Joel M Bradshaw

3To do what is right and just

is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.–Proverbs 21

The tension here:

1. God instituted sacrifices to restore the relationship between repentant sinners and God.
2. As long a I bring a sacrifice to God, I feel like I can do whatever I want.

This misses the point of the holy life that God expects of me. I used to be this way when I was younger and journeying with addiction. I would live however I wanted and then pray the same prayer each night depending upon the sacrifice of Jesus for forgiveness. I was a hypocrite and I needed this proverb. In that season, I freely confessed my sin, but I never repented from it. Life was lived on my own terms with a little Jesus conviction sprinkled in. My only hope was finding discipline and accountability as I practiced something new. I had to realize two new realities.

1. Honoring God with my choices is better than seeking to manipulate God though worship.
2. The villain can be on the path of the hero through owning his sin and living the intentional new life in Christ.

This is just and right in the eyes of God.–JMB