“Don’t turn to the side; because then you would go after useless things that can neither help nor rescue, they are so futile.”-1 Samuel 12:21
When we have sinned against God and we know it, we react in either one of two ways.
We either consider our situation hopeless and give up on God…
Or in our desire to sincerely repent, we go overboard and attempt to do all sorts of wacky, wild, and meaningless things in order to restore our relationship with the Almighty.
Both of these ways amount to absolutely NOTHING when it comes to restoring our broken relationship with God.
If that’s the case, then what’s the solution?
Well, here’s the thing.
The solution is so simple it’s difficult for people to accept.
The Lord merely says,
“Come home.”
That’s it.
“I have opened my door of grace to you, so simply come home”.
This solution is difficult for us human beings to accept because we always want to do something big and spectacular.
We think we need to sell all our belongings and drop a million bucks or something into the collection plate.
Or shave our heads and start praying 8 hours a day in repentance.
Heck, I’ve heard of people who quit their jobs and abandoned their families for the sake of “dedicating” their lives to the Lord.
None of this nonsense is necessary.
All that God wants from you is that you sincerely repent and come home to him on His terms.
The last part of that last sentence is key.
When you come home to God, you have to do it on His terms, or it’s not true repentance.
Ya feel me?
It is this mistaken mentality that has kept millions, maybe even billions from coming to Messiah.
It’s so ingrained in us that we have to work for our redemption that we can’t accept God’s free gift of grace.
Faith, trust, and love of God on His terms (meaning accepting His son Yeshua) are all that’s needed.
There isn’t anything else you have to do.
In fact, when we try to add our works to the great salvation God has already provided, we only pollute His already perfect method of redemption.
However, the majority of mankind has difficulty accepting this.
We always wanna merit our salvation through all kinds of ridiculous deeds to somehow warrant our worthiness.
That’s why the New Testament calls Yeshua’s sacrifice on the cross a stumbling block.
It just can’t be that simple and easy we say to ourselves.
Now don’t get misguided or misunderstand me here.
I’m not saying doing good works is a bad thing.
I’m saying there’s a HUGE difference between obeying God’s commands as an expression of gratitude for the salvation He has already provided for you and obeying God’s commands as a way to merit salvation.
There’s a HUGE difference between the two.
Both the “Old” and New Testament drive home that difference with incredible clarity when you properly interpret what you’re reading.
Unfortunately, a good majority of teachers, preachers, and pastors have difficulty grasping this difference.
Their ignorance is really apparent when they say things like obeying the Law is spitting on the grace of Christ or some nonsense like that.
Don’t forget that God giving Israel the Law was actually a form of His grace.
Chew on that thought for a second.
Before Israel received the Law, mankind was literally in a state of moral darkness and mired in child sacrifice, merciless and random killing of human beings, and sexual immorality.
It was the Law at Sinai that literally took mankind from darkness to light.
If you don’t think the Creator coming down from heaven to guide His human creation in how they should live is a form of grace, then you need to get your head examined.
So to close, Samuel knew the people of Israel would try to repent by thinking of countless ways to work their way back into God’s good graces.
Not only would none of those “good works” have any value to God whatsoever, but what they’d end up doing would probably resemble what their pagan neighbors did when they attempted to make things right with the deities they worshipped.
That’s why Samuel says in verse 21 that they “would go after useless things that can neither help nor rescue”.
Ya feel me here?
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“You who are trying to be
justified by the law have
been alienated from Messiah;
you have fallen away from grace.”
-Galatians 5:4
“Behold, I stand at the door
and knock: if any man hear my
voice and open the door, I will
come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me.”
-Revelation 3:20
“Take my yoke upon you,
and learn from me;
for I am gentle and
lowly in heart,
and you will find
rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light.”
-Matthew 11:28-30
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