What’s Black and White and Red All Over?
Law covered in Grace.
Jesus’ blood crushed the mandate to live a black and white lifestyle. Avoiding wrong and doing right all the time has never been likely for mankind, and was never the original plan. Father’s plan was always Jesus. Truth and grace go hand in hand, and that is what the Lord has for our lives.
Acts 16 showcases Paul and Timothy meeting for the first time. Timothy was well respected among his city. His mother a Jew who believed The Way, what believing and following Jesus was called at this time, and his father a Greek. Paul wants Timothy with his Jew-Gentile background to go along with him on his journey to reach . However, extremely devout Jews lived in the city here they were headed. Paul thought it best in order to reach these certain Jews effectively that Timothy must get circumcised because everyone knew his Father was Greek.
When I first read this, I was a little confused. I was thinking, “self this ain’t right! Paul spent half his time writing to people about freedom and grace and salvation for Gentiles through faith in Jesus alone. Circumcision is works of the law for salvation and acceptance by God and law is dead. WHY WOULD HE DO THIS!? IT IS SO WRONG.”
Then a little life lesson I learned in college was brought back up to me:
“Binary thinking misses opportunity with God and man.”
Don’t get me wrong – there are certain things that are set in stone. Do not lie, do not cheat, do not steal, etc. However, there are things that are also wrong for me, but maybe not for you, or vice versa. My personal convictions from my own walk with God are just that – my personal convictions.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13
The Lord didn’t give the Law to box him in. He gave us Jesus to fulfill the Law – not that we could ignore the Law, but so that we could live our lives in accordance with it, no longer bound by it, but utilizing it to become refined and pure.
Sometimes things aren’t as they seem. Not everything is black and white, or right and wrong. Forcing a group of Gentiles to be circumcised to measure up to the Jewish Law is wrong and is different than Timothy being circumcised to reach the Jewish community.
When we take our focus off of what is right or wrong and put it on Jesus, He guides and directs our steps. We must live by our personal convictions, but we must not die on a hill of debate or use them to measure ourselves against others, for the sake of being better than someone else. We can miss an opportunity to reach someone else for Christ.
Law covered in grace sets people free from abiding by the law for salvation. Gauge what the Holy Spirit is leading you toward by looking to Jesus, and trusting that just because someone else walks differently or handles a situation differently does not mean it is only to be done that way.
Be led by grace and freedom – love for Jesus and respect for the law!
–Jordan
