Friday, November 27, 2015

Law vs Faith

I've been reading in Leviticus during my devotions. It's not my favorite book of the Bible because it has historically difficult for me to glean some application or useful information from.

Leviticus lists all the offerings required for each different sin and what is required as far as holiness and cleanliness. What you can and can't eat to be acceptable to God. What you can touch and can't touch and what you have to do to be made clean again after you touch something unclean.

I would assume most Christians are grateful that we are no longer under the law and God just requires us to have faith and believe in him to be saved and made righteous before him.

But sometimes, for me at least, faith is hard. I'd rather do all the tedious things required by the law then simply believe. Then I could be sure that I was doing my best before God. Doing what he required. Because the requirements are spilled out in list form and I can check them off and know I have done it all.

It's hard to measure faith. Am I really believing God to be God? Am I believing enough? Fully. Completely. With all my heart. And even faith requires action. So I get stuck in the doing rather than the believing, or at least that is my tendency. I'm working on it with God's help.

Wednesday we drove by a place on the side of the road decorated with crosses and flowers in memory of someone who had died in a car accident. Katelynn said it'd be scary to die like that. I asked her why and she said because she hopes she would go to heaven. I explained to her that since she'd asked Jesus into her heart and was living to please him, she didn't have to worry. Jesus promised us heaven and we can be sure he wouldn't lie to us. She responded with "okay" and went on, no longer worried. Childlike faith. So simple, uncomplicated.

We make it so difficult. I want to be in the center of God's will so I complicate things trying to believe and do, do and believe, instead of just obeying and following and trusting.

God help me to just pursue you, love you, obey you, knowing you will take care of all of me!

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