Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!) So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
Romans 4:13-25 NLT
Do you follow God or the rules? This may seem like a strange question, but it is possible to follow God’s rules yet not follow God (the Pharisees for example, see Matt 23). Rules don’t make a relationship right. The rules are there to set the boundaries and tell us when we have done something wrong. They serve as a “fence” to help a person know they are on the right path. But staying inside the fence doesn’t mean that you are actually walking; the goal of the walk is to be close to our Creator. Having a great relationship is about much more than not breaking the rules. Abraham understood this. He trusted in God even when His promises seemed impossible. Abraham had a living relationship with the Lord that changed his life and changed the future.
A living relationship will always do more than the rules (requirements) because the motivation is love. We are invited to receive God’s love and love Him in return. This is a relationship; this is THE relationship of our existence. His love changes life and brings overflowing joy! Unfortunately, many people reduce God—the Author of Love—to following rules. Of course, there are rules in a relationship with God, but our focus is on Him. When focus on Him we will fulfill the rules and more…in love.
Do you focus more on God or the rules? Why? What does it mean for you to be loved by God and love Him in return?
