I was at a huge Christian conference once and sitting in a seminar about the 10 Commandments. The guy leading it asked us a question: 'Why did God give the Israelites the 10 Commandments?' I remember one of my youth leaders at the time sticking his hand up and answering, 'For their enjoyment!' I thought it was a great answer because God only asks us to do what is best for us but the guy leading the seminar obviously didn't see it that way and didn't know what to make of it. I think he thought it was a joke or something. Oh well.John says the commands of God are not burdensome.
There's something really natural about being in a relationship with God that naturally affects everything else, even when there's sin trying to catch us at every turn. People struggle and strive to impress God and live for him but John makes it sound so natural - like breathing in and out. Loving God, loving Jesus, loving others and obeying God's commands should all be as natural as breathing in and out.
If only it were that easy! But it's worth remembering that it should be this easy! The thing that makes it difficult to do these things is our own sinful nature (which we won't completely shake off until Jesus takes us to heaven) but if we're Christians, we have God the Holy Spirit living in us and this means that we have a new nature. This means that we're not battling to live for God against our nature but that we're living naturally for God and when we sin - we're battling our new nature. Do you see the difference? We're being less ourselves, less our true nature, less like our Father God when we sin.
So how can we live more naturally and do the things John describes? Well, it all starts with believing. Not doing - BELIEVING. What we believe affects what we are. John says those who believe Jesus is the Messiah (chosen one from God, saviour, rescuer) are the children of God.
So, do you believe this? If so, ask God to help you live according to your new godly nature. If not, why not and have you considered Jesus thoroughly for yourself or written him off?
Have fun!
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2 comments:
You say of our sinful nature that we won't shake it off completely until heaven. What do you think Paul is saying in Colossians 2 vv 11,12 'In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.' Romans 12 also refers to baptism saying '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— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.' Do you think Paul is suggesting something happens to our sinful nature in baptism?
Fair point. I think it's about our sinful nature not having power over us any more but we still act like it has. It's like the circus bear who lived most of its life in a 10 foot square cage and when it was retired and released into a huge enclosure it spent its time pacing back and forth in a 10 foot square instead of enjoying its new freedom. As Christians we're free from the sinful nature's power but we still act like we're slaves to it. We need to make a continuous choice to live by the Spirit and not according to our old sinful nature. 'Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit' - Galatians 5:25.
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