Jesus Plus

02.08.14

Acts 15.10-11 10 “So now why are you testing God by putting a heavy load around the necks of the non-Jewish believers? It is a load that neither we nor our ancestors were able to carry. 11 But we believe that we and they too will be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus.” (NCV)

The Law was never intended to be an addendum to grace. The problem in our fallenness is we often seem to insist that salvation is: Jesus, plus… (fill in the blank). The minute we go there we set aside grace as insufficient and tell God He needs help and will get it from us if only we do thus and such.

Loving God is not an issue of smoking or chewing or going with girls who are doing; loving God is seeking Him earnestly, listening to Him carefully, and then, obeying Him entirely. Well, Paul, what about obeying the Law? Damn, son! I’m glad you asked!

The Law is all about my performance and how much I can impress God by keeping the rules. Love has nothing to do with law, but obeying God is all about lovingly, eagerly doing what God commands: love your neighbor as yourself – no law there, just love. God does not lead us by rules though He is a Ruler. There isn’t a list of do’s and don’ts – there is just a loving Father asking us to love Him and trust Him and do as He says to do: to love Him and love others.

Peter said (something like), “Why the (bleep) do we want to ask the Gentiles to do what neither we nor our ancestors (as good as some of them really were) could EVER DO!? That is insanity!” And Peter was right. The problem is so often our religious leanings demand some mark of performance or achievement which we can wear around our neck, or on our head, or somewhere where it is plainly obvious that we’ve arrived; that we’re good. God isn’t impressed with what we eat or drink or whatever we do so long as we genuinely do it for His glory…not our own.

I am guilty of Jesus Plus. I was raised on Jesus Plus. I have preached Jesus Plus and have tried earnestly to live it. Only. to. fail. miserably. (A new blogging technique: copious periods… You impressed? I am. J) I am ashamed of Jesus Plus living. Today, I only want Jesus’ grace – it is sufficient for me always. I want to learn to seek Him earnestly, humbly, and, oh yeah, desperately, so that I can hear Him carefully, and then, obey Him entirely. Jesus Plus wasn’t working for them and it isn’t working for me.

Dad, I am sorry for every time I have tried to live Jesus Plus. Help me just to love and trust You more and agree that I am really not my own. I ask You what to do, and ask that You help me to quiet my soul that I may hear you fully, and then, in love, just do what You ask. Free me from religious leanings and the propensity to try to impress You. May I just do and just do it all for You – Amen.