What God Requires

May 18, 2015

Devotions:

        What does God demand or expect from us?  Under the old covenant God simplified what He wanted.  The fulfillment of the law was to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.  Then in Micah:

        "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (‭Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ KJV)

        God has not changed.  But the Israelites could not keep what was required of God and God knew that.  The Mosaic covenant of Law was meant to show the people that they needed a savior and in that to show the path to please God.  

        "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭39‬ KJV)

        "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭29‬ KJV)

        The Mosaic Law and all the Old Testament spoke of Jesus not of a way to please God through our own efforts.  The Old Testament saints that looked forward to the promised Messiah walked in the way that pleased God.

        We have a better covenant based on better promises.  They walked in God's mercy, we walk in God's mercy and grace.  They had their sins covered we have our sins removed.  They could only operate as best they could through the power of the flesh we have the strength of the Spirit of God within us.  

        What does God require in this day? That we believe on Jesus' finished work on the cross for our salvation and totally rely and trust in that work.  We are to believe and act like His life is being lived through us and rest in His salvation.