The Bible tells us what to do and not to do but doesn't give us the power. We have the power to live holy lives, not by knowing the Bible, but by faith in Jesus. The Bible tells us hundreds of things we must do and hundreds more we must not do. These things in the Bible are not suggestions but commandments.
The Bible details our responsibilities and the devastating effects of not fulfilling them. Everything is locked into a system of living, revealed by the Bible. If we don't fit into this system, we suffer the consequences. Yet since we can't do what the system requires, we're "locked in"; "damned if we do and damned if we don't."
Faith in Jesus is our only way out (Gal 3:23-26). When we become wearied and burdened by the law of life, we can by faith come to Jesus, Who will refresh us (Mt 11:28). By faith, "there is no condemnation now for those who are in Christ Jesus. The law of the Spirit, the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, has freed you from the law of sin and death" (Rm 8:1-2). The law of the Bible reveals the impossibility of doing the absolutely necessary. For those who believe in Jesus, however, all things are possible (Lk 1:37).
| PRAYER: | Jesus, without You life would be self-destructive and frustrating. Thank You for being the Way out of suicide into abundant life (Jn 10:10; 14:6). |
| PROMISE: | "Blest are they who hear the word of God and keep it." –Lk 11:28 |
| PRAISE: | Pope St. Callistus was a slave who became a Pope, martyr, and saint. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College