OUR DAILY VITA IN FOR THE SOUL... Wednesday (March 26): Whoever relaxes one of the commandments Matthew 5:17-19 17 Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Meditation & Challenge: Do you view Gods law negatively or positively? Jesus attitude towards the law of God can be summed up in the great prayer of Psalm 119: Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. For the people of Israel the law could refer to the ten commandments or to the five Books of Moses, called the Pentateuch, which explain the commandments and ordinances of God for his people. The law also referred to the whole teaching or way of life which God gave to his people. The Jews in Jesus time also used it as a description of the oral or scribal law. Needless to say, the scribes added many more things to the law than God intended. That is why Jesus often condemned the scribal law. It placed burdens on people which God had not intended. Jesus, however, made it very clear that the essence of Gods law - his commandments and way of life, must be fulfilled. Jesus taught reverence for Gods law - reverence for God himself, for the Lords Day, reverence or respect for parents, respect for life, for property, for another persons good name, respect for oneself and for ones neighbor lest wrong or hurtful desires master us. Reverence and respect for Gods commandments teach us the way of love - love of God and love of neighbor. The transforming work of the Holy Spirit What is impossible to men and women is possible to God and those who put their faith and trust in God. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit the Lord transforms us and makes us like himself. We are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) because Gods love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:5). God gives us the grace to love as he loves, to forgive as he forgives, to think as he thinks, and to act as he acts. The Lord loves justice and goodness and he hates every form of wickedness and sin. He wants to set us free from our unruly desires and sinful habits, so that we can choose to live each day in the peace, joy, and righteousness of his Holy Spirit (Romans 14: 17). To renounce sin is to turn away from what is harmful and destructive for our minds and hearts, and our very lives. As his followers we must love and respect his commandments and hate every form of sin. Do you love and revere the commands of the Lord? Lord Jesus, grant this day, to direct and sanctify, to rule and govern our hearts and bodies, so that all our thoughts, words and deeds may be according to your Fathers law and thus may we be saved and protected through your mighty help. Amen. (daily meditation...)
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 06:49:33 +0000
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