Several years ago, before I was dating my husband, my small group went to a Song of Solomon Conference. It was amazing! I learned so much about how I wanted my future marriage to be. I can't wait to go back and take my husband someday! Anyway, after I got married, I signed up to recieve their devotionals. This one wasn't particularly aimed toward marriage but I thought it was important so I wanted to write a little bit about it.
I suggest you watch this short video first. I posted the text below for your convinience. The speaker is Mark Driscoll.
John 1:14-18 (New International Version)
(14) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(15) John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " (16) From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. (17) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (18) No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
Focusing on the law aspect of these verses, I think it is important to remember what Mark Driscoll was talking about in verse 17. Doing what is "right" is not what saves us. Our faith in Jesus Christ is what saves us. Driscoll refers to the book of Galatians about a minute into the video saying that Paul tells us the law exist to show us our sin. I think almost the entire book of Galatians tells us that, but here is a verse that I thought covered it pretty well.
Galatians 2:16 (New International Version)
know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
If we were saved through the law, (to be frank) we would all be screwed. We are a sinful people. Jesus Christ dying for us was COMPLETELY necessary in order for us to be with God. He is perfect and can not be around sin.
[If my thoughts get touchy, keep in mind, all of this is me thinking that devotional through (except when I quote scripture, that is God's word) and I am not passing judgment on anyone but myself]
It would be pretty easy then, to just say, "Well great, then I can go on living like I was and just have faith in Christ." But does that really show a transformation of the heart? I don't think so. If Jesus Christ is truly Lord of my life, if I truly love Him with all my heart, mind, and soul, then I would hate what he hates, love what he loves, and try my darndest to act like he would.
Romans 6
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
(1)What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? (2)By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (3)Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (4)We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
(5)If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. (6)For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— (7)because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
(8)Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (9)For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. (10)The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
(11)In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (12)Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. (13)Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. (14)For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
**I know I quote a lot of scripture. That's because I am human and I don't want anyone to just take my word for anything. If anyone is going to read or hear something about God, I want to make sure it is backed up by His word.
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