How much do you think about who will go to heaven? Do you think of heaven as something you must earn? Do you think that if you disobey one command from God that you will be disinherited? Are you continually battling to obey and beating yourself up when you don’t?
Many Christians think about heaven on a regular basis. They hold it up as something that they will gain when they pass from this mortal life. Some act as though they must earn their way to heaven. They strive with their own strength to discipline themselves to obey every command.
Evidently, the Apostle Paul saw the same striving in the church in Rome. It is also apparent at least some of the Christians in Rome were Jewish. For Paul uses language from Deuteronomy to make his argument. He is referring to obeying the law of Moses. His point is simple; no one can completely obey the law. As fallible humans, we fall short in one way or another.
Paul’s point is that Jesus has already reconciled us with God. That is not to say that we should continue in our sin. We should strive to eliminate it with God’s help. We need the Holy Spirit guiding us and helping us along the way to be transformed into the person God’s desires us to be. Submitting to God is not giving up our humanity. It is becoming fully human and being the image of God in which he made us to begin with.
I pray we all know we cannot fully obey God’s law on our own. I pray we seek the help of the Holy Spirit. I pray each one of us knows Jesus has already reconciled us with God so that we can be transformed. Seek the Holy Spirit’s help. Jesus has reconciled you to God. Be transformed.
Romans 10:6-7 But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
Marty Pressey 