Following God is simple, and it’s complex. It’s easy. It’s hard. It’s all about relationship. But we’d be lying if we said God doesn’t have rules, guidelines, expectations. What does this relationship look like, this business of following Yahweh and Yeshua, our God and our Messiah?
Some say it’s a liberal love. It is. Some think God’s way is legalistic. If you term legalism a perfect standard that can’t be changed, then that would be true. If you term legalism as following standards rather than God, then you would be wrong.
Rules aren’t bad. Serving rules is bad. Following God means following Him, including His ways (rules). But to only follow His rules is so empty. Who follows rules without a master? That would be like following a master without rules. Both methods alone are pointless and inefficient.
Balance. It’s a balanced paradox. Not too liberal. Not too legalistic. Just perfect…judging by love, free to serve, following God in obedience.
When we follow God, we find that at last we are free… free to serve.
We may choose our master. But we may not choose the consequences. Though our choices may affect the consequences we receive. Life, no matter what we do, is a constant paradox.
But that doesn’t mean it can’t make sense. No, a true paradox can still be explained, if not philosophically at least through scripture. The greatest paradox of God is that no matter how unreal His ways may appear they are reality, truth, life. We were free to sin. Yet God’s truth and love captured us from bondage so we might serve Him rather than Satan.
I love words. I love ideas. And I really love that following God is so much deeper than just living for self, following selfish dreams, following our heart. I love how almost every Christian denomination sees part of the picture clearly. I’m sad that almost every denomination sees most of the picture wrong. We get too hung up over our own interpretations, or even other men’s interpretations. Instead of listening to what God has to say
through His own words.
Following God takes thought. And all at once it takes no thought… we just do as He says. There’s no need to worry, to stress over what’s right, what’s wrong? because He’s spelled it out for us to read and learn and follow.
It’s all about love. But what is love? It’s all about God. But who is God? We know freedom in God. But what does this freedom look like?
Each truth raised another question that we may know only through God’s answers. That’s the beauty of it… we know Him more by continuing the curiosity of, “Yes, but what does that look like?”
And the paradox grows even more with this amazing verse on works vs faith: But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” ~ James 2:18 NAS