Law Change

Law Change
Chapter 8

Wouldn't it be nice to be a judge the one who makes laws? Or, the one who removes laws not liked? I thought I had it good as a young person being raised by my Grandma who basically let me do whatever I wanted. For most though they grow up with all kinds of rules they feel were made just to be broken. They get in trouble over things that really don't seem that bad. Rules that just seem not to make any sense. Though my Grandma spoiled me, I still looked forward to being free and living on my own, not having anyone to be accountable too, where I could really go wild.
We think we have it bad in regards to some of our laws that restrict what we want to do, but if you learn about other nations, especially Muslim countries you will be glad for the freedom we have compared to them.
Now for those who grow up in the church it seems much worse you have people always in your business, pointing out your flaws, scolding you for any little thing done they think isn't right. This is what Jesus experienced with the Pharisees in Luke 6:1-11. The Pharisees had added to God's laws all kind of strange requirements that God did not. They did this to look more righteous than others. To stand out as better than. So they could take advantage of those who felt less than, prospering off their so called unrighteousness.
Here in Luke 6 the Pharisees were on Jesus case in regards to the Sabbath. They had added all these unrealistic laws in regards to what you could and couldn't do on the Holy day. When we question authority in our youth it usually doesn't go well. Jesus now is Judge of the universe, the one that judges all things, yet these Pharisees blinded by their religious pride were questioning him.
Has anyone ever told you to do or not to do something, and you were like who do you think you are? Correction can only be received by those who have proven their love for you. Jesus was like how can you tell the Lord of the Sabbath what to do on His day? It is like someone telling you what they want you to do on your birthday, that is your day, you should choose what you want to do with it.
The bible says that man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath was made for man. God put a day aside for us to dedicate to nothing but building our relationship with Him. It should not be a day to feel pressured into something but a day where we can choose to just rest in Him.
Now in Hebrews 4 it talks about perpetual rest which we now have in Christ Jesus. We can enjoy our relationship with Him daily. But we do have responsibilities to deal with, we got to go to school, work, etc. God is to go with us, but everyone needs alone time to really focus on deepening one's relationship with God. If my wife and I don't find time to be intimate with each other even if we are around each other we will still drift apart. When we are intimate it makes all that we do together worthwhile and meaningful.
If what we do in life even if it is unto the Lord does not come from our heart then it is void and meaningless to God. God loves a cheerful giver, who gives of himself willingly. We have all had people including our parents do something for us out of obligation and not from their heart, well it just doesn't feel the same, and it is hard to be grateful.
So God has set up the Sabbath for us. Not to take something away from us, but to add to us, more of His life, to be freely experienced week by week. Yet since this day is our day to rest with Him, we can choose how we spend it. He would love for us to be alone with Him, but that is not always possible, we live in a complex world and all kinds of things can happen anytime, any day, so there are exceptions to the rule as Jesus tried to reveal to the Pharisees in this passage. If someone needs healing do we not offer it? If someone needs help do we not give it? We should try to implement a day into our schedule completely apart from work where we can focus on just being intimate with Him, yet being flexible enough to be available for God to use us when the opportunity arises.

Jesus has changed the law, we are now under grace, what that means is we have His spirit to fulfill what only He did, and that is live a sinless life, no longer just relying on ourselves. Problem we have is our flesh wants to sin, but sin has consequences. Grace does not allow us to get away with sin, God is just, and we will be punished for the wrong we do. What Grace gives us is God's power to overcome the desires of our flesh. Yes, there is a part of us that wants to sin despite knowing the consequences but there is another part of us that longs to be free from the clutches of sin. The law has pointed out what sin is, and grace has given us the ability to fulfill it. Not to take away freedom but to truly enjoy freedom, for there is no freedom in being bound to sin.