I saw a story on the Today Show this morning about blogger Rachel Held Evans who wrote a book about "Living as a Biblical Woman". Maybe it is similar to the book "The Year of Living Biblically" by A. J. Jacobs. Evans lived by Old Testament laws for festivals, food, drink, bodily functions, etc. She twisted the meaning of Proverbs 21:9; "It is better to live on the corner of a roof, than to live with a contentious woman." By going up on the corner of her roof "to pay penance" for being contentious, instead of sending her husband up there to get away from her when she was being contentious. I think she was trying to show that we aren't to live literally under the law, by being absurd, but what she said may have confused those who watched her sound bite on a network news program.
Last week in this blog, I talked about reading the Bible, praying for insight, remembering who it was originally was written to, thinking about the type of literature the portion you are reading is, and applying the truth to your life and acting on what God has revealed to you. There is much of the Biblical record that teaches history and lists rules for God's chosen people to set them apart. I do believe that all of God's Word is valuable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, I also believe that we now live under the finished work of Christ and have a relationship with God through Him, so we no longer live under the law. God is concerned with our hearts, not rules.
When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment, He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt. 22:37-40). To live Biblically we need to remember God in all we do and we need to remember the needs of others, just like we remember to care for our own needs.
What does it look like to live Biblically? How am I suppose to live to glorify God? Is it all too difficult to figure out? Does God want everyone to be the same? What did Jesus mean that His yoke is easy and his burden is light? Living Biblically like Evans did, was a heavy burden of rules (A.J. Jacobs said he found over 700 rules when he read through the Bible for his year long experience). If you love Jesus as your Savior you obey him out of that love relationship. I live for Him who died for me out of a thankful heart. He gave everything so that I could be made right with God. I am in relationship, a child of the King! I don't do it perfectly, I don't have to, Jesus paid the debt that I could not pay. I am free to live for Him under grace. He empowers me to love when I yield to His Spirit.
Paul's letter to the Ephesians speaks to the fact that we obey God in response to the salvation we have already received. Paul's prayer in Ephesians chapter one says, "For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (Eph 1:15-23).
Later in the same letter, Paul continues in prayer for these people, "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. and I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph. 3:14-21).
If you want to live Biblically, confess your need for Jesus to be your Savior and follow the Spirit's leading in your life. Love God and Love Others. All other laws hang on these two things. Read the first three chapters of Ephesians, pray these prayers for yourself, thank God for what he has done for you and in you. Read the last three chapters of Ephesians to see how to live out your faith in the church, in your family, in the workplace and how to be strong in the Lord.
Praying for you. Talk to you again soon.
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