Laying down the Law, picking up Grace…

Celebrating Anniversary Week here on Hope in the Healing! Two years ago this week you invited me into your cyber lives and I have been forever blessed. I know this past year, especially the last six months, have not been my best but I appreciate that the blog has grown and you have shared and encouraged. I thank you. Today and tomorrow I am sharing the two most viewed posts from last year. This post was in response to a She Reads Truth sharing challenge. I hope you enjoy. Blessings!

Poor Nehemiah. He leaves for Jerusalem with the intent of rebuilding the city and setting it back in its rightful place. He accomplishes this great feat in 52 days! Once it is accomplished, he must return to Babylon for a while and while he is gone, just as Moses experienced coming down from Mount Sinai, the people fall right back into their sinful ways. When he returns, history tells us ten to twelve years later, chaos is rampant.

  • One of the priests, Eliashib has set up a room for his good relative, Tobiah where they used to store the “…grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil.”  
  • The priests were also no longer receiving their pay and had literally left to go back to their homes.
  • They were working on the Sabbath! Treading out the winepresses, bringing in the grain and as Nehemiah tells it, “Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! Nehemiah 13:16 ESV.
  • They were marrying outside of Israel. Nehemiah reminds them that was the downfall of King Solomon, the greatest king who ever lived, and loved by God, yet he fell into sin when he began to marry outside of God’s commandments.

These are just a few of the atrocities that the people were committing and Nehemiah was furious.

“Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.” Nehemiah 13:30-31 ESV.

It seems we are back where we started with the Israelites. We can read all throughout the book of Nehemiah, why he has this tremendous burden to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He is loyal, dedicated and committed to his beloved Jerusalem, and most of all, to his God.

Just as everything is set in place, and their fearless leader returns to Babylon, to fulfill commitments there, once again Israel sins.

Why?

Relationship, relationship, relationship.

They were not in love with the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Nehemiah. They were not committed to His ways and His laws. Maybe even in this instance they were serving man and not God.

When Jesus ascended back to Heaven, He left us His Holy Spirit to dwell IN us; a living, breathing, portion of the Father to be with us and IN us until He would return to take us unto Himself.

This Holy Ghost, as it is referred to in the Book of Acts, was, and is, intended to give us the knowledge of God, to know right from wrong and to have the power to overcome. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8.

 Does that mean WE never sin, if we have this power within us?

Of course not, but we do have relationship, and a desire to please the One who gave His very life for us. We are not bound by rules, but by love for a Savior.

So, why does the Book of Nehemiah end so disappointingly? What does the Lord want us to understand here about Jesus Christ and the Church?

Nehemiah continually looked back to the Savior.

He knew where his strength and help originated from. Just like Moses, he realized that those “rules” were meant to give guidance and direction to a wandering people. He set the example before them that when the Laws were broken, they could repent (turn from their sin) and God would forgive.

Ultimately, the Law, the rules, regulations, promises and covenants were virtually powerless when it came to eradicating sin in the lives of people.

Laying down the law

It is truly the grace of God, the infilling of His Spirit, that gives us the desire and the power to overcome!

The following of rules will continually cause us to look at ME instead of Jesus.

All throughout the Old Testament, we see time and time again the leaders pulling their hair out (and even some on others!), frustrated with the continual sinning of Israel. God rewards them with fantastic victories only to have them turn right around and go back to their pigpen, over, and over, and over again.

We will always be disappointed because we will never reach perfection if we are bound by contracts and misplaced promises.

Thank God for Calvary! We have a Hope and His name is Jesus!

We are saved because of who HE is, not by what we can do.

Kingdom2

 

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23 thoughts on “Laying down the Law, picking up Grace…

  1. Pingback: O God, thy sea is so great and my boat is so small…

  2. Candace Jo Post author

    Thank you, Lisa! Isn’t it wonderful to not live under bondage! Blessings.

  3. Lisa

    I am not bound by rules but by the love if a savior!

    That is amazingly profound and hits my heart! Love it!

  4. pjkuhn

    I love knowing God’s grace can be a personal grace — reserved just for me. It fills my cupped hands and runs over! It’s truly amazing grace.

