Welcome to Hank’s Place —
When I turned to Jesus in 1976 it was honeymoon time! God the Father loved me! Jesus made His home in me thru the Holy Spirit! I was soaring, in love with God who loved me!
Then the law guys began their subtle work on me. “Gotta get things right, Hank.” “Right living is needed in order to please God and be blessed by Him.” Talk about pressure to perform! I became SELF-conscious. Was I doing it right, or done enough to please God? You see, I had grown up believing I was unable to please my father. At best he would grump. Or angry silence. Or “Why’d you do that? You should know better.”
I believed I could not please my earthly dad. Yikes! Now what about my Heavenly Dad? Impossible! Every preaching teaching leading opportunity brought with it pressure, tension, headaches – lots of headaches. Condemnation city.
I had become a law-man, a ‘gotta get things right’ man. Listening to the law teachers. Law teachers measure success, our religious progress, in avoiding sin, for sin is breaking of the law. “The law” these days refers to rules or regulations that define some standard of right living.
Churches and denominations are fond of packaging these rules as laws. Keeping the Ten Commandments, the teachings of Jesus, denominational or church traditions or practices. They might cover – church attendance, giving, moral conduct, dress codes, hair length, diet, spiritual disciplines, women in ministry, listening to music, communion, confession, etcetera.
At that time only thing I knew about ‘grace’ was how to spell it. Then – graciously – God delivered me from a childhood demon of unworthiness. And slowly I began to grow in the grace of God and find freedom from the Law.
Yes, for us Christians we can find LIFE, abundant life, the life found only in Christ Jesus. Regarding religious laws: “We died to the law.” Romans 7:4. “We have been released from the law.” Romans 7:6. “We are not under law” Romans 6:14 and Galatians 5:18. And “Christ is the end of the law for all who believe.” Romans 10:4.
Dear friend, are you, like I was, struggling to “get things right” in the sight of God? Then it it is time to reckon yourself to dead to any and all religious laws. The law has no jurisdiction over the believer who has died with Christ.
Then, grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus! Receive that free gift of righteousness to reign in life. Romans 5:17.
You know what? You’ll COME ALIVE!
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