By Nassa Ouakoubo
"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest"; "My yoke is easy and my burden light." Matt 11:28, 30.
These are the words of Jesus, the Son of God. These words reveal and summarize the core message of life that Jesus came to give to anyone who goes to Him, that is to say who believes in Him. It is a life of rest, peace and fulfillment. In other words, He came to give a life of victory over sin, stress, and anxiety. With the coming of Jesus at this time called grace, all men are invited to turn away from themselves and from legalism, by believing in Jesus to enter into rest. Man must embrace a new life in which Jesus is the Only and Principal architect. Jesus must monopolize the attention of the man. The book of Hebrews urges Jewish Christians and all of us to look unto Jesus as the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Jesus described the life to which he invited people, as an easy yoke and light burden. Under grace, man is invited to believe, believe, and believe in Jesus. Under grace, God does the work of salvation on behalf of man, and the part of man is to believe. Let us say that under grace, it is the man at rest and God at work.
Romans 4:5 says, "But to him that worked not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
Unfortunately, many preachers and teachers of the Word are still in the chair of Moses, that is to say who preach the Law, saying, do this or that and you'll be approved of God. However, almost all of them agree that while the promises were conditional under the law, those in the time of grace are unconditional. But by asking the man under grace to do this or that to please God instead of telling him to believe, is not that a contradiction? Things should not work this way in the age of grace. Do this or that to be accepted by God is called religion. Christ has for us, met all the requirements of the Law which declared all men guilty before God. To be accepted by God, man must believe in Jesus to receive the gift of the righteousness of God and eternal life.
A servant of God with whom I shared the message of Grace, asked me if it was really possible to preach the message of grace without the Law! This friend believed easier to mix two different messages of two different times, instead of preaching the message of grace alone which is for this time. Does not the Bible forbid us to put new wine into old wineskins, since we'll lose and the wine and the wineskins?
Matthew 9:17 says, "Neither do men put new wine into old bottles; else the bottles break, and the wine runs out and the bottles prerish; but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved."
We must not forget that it is the religion that killed the Lord Jesus. If it killed Jesus, it will spare no one, but it will be merciless to those who cling to it. Why? Because the Bible says: "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth" (Rom 10:4).
This means that it is Christ alone that man must now focus on for his good. Anxiety and sin are seen everywhere because the call of Jesus to come to Him is not always perfectly proclaimed. Instead of preaching the faith (the rest), preachers preach effort or merit of man. Man is thus placed at the center of his life! If he does well, so much the better, but for how long? Otherwise, he must pay for all his disobedience. Being happy is up to him! Let's say that when legalism or sin is put at the center of human life, it only remains to see sinner "stoned and put at death!" (John 8:3-5).
What difference we'll see if Grace was placed at the center of the life of man! The righteousness of Christ, the capacity of Christ, the victory of Christ, the life of Christ, the peace of Christ, the joy of Christ and the love of Christ will be seen in the believer's life. He would impact all those with whom he comes into contact, and vice-versa. But if the message preached exalted human work, it could have been called HUMANISM. But the message of the Gospel is Christ's work, and that's why it is called CHRISTIANITY.
The Apostle Paul said in substance: "If anyone preaches a gospel other than what I preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Gal 1:9)
Come and buy without money! Hear what you may have not heard. You may have not heard that the message of salvation is an easy message. Indeed, this is an easy message. Christ, after having done everything, invites you to come to Him to receive freely by faith. Isn't that easy?
Dear friends, it's been so long that Christ is waiting; hasten yourself to believe in Him. The days are evil, and all we're getting closer every day towards His return.
Come to Him today, for tomorrow you may be too late for you to believe in Jesus! Want to see all your sins forgiven and to be made righteous by God Himself and not by your works? If that is your desire, no longer delay for Christ wants to take you in His arms! Yes there is help for you from Heaven!