Get the appTruth Pursuer: Lovin' the LawSample
Speaking of relationship with God, that’s one thing the Pharisees lacked. The Pharisees taught the Law during Jesus’ time. They made a big show about following all of God’s rules and thought they were better than everyone else. But instead of being pleased with their actions, Jesus said, “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth . . . but you neglect justice and the love of God” (Luke 11:42).
Jesus warned us not to be like the Pharisees. Their actions looked good on the outside, but their hearts were dark. Jesus wants us to follow His commands for one reason: love (John 14:15). We shouldn’t obey God because we’re afraid He’ll strike us with lightning if we don’t. We should do as He asks because we want to express our love back to the One who laid down His life for us!
Think about it this way: Mom asks you to clean your room. You do it, while grumbling and slamming things around. What does that say about your heart? Instead imagine cleaning your room before Mom asks, to give her a pleasant surprise. Which job will make Mom and you happier-the chore done grumpily or the cleaning done out of love?
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About this Plan
You may not have an ice cream cone in your back pocket at any time. It is illegal to wake a bear to take its picture. No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour. Believe it or not, those are actual laws in various places. They sound pretty silly, don’t they? The Israelites might have thought the same thing when God gave them some of His laws. For instance, God told them to only eat meat from animals that had split hooves and chewed the cud (Leviticus 11:3). Huh? God also required that any clothing with mildew on it must be taken to the priest to “examine the mildew and isolate the affected article for seven days” (Leviticus 13:50). Can you imagine taking your dirty laundry to your pastor? God, in His infinite wisdom, had good reasons for each law He gave. He intended them to benefit not only the Israelites but also the world. Copyright (c) Melinda Means and Joanna Lutz, Focus on the Family."
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