Missing The Whole Point

I attended my first devotion with CF tonight. I casually flipped opened one of the Economic ESV Bible I bought for CF last academic year and started reading. I guess I was bored so I went to the end of the Bible and I stumbled upon a page that is a little abandoned by common eyes.

The title was huge writing "PLAN OF SALVATION". But what follows has inspired me to write this:

From the first chapters of Genesis through the closing scene in Revelation, the Bible is the book of God's salvation. From start to finish, its one unifying theme is that of grace and forgiveness for sinners through God's redeeming work in Jesus Christ. Whatever else you gain through the reading of the Bible, it would be tragic if you missed the heart of its message for you - God's gracious provision of Jesus Christ as the atonement for sin.

I guess sometimes, we missed the whole point of the gospel. We practise religion like Do's and Don't; we abstain from this and strive hard for that, but is that what Christianity is? Is that what the Bible is? A thick book of rules and regulations thrown at our face that we are to follow and to judge those who do not? A book that gives us more burden than joy at times?

What did Jesus mean when He said: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matt 11:28-30)?

We are missing the whole point if we pursue righteousness as if it's something that we can hold on to. We are missing the whole point if we find the Bible as a law book that guides our moral values (only). We are missing the whole point if we continue to let our guilt tie us down for what we fail to do.

The assumption about Christianity is all wrong. Christians don't believe that goodness gets you to heaven. Christians believe it's exhausting to rely on your own goodness to please God.

- Timothy Keller

That's the whole point of Christianity. The greatness of His mercy and grace. The Bible is NEVER about the good work we do; the Bible is NEVER about the poor; the Bible is NEVER about saving children and women out of their misery; the Bible is NEVER about fighting against evil. The Bible had been, has been, is and will always be about Jesus. It's about how much He loves us; it's about how much He has done for us; it's about what He can do for us; it's about how He can heal the sick; it's about how He can raise up the broken-hearted; it's about how He brings justice to those who demands justice; it's about how He feeds the poor; it's about how He wins against evils; it's about how He can change us from the inside out; it's about how He took up our sins and shames and replaces with His while we are truly undeserved; it's about His loving grace.

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations - "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (referring to things that all perish as they are used) - according to human percepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. 

- Colossians 2:20-23

It's about Him. It's never about us. Never. We are missing the whole point.

So come to Him, He requires no sacrifice, because He is the Sacrifice; He demands no rituals, for He broke them all. He wants your broken-heart, weary soul and poor spirit, so He can replace ours, with His.