Once in a while, someone will ask the question, “Why can’t I be accepted by God if I keep His law”? The answer is the law itself. The law of God that Moses delivered to the people consists of three separate divisions. First, there is the 10 commandments; those are for everyone. The second part consists of the laws for the Jewish nation; it is about how they were to regulate every aspect of their lives. And the third part consists of the ceremonial law and every part of that pointed to the answer if you broke any of the two previous parts of the law.
For example, David was known as a “man after God’s own heart”. Now, if God said David was a man after His own heart then surely David would have been able to keep God’s law. But David broke seven of the 10 commandments in a very short period of time. First, David saw a woman bathing on her rooftop and lusted for her, but God has said “you must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor”. Ex 20:17 (NLT). Her name was Bathsheba, and she was the wife of one of David’s most trusted soldiers. Second, David had sex with Bathsheba; he sent soldiers to her house who told her the king required her presence. “You must not commit adultery.” Ex 20:14 (NLT). And, third, David had her husband killed in battle to cover up his sins. “You must not murder.” Ex 20:13 (NLT). It doesn’t matter if you do it personally or have someone else do it; it is the intent. And finally, fourth, David failed to love the Lord properly. “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” Deut 6:5 (NLT). This quote represents the first four commandments.
David ignored his sin until he was confronted by the prophet Nathan. Then he repented and sought God’s forgiveness and favor once again, but he had to live with the consequences of his sin for the rest of his life. Ever wonder why you experience hard times in life? Let me point out two reasons: 1. God graciously allows us to go through hard times to help us realize we need to depend on Him, and 2. sometimes it is the result of our sin. We all go through hard times; God wants us to learn that He loves us and wants us to live in a relationship with Him. But that relationship can only exist through faith in what Jesus did on the cross for us; He made a way for us to commune with God. But, as the prophet Isaiah says “all of our righteousness (good works) are nothing but filthy rags” in God’s site. And the Apostle Paul says “yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” Gal 2:16 (NLT).
I have given four reasons why I believe the Bible; it explains who I am, where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going. What other book in the world has those answers so specific, and it all is because of God’s great love for us humans. Have a great life!