The law doesn’t exist for us to live up to in order to please God — the law exists to keep us from harming ourselves and others.
If our theology is about being good enough for God, we are probably departed from the narrow path of the gospel and veered into the pit of self- righteousness.
If our theology allows us to hate God’s Word, make fun of those who worship Him, and live in continued rebellion against His will and His law, we are probably departed from the narrow path of the gospel and veered into the wide path of destruction and into luke-warm “Christianity” that will be puked out of His mouth and turned away as “I never knew you”.
If you sin, how does that affect God? Even if you sin again and again, what effect will it have on him? If you are good, is this some great gift to him? What could you possibly give him? No, your sins affect only people like yourself, and your good deeds also affect only humans.
Job 35:6-8 NLT
We cannot be “good enough” to please God. But we can be sinful enough to be far from Him or self-righteous enough to be a stench in His nostrils.
It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.
Isaiah 59:2 NLT
Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge. I will pay them back.” He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.” It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:26-31 NLT
Yet they say to each other, ‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!’ These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.
Isaiah 65:5 NLT
“I hate all your show and pretense— the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.
Amos 5:21-24 NLT
It isn’t by the law or by religious activity and traditions that we please God, but only by a humble and contrite spirit that comes through faith.
My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word. But those who choose their own ways— delighting in their detestable sins— will not have their offerings accepted. When such people sacrifice a bull, it is no more acceptable than a human sacrifice. When they sacrifice a lamb, it’s as though they had sacrificed a dog! When they bring an offering of grain, they might as well offer the blood of a pig. When they burn frankincense, it’s as if they had blessed an idol. I will send them great trouble— all the things they feared. For when I called, they did not answer. When I spoke, they did not listen. They deliberately sinned before my very eyes and chose to do what they know I despise.”
Isaiah 66:2-4 NLT
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 NLT
So we must repent.
We must humble ourselves before God.
We must see where we have turned away from His good advice and helpful wisdom to go out own way into destruction.
We must decide to trust His Word and His law and His Word and His people as precious.
We must have faith that He knows best.
We must be willing to recognize and admit our own shortcomings and rebellion as harmful to ourselves and others.
We must decide to trust God, to believe Him.
Amen.
We must recognize that we have lied to ourselves in convincing ourselves why it would be better to go out own way instead of God’s way.
Harold J. Ballinger 