There’s something limiting about a Christian seeking to perfect himself/herself by observing the Law. Paul pointed out the absurdity when he remarked:

“Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!” Galatians 3:2-4 MSG

The other day, I was reading about Peter, an Apostle of Jesus. He was a staunch Jew and traditionalist. Despite having walked with the Lord and observed his ways, it took an open vision from God, to convince him of the worth of the Gentiles and their right to salvation. In the story of Cornelius, Peter says, “…You yourselves are aware how it is not lawful or permissible for a Jew to keep company with or to visit or [even] to come near or to speak first to anyone of another nationality, but God has shown and taught me by words that I should not call any human being common or unhallowed or [ceremonially] unclean.” Acts 10: 28 AMP

Contrast Peter’s behaviour with Jesus’ preemptive dialogue with a religiously unclean Samaritan. The five-times divorced woman would go on to become Jesus’ evangelist in her community. Here’s the reference:

“A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, “Would you give me a drink of water?” (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.) The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, “How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (Jews in those days wouldn’t be caught dead talking to Samaritans.) Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.” John 4:7-10 MSG

Jesus was also known to eat with a leper, who was ritually unclean. The same Jesus proclaimed that the Law had been fulfilled in him. He pointed out the futility of trying to keep up with the edicts of the Law. He presents a set of stringent rules should his disciples even attempt to follow the Law. His recommendations include a spotless thought life and the plucking of an eye in the event of a stray look, which caused one to sin. He would make clear that it was only through a relationship with him, that his disciples could truly please God (Matthew 5; John 14:7).

The Law has been superseded by a fresh covenant with new terms – GRACE. So how is it that people still desire to continue a covenant that has already been fulfilled – the LAW? Paul wrote about the Jewish response to the new paradigm of grace and their difficulty with letting go:

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Romans 10:1-4 NKJV

Now back to Apostle Peter. Despite his open vision, he would later try to distance himself from non-Jews to preserve his religious image. Paul calls him out:

“For before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Galatians 2:12-16 NKJV

Peter eventually limited his ministry to focusing on the Jews – those he could readily understand and relate to. Paul was subsequently raised by God to focus on the Gentiles.

I believe God is greatly opposed to religion. Religion seeks to create an exclusive club of the sanctified. It resists God’s inclusive vision for all men and his expansionist view of the world.

I pray that God will raise people to reach the unchurched with open hearts. Those who do not place more importance on religion than the author of life himself – God.

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