“Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—in the volume of the book it is written of Me—to do Your will, O God’” (Hebrews 10:7).
“Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of Me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:7-8).
Hebrews 10:7 is an abridged quotation of Psalm 40:8. The inspired (and unabridged) words written by David in Psalm 40:8 deserve thoughtful consideration.
David prophesied of two telltale facts about Jesus: 1) He will delight in God’s will; and 2) God’s law will be so dear and delightful to Him, He will hide it within His heart (see Psalm 119:11). These two truths fully explain the reason for Jesus’ life of diligent, careful, and loving obedience. It is this caliber of flawless obedience which qualified Him to be the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9).
I know of no one who has ever been so foolish that he accused Jesus of being a legalist like the Pharisees of His day. Though He has been slandered in many ways, no one has ever confused Jesus with the Pharisees who rabidly hated Him. Clearly, then, there are distinct and significant differences between someone who delights in and does God’s will in diligent, careful, and loving obedience (like Jesus) and someone who does not (like the legalistic Pharisees).
If delighting in and striving to do God’s will in diligent, careful, and loving obedience does not make Jesus a legalist or Pharisee, it does not make any disciple of His who is striving today to imitate Him a legalist or Pharisee either.
Delighting in and doing God’s will is not “legalism”; it is loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is what Jesus did. It is what every disciple of His must do to be like Him.
❤️ this article. Inspires me to do and be better.