If you love me, you’ll obey my commands. – John 14:15 I’ve been trying to wrap my head around this from the non-legalistic point of view. Forever people have read this – I have read this – like "If you love me, then you will do what I say so go figure out what I…
Hosea 6:6 NET 6 For I delight in faithfulness, not simply in sacrifice; I delight in acknowledging God, not simply in whole burnt offerings. I’ve been learning this in an unhappily repetitive way lately. It’s come in the form of eager children and eager adults. People tend to really like to please you or really…
Hosea 2:11 I will put an end to all her celebration: her annual religious festivals, monthly new moon celebrations, and weekly Sabbath festivities – all her appointed festivals. Look at what is on this list–It’s all of the religious things that Israel was doing! Somebody might say, “Wait, didn’t God ask them to do all of these religious things?”…
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it The model of rightness, of what people aught to be, was shown through the Law. It WASN’T the Law, but it was shown through the Law. It was never intended…
Back in v. 5 Paul talks about the “obedience of faith” which hints at obedience not coming from the Law. When Paul quotes Habakkuk, it’s kind of out of context for what Habakkuk is talking about, but it still holds true. Judgment was coming on Israel because of their lack of faith in God. They…
I was reading John 19 about Jesus and Pilate and followed a reference from a friend to Deut 25. Deut. 25:3 but he must not give him more than forty lashes. If he is flogged more than that, your brother will be degraded in your eyes. Punishment under Levitical law was not intended to degrade…
Here are some notes from John 11– v. 39, Jesus said “Take away the stone” – Moving a tombstone would have made a person unclean by the Mishna standards. there were Jewish leaders around that taught that very thing, so Jesus is immediately flying in their face. – Jesus was not concerned with the complicated…
I just finished Prodigal God, by Timothy Keller, and it is very very good. I think it messed me up more than ever though concerning Jesus and grace! Here is the premise: In the so-called ‘parable of the prodigal son’ Jesus actually tells the story of two lost sons. One is lost because of his…
