The Father will give us the Spirit of Truth to be with us forever.
It can easily get a bit confusing. In the Bible Paul talks about being saved just through having faith in Jesus, but even he tells us how we should live and the dire consequences of living as we shouldn't. James says that faith is vital, but without works it is dead. Jesus, the ultimate in speaking against blindly following tradition, says that following the Law isn't enough. So are we saved by faith but then have to follow rules laid out in the New Testament? I think that Paul would go ballistic if he heard me ask that!
Rules don't work. OK, don't steal or commit adultery or murder - we generally have control over that, so a law containing those commands is sensible. A lot of what we are told to do in the New Testament is much more difficult though: don't be angry, love those who persecute you etc, etc. If I feel angry with someone, then I have to stop. Why? Because there is a rule? That doesn't really help me.
God wants us to live an amazing life that meets his high standards, and gives us all the support that we need to do that.
Paul hit the nail on the head in Galatians (chapter 5, verses 22-25): be filled with the Holy Spirit and then His fruit will develop in you - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law about these, but if we have given our lives to Jesus and allow His Spirit to live in us, then that is how we shall naturally start to live. Similarly, Jesus said that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments - that is how it is. We naturally start to live the way that Jesus wants us to out of our love for Him and through the help of the Holy Spirit whom He gives us as a helper (John chapter 14, verses 15-17 & 26). It isn't a matter of, "Do what I say and then I will believe that you love me." It's the other way round.
God has high standards that we can't meet. That's why Jesus died for us and rose from the dead. If we commit our lives to Jesus, He doesn't then start forcing us to do what we couldn't before, in order to keep our salvation; He grows His way of life in us. He also gives us spiritual gifts to make us more effective in living the Christian life (1 Corinthians chapter 12, verses 1-11). If you haven't committed your life to Jesus, or if you haven't asked the Holy Spirit into your life to transform you, then why not do that today. There is more information in the knowing God section, or you can contact us. Life will never be the same again.
Comentarios