The Real Thing, Baby!

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Romans 3 (click the link)


KEY VERSES:
Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (Romans 3:31, NIV)


THE BIG IDEA:
By now, if you have been reading these little snippets of wisdom every day (which have been nothing short of AWESOME), the key verse will not come as a surprise.  After all, the argument that Paul puts forth (throughout Romans and elsewhere in the New Testament) is about Grace vs. Law, Faith vs. Works? Etc. Right? 

In studying scripture for a good bit of my life, I have come to realize that you can pull out any side of an argument about Scripture and win, especially Paul’s stuff.  I think we may slide over these verses like Peter probably wanted to.  In 2 Peter 3:14-16 he writes about Paul’s letters to the church, where he says: 

Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,  and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,  as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

So… why all this discussion?  Why does Paul go into all that detail? 

REFLECTIONS:

I think that Paul knew a little about human nature—the fallen disposition of man. It left us totally unable to redeem ourselves apart from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  Now, he had to convince Jews, who had relied on rituals and sacrifices and outward actions to remove their sin, that they now had to come  under grace, to receive a NEW GIFT. They had to receive FAITH in another entity (namely Jesus) that made them utterly dependent.  

They were the guardians of God’s heritage.  I think that they took this for granted AND it became a source of PRIDE for them and they reflected that to the world. Rather than being a blessing to the world, THEIR world had shifted under their feet.  It was no longer all they needed.  On the other side of the argument you had the GENTILES, some totally ignorant except for a few pagan gods on their mantle above the fireplace or totally given over to intellectualism, or rampant degradation to the point that “there is no fear of God before their eyes.” Their minds… opinions… feelings… urges… cravings… were their gods. (Sounds a little like the good ole’ USA today, doesn’t it?) Now they had to recalibrate their thinking to being DEPENDENT (there is that word again) on faith. 

So these two audiences probably had innumerable questions and arguments around this simple act of faith.  Believing that it is a GIFT!!!   A gift of LOVE!!  All you have to do is reach out and take it… by faith.  

I think that is what Paul was contending for.  It all comes down to changes of heart, stooping down to see the beauty of the cross of the sacrifice that Jesus did through His Great Love and receiving that—receiving HIS life for ours, HIS DNA for ours, letting Him pour the Law that was contained perfectly in His heart into ours.  The law is written on our hearts.  The physical scriptures only enhance the speaking of the Holy Spirit who is already resident in us.

I love Webster’s Dictionary.  I get almost as much revelation from it as the scriptures, because it breaks it down to your understanding.  I am supplying this definition for all our benefit: 

Dependent

a: determined or conditioned by another

b: relying on another for support, as affected with a drug

c: subject to another's jurisdiction

d: subordinate

It has always amazed me when Christians say, “We are not under the law anymore.”  Interesting. Jesus said… Not just adultery, but looking in lust… Not just murder, but hatred of a brother.  I think the “grace” has anted up, not down.

But Jesus, because of His Love will help us with the shortcomings and make us “perfect” in Love where we will “want” to do these things because His nature has become Ours!   That’s grace… Him working in you to make you look like Him, act like Him, sound like Him.  Praise the Lord; I need all the help I can get!!!!  Reminds me of a verse, pertinent to this:   

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

POINT OF ACTION:

Renew your faith.  Close your eyes, relax, and in your mind’s eye, reach out to Jesus and ask Him to give you a new “Gift” to help you with whatever place you are coming up short in “perfection.” Submit to his impressions, words and thoughts.  Be dependent on whatever he says… no matter how ridiculous it sounds.  More obedience… more “grace” comes from on high. 

PRAYER:

Lord, help me to see “me” as you see me.  Help me to understand the value of what you have put resident in me.   Make me dependent on your Holy Spirit.  Open my eyes to see what you see, open my ears to hear what you hear, make my heart DEPENDENT on You for everything.  I receive your new “gift of faith” I need for today.  Press me on into a new level of Faith.  Make me perfect in your eyes!  I thank you for the blood of your blood that does just that.  Thank you, Holy Spirit, that you have made a way for me to receive your help at Your throne today.  

WHO AM I?

I’m June Criner and I am sitting here trying to put my heart in the right place after writing this devotional.  I don’t want to give in to being envious of our friends that went to Israel this week.  I was there in 1983 and God changed my life for good.  I pray the same for them.  It is an awesome experience “going back to your roots.”  It really made me “feel” as if I were home.  Can’t wait for the Report from our sojourners!