Occasionally, I run into religious people who
believe their task is to create barriers that make it difficult for people to
connect with God. They seem to think they are protecting God if they make it
difficult for people to turn to Him.
I understand people may be concerned that God’s
wonderful love and grace could be misunderstood as something cheap and insignificant. That concern is valid. God’s love and grace are not cheap, they are
extraordinary, beautiful, lavish and of priceless value.
However, the truth is God does not want to make it
difficult for people to find Him. It is
God’s own Word that calls the salvation He offers to us a “free gift.” It is God’s own word that tells us if we seek
Him we will find Him.
The Apostle James made a point of instructing some
people not to make it difficult for others to turn to God by imposing lots of
religious rules. Here is the passage…
“And so my judgment is that we should not make it
difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” Acts 15:19
(If you take a moment to read the entire 15th chapter of Acts
you can get a little more of the context for this comment.)
God greatly desires that people would find Him. So, we need to present the Gospel honestly
and not make it anything less than what it really is. Likewise, however, we do not need to create
any unnecessary barriers.
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