Post date: Nov 19, 2014 5:44:31 AM
To have a relationship with God we must receive His love, revere His holiness, and obey His commands. God's goal is to bring people into a relationship with Him. God's love is the basis of His relationship with us. Only Jesus can make us holy, so we can draw near to God. Sin is a barrier to our holiness. Jesus breaks it down for us (Hebrews 4:16). God never changed since the time of the old testament, but the mediator between us and God changed. Jesus Christ became the mediator.
God's commands are an expression of His love. We can abide in His love by obeying His commands. Our obedience to God is an expression of our love.
If we stumble at on point in obeying God's commands, then we are guilty of breaking the whole law given to us and thus guilty of sin (James 2:10). The blood of Jesus washes away our sins. There is no condemnation in Jesus Christ (Romans 6).
God gives us the power to obey His commands and forgiveness when we falter. We can't rely on our own willpower to obey the Lord. We need the power of the Holy Spirit, which God provides!