One Thing: 7 Days to Discover a Simpler FaithExemplo

ONE THING TO BELIEVE ~ “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” David penned these words in Psalm 63:1 when he was in the dry and arid desert of Judah. His psalm makes it clear that our closeness to God is water for the soul. A dry and lifeless walk with the Lord is one in which we rely on the works of the law. A flourishing and thriving walk is one in which we rely on God’s grace and the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus is the Living Water, and He declared that whoever believes in Him will have rivers of living water flowing from within them (John 4:13-14; John 7:38). He is our Shepherd who leads us to springs of living water (Revelation 7:17). He is our Source, our Hope, our Redeemer, and, incomprehensibly, our Friend. He is the Savior of the entire world, and our faith in Him is the one thing we need. It’s beautifully simple, but doesn’t it seem that people often take something clear and then muddy it up a bit? We like to take that which is uncomplicated, and straightforward, and add to it. We take a good thing and we tack on distracting bells and whistles or steps and procedures that are not only unnecessary but also exhausting. 

This is the confusing and tiresome predicament the churches in Galatia found themselves in…so soon after they were taught the simple truth of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter, we now know as the Book of Galatians, to a group of churches in the area of Asia Minor who had been thrown into confusion. Some off-base religious people told them that in order to obtain salvation, new believers needed to observe Jewish customs—including circumcision. (Say it with me: “Ouch!”) Paul’s response to this false teaching was compelling and forceful. In Galatians 3:2 he wrote, “I would like to know one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?”

Every Christian today is also faced with the question of, “What is the one thing that saves us?” Is it observing the Sabbath on a certain day? Is it obeying a set of rules or laws? Is it doing enough good deeds? In other words: Are you saved by God’s grace, working through your faith and belief—or are you saved by works of the law? Trusting or trying. Trying or trusting. The two will always be at odds, so if you’ve wandered into a spiritual desert of works and the law, it’s time to turn to the Living Water. Embrace the sweet salvation that flows from Christ alone.