By Brenda Groves
The Post Newspaper Contributing Writer
I heard a preacher once say that growing up in his family and community people worked very hard, from sunup to sun down. And they had derogatory terms for lazy people, referring to them as “rascals.”
“Why that rascal has never done a full day’s work in his whole life.” It was a shameful thing to be known as a rascal (Can you imagine that attitude in today’s society? You know there is a difference between being poor by circumstance, and being poor by choice. But, that’s another column).
When this preacher was a young man, the Lord began speaking to him about taking some time off each afternoon from work just to sit and be still before Him, read the Bible and listen for God to speak to him. Well, this went against the keeping busy/work principle that he had instilled in him.
He said he felt like a rascal himself leaving the fields in mid-afternoon to just go home and lie on his bed and spend some time with the Lord, but he was obedient.
He just thought, “Man if anyone should catch me “resting” here in midday instead of working, what WILL they think of me???
Well, it was the same concept in the Apostle Paul’s day concerning religion.
When Paul was writing his letter (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) to the church (born again believers in Christ Jesus) in Rome, there were still “religious” people who were trying to come against him for preaching the message of God’s grace. It was a truly radical concept to them.
The Jewish people were so steeped in religious practices and there was NO good news in that. The yoke or burden for their own salvation was heaped on their back. Hundreds and hundreds of rules and regulations, some from God, MANY they added themselves along the way, just like we try to do today. You have to read so many chapters of the Bible each day to please God, or women can’t wear makeup, or cut their hair or wear shorts or dance etc. etc.
I’m not trying to pick on anyone but if we aren’t careful, we can fall from totally relying on His grace and make the mistake of trying to add to what Christ did to either learn or retain our salvation.
Right standing with God is not based on our works/religious practices. Right standing with God happens when we put our faith in Jesus and call out to Him by faith to receive what He has already provided us by His grace.
In the Old Testament, God intended these laws to keep the children of Israel in line, or safe (because sin is so destructive) until Jesus could be born by prophecy spoken through the prophets so the miracle of Christ’s birth, through a virgin, could come to pass.
Now, here comes Paul in the New Testament preaching the message of God’s grace and the almost too good to be true news that Jesus fulfilled ALL the laws given by God and written in the Old Testament and even though Jesus never sinned, He as “God in the flesh” offered Himself as our perfect sacrifice for ALL of our sins and proved this by dying on the the cross and being raised from the dead three days later.
This Gospel of grace was such a radical concept to the Jews (and to many religious people today): that God is no longer imputing (or tacking on) men’s sins upon them. The precious blood of a PERFECT sacrifice was more than enough payment for the sins of the world. GRACE (we are not getting what we deserve). God is not angry with us. He poured out all of His wrath on Jesus. Now there is a wrath to come for those who deny this precious gift, because even though their sins have already been forgiven, if they refuse His gift, they will have to make restitution themselves. The penalty is death. They will have to stand before God based on their own works or goodness. The measuring stick is Jesus! Perfect Jesus.
Abraham’s FAITH in God was accounted to him as righteousness, or right standing with God, hundreds of years before the “laws” were ever given or in effect.
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed in God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who DOES NOT work (tries to earn salvation through good deeds/ rituals/church attendance/tithing etc.) but believes in Him who justifies (just as if I never sinned) the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works.
King David prophesied this in the Old Testament when he wrote:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord SHALL NOT IMPUTE sin.” Psalm 32: 1-2
Think about this: a person can simply put their faith in Jesus and REST from their own works. I don’t mean we stop doing things, but we stop doing things in order to please God or earn our salvation because “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”
Faith in what?
Faith in Jesus and His finished works at the Cross.
By placing our faith in Him and receiving Jesus, we are FREE to love God with all of our hearts, soul, mind and strength out of gratitude not servitude (Our debts have been paid for us).
Then we will automatically love our neighbors as ourselves because Jesus gives us the miracle of a new regenerated heart at our spiritual rebirth.
Back then the Gentiles (non- Jews) received this message of grace much quicker because they KNEW they were lost and weren’t relying on their own goodness/religion (I’m a Sadaducee, Pharasee, Hindu, Muslim or Methodist or Catholic or Baptist or whatever) but SOLEY trusted in Jesus.
Because of this message of being accepted only based on faith in Jesus, Paul was ridiculed so severely that’s why He said, “I am not ASHAMED of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
The works we do for the Lord are not a claim to personal goodness but rather a testimony to His goodness towards us.
You know, it is actually hard work to turn from self effort and rely solely on the Lord’s redeeming love, to live by faith in Him, not in yourself.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”
So if you (like myself at times) feel like you have to work or perform in order to please God, just rest and allow His grace to work in your life.
Some religious people will think you are a rascal when you rest in His grace, but you are actually just practicing being the redeemed of the Lord.
“And let the redeemed of the Lord say so.”
PS: The preacher said the time he spends alone (resting) with the Lord is the “BEST investment that he has ever made.”
(Romans 1:16-17; Romans 4: 7-8; Matt:28, Gal. 5:1-4; 1 Tim. 3:16; Hebrews 4:9-11, 11:6; Psalms 4:4, 46:10, 107:2. I encourage anyone to study the entire books of Galatians and Romans in reference to this column.)
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
