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Why is it so hard to please God?! What more does He want anyway? How come I never seem to do enough!?! I guess I just have to do more!
Hebrews 9:13,14 For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh; How much more shall the blood of Christ, who by means of the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Chapters 7-10 in Hebrews……and really, the whole book of Hebrews……juxtaposes the Old Testament of the law of Moses with the New Testament of the sacrifice and ministry today of Jesus Christ. Though this rather long letter was written for the benefit of Jewish believers, who had a very difficult time escaping the bondage of living under the law of Moses (including the 10 Commandments), the Christian Church of today can very much benefit from it, being very much in the same predicament.
The word “purge” in the above verse means a winnowing or pruning. Your conscience will not change overnight from a need to do works in order to please God, to one of freely and thankfully receiving the blessings of God by means of the completed work of Jesus Christ. Rather it is only through a faithfully applied effort of will that we come more and more into a place of having no need to do works for God’s love. Like is written in Hebrews 4:11a … “Let us labor therefore to come into that rest….”
Hebrews 9:15 And for this reason he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament (the Old Testament), they who were called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
The word “Testament” should really be rendered “Covenant.” It’s a contractual agreement between two parties. The Old testament, or covenant, God had with His people (Israel) was given by Moses, and the agreement was very strongly worded. God said, over and over again, “If you do this, I will do this,” and “If you do not do this, I will not do this……or I will do this (terrible thing).” In addition, the demands of this old agreement never ceased until death. There was no resting on what you did or didn’t do yesterday, the agreement had to continually be kept.
So the works that God demanded from His people under this old agreement were in order to earn His blessing, or to avoid deserving His punishment. Unfortunately, the majority of the Christian Church of today operates under this same old agreement with God. You want God’s blessing? Then you’d better toe the line, obey the rules….you’d better put out your very best efforts or don’t expect anything good from God. In fact, if you blow it, don’t be surprised when the punishment of God comes raining down upon your head.
Jesus Christ established a new agreement, a new contract, with God. Unlike the old, it was a one-and-done deal that ushered in this new covenant.
Hebrews 10:10,12,14 By the which will (God’s) we are sanctified by means of the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.
The teaching of today’s Christian Church, when it even takes the time to make known the Word of God, seems for the most part to have a particular love for the Old Testament, the old agreement God had with His people. The Church today teaches of doing works in order to please God, of making sure not to displease God lest we incur His wrath.
The Church today, for the most part, seems to delight in teaching, “Jesus gets you started, but you better then prove yourself worthy of what he did…..or else!” This is so not the truth of today.
If you read the Old Testament and of the requirement of works in order to please God, you should be reading it in thankfulness that it no longer applies to you; for the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ has eliminated the need for any other person to ever do any other work in order to please God. That’s right! No more works are required by God in order for Him to be able to pour out every blessing possible upon our heads, into our hearts, and flowing out of our lives and into the lives of others.
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies (the spiritual realm) in Christ.
The only good works God wants from us today, under His new agreement with His people are those which flow out of the working of the Spirit of Christ within us.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
If you are not in the Spirit of God ….. another way of saying “in Christ” …… then you cannot please God, no matter how many “good” works you do. All your thinking and deciding and planning and doing are “dead works” if they are not inspired by the spirit of Christ.
I hope this does not sound like an impossible task to you, but rather an exciting challenge. To explore life in Christ as we learn to be loved by the living God….this is our primary and only “job.” Outside the spirit of Christ are found only dead works. Outside God’s completed work in and of Christ is found only a spiritual raindance; going through a lot of thoughts and emotions and works and agonizings of the mind and heart that do absolutely nothing to please God or to earn His blessing in our lives.
So the next time the thought comes into your heart that maybe God isn’t working in your life because you haven’t done enough good works, claim the finished work of Jesus Christ as all that is needed to receive the blessings of God. The next time you get “inspired” to do a bunch of good deeds so that God will love you more, just give up and lay down at the feet of the living Christ. If Christ is not all you need, then he didn’t do enough…..then God lied and we’re still living under the old agreement with Him….the Old Testament still applies.
Following are some of the thoughts/condemnations which flow out of the thinking of dead works and the need for a spiritual raindance in order to please God.
I gotta go to Church this Sunday or something bad will happen, because God won’t like me.
I was angry with my friend, so I’d better do something to make it better so I’ll still be in God’s good graces.
I know, I’ll read the whole Bible, then I’ll really be able to serve God.
Maybe if I talk to 10 people a day about Jesus and God and the Bible, God will accept me.
If I go on this missions trip, then I’ll be liked by the Pastor and I’ll be spiritual.
I need to raise my hands while everyone’s singing (like everyone else) in order to be spiritual.
God likes it when I sing really loud and sincerely in Church.
I’ll get involved in every event planned by my Church….that’ll earn me blessings from God.
I haven’t said I’m sorry enough for all my sins, maybe that’s why I don’t feel closer to God.
People don’t like me; they misunderstand me….I must be doing something wrong.
The one thing in common with all the above thoughts is that they all have nothing to do with Jesus Christ and his sacrifice and gift. Christ is all you need, now and forever. Seek him, explore him, study him, apply your head and heart to him, and walk in the new agreement of the righteous blessings of God, which are only found in Christ Jesus our Lord, for all your days.
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Other related studies:
Do not preach the Old Testament.
The Law vs. Faith
Dead to the Law
Grace
Pruned by God.
Bearing Spiritual Fruit
