“For the law results in (divine) wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression (of it either).” Roman 4:15 Amplified Version
When I was a kid I was exposed to what one might describe as “holiness” or “fire and brimstone” preachers. We had one guy who came for revival on a regular basis that I thoroughly enjoyed. Actually, he kind of put me in mind of a human cartoon character what with being short, balding on top, eyes looking a little googly behind his glasses, and being animated. His voice even sounded cartoon like, what with his southern accent that sometimes sounded as if it was coming out from beneath water. He was engaging and brought humor as well as thought provoking, challenging messages. There was no boredom in the sanctuary when he came to town.
I suppose he did “circuits” when he came to our area but I did not see him outside of our home church, so when the opportunity came to hear him at a camp meeting elsewhere I jumped at the chance. He was still passionate but I came away feeling as though I’d been shot double barrel with condemnation; that hurt. This was not the same humorous, thought provoking evangelist that I revered.
I grew up with a sound, spiritual foundation. I was privileged to sit under phenomenal ministers, worship with congregants who truly loved the LORD, and experienced precious moves of Holy Spirit. Overall, I very much looked forward to attending church. It brought great joy and great examples of people living out their faith in front of me. I would not be the person I am today if it were not for the spiritual upbringing I had for which I am thankful.
This post is not to finger point or gripe but to present a subject that I suspect many people who have grown up on the pew inadvertently wrestle with. I don’t know, maybe this is something all of mankind is prone to, not necessarily those of us who’ve been raised in the church. I just thought maybe more so “religious” — and I’m intentionally casting the net wide with that term — people because the teaching of the Law, and religious rituals, is so prevalent. I welcome your thoughts. Regardless, the quote I’m going to share pertains to our opening scripture and it will make my point plain.
“Those who seek to keep the Law of God for the purpose of being justified in God’s sight will also release the wrath of God in their lives.” ~Andrew Wommack
As an adult, I came to realize that much of the fear I grappled with was because I was performance oriented. I was trying to pacify God and earn His favor and gifts by not sinning, so when I failed, I felt condemned and unworthy. According to Romans 6:14, as a follower of Jesus, I am no longer under the Law, but under grace.
Is that a license to sin? No way! Let’s be mindful of the fact, though, that sin does put space between us and God and gives the devil entry into our lives. But what if we did not let that take precedence in our mind? What if, instead of being consumed with keeping the Law to maintain our relationship with God, we would instead seek to maintain our relationship with God first? We would sin less by virtue of our close proximity to our Creator/Savior. Wouldn’t it be much more liberating to live a life where we are consumed with Love, knowing we’re accepted based on Jesus’ merit instead of our own? I think so. Join me today and ask God if our freedom is being prevented by any legalistic weed that needs uprooted.
God's Word Girl 