Genesis 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

John 3:3,7 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

This morning I took exception of an author’s use of the word must. I said it in a group study and few who read this will have seen it. Must I explain myself? No, but I choose to do so because the issues of what we must do and what we should choose to do are two distinctly different things.

I have set these two lines of scripture to try and distinguish differences in the use of must. In the first verse Abraham is told he must circumcise all males within his household as a sign of keeping covenant. That symbolism was to be a reminder of who they were and to keep covenant. Did they? No.

According to Joshua 5 those born in the wilderness were not circumcised and were circumcised before they crossed over the Jordan to enter into the Promised Land. They followed God for forty years without keeping covenant and were told to rededicate themselves. Their failure to keep covenant by the sign of the flesh did not hinder God from leading them nor in protecting them those forty years.

The second example is one of exception. It is not an effort of the flesh, it is not a try if you can. You will not enter into the Kingdom of God without being born again. Denial of Christ is a nullifier.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

There is that must again. Jesus and Jesus alone and no other.

John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Do you get it? This is the most plain