After all that God, through the His Spirit, is teaching me, guess what I've realized now? The bible teaches and encourages living by faith in Christ.
Even in the Old Testament, there was the Law, yet people STILL believed God for the promises He made to them and did what He told them to do.
You know how Abraham is mentioned so much in the New Testment? Well, he's not commended for what he did. He's commended for his faith in God alone, for it is written of him: And Abraham BELIEVED God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And lets not forget Noah, Rahab, David, Joshua, and a whole bunch of of others who're commended for their faith in God.
And you know what religion is? Man's self-effort to please God. Why? Cuz nothing we could ever do could even come close to perfection when it comes to Christ and the cross! Why else do we supposed God gave us His Son (which, btw, is the whole reason for the season of Christmas. Its about giving, not receiving. And God set the example on that, sure enough!). No matter how well-intended or good religion is and no matter how much we try to defend and explain the significance of them, it won't save you. And rightfully so. No one has perfectly satisfied God, nor died on the cross, rose three days later and totally made him who had power over death powerless, sat down at the right hand of God in heaven or always living to make intercession for every single human being on this planet. The only one who did all that is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God!
So now I pay more attention to what I read in the bible since it teaches living by faith in Christ for righteousness.
Note: I know I'm being repetative about faith. I'm just glad about it all cuz I'm no longer bound down and walking in defeat because of works. That alone is enough to start shouting about! And you know what, aint this what grace is?
Even in the Old Testament, there was the Law, yet people STILL believed God for the promises He made to them and did what He told them to do.
You know how Abraham is mentioned so much in the New Testment? Well, he's not commended for what he did. He's commended for his faith in God alone, for it is written of him: And Abraham BELIEVED God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And lets not forget Noah, Rahab, David, Joshua, and a whole bunch of of others who're commended for their faith in God.
And you know what religion is? Man's self-effort to please God. Why? Cuz nothing we could ever do could even come close to perfection when it comes to Christ and the cross! Why else do we supposed God gave us His Son (which, btw, is the whole reason for the season of Christmas. Its about giving, not receiving. And God set the example on that, sure enough!). No matter how well-intended or good religion is and no matter how much we try to defend and explain the significance of them, it won't save you. And rightfully so. No one has perfectly satisfied God, nor died on the cross, rose three days later and totally made him who had power over death powerless, sat down at the right hand of God in heaven or always living to make intercession for every single human being on this planet. The only one who did all that is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God!
So now I pay more attention to what I read in the bible since it teaches living by faith in Christ for righteousness.
Note: I know I'm being repetative about faith. I'm just glad about it all cuz I'm no longer bound down and walking in defeat because of works. That alone is enough to start shouting about! And you know what, aint this what grace is?