Galatians 2 (The Message)
15-16 We know very well that we are not set right with God by rule-keeping but only through personal faith in Jesus Christ. How do we know? We tried it—and we had the best system of rules the world has ever seen!
When our students start school on Thursday, teachers and administrators will spend a lot of time talking about the rules for students during the school year. I have a special athletic parent meeting tomorrow night to go over the Athletic Code which is a set of rules to be followed by our athletes. We have quite an extensive set of rules with an equally complicated set of consequences. Our assistant principal spends the majority of his time disciplining students for school rule violations (usually dress code violations). For the vast majority of our students you wouldn't even have to mention the rules. They know, because they have been raised properly, how to act and how to dress in public. The best set of rules I have ever heard came from one of my coaches. It was pretty simple really. Don't do anything to embarrass yourself, your team, or your parents? I always thought the simpler the rule, the more likely students would follow it. I like the K.I.S.S. principle. Keep It Simple Stupid!
Really God's rules are just as simple. Love God with all your heart and Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:34-40) That's it! Thats all there is to it! Paul finally understood that having a lengthy set of rules describing in detail what you could and could not do, with an equally set of consequences, was ridiculous. He knew first hand as a Pharisee how tough it was to follow the complex rules of the day and even harder to enforce the rules. We can't earn our place in eternity by following a lengthy set of rules. We can wear jeans to church. We don't have to pray a certain way. We don't have to worship all the same way. We can be a sinner (all of us are) and still build a relationship with the creator of the universe. Don't waste your time trying to follow the rules. Instead, follow Christ with all your Heart,and Love your neighbor as yourself! Simple isn't it!
When our students start school on Thursday, teachers and administrators will spend a lot of time talking about the rules for students during the school year. I have a special athletic parent meeting tomorrow night to go over the Athletic Code which is a set of rules to be followed by our athletes. We have quite an extensive set of rules with an equally complicated set of consequences. Our assistant principal spends the majority of his time disciplining students for school rule violations (usually dress code violations). For the vast majority of our students you wouldn't even have to mention the rules. They know, because they have been raised properly, how to act and how to dress in public. The best set of rules I have ever heard came from one of my coaches. It was pretty simple really. Don't do anything to embarrass yourself, your team, or your parents? I always thought the simpler the rule, the more likely students would follow it. I like the K.I.S.S. principle. Keep It Simple Stupid!
Really God's rules are just as simple. Love God with all your heart and Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:34-40) That's it! Thats all there is to it! Paul finally understood that having a lengthy set of rules describing in detail what you could and could not do, with an equally set of consequences, was ridiculous. He knew first hand as a Pharisee how tough it was to follow the complex rules of the day and even harder to enforce the rules. We can't earn our place in eternity by following a lengthy set of rules. We can wear jeans to church. We don't have to pray a certain way. We don't have to worship all the same way. We can be a sinner (all of us are) and still build a relationship with the creator of the universe. Don't waste your time trying to follow the rules. Instead, follow Christ with all your Heart,and Love your neighbor as yourself! Simple isn't it!
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