Ever met well-intentioned people that want to make this Christianity thing just a big hassle? They lay all their trips on you–all their personal, self-made, contentious scruples. They have a long to-do list; and it’s do, do, do, do, do; basically a lot of do-do.
It’s like the billionaire who shared how he made his fortune. He said, “I was born dirt poor. So I saved up enough money to buy an apple for a nickel. I polished that apple all night and turned around and sold it for a dime. The next day I took that dime and bought 2 apples. I repeated the process over and over again until I made $1.60. Then my Father-in-Law died and left us a billion dollars.”
That’s a bit like us. Jesus died to leave us an inheritance and we still want to earn it by polishing. So Paul wrote this to a church in the ancient city of Galatia: So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law… For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. Paul’s bottom line: We are either growing in grace or backsliding into legalism.
See, love beats law every time. It’s like this dad reading Dr Seuss to his 5-year-old son who interrupted him, saying, “Daddy, I love you.” That’s great, Joe-Joe, I love you too. Two minutes later, again: “Daddy, I love you.” “That’s great Joe-Joe, I love you too.” Finally, Joseph stands up, hugs his dad, and smothers his runny nose into my chest and says, “Daddy, I love you so much, I just got to do something about it!”
Love beats law every time. It’s so much more inspirational and motivational. Human nature will always find ways around the law. WC Fields was reading a Bible on his deathbed. Someone asked him, why are you all of a sudden reading that? “Looking for loopholes, friend, looking for loopholes.” Humans will always try to get around any kind of law. But love inspires us to do more than the law ever could. So remember this simple thing today and be inspired: Jesus really does love you.
