John 15:5,8 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

I have been trying to walk in The Way for decades. There are so many opinions about the bible and how important it is to understand God’s promises and see how they direct our path through this life we live by faith.

This morning I had one of those moments between me and my God. It is a new way of thinking for me, but I don’t know if anyone else has ever had this thought. I am not even sure God wants me to share it with anyone else. Walking by faith is much like that, taking a step and not knowing what will become of it.

In Genesis God told Adam not to eat the fruit of one tree while all the others were free to eat.

In Exodus God gave Moses the ten commandments.

In Dueternonmy Moses delivered 613 laws.

In the portion of Kedoshim, we read the words, Betzedek tishpot amitecha, “You shall judge your fellow with righteousness.” Rashi, the foremost Biblical commentator, first provides the simple analysis, which is that judges must rule righteously, without being swayed by any other considerations. In fact, the full title of a beth din, a Jewish court, is not only beth din, a “house of law,” but beth din tzedek, a “house of just law.” The law must be just, fair, and objective—otherwise the court itself is not doing justice. But then Rashi adds a second interpretation, relevant not only for the judiciary but for all of us. “Another explanation is: Judge your fellow favorably” (i.e., give the benefit of the doubt). Source chabad.org

Because many Jewish leaders found it difficult to put others to death as commanded they found a way to judge others without pronouncing a death sentence. No one had ever kept all the laws perfectly, not with 1, not with 10 and surely not with 613 laws to understand and keep.

Then Jesus Christ came and kept all the law perfectly and for that they sought to kill Him.

This is why. They could not accept that Jesus was both fully man and fully God.

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

They couldn’t live with anyone doing what they could not. They sought to expose Him. If they could kill Him, it would prove He was not God incarnate. They only proved He is.

Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Let us not try to create controversy here. There are too many interpretations out there about what God meant when He said this to Moses. A proper understanding here is unlikely.

When God told Moses to tell the people of Israel that “I Am” sent him, there are no existing documents before Moses delivered the Pentateuch that says Israel had any understanding of what “I AM” means. We do not know what they thought.

When I say “I am a Christian” I know what I mean, but that is no guarantee that the hearer understands what that means without my words and actions matching my beliefs. Even then, that does guarantee perfect understanding. Imperfect beings seem to be incapable of perfect understanding.

For me Christianity is a growth process. I am not what I was 30 years ago, nor am I now what I will be in another year. If I am judged for what I said and did 30 years ago, it does not reflect who “I AM” today.

Malachi 3:6 “For I the Lord do not change;”

There is no need to finish that quote, this is enough to understand that the primary quality of the great “I AM” is consistency, even if we do not understand. God is perfect in form and character so there is no need for Him to change.

We need to change because we were not perfect to begin with, but have the potential to be changed if we are willing. Potential is the key to growth.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Christianity is not a mask we wear so that others cannot see what we are in reality. We are told not to mask our Christianity as if it is something to be ashamed of in this life.

Ephesians 2:5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Grace is unmerited favor, if I didn’t deserve it, then perhaps they will believe they too can find salvation by faith in Jesus Christ even though they don’t deserve it either.