Lawless

‘Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.’ Deuteronomy 27:26

Can you do that?

Can you observe all of the words of the law?

Try it today!

Read Psalm 119 and you will see the prayers of people whose only option at the time was to do just that:

My soul faints with longing for your salvation,

but I have put my hope in your word.

My eyes fail, looking for your promise;

I say, “When will you comfort me?”

Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,

I do not forget your decrees.

How long must your servant wait?

These people loved God! They loved His commands and His laws! They say it over and over again... Yet they were not free.

Their souls were fainting and they were wondering "How long do I have to go through this?"

Has following God ever felt that way to you?

Has waking up for church on Sunday morning or sitting down to read your Bible ever felt like a chore?

Think back to when your eyes were first opened...

Think back to when you were driving in your car and that specific song came on at that specific time and the dam broke and you were overwhelmed with joy and peace and suddenly it wasn't a chore to raise your hands and praise God!

Think back to those times in your life when you didn't see a way forward but God showed up and made a way where there was no way...

No longer were you praying "My soul faints with longing for your salvation"

Your soul was overjoyed! Your salvation was right there in front of you!

Galatians 5:22 says: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

So how do you get back to that?

Galatians 3:1-6 says: You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Faith

Faith is what you use when you sit in a chair.

If you have faith in a chair, you will put your entire weight on it and you will rest!

If you do not have faith in a chair. you will kind of hover over it, half sitting half squatting...

A chair that you have no faith in will leave you more tired than it found you!

How do you come to faith in a chair?

Do you try really hard to have faith in it?

Do you say a series of words over and over or sing a song that makes you feel good?

You can't "see" that a chair will hold your weight Hebrews 11:1 says faith "is the evidence of things we cannot see."

So how do you gain faith in a chair?

You examine the evidence!

You shake the chair around! You kick the legs, you watch someone else sit in it, you put a little weight on it yourself, and test it out!

You say to the chair "Chair, I'm going to give you a chance, and based on what I see from you I am going to make a decision"

Romans 10:17 confirms this when it says "Faith comes by hearing"

Faith does not come from yourself.

Faith does not come from trying really hard.

Faith is not an emotion.

Faith is the evidence!

You don't seek after faith...

You seek after the truth and faith is a consequence of finding that truth!

John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The answer is to seek Jesus.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.