Belief + ?

So, I have read or heard the story of the "good Samaritan" umpteen times in my short life as a follower of Jesus, so when it came up in my devotional today I was none too excited. I'm thinking, Oh, man. I've read this a million times! Guh! But, being the forever obedient servant of the Lord that I am *wink, wink* I decided to plod ahead and see if just maybe the Creator of the Universe might be able to pierce my superior intellect with a new revelation. Hello, Pride.

Anyhoo, I'm four verses into the story in Luke 10, and I'm stopped in my tracks at the six words in verse 29.

"...but he wanted to justify himself..."

I didn't even get to the portion of the parable we so often hear in the pew. God honed my focus onto the man to which the parable was told. This expert of the law asked what we needed to do to be saved and received the Great Commandments as his answer...to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love others as we love ourselves. Jesus, God in the flesh, looked him in the eyes and told him what would make him right in the Father's eyes. How to be justified. Righteous. Deemed acceptable. Yet the man was not satisfied with Jesus' definition. He wanted to "justify himself". The entire parable we are so familiar with is Jesus' answer to the man's attempt to make himself right in his own eyes.

So, instead of focusing on the parable, I want us to look at the man behind it. A man who could not accept Jesus' justification. I'd like us to ask ourselves, "Am I like him?" "Do I dismiss God's definition of righteousness so easily?"

"Consider Abraham, 'He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'" Gal. 3:6

What made Abraham right in the eyes of God? Belief. Faith. It's that simple. Not belief AND having a quiet time every day. Not faith AND never making a mistake, following every letter of the Christian law.

BELIEF. That's it. That's all.

What are you trying to add to your faith to make you feel acceptable and "right" to God? Do you beat yourself up every time you make a mistake or drop the ball? Maybe you're adding perfectionism to your faith.

Do you give and give until you're a ball of nerves or a ragdoll on the floor no good to anyone? Maybe you've added service to your faith.

Should we spend time with God everyday? Yes. Should we serve? Yes. Should we do our best at what we've been called to do? Yes.

But should we be looking to those things to convince ourselves that we are right in the eyes of God and have his favor because of them? No.

You will mess up. You will have days or seasons when you simply cannot give. Are you going to come down on yourself and doubt your righteousness? Are you going to start looking for ways to prove to God that you are worthy of His love? Do not fall for the lie!! If you have believed on Jesus, you are okay with God. You are still accepted, loved, and deeply cherished.

His love is not conditional.

Ladies, we do not have to earn our acceptance. We do not have to prove our worth. All we must do is believe. Believe that you need Jesus and trust Him with your life. You do that, and you're golden. Stop trying to justify yourself; it's not your job. That job has already been done by the only One qualified to do it.

Accept it. Receive it. Rest in it.

Oh, Jesus, we admit that we like to try to earn your love and grace. We confess that to you today and ask your forgiveness. You died on that cross so we didn't have to be "good enough" and we are claiming today that Your sacrifice was enough. We will stop trying to add to it. We love you, Amen.