But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
Jeremiah 31:33-34 (NRSV)
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Psalm 51:1, 6, (NRSV)
With my whole heart I seek you;
do not let me stray from your commandments.
Psalm 119:10 (NRSV)
As long as you believe that God’s love is bound by conditions of faith or conduct, it is worldly love you believe in, not divine love. Make no mistake: in competing for that kind of love, there is hardly a difference between a guy showing off his Ferrari and a Christian showing off his righteousness.
We strive to lead righteous lives, not to make God love us but to open ourselves up to the love that is already here. Sin is not a matter of trespassing rules and regulations. It is a condition of inability to receive and give love.
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