“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:38
Isn’t it interesting that Jesus said, “me and my words” and not the law and the legal words?
The reason Jesus had to be killed by the religious leaders then is the same reason that religious leaders still kill Him today – He created by His Love and One Perfect Sacrifice a direct path to God, a relationship with God and an end to the law for All who would simply Believe!
This is why it is the single most imperative realization and understanding that you will ever make to grasp that “His Grace IS sufficient for me” – His Grace Made you complete at the moment you Believed! Yes that Is the past tense of make!
You are no longer under the law, you are under Grace and where there is no law neither is there transgression!
Is He still working in us? YES – Absolutely! To create more Peace, Love, Hope, Joy and an Abundant Life Here and Now – but NOT to make you more of a rule follower!
Jesus didn’t come to say “hang in there with the law”, “do a better job on the top ten” or “work harder you sluggers” – NO!
He came to take away ALL condemnation, shame and guilt – this will never happen if you stay under the law which IS “the power of sin”!
For a Biblical perspective on what changed with Jesus go to this link and answer 7 simple questions based on scripture:
Thanks Bob. Can you help me with Jesus’ instruction: “Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Are we all meant to be a Mother Teresa? To deny our basic human needs and mimic Jesus? Because that is what this passage says to me and a lot of Christians. If it means something else then the Bible is badly written and not perfect as you believe. Rod
Thank Rod – That is some deep insight!
What if Being Christ-like is Being Love-like and that Is what the Gospel is All about?
What if Heaven wasn’t a place of perfected people but a place of perfected Lovers?
Rod what I write about and plead with people through writing and speaking to think about is simply this – God Is Love, God Radically Loves you and God Radically Loves me – His Grace Is sufficient!
What about creating a world where everyone just thought of how to help and heal and Love others? – Heaven on earth wouldn’t you say!
Thank you Bob, I really like the simplicity of that. I just wish Jesus had said it so simply without all the obscure language he keeps using. I wonder whether we are really reading what he originally said or something that has been added later. Rod
Thank you Rod for the great questions!
The main question for me in searching is simply this “does it make me more Free to believe it?” – if not I don’t see it as God’s Truth and its probably a religiosity diversion instead – just my thoughts.
Much of what He said I believe was masked for two reasons – 1) Encourage a journey with Him and not a destination of perfect knowledge to shut out some And 2) So that the religious of the day would not have stoned Him on the spot! – again this is just my thought with the road where I am at this moment but that is what I have seen.
Bob, how can we be sure of what he originally said? Why wasn’t the New Testament written in Aramaic? Rod
Rod – Sure means no Faith – why not rest in what is and have Abundant Life in that.
Bob, you keep saying God is Love. But what sort of Love is it that leaves some people sick while curing others? Rod
You keep having Great questions – this is what I was saying before – the healing for me is in the acceptance – anything else is bonus!
Faith is not in what we can see – it is in what we cant see but accept as seen.