FROM THE DAWGHOUSE…
Therefore
There is a word in the Bible that we probably read right past without giving it much thought – THEREFORE.
It’s not a particularly exciting word. It doesn’t sound theological or profound. But it may be one of the most important words in Scripture. Why?
Because “therefore” connects what God has done with what we are called to do. The Bible is, in many ways, a book of cause and effect. God acts. God speaks. God saves. God promises. God reveals truth.
And then comes the question: So, what? That’s where “therefore” comes in.
Paul spends the first eleven chapters of Romans explaining the depth of God’s mercy, the problem of sin, justification by faith, God’s sovereign purposes, and the incredible salvation we have in Christ. Then, in Romans 12:1, he writes: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy…”
In other words:
Because of everything I just told you about God and His mercy, here is how you should live.
The Christian life is not a collection of random rules.
It is a response to what God has already done…
Jesus died for us; therefore, we follow Him.
We have been forgiven; therefore, we forgive.
We have received grace; therefore, we extend grace.
We have been adopted into God’s family; therefore, we live as His children.
Jesus has risen from the dead; therefore, our lives have eternal purpose.
Jesus is coming again; therefore, we don’t live as though this world is all there is.
The danger is that we sometimes reverse the order. We think Christianity is primarily about doing the right things so that God will accept us. But the gospel tells us something radically different…
God acts first. We respond second.
Grace comes before obedience.
Mercy comes before sacrifice.
Salvation comes before sanctification.
The “therefore” comes after the truth, and that changes our entire understanding of the gospel. When Scripture says, “Therefore,” it is essentially asking us to look backward before we move forward.
Look at what God has done.
Look at who Jesus is.
Look at what He has accomplished.
Look at what you have received.
Therefore… live differently.
Maybe that’s why we shouldn’t rush past that little word when we encounter it in Scripture. When you see “therefore,” stop for a moment. Ask yourself: What is the “therefore” there for?
What truth has just been established.
What has God done, and
What response is He calling me to make?
Because the Christian life isn’t simply about knowing the truth. It is about letting the truth produce a response.
God has done something.
Therefore, we live differently.
Joe Bouch
