"And His commands are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3, NIV, from today's reading)
Then why do so many think they are?
The Garden reveals that Satan effectively deceived man concerning obedience. He basically said that if we obey the Lord God, we will miss out on a really great life. What mankind has discovered, however, is that what is really "burdensome" is you and I running our own lives.
Now, in our minds at least, we know better than the lie of Genesis 3, don't we? But when people say such things as, "O, that's Old Testament," what they are really saying is, "Forget the laws of God. I'm free now to do what I like," all the while harboring some erroneous theology that one can just confess and ask for forgiveness if they have a moment of conscience attack.
We are told in Scripture that the commands/laws/ordinances of God are, "....for our good always." We are also told that to live a life in disobedience to God's Law brings severe consequences, which includes making terrible choices in life. Jesus said that He came to fulfill, "the Law and the Prophets," not destroy them. I wonder if their ever was a book with a title something like, How To Walk In The Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.
Jesus, "The Word of God," told Jeremiah that the day was coming when, "....I will put My Law IN their minds (literally, 'inward parts') and IN their hearts." This, "is not burdensome." When the world looks at you and me, they should be seeing a "revelation" of the, "Law and the Prophets." This is exactly what the world beheld "when Christ was born in Bethlehem." And as Jesus walked the shores of the Galilee, taught in the synagogues, healed the sick, raised the dead, died on the Cross and rose again, humanity saw just what that "bad" Old Testament was/is talking about. Perhaps when the Book of Hebrews talks of a, "Better Covenant," one of the meanings is that the New Covenant explains the Old Covenant, a "revelation" of that Covenant. For sure, the New Covenant is fulfillment of the Old. May our lives so manifest.
Father, in Jesus' Name, if I have ever harbored a wrong attitude about Your Law, I ask forgiveness and a renewed mind in the Holy Spirit. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
