His work and respond to His grace by paying it forward.

So, what does God want from us?
He swept away all 613 laws with one stroke and replaced them with two requirement that encompass everything He expects from us.

Requirement number one:

John 6:29 NLT
[29] Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

Requirement number two:

John 13:34 NLT
[34] “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”

In John’s first letter, he puts these two commandments together…

1 John 3:23 NLT
[23] “And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”

O yes, the New, Testament writers fleshed out those two commandments for so that we would clearly understand what believing in Jesus and loving one another really mean but, He lays no burden of dos and don’ts on us. In fact, John assures us,

1 John 5:1-3 NLT
[1] “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. [2] We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. [3] Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.”

There it us, laid out for us in the simplest way possible. Jesus really meant it when He said, “I will give you rest.” Real rest is in Him. No more struggling to please Him because we now know that what really pleases Him…our faith.

Hebrews 11:6 NLT
[6] “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”