Thursday, January 31, 2008

The Burden Lifted

"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome," 1 John 5:3

The burden comes because we misunderstand the meaning of works. Doing Christian service to justify God's love for you is a burden to heavy to carry. What work could one ever do to justify the love of God. God loves you not because of what you do, but because of who He is, and the work of His Son on Calvary. You are justified by His actions, not your own. But true faith at work in a life will result in a life lived to the praise of the glory of God.

"Faith alone justifies, but the faith which justifies is not alone"
John Calvin The Principles of Theology

Works then are not for the purpose of earning the love of God, but because I have already experienced the love of God even while I was yet a sinner. Thus, the works that I do are not to free myself from sin, but in a very real sense, our good works are for the purpose of helping others be freed from sin, as the grace of God begins to work in their lives. Not that you free anyone from sin, but you are called to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16 RSV)

The burden is further lifted by the reality that it is not in my own strength that it is accomplished. Wherever God reveals His glory He provides His strength to reveal it. "I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power." Ephesians 3:7

In all that you have to do today allow the working of God's power in you, that the work He has called you to will be free from burden.

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