Intro: It does not matter in which direction I look, I can see the evidence of people who live according to the law of God, as well as people who live against it. Even in places where people may not have a Bible, there will be those who live according to God’s standard of love. How is that even possible if they haven’t heard about God’s commands? The answer: If we are truly honest, we know the difference between right and wrong. However; because of sin, we simply have an innate driving hunger for the wrong things. That is why God gave us the Helper—the Holy Spirit who leads us away from what is false [not glorifying to God’s character] and into what is true [glorify to God’s character].
The older I get the more I appreciate God’s standard for my life; the image of Christ. I accept that I need divine boundaries and I welcome the work of the Spirit to produce holiness in me. In His Word, God graciously gives me a moral compass to follow so I do not sin against myself, a social standard of behavior upon which to build my relationships so I do not sin against others, and a spiritual Guide who leads me into a righteous life that produces fruit so I do not sin against God. Friends, God has set us up for success.
God has written the essence of His laws on human hearts, so we know how to love God and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. He gives us grace [favor] for the journey. We do not need to guess what God expects from us as His children. We simply need to be willing to align ourselves with His standard and obey. May we pause to think about the hunger in our hearts, today. Is it really for righteousness above all else? Remember, we can hold no secrets from God’s all-knowing presence.
Romans 2:12-16 NLT
12 When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. 13 For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. 14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. 16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for writing your standard of living on human hearts. Your standard of love helps me gain a greater understanding of You, helps me nurture healthy relationships with family and friends, and helps me see myself through the eyes of Christ. Thank you for releasing spiritual understanding within me, so I know and seek to live the Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.