Why do we love God and worship Him so fervently? Because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19) When we realize God’s love for creation and we begin to understand his ways, we are driven to worship.
Without this connection to the Creator, we would be numb to His plan, His laws, and His love for us, and we would live an existence contrary to Him, as many so comfortably do.
By nature we're all hardwired with instructions for determining good versus evil. This is evident in the working of our consciences. Romans 2:14-15 states:
For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them…
But outside of a savior, this hardwiring is irredeemably corrupt due to Adam’s fall to sin in the Garden of Eden. That means even on our best days, doing our best deeds, we can’t rid ourselves of corruption. Certainly we can do good by our own definitions, but our "good" is as filthy rags in the eyes of God.
…we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
Isaiah 64:6
Therefore, we cannot obtain God’s favor by doing what we personally believe to be good and right. Instead, God obtains glory by drawing his creatures in to him through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This means our only righteousness is granted through the Son of God and not our own doings.
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luke 5:32
If we understand Christ as the ultimate act of God’s love and we believe Christ to be the only acceptable sacrifice for our corruption, then we are counted as His children.
God does not demand our impossible perfection on earth, only our faith that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. He takes no pleasure in our destruction, but desires that we live in light of His miraculous work.
As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways…
Ezekiel 33:11
Photo By David Zawiła - Unsplash.com
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