An expert in
religious law wanted to test Jesus so he asked Him what he had to do to receive
eternal life. Jesus asked him what he
understood the Law of Moses to say he had to do. The man's reply was to love God with all the
heart, soul and strength he had and to love his neighbor as himself. The man knew that he was not measuring up so
he tried to justify his actions under the guise of not knowing who his neighbor
was.
And so it is. It is one thing to know what the Scriptures
teach, it's quite another thing to live them.
Because we know we fail to live up to God's standards, we often try to justify
ourselves before God. We convince
ourselves that because we are "good people" we are good enough for
God.
The expert of the Law knew
the does and don'ts of how to live for God.
He was a devout follower of the Law and thought he had it made. He just knew that God was pleased with his
efforts and would accept him into heaven.
Imagine his surprise when Jesus knocked the props right out from
underneath him.
Jesus went way beyond where this man was in his understanding and
living.
It isn't what we think we know that
matters; it's how we are living out what we know that matters to God. If we are not applying to life the Word of
God, we are no better off than this religious "expert." Saving faith is a life-changing faith and not
just a mind-changing faith. Faith
without works will certainly keep us out of heaven as well as works without
faith. It's either God's way or no way.
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