Romans 4:13
It's easy to look at events that occurred a long time ago and forget when they took place in relationship to one another. I'm sure Abraham had a code of conduct he followed in his relationship with God, but all that is recorded in the Bible is his faith and the decisions he made because of that faith. The Law wasn't given to him, or even given to his descendants for several hundred years. Abraham's righteousness came completely from God, a gift based entirely upon God's love for him and Abraham's faith in God.
Why is this important? The Jewish Law given to Moses adds up to 613 commandments governing every aspect of life and every action of every day. That's too overwhelming, especially for anyone who hasn't grown up following them and trying to remember them all. Faith is more accessible, even if the end result means following many of those same commandments. If I have to memorize a vast new code of conduct governing my words, my thoughts, my actions, my prayers, and my interactions with other, I will become discouraged at all the rules I break as I try to sort out what, when and how I should act. If my focus is only on faith, however, and how to live that out on a daily basis, love will transform the drudgery and confusion of laws into a simpler focus on how I can please the One I love and believe in.
Why is this important? The Jewish Law given to Moses adds up to 613 commandments governing every aspect of life and every action of every day. That's too overwhelming, especially for anyone who hasn't grown up following them and trying to remember them all. Faith is more accessible, even if the end result means following many of those same commandments. If I have to memorize a vast new code of conduct governing my words, my thoughts, my actions, my prayers, and my interactions with other, I will become discouraged at all the rules I break as I try to sort out what, when and how I should act. If my focus is only on faith, however, and how to live that out on a daily basis, love will transform the drudgery and confusion of laws into a simpler focus on how I can please the One I love and believe in.
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