How difficult is it to follow Christ?
How is Christ yoke easy and His burden light if you are under the same law that caused you guilt and shame to begin with?
If Jesus came to say “hang in there and do a better job at a few laws” then why didn’t He say that as most churches teach that He did?
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” – John 3:16-18
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other.” – John 15:9-17
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matt. 11:28-30
Here it is laid out ever so easily and tenderly. Christ did not come to make the way to the Father more difficult but to simplify it and make the “yoke easy” and the “burden light.”
We are the ones that make a relationship with Christ more difficult and try to be holy. Let me put this in simple terms so there is no misunderstanding- there is nothing whatsoever holy about me, there is nothing whatsoever holy about you and that is why Christ came. To think that there was any other way to make you and I a child of God is to paint God out to be a very cruel Father.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light- Love God and Love others. But the facts are we can’t even do that apart from the grace of God. When Christ comes into a person that person becomes a new creation and the law which was his tutor passes away as all things become new and all things become lawful.
If the yoke you carry today is not easy. If you find yourself unable to love people especially people who you feel are doing wrong. You might want to check and see if you are following the same Christ that shared dinner with the lowest of the low in his days. The Christ I serve loved the Samaritans, tax collectors and prostitutes just like they were any other person and he didn’t try to beat them over the head and make them feel guilt or shame. The Christ I serve had people around him that society especially the teachers of the law said were unclean but He didn’t care.
In the final analysis all I am saying is love is ALL that matters. My job is not to judge or condemn or tell a person that he is wrong and going to hell because of his sexuality or the type of music he listens to or whatever. The job Christ gave me and you is simple- LOVE. Easy burden and a light yoke= LOVE!
Care to have a Bible study that will teach how Stop killing Jesus? Click the words below:
Religion does not kill Jesus; Jesus laid His life down for us. He loved us, and we sinned. The death of Jesus Christ was meant to justify sinners from sin, those dead in sin could not live because the payment of sin is death, and Jesus died in our sin, He took our place on the Cross, so we could be free from sin. If we are dead to sin, being made free by the death of Jesus Christ, we are alive in Christ. If they are not dead to sin, then they are not free from sin, and they are going to die in sin. The death of Jesus Christ is the only way we can be free, we are free when we live in righteousness, the freedom Jesus Christ gave is through death to death, and through righteousness to righteousness. The most important part you need to mention, God is love, and God is justice. He will make justice, and He will be righteous, He made both righteousness and justice evident in the death of Jesus Christ. He is love, He is merciful, He made both love and mercy evident in the death of Jesus Christ. If you will preach the gospel, you MUST preach both love and justice, because the declaration of the Cross, the greatest manifestation of God, and the Gospel, are made evident through Love and Justice. God does justice, and He is love. Remember, the Cross is the center of the Gospel, and God through the Cross makes evident mercy and justice to us.
Thank you for your opinion and thoughts.
I am Free the moment I accepted Christ according to the way I read the Bible – Its called Grace! But religion wants to make something Beautiful made by God – a relationship completely made possible through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ – ugly but making it about a rule book.
If you want a scripture based study you can check out the home page here and then the section that says, “Let the Journey Begin” which are 7 questions and scripture.
Thank you again for your opinion and interpretation.
I must add here too:
The Gospel is the death of Jesus Christ for the atonement of sinners, if the justice of God is not part of God’s love, then the Cross is not part of God’s love, because God condemned Jesus Christ on the Cross to die for sin. The Lord did not die in vain! The more you neglect the justice of God, the more the Cross is neglected, and the death of Jesus Christ to lack of purpose. I will say: you must share the Gospel with unction, or you must not at all.
The beauty of grace is not diminished by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, but exalted. The grace of God with no law is like Jesus Christ with no cross, not relevant to sinners, not valuable to sinners, and not efficient for them. Jesus Christ must be preached on the cross, on the cross Jesus Christ was reconciliation to sinners, and only if the cross is preached, sinners can find hope of reconciliation.
Again – Thank you for your opinion – much of what you say I agree with and if you want to read more on what God has revealed to me there are over 500 Bible studies on this site. I would suggest that you start with the 7 simple questions at Let The Journey Begin!
Luke 11:42 “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Be graceful in truth. Peace and Love. amen
Amen and the Pharisees were the religious leaders of that day – much like the religious leaders of this day – still kill Jesus and the Spirit of Grace – we have kind of gone full circle now don’t you think?
Again 7 simple questions – do you have enough spiritual courage to answer them?
Thanks again for your opinion – I disagree based on scripture that I have previously shared with you – Thank you – Bye!