OK so here we go again with a new insight into my so called life. I was recently working on several things at home that involved moving paper from one stack to another stack and then back again to the first stack. I came across a folder that I carry from time to time and opened it to see what tid bit of information that I might have had in it or some long lost and forgotten thought. When I opened the folder I saw a receipt which meant I had spent some money on something important.
Upon closer look at the receipt I saw that it was attached to something that looked official and important. It was important! It was my registration and license renewal for my truck. The date was from APRIL! Now today as I compose these lines, it is much later than April; in fact, I have just completed my Summer activities with our Youth Ministry. We have had VBS, fellowships, I did a missions camp, we had two youth camps, and I have driven thousands of miles! I even drove to the seminary multiple times with my license/tags technically expired. I have been a law breaker and didn't even know it!
Of course you know me, that causes me to think about a spiritual analogy. How many people do we know that are law breakers and they don't even know it? Now I know we are not under the law but you get my point. How many are not in relationship with Christ but they don't know that they need to be? How about the idea that they are against God and are not aware of their need to not be a law breaker? How can they know if we don't tell them? The Bible tells me that we have to be the ones telling others about Christ. We have to be the ones that are no longer afraid of what others might say to us or think about us; more than we care that our friends being lost and without Jesus.
So today I am putting my sticker onto my truck to make sure that I am not breaking the law. I mean it's really simple when you think about it, you peel the backing off and place it onto the tag.
If I had been pulled over prior to today I would have pleaded ignorance or argued that I had purchased the sticker. I could have said I used to have the sticker but I don't have it anymore or I have no idea what happened. One day I just decided to not use the stickers anymore. Let's face it, I can still drive. It's not like I forgot how! You know I could argue, discuss, and plead all I want and still be a Law Breaker and Grace would not be given. Why? I am guilty. Sure there are excuses and reasons that I had not fully gone through all I was supposed to do but bottom line, guilty.
This is exactly the same with us before Christ. I used to go to church. I was a good person and never mistreated anyone. What do you mean that I am guilty like those people?! God I didn't like some of those people at the church because they were such hypocrites! I thought because my daddy and mommy went to church and were 'saved' that I was good too, kind of like a family thing.
You mean to tell me that all I have to do is to pull back the hardness of my heart and say yes to Christ, asking for forgiveness of my sins, repenting of them, and walk in obedience to him?
It sounds so simple to move from being a Law Breaker to Grace, and it is!
2 comments:
Steve, you are so good with illustrations!
I broke the law recently, but it didn't go unnoticed! You can read about it here, along with the spiritual insight I learned.
Your post got me thinking. Here's my question for you: are people who haven't repented and believed on Christ still under the Law? Even though we're in the "dispensation of grace" (as some would put it), I tend to think that a person is under the Law until they are under Grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It's only those who are in Jesus who are not under the Law. I suppose I'd point to Romans 2:12 & 3:19 and Galatians 5:18 for starters.
What do you think?
In all honesty we have to be under the Law that points us to Jesus Christ. Law vs Grace is where our salvation comes from, that is to say we have grace but it is not automatic. We have to have Grace because the Law was lacking. We have an awesome LORD that has provided a way for us to have salvation and then even paid and paved the way for us. We have to expereience salvation by grace through faith. It is the only way to be saved.
Bottom line, without Jesus as Savior one faces rath, judgment, separation, and punishment for our sins.
God bless and thanks for the conversation.
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