When the adulteress was brought to Him, Jesus did not give her something to go and do. Instead, He gave her something to go and not do... to go and sin no more. He came to lift burdens, not increase them. In Matthew 11, we are not told to "come and perform" or "to come and behave", but to come and stop doing, to come and rest. On the cross He did not say, "the work has begun"; He said, “It is finished.”
Accept His grace. Let all that hinders fall away. Enter the narrow way, that few find, which leads to life. Embark upon the path of sanctification, of freedom! For this is the walk of faith.
HT: Quivering Daughters-The Daughters of Patriarchy: Biblical Law, Legalism, and Grace
2 comments:
It is more important to look at what Jesus said to the multitudes rather to one individual. Jesus also told the rich young ruler go and sell everything you have and come follow me; is this instruction for us all?
Matthew 11:29 says: 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. We do find rest in Jesus but after we yoke ourselves to Him. We learn from HIm by walking that narrow way of His commands which are not natural for us humans to follow. Interesting-a yoke is a working tool. Jesus' work of salvation is done and we are saved by grace. There is nothing we have to do to be saved but sanctification is what we should be doing-conforming to be more Christ like and we can only do that by His Holy Spirit.
Dear Anonymous,
I think it's important to include Matthew 11:30 ("for my yoke is easy and my burden is light")) since it completes the verse you posted. The rest comes with His yoke because it's easy and the burden is light! It's a joy to serve such a Master! And it's easy because He is meek, gentle, and lowly.
I think we should look at the context of Scripture and see who Jesus was speaking to (be it many people or just one) and see what that whole section of Scripture, in light of all the Scripture, is trying to say.
For instance, in Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus is addressing a group of people who have known no other teachers except those who have weighed them down with the heavy weight of the law. So we should understand it in that way and take the context into consideration. (Cross reference to Matthew 23:4 to the "heavy loads placed men's backs" by the Pharisees.)
In John 8:11 Jesus is addressing a woman who was facing condemnation from a crowd. He gave her grace even before He knew she would leave her life of sin. He was very generous with her. He gave her 'unmerited favor'! She didn't deserve the generosity he gave her!
The burden of sin is heavy and the burden of religion/works is heavy and believe those ways are often followed and broad. The way of Jesus is narrow. The walking by faith. The trusting in Christ's justification. The dependence on the Spirit for sanctification. That's hard. That's narrow.
Sanctification is not a work I am capable of. Certainly I will fail and the attempts will be fleshly and with the wrong motive and I will become proud of all the sanctification I have accomplished. Or I will despair because I see how much I fail and fall short. All sanctification and all holiness, any good thing in me is ONLY from Christ and Christ ALONE. I want no other sanctification.
I am familiar enough with Scripture to understand all that I need to obey and do. But I believe in Jeremiah 32:38 times: "They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me." I trust in that!
I trust in God that as I continue to walk by faith, in the Word, in fellowship with other believers and in prayer (all 'means' of grace) that He will continue to do the work that needs to be done. And He does--He's always changing me in so many ways. I just have to keep walking. The only way I have the courage to walk is because of what Christ has done. And the only way I have the desire to walk is because of his grace (unmerited favor) and kindness towards me. And the power to walk comes from the Spirit.
Found a cool blog just today! If you want to know more of how I think (I've only read the first page and like the article "What Legalism Isn't (And Is)", check it out! http://gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot.com/
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