PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Luke 10:25-28
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“He wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus…” (Luke 10:29)
People want to justify ourselves to feel better about themselves.
God commands deep love for God and people, like God loves us.
We look for limits, excuses or loopholes to lessen that demand.
This has always been the problem with our focus on the Law.
We can always find a way to justify our preferences.
Christians claim that the bible is God’s Word, and they obey it.
Except for turning our cheeks, or giving wealth to the poor.
We find justifications for not really doing what it says.
Jesus is right, if we loved God and people fully, we would live.
But we don’t, and can’t; we all fall short of God’s full will.
Which is why we need grace, not law, to help us in our weakness.
Beware of this spirit of self-justification… we all do it.
We use the law to justify ourselves, and to condemn others.
May Jesus expose this in us, and show us our need for grace!
PRAYER
Lord, help me to see that only grace justifies. And help me to be as gracious to others as you are to me!
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ That is a challenge- something I need to continue to work on! But that is the key mission for us as followers of Jesus. God loves all people even our enemies and those who harm us. Lord help me to forgive and to exemplify in my living and saying and doing – reflect a genuine love – the love you exemplified when you came!
Love is the answer.
Love God. Love one another.
As God has shown His love for me with all my brokeness so too I need to show His love unto others. No excuses. Living for Jesus requires this. I need to see others through the eyes of Jesus. We all need His presence, His grace and truth in our lives. I need to be an instrument of His peace. I need to be like Christ unto others showing the love of Christ. He freely gave and I need to do the same.
God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name.
I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share his love as he told me to.
He said ‘Freely, freely you have received;, freely, freely give.
Go in my name, and because you believe others will know that I live.
All pow’r is giv’n in Jesus’ name
in earth and heav’n in jesus name
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share his pow’r as he told me to.
He said ‘Freely, freely you have received;, freely, freely give.
Go in my name, and because you believe others will know that I live.
God gives us life in Jesus’ name
he lives in us in Jesus’ name
And in Jesus’ name I come to you
To share his peace as he told me to