It is clear as can be that the New Testament contains commandments and the Old Testament contains grace. So it is hard to draw lines between them when it comes to what God was looking for in each. I tend to think he was looking for the same thing in both testaments. He was looking for people who were seeking him. Before I chase that rabbit too far, let me get to the point of why I am writing this post. A helpful analogy came to me a few days ago that I thought I would share when it comes to commands, obedience, and our motivation to follow God. It is like wedding vows. I was serious about them when I made them. I live my life to uphold them. But I don’t wake up every morning pouring over the things I promised to do on our wedding day in order to make sure I don’t miss anything. Yet, I find myself doing what I promised I would do because I love my wife so much.
I think the same is true of our relationship with God. We don’t have to memorize a long list of rules to keep. If we love Him we will be trying to give him our best each and every day. When we slip up, he loves us enough to keep us around. I think that is called grace.
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“I find myself doing what I promised I would do because I love my wife so much.”
You hit it on the head there! Not because of any other reason…There was nothing holding Jesus to the cross either, except love!
Blessings!
While there are some specific behavior we do and don’t practice in our relationship with God, we don’t sit around with a checklist to make sure we have done and not done…instead when we love God and our neighbor, we learn to how to act and how not to act without thinking which is why Jesus said all the law could be summed up in those two commandments of loving God and neighbor.
Grace and peace,
Rex