Psalms 119:34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Jesus proclaimed that the whole of the law could be summed up in two things. Love God and love one another. Believe me when I say that it takes a lot more understanding to do that than to obey all of the Mosaic and Levitical laws. Those Old Testament laws are complicated, illogical, and in many ways impractical. The one thing those laws do not do are attack you and hurt you in your daily life.

People on the other hand cause a lot of pain and suffering. Extending grace to someone who has just insulted you takes Godly understanding. It won’t come from our old nature, it has to come from our new nature as sons and daughters of God.

As a child if I was slapped I would make a fist and strike back. As a son of God if someone were to slap me now, I would seek understanding as to the heart of the one who slapped me. No one would strike out at me without motivation. Did they believe a lie about me? Did they misunderstand me or my intentions? Striking back will not clear up the misunderstanding, only understanding will make it right.

My first responsibility as a son of God is reconciliation. That is my ministry. It is the only ministry we all have an active part of in this world. Reconciliation requires mutual understanding, to see things from God’s point of view, not our own. In order to do that we must first agree with God.

Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

2 Corinthians 13:9 For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.

Oh if wishing only made it so. Don’t you want to be like Jesus? We are promised to be conformed in Romans 8:29. But that is conformed to the image, not conformed to Christ. To look like is not the same as being Christ. I have photos of my mom and dad, but they are not my mom and dad.

I wished I had a house. I got a job, saved some money. I made a down payment, got a loan, and found a house. After many years of effort I received the title, the house was mine. If we look at Christ’s perfection in the same way we will do things to attain perfection. The problem is that we look at it from a standpoint of human effort.

Exodus 20:4a Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above,

One of the Ten Commandments says not to make images. Our promise is to be made an image of Christ. How is this any different? Graven, to be made of earthly hands. God Himself is the Potter, we are but the clay. We do not get to mold ourselves, we are molded by God. One of the misconceptions I labored under for years was that I was in control of my progress. I made the decisions, I made the effort and if I failed it was my fault. I would renew my efforts, rededicate myself to more self-control and in the end fail yet again.

Romans 16:25-27 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

We are changed by obedience of faith, not by human effort.