I have been reflecting on a recent post by Wayne Jacobsen entitled
"What about Disobedience"Romans 8:15 is a snapshot of the before and after of the cross. In OT times God demanded obedience with the threat of punishment. This was His way of making us righteous. Fear was the primary motivator. Although I would add that there is plenty of scripture that leads me to believe that this is not how He wanted it but more how we wanted it. However, I am sure it was part of His plan.
Enough digression.
Romans 8:15 sheds light on the fact that now because of the cross He is able to deal with us differently. He is able to bring us into Holiness (obedience) thru love and grace. God hasn't changed but because of the cross His ability to deal with us has changed.
When I know that I am loved I can follow freely in righteousness produced by trust/faith.
Think of it this way, my child relates to me differently than does a neighbor or outsider. Why? Because he is my son. He knows me, I know him. He knows he is loved and accepted. Certainly this analogy breaks down because of my imperfection but...
how much more should we be able to trust a Father who is perfect and loves perfectly?!
Interesting that when I study Hebrews 3-5 (also take a look at Numbers 13-14 this is the circumstantial reference of Hb 3-5) I see that disobedience wasn't the issue but a symptom of a greater disease...lack of trust. They couldn't enter into His rest because they simply didn't believe God loved them and was worthy of trust. Isn't this the real sin throughout scripture, the same whisper many of us hear time and again that causes us to stumble and fall:
Look at you, does God really love you?
Can you really trust Him?
Are you really His child?
Is He a Father really worth trusting?
When Satan tempted Eve in the garden wasn't he simply saying, "can you really trust what He said?" Something that had never even entered her mind prior to that moment.
Wayne writes, "As we grow in trust of a loving father our sin gets displaced and we find ourselves living in a righteousness that comes by faith."
How about God punishing us today? Hebrews 12 says God disciplines His children. The Greek word used for discipline is "paideia" which means
tutorage, that is, education or training; by implication disciplinary correction: - chastening, chastisement, instruction, nurture. Simply put discipline is
training to follow His ways not punishment. (For those who have kids think about that the next time you are preparing to discipline your child)
We are being trained to live Free in Christ. Free to follow the Father with complete trust and live no longer in bondage to our own self indulgences.
The New Covenant doesn't change the goal to bring us to holiness but rather changes the process. Love takes us to deeper more complete levels of obedient trust than fear ever could.
Thanks Wayne for helping to bring some clarity to this issue for me.
Hopefully if you click here you will get to my photo's of our Easter party on the beach. It was great being with family, relaxing on the beach, and celebrating our Risen Lord. The Ross family was able to make it down from Cincinatti which made is extra-special. Father has really blessed us with a super close brother and sister in Lew and Judy. 
