Justified by Faith Archives - God Cherishes You

Does God Ask Us to Do the Impossible?

The short answer is ‘yes,’ but He never asks us to do something that we cannot do if we ask Him for help. He wants us to depend upon Him. After all, He is our Father. Let me give you what I think is His biggest challenge to us…

After Moses dealt with the Hebrews ‘leaders’ who rebelled against God by making an idol of a golden calf, he returned to Mt. Sinai to beg for leniency for the transgression of the people. God in His great mercy granted it.

Jehovah then told Moses to have the Hebrews break camp, to ready themselves to resume their march to Canaan – the Promised Land. While in the camp, Moses erected a tent outside of it, and named it the ‘tent of meeting.’ When he entered it, a pillar of cloud descended upon it, and God would speak to him:

Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. Ex. 33:14 NASB

Moses asked God if he and the other Hebrews were back in His favor. Jehovah responded:

“My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Ex. 33:14 NKJV

God calls Moses back up to Mt. Sinai for the last time – again for 40 days. This time, the people behaved. During that stay, Jehovah reassures Moses of the depth of His love and mercy, and renews His covenant with the Hebrews:

The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but will by no means clear the guilty…” Ex. 34:6, 7. ESV

(The ‘guilty’ are those who willfully continue to commit unrepentant sin.)

And He said: “Behold I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among who you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do for you.” Ex. 34:10 NKJV

Moses returned to the people with a new set of the Tablets of Testimony, his face shining from being exposed to God’s glory.

Before they left Mt. Sinai, the Israelites (as some Bible translations now begin to call the Hebrews), constructed the ‘tabernacle.’ Then, God filled it with His glory. A pillar of cloud rested over it by day, replaced by a pillar of fire at night. If the cloud was lifted, it meant that it was time for the Israelites to break camp and march.

God speaks with Moses in the tabernacle and issues our greatest challenge:

“For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” Lv. 11:44 ESV

The word ‘holy’ is translated from the Hebrew qadash, which depicts a state whereby one is ‘set apart, morally pure, sinless, and dedicated to a sacred purpose.’ In short, having the nature of God Himself. The word ‘consecrate’ is translated from the same Hebrew word.

Is not God asking us to do the impossible? He must not be, because He would not ask us to do it if that were so:

For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 1 Thess. 4:7 ESV

Not only has Jehovah called us to be holy, but He specifically chose each of us for that holiness before the creation of the world itself:

…[in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. Eph. 1:4 AMP

And yet, see what else God says:

There is none holy like the Lord… 1 Sam. 2:2 NASB

We’ll come back to that.

‘Righteousness’ is another word that we can almost substitute for ‘holy,’ because it is a major component of it. It is defined as ‘right-standing before God, virtuous, just,’ or ‘morally right.’ And like anything God wants us to do, He sets the example:

The LORD is righteous in all His ways… Ps. 145:17 NKJV

If we are being righteous, God will complete our love-connection:

The LORD loves the righteous. Ps. 146:8 NASB

In fact, Jehovah showers you with blessings when you practice righteousness (i.e. doing your best to walk in His word).

For you bless the righteous O LORD; you cover him with favor as with a shield. Ps. 5:12 ESV

…break off your sins by being righteous… Dn. 4:27 NKJV

…righteousness delivers from death. Pr. 10:2 NASB

So, all that we have to do to have a wonderful life is to be righteous? Are we up to that?

…all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. Is. 64:6 NKJV

There is none righteous, no not one. Rm. 3:10 NKJV

As we’ve already seen, it appears that God is contradicting Himself; but that’s impossible because He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Yes, He is asking us to do the impossible. Yet, it will get done because God Himself is going to help:

First, Jehovah works with your faith – just like He did with Abraham:

And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. Gn. 15:6 NLT

In fact, having faith is a requirement for being righteous:

…Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness by faith, but…Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. Rm. 9:30 – 32. ESV

(A great scripture to share with unbelievers who feel that by just being a ‘good’ person, in spite of being faithless, will make it to heaven. Not!)