  5. Candace Jo Post author

    I understand being bound by legalism, Cheryl. I have fought that myself for years. As I said to Angela above, when we ever “get it” that it is not a works-based salvation, but a free gift from God, I think it forever changes the way we live for Him! Yet, I do not think we can sin so grace can abound (and I know you don’t either). The Holy Ghost IN us will produce good works and a desire to be more like Jesus. I AM praying for you, keep believing!! ♥

  6. Candace Jo Post author

    Oh, Angela! Grace is for everyone! Yes, we can walk away from God, that would be a CHOICE, to not be saved. But God’s love is UN-conditional, His death on the cross paid the price so we do not have to. Yes, I believe we should live right, I believe the infilling of His Spirit causes us to WANT to live as much like Jesus as we can. We cannot, however, be perfect. Only Jesus Christ was a spotless and sinless man. Salvation is free, it is a gift of God, not of works, or we would boast in ourselves. Ephesians 2. Works do not save us but they are a RESULT of our salvation. A good result 🙂 I would be happy to discuss this further if you like. ynannette@gmail.com Blessings, friend!

  7. Whitney

    What an awesome post! I love the emphasis on having a meaningful relationship with God and not being bound by mere RULES but by a relationship with God. So good. Thank you!!

  8. Angela

    I’m not so sure about this whole grace thing. According to the church I go to you can lose your salvation. Also I read in a booklet from the church that God’s love is conditional; based on keeping Jesus’s commandments. Sounds like salvation and love is based on right living.

  9. Cheryl Smith

    Oh, Nannette! This post went right along with some issues we have been dealing with after coming out of (still in the process) of legalism. At 47 years of age, I am only now really beginning to understand the meaning of grace. It is a brand-new concept, and one that I am having difficulty understanding, having lived so many years trying to “earn” God’s love and being battered and bruised by those who bind such heavy burdens on others. I loved what you said about rules and regulations never replacing relationship. How VERY true! If we come to mind, please keep us in your prayers. I’m not really sure how I will ever truly get a hold of this completely…it seems hopeless to lay aside all of the legalistic mindset and decypher the difference between God’s approval and man’s. Love you, dear friend!

  10. Gema

    As I read the breakdown of all the sins the people of Jerusalem fell into, God revelaed to me that we today live in Jerusalem. We have been given a guide of how we should live, we have been shown the good and bad, and still we choose to be disobedient. We choose to put everything else above God. We forget to be thankful and do whats good and decide to do what is evil. Thank you for sharing sister. God bless!

  11. Floyd

    It’s the way of lazy and prideful people that try to follow a list of rules that always end up stumbling. Humility first…

  12. Lisa Koster

    I love the book of Nehemiah. Jack Hayford wrote a book describing Nehemiah as a preview of the Holy Spirit – what Nehemiah did for Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit will do for you. Love that analogy!

  13. Hayley

    Such great insight! God has really been showing me that no matter how hard I try to do everything right, it doesn’t make Him love me more. I want to do everything perfect, but I have learned that I am human. If I was perfect I wouldn’t need a Savior! I am going to fail, but He is there with open arms to forgive.

  14. Lisa

    Grace can be so hard to accept because we then recognize how undeserving we are of His grace. But it also humbles me to a place where I realize that I can’t go on without it! Thank you Jesus for replacing the rules we could never keep with an opportunity to be in a loving relationship with you and the Father.

  15. Candace Jo Post author

    Oooh…I would love to hear that voice!! 🙂 Blessings, friend!!

  16. Heather Mertens @ 40YearWanderer

    Relationship. Relationship. Relationship. Yesssss!! {she sings in her best operatic voice}
    You got it, girlfriend. And you state it so beautifully.

    So glad God gave us another chance.

  17. Candace Jo Post author

    Hi Janet! Blessings to you…yes, we WILL mess up! It’s a given 🙂 But praise God for His love. ♥

  18. Candace Jo Post author

    Thank you for stopping by Jessica! Heading over to see what God has given you today. Blessings, friend!

  19. Jessica Love

    Thanks for sharing, Nannette! You always provide such great perspective and encouragement for the SRT community.

  20. Janet

    Thanks, CandaceJo. I always love reading your posts on SRT. You are so right that relationship is the key. It is only love for our God that will keep us on on the right path. But since I will still mess up anyway, I praise God for HIS love that saves me through his sacrifice!

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