Easy to Believe

Luke 11: ⁴⁵ Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”

⁴⁶ And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. ⁴⁷ Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. ⁴⁸ In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ ⁵⁰ that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

⁵² “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

⁵³ And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, ⁵⁴ lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

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“All you need to do is believe that JESUS died for your sins and is raised from the dead” someone told me. It was very exciting to hear. I was so excited that I wanted to do more. I read about GOD, sang about HIM and attended gatherings about HIM regularly.

But when it was my turn to tell someone about HIM I gave them my list. “Go to church, give when it hurts, stop sinning and study only the Bible.”

• There were times when I added hurdles to getting to GOD.
• There were times when I added steps to getting to GOD.
• There were times when I had people do things I could not even accomplish.

JESUS blasts the lawyers of the church for holding people to a standard they could not keep. HE saw through their controlling methods that forced people to look at GOD as impossible to please. HE said the blood of the prophets will fall on those who hinder the kingdom.

• GOD wants me to know that a relationship with GOD is “free” in spite of what blind greedy people will say.
• GOD wants me to know HE took care of everything in spite of the messages that make people “try harder.”
• GOD wants me to know that HIS power is permanent in spite of my thoughts that my sin is greater than HIS grace.

Adding burdens to JESUS’s salvation is probably one of the largest crimes GOD will remember. HE wants me to give a simple message that HE loves HIS creation and the worthiness of the relationship comes from HIM. Since HE said “MY grace is sufficient” then is all I need.

• What burdens are you putting on others in order for them to “believe” in GOD?
• Do you think your rigor is a standard for which others should meet?
• Can you stop adding “your” burdens on others and give them a simple message of HIS love today?