Our best efforts cannot fill us with righteousness, but our faith in God and Christ will:

For He (God) made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus). 2 Cor. 5:21 NKJV

Furthermore, our faith brings us yet another pillar to our holy construct, through the justification (‘freed from blame or guilt’) offered by God through Christ:

It (righteousness) shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. Rm. 4:24, 25. NKJV

…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus… Rm. 3:23, 24. ESV

Our faith also brings to us the final pillar – sanctification (‘set apart, dedicate, consecrate, made free from sin, to make holy):

…God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 2 Thess. 2:13 NASB

So, what is that truth?

…we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Heb. 10:10 NKJV

Yes! We can be holy. God knows we’re human and that we will come up short in terms of willpower. However, if we supply the faith, and render our best efforts to walk in His ways, He will bridge that gap.

Yes, God asks you to do the impossible. The next time He does, get excited! That means you get to personally work with Him…

Goodnight and God bless.

Is There a Perfect Christian?

Is there such a thing? Of course not. That’s why Jesus came:

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father… Gal. 1:3, 4. NKJV

The world doesn’t get that. It wants to crucify you as well, when you come up short. They want to see you fall. One of the ways that they do that, is by trying to dilute your faith:

…there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. Gal. 1:7 NASB

In fact, no one, on their own, is perfect in anything. So, we needn’t be perturbed by the opinions of the ignorant, with regards to of our spirituality. We know that we can become a perfect Christian in God’s eyes, because of the cloak of righteousness that Jesus provides to all His followers.

We also know that on this earth, we are humans who make mistakes. Thank God that we aren’t judged by them (because we are made immune to His wrath through our continued faith in Christ, and our continuing practice of confession and repentance):

…we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ… Gal. 2:15 ESV

There isn’t anyone who could live in perfect obedience to all of the Mosaic laws. We slip and fall – repeatedly. So, we do our best to obey those that we can, and humble ourselves before Christ for the ones that we can’t:

For through the Law I died to the Law and its demands on me [because salvation is provided through the death and resurrection of Christ], so that I might [from now on] live to God. Gal. 2:19 AMP

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” Gal. 2:20, 21. NASB

The apostle Paul speaks of the ‘curse’ of the Mosaic Law because its function was to bring an awareness of one’s sinful nature. (Gal. 3:10) Yet, in and of itself, the Law offered no solution for overcoming our tendency to indulge our flesh. Instead, it showed us where we were helpless, and our need for divine intervention to achieve the righteousness required for entering the kingdom of God.

That same righteousness is offered to all people, who place their faith in the saving power of the blood of Jesus. Indeed, the ultimate purpose of the Mosaic Law was to point us towards that necessity:

It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made… Gal. 3:19

The seed was Christ – who brought the Mosaic Law to its final evolution. The original law was given so that people would know what constituted ‘transgressions’ against God, and that having such knowledge would place some restraint upon the would-be perpetrator.

The Law itself was not bad. How could it be? It is the word of God. But its relationship to God’s children changed with the advent of Christ:

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer in need of a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized have put on Christ. Gal. 3:24 – 27. ESV

No one can be justified by the impossible task of obeying every letter of the Law. So, as a follower of Christ, we let that insurmountable task ‘die’ in us and accept what Jesus did – how He filled that gap from what we are, to what we can ultimately become: a righteous child of God. We are justified by faith – period. How so?

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Gal. 3:6 NASB

Faith.

There is a spiritual transformation that takes place upon salvation, and it does not require that the recipient perfect their flesh. Can’t be done. It’s like this: we do our best to live by God’s laws, and Christ will free us from the curse of the law when we stumble in it. He stands between God and His child and says, “It’s okay, I’ve paid the price for this one.”

Even during this life, He sends us help to minimize those stumbles:

…walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]. Gal. 5:16 AMP

…if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Gal. 5:18 NASB

So, next time someone tries to find fault with you for your imperfections, explain why you’re covered. After all, what a great opening for evangelizing, yes?

Goodnight and God bless.

Justified by Faith

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