With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good And what does the Lord require you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:6-8
Micah exposed corruption in Judah on every level of society. The rulers, prophets and priests were unjust, the people oppressed the poor and worshipped idols. Micah alternates between words of judgement and words of forgiveness and restoration. Micah is telling the people of Judah what God requires his people to do. To give God His due. God is deserving of our heart, body, soul, and spirit; our wisdom, understanding, judgment. Jesus tells us (Mk. 12:28-30) that the first commandment is to “love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Because He created us in His own image, God rightly and justly deserves all of our worship and adoration. “This is the first commandment.” To give your neighbor his due. Jesus continues (Mk 12:31) His discussion of the greatest commandments with the second, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Can we sin against someone we truly love? Perhaps we might momentarily sin against a loved one, but not continually. True love desires to bless and not to injure. Note however that we are not to give that which is due to God to any man – neighbor or self .To give to yourself what you are due. According to Paul, we are not our own but instead our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). So what we have coming must be tempered by what we must avoid. Paul reminds us first of all to “flee sexual immorality.” Elsewhere Paul gives us lists of characteristics to avoid and attain (Gal. 5:19-25)
To Love Mercy
God realized what man has come to know; justice, while necessary, can be cold and unfeeling. (Micah 7:18.) To do justly alone is not sufficient for a child of God; we must love mercy and do what it requires. Mercy comes from characteristics that include kindness, benevolence, and charity. Part of what mercy requires is to be willing to forgive the sins of others as God is willing to forgive our sins. It is this aspect of mercy through which our own salvation comes (Titus 3:5).
To Walk Humbly
But how are we to do this? We must first acknowledge our sins and then be willing to submit to God’s mercy. It is only through a humbling of ourselves that we will be allowed to walk with God. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Pet. 5:5.) Paul points out that it is high-mindedness that leads to unbelief and lack of faith in the power of God (Rom. 11:20; 12:3). The humble attitude required by the Lord will make itself manifest in a life of prayer, contrition, and service. There is no “Christian To Do List.” It is just not that simple. And yet we know that living Christ-like is not impossible (Mt. 11:29,30). But we must be mindful it is a “life” and not a series of accomplishments.
Grace and Peace to You My Friends
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