Guaranteed: The Key to know you're truly following God

Have you ever felt you are not good enough for God? Ever thought you do not deserve God’s favor? Have you felt anytime in your life like God should be ashamed of you? In a world where reward is product of our actions, it’s normal to extend this to our relationship with God.

Once, a friend of mine told me jokingly but seriously, “I have no forgiveness from God, I’ve done too many bad things, I will never be forgiven”. This happened in an outreach social meeting. A group of Latino believers used to meet from time to time in restaurants, and we invited other Latinos who were not really believers. We invited this friend I’m talking about above, a very vibrant happy man. At least he appeared so to all of us. However, that night when we started speaking about God, he made that statement. It was the product mistaken beliefs and traditions. When he was a child, he was raised by his grand mother. He used to be naughty, and his grandmother used this kind of comments to try to make him a “better boy”. I grew up in Latin America hearing things such as “God will punish you if you don’t behave well”. Not sure if this happened to you, the point is that many times we do not have a clear understanding of what in reality happens in our relationship with God.

When we read for the first time many of the Laws and Precepts in the Old Testament, we can get confused and we can think that if we don’t follow religious practices to the tee, we would not be able to receive the grace of God. This week I read in 2 Chronicles chapter 30, an interesting story that may clarify few important things:

1 Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate the Passover in the second month. 3 They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. 4 The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. 5 They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written. (2 Chronicles 20:1-5 NIV)

Let me provide some background here. Hezekiah was the 13th king after David. He reigned approximately 300 years after David. After David and Solomon it’s mentioned that the people of God wen through cycles of being close and away from God, sometimes following the Torah (the Law) and sometimes following the practices of the people who surrounded them. Long story short, Hezekiah pushed to reestablish following some of the practices written in the Torah.

The Torah instructed to celebrate the Passover on the first month of the Jewish calendar. However, Hezekiah and his officials decided to celebrate it in the second month. Anyone could think that this would not be acceptable to God, since He clearly mentioned when the Passover should be celebrated. Moreover, it’s mentioned in subsequent verses, that many of the people celebrated the Passover, while being ceremonially unclean. To the religious eye, it would obviously be a serious offense to God.

18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. (2 Chronicles 20:18-20)

This chapter shows us how God’s grace works. What’s important is the disposition of the hearts of those who seek Him. Not what the ceremonies they do, the actions they do, but the condition of their heart. All of us commit mistakes, all of us commit sins.

Something happened to me last week, and I felt I failed to the Lord. Sincerely, my heart was sad for failing Him. And it was difficult to feel well, until I was reminded through the verses above, that our Lord forgives us out of grace. If you have in your heart sincere repentance, God knows it and He’s ready to forgive.

I’ve lived in countries where people from different religious backgrounds fervently follow rituals. In few conversations with them, I’ve been told they fear their prayers would not be heard if praying at wrong times, or if they fast at wrong hours. Not everyone is like that, and I don’t intend to criticize them. I only would like to say that it’s liberating knowing that God accepts us, if in our hearts we love Him. Whether we follow religious traditions or not, the most important thing is Loving God, as Jesus told the Pharisees:

37[...]“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40