The Love of God

    I feel as if I had just discover a gold mine! I am reading the book The Cross Centered Life by C. J. Mahaney for a class here at BBC and this chapter was on legalism. I have always struggled with legalism. For the longest time I trusted in my own works instead of the finished work of Jesus for my salvation, and it wasn't until I was 16 years old that I finally realized that by faith alone I could be saved. Even after I was saved though I still struggled with guilt and having a set of rules that I felt like I had to follow to be a "good" Christian.
    For some reason, I had always had a misunderstanding of what love is really like. I thought that you were perfectly justified in treating people differently by how they had treated you in the past. People had tried to explain to me that love is unconditional, but I never truly understood. THis even effected how I thought of God. Whenever I had sinned I would not want to pray, and if I did I would come with fear and trembling. At these times, my prayers were about how unworthy I was to come before him because of my sin. Now, don't get me wrong, I think we should have reverence when we come to God. My problem was that I only felt this way when I had broken a "rule". In essence I was saying that at other times I was worthy to come to him because of my good behavior.
    In the book, Mr. Mahaney discussed what legalism is. "Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and justification before God by obedience to God." (pg. 112) That was my attitude exactly. I thought that I could some how make God happy with me by all the good things that I did. I also thought that he would not receive me if I in sin. He went on to explain though how, when we were saved we were declared righteous before God because of the work of Jesus. His righteousness was applied to us, and we were given access to the Father.
    Through reading this book I have come to see how wrong I was! God receives on the merit of Jesus Christ. Once we are his children, he always welcomes us with open arms when we come to him. His love is unconditional and will last forever! The truth and wonder of it is overwhelming to me right now. I can always come to him no matter what I have done. It reminds me of the words to one of my favorite hymns.

 

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

 

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

 

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

 

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky