Leaving the ranks of the mindless army of rule-followers
I really enjoy when a continuous theme pops out at me as I study the scriptures. I do a lot of bouncing around both testaments in my quiet time, and just when I think things are getting too random, I notice a common thread has been attaching everything I read that day. Perhaps I’m not the only one who's experienced this. Earlier this week, I had one of those serendipitous experiences. It served as such a great reminder to me that I thought maybe I should share it with anyone who might actually read this silly blog.
2 Chronicles 30 and Acts 15. These two chapters are seemingly random, and they were random for me when I chose them the other day. In 2 Chronicles 30, King Hezekiah has been leading the nation of Israel through the purification process, so they might be forgiven for forsaking the Lord during the previous king’s reign. In Acts 15 a debate is stirring about whether or not the good news applies to the Gentiles, even though they are uncircumcised. In both of these passages there is a group of people trying to make themselves right before God. One group has forsaken their relationship with the Lord, and the other has never known Him.
What is truly amazing about these two passages though, is that in both, the scriptures make it very clear that God is first and foremost interested in these people’s hearts before He is interested in their physical obedience to the law. 2 Chronicles 30:18-20 and Acts 15:8-9 make it abundantly clear that purification comes firstly through faith and not through bored, tired, drone-like physical obedience.
Please understand, I am not condemning the commands of God. I believe that there are many physical commands in scripture that still should be obeyed by us today, and I believe God gives us those commands because they are the best things for us. But I do not believe that God is interested in a mindless army of rule followers. God first and foremost has always been interested in our hearts, because God understands this…
The transformed heart is the catalyst for the transformed actions of a transformed life.
Or you could put it this way…
It is from a heart that seeks Him, that God will create a body that obeys Him.
So is obeying God important? Of course. God wants us to obey Him. But more than that, I believe that God wants us to want to obey Him.
2 Chronicles 30 and Acts 15. These two chapters are seemingly random, and they were random for me when I chose them the other day. In 2 Chronicles 30, King Hezekiah has been leading the nation of Israel through the purification process, so they might be forgiven for forsaking the Lord during the previous king’s reign. In Acts 15 a debate is stirring about whether or not the good news applies to the Gentiles, even though they are uncircumcised. In both of these passages there is a group of people trying to make themselves right before God. One group has forsaken their relationship with the Lord, and the other has never known Him.
What is truly amazing about these two passages though, is that in both, the scriptures make it very clear that God is first and foremost interested in these people’s hearts before He is interested in their physical obedience to the law. 2 Chronicles 30:18-20 and Acts 15:8-9 make it abundantly clear that purification comes firstly through faith and not through bored, tired, drone-like physical obedience.
Please understand, I am not condemning the commands of God. I believe that there are many physical commands in scripture that still should be obeyed by us today, and I believe God gives us those commands because they are the best things for us. But I do not believe that God is interested in a mindless army of rule followers. God first and foremost has always been interested in our hearts, because God understands this…
The transformed heart is the catalyst for the transformed actions of a transformed life.
Or you could put it this way…
It is from a heart that seeks Him, that God will create a body that obeys Him.
So is obeying God important? Of course. God wants us to obey Him. But more than that, I believe that God wants us to want to obey Him.
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