New Covenant!

August 16, 2021 Monday Message:

Mark 7:9 NLT: “Jesus said, ‘You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition.’”

That day Jesus was addressing what appear to be good people. They’re observant Jews, quite interested in things religious. They tithe, supporting their local synagogue.

Those things are all good, but it turns out that their parents were neglected, and that’s not good. God didn’t give them a pass on that one commandment. God never gives us a pass on any of his commands, but he did set up a system whereby we could repent and return, and he would welcome us back into the Holy Family, and that gives us eternal hope.

Mankind falls into the trap of making excuses for why we should be the exception to God’s rule. We rationalize our way into accepting that which is never OK. Time to get back on track!

In the New Covenant set forth by Jesus, God has “written his laws on our hearts.” We call it a conscience. Deep down, we already know right from wrong. We no longer need a list of God’s rules – I call them ‘Principles for Good Living’ – because we already know. If there are questions, you can always double-check your value system against what the Bible says.

We don’t get to make the rules – God makes the rules!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406