Does some of the things Jesus said in the gospels ever trip you up? Do you ever read some of his bold statements and think theres no way I could live up to Christs standards ? Does it cause you to either not even bother to try or work overtime to try meet those requirements? For example, in Matthew 5:48 Jesus said, be perfect as I am perfect Ha! If that doesnt make you want to change religions I dont know what will! If we dont understand what Jesus was saying then we can easily feel hopeless and feel like we will never please him. A lot of times Jesus said these very bold statements as a way to show them they could NOT attain it on their own. Jesus was preaching the law to them to show them the law was not good enough. Lynn Hiles put it like this, The purpose of the law was to shut up and realize we need a savior If something Jesus said puts you in a place of condemnation you might be interpreting it wrong. Christ came to set us free on all levels, even from our own guilt. Back to the verse be perfect that Jesus spoke. If we move forward to after He died on the cross and the NEW covenant was in place we can know that all requirements of our righteousness were fulfilled. It says in Hebrews 10 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, S acrifice and offering Y ou have not desired, B ut a body Y ou have prepared for M e; I n whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Y ou have taken no pleasure. T hen I said, B ehold, I have come (I n the scroll of the book it is written of M e ) T o do Y our will, O G od. After saying above, S acrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Y ou have not desired, nor have Y ou taken pleasure in them (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, B ehold, I have come to do Y our will. He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of G od, waiting from that time onward until H is enemies be made a footstool for H is feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, T his is the covenant that I will make with them A fter those days, says the Lord : I will put M y laws upon their heart, A nd on their mind I will write them, He then says, A nd their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. (Hebrews 10:1-17 NASB) Did you see it? For by one offering he PERFECTED for all time.. Its the fulfillment of Him telling us to be perfect. He wants the world to see that we are not perfect on our own and need a savior. But once we do receive Him as savior by grace we can know that that requirement of being perfect has been fulfilled. If you are doing something other than believing Christ did it, in order to meet this expectation then you are adding works to grace, which is legalism. It is by grace we are saved! For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; (Ephesians 2:8 NASB) The other part in Hebrews that is compelling me to share is where it says that under the law that their sacrifices were an annual reminder of their sins (vs 3) Under the new covenant we should not stay in a place of being constantly reminded of our sins. Its not Biblical to focus on our past sin, declare we are sinners, or stay in a constant state of feeling sorry for our sins. There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1) It says, There sins and lawless acts I will remember NO more!! If God isnt remembering them, why should we? Know you are forgiven today. Know you are made new. Know you are loved.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Jun 2014 11:17:05 +0000
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