I’ve heard people say that the Bible is just a “to do” list. Y? Do not do?. People who say that have never read the Bible. To combat this type of thinking, some Christians will quickly respond by saying that the Bible is by no means a “to do” list. Y? Do not do?. But in doing so, they dump the baby with the dirty water. Those who have read the Bible will know that this is not just a “to do” list. Y? don’t do it, not just a how-to manual, not just a guide to moral life. However, the Bible tells us what to do and what not to do. It tells us how to live the moral life that pleases God and provides us with divine precepts for life. The Bible is not just a to-do list. Y? don’t, is it much more than that? It is the great plot of God, of his reign and of his redemption. Nonetheless, it contains divine to-do lists. Y? what not to do, so that we know how to love, obey, glorify and please God.
Christianity is not a religion of moralism, it is the religion of the gospel of grace. It is a religion built around a relationship. It’s not one or the other, is it both? a relationship and a religion. These things are not mutually exclusive and we do well by not opposing each other. Our evangelical relationship with Jesus Christ, by grace alone, by faith alone, is the foundation of our life-spanning evangelical religion. Our relationship with Christ naturally leads to a pure and undefiled religion (James 1: 26-27). Religion is a useful word we use to describe our Christian faith, encompassing all aspects of our Christian life, rooted in and coming from our new spiritually regenerated hearts and minds and based on the relationship God has established with us within us. unite with Christ. In the fourth century, Augustine defended the use of the Latin word religio, emphasizing its etymology religare, which means to unite or unite, as in an alliance between man and God. The word religion, properly understood, ties together everything we believe in as we experience it in all areas of life. Dutch Reformed theologian Herman Bavinck wrote: “Religion cannot just be something in someone’s life, it has to be everything. Does Jesus require that we love God with all our heart, soul, and strength?
- Our religion is established in Jesus Christ.
- Who did not come to abolish the law.
- But to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).
- Christ fulfilled all the just demands of the law in his life.
- So that his death was a perfect atonement for our sins.
- In fact.
- Are we justified by works? their works.
- Not ours.
- Did Christ keep the list perfectly? Y? Not? of your Father for us.
- And he did not do it so that we could ignore God’s commandments.
- But so that we are no longer slaves of sin.
- But slaves of justice.
- Christ frees us by faith so that we can bear fruit.
- To be clear.
- We are saved by faith.
- Not fruit.
- But we will not be saved by sterile faith.
- God’s grace empowers us and his Spirit sustains us.
- Helping us in our weaknesses to seek holiness.
- While we rest in the holiness of Jesus Christ.
- Because.
- As Martin Luther said: “Faith cannot stop doing good works constantly.
- You don’t stop to ask if you need to do good deeds.
- But before anyone asks.
- Have you done them and keep doing them over and over again?.
This article is part of the June 2015 issue of Tabletalk magazine
Translation: Vin-cius Silva Pimentel. Review: Vin-cius Musselman Pimentel. © 2015 Faithful Ministérium. All rights reserved. Website: MinisterioFiel. com. br. Original: The Gospel Religion.