LRC, Houston - the weekends-free church in Houston, Texas

Those who follow Jesus are said to be Christians- they are New Testament people and yet it’s hard to talk with a new covenant Christian without references as to who we’re to NOT eat, what we’re to NOT drink, which rules we’re to follow and what God will do (have you read the last 50 verses of Deuteronomy 28?) if we don’t toe the line and be good persons. It’s not a pretty picture my friends! Turn or burn! Really!

Don’t we call the New Testament because it’s new, came later, is a better picture of who God is because of Jesus? The unincarnate God is everywhere!

I’m not advocating throwing the Old Testament out entirely, but putting it in the proper context. There are many incredible principles, fabulous allegories, instructive metaphors, and poetic as well as prophetic language in the Hebrew Scriptures. But guess! Jesus reminded us that “though you have heard it said (read Matthew 5 again), I tell you differently”. We need to move from theory to reality.

But at the heart of everything is the NEW COMMANDMENT! It’s not about religion but spirituality.

You can find this new commandment in many places, spoken in different words; however, John 13:34-35 says something like this, “I give you a NEW COMMANDMENT that you should LOVE EVERYONE regardless of what they believe, what color their skin is, how many earrings they wear, or what God they embrace. LOVE EVERYONE as I LOVE YOU and when you do that then people will know that you’re really one of my followers, and not just a religious person out to convert people to your specific church doctrine and beliefs.”

That’s my paraphrase version of course, but it makes the point.

Listen. We’re not saved (whatever that means to you) because we do good things or BELIEVE the RIGHT THINGS! We’re LOVED by God becuase HE IS GOOD and because HE IS GRACIOUS (Titus 3:5).