21/03/2021
Thought for the day

A Higher Standard

“Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom 8 v 2) [NIV]

If you also feel that the world has set an unrealistically high standard for Christians to adhere to, then raise your hand! It’s as if they have set the bar for how Christians should behave and we dare not fail in any department and we shouldn’t, right?

Well, it seems that Christ has actually established a higher Spiritual law through fulfilling the law of Moses, so take note brothers, that now if you even look at a woman with lust, you have committed adultery and if you hate someone you have committed murder, while coveting another’s possessions is as good as stealing them.

Now why would Jesus raise the expectation, knowing we wouldn’t be able to adhere to these standards?

God says “Be holy, for I AM HOLY” (1 Pet 1 v 16). The only way to live up to God’s standard, is to accept the fact that we cannot keep any laws in our fallen state and then turn to the One and Only Messiah, repenting from our sinful nature, which has brought dissension, separation and distance between us and our Creator.

The Lord says “that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption” (1 Cor 15 v 50) [NKJ]. God’s righteousness is displayed through Jesus, who lived a perfect, sinless life in the flesh and even allowed His flesh to be crucified. He also instructs us to die to self and our sinful desires, in order to be acceptable in God’s sight.

The solution

Knowing that we couldn’t keep the law, Jesus came as a Mediator between us and God to restore our relationship with the Father. Knowing that we also cannot keep His higher, Spiritual law, He has given us the Holy Spirit as compass, who speaks to our conscience, empowering us to discern between right and wrong.

Having acknowledged our sin, repenting from our wrongdoing and accepting Jesus’ death as the only means of salvation, we receive God’s undeserved mercy – His grace – which allows us to become part of the body of Christ to confirm what Paul said, “…because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord‘” (1 Cor 1 v 30 – 31).

Our faith in Jesus and what He has done on the cross, becomes our righteousness and that is the only way that we can stand in the presence of God, in the Holy of Holies.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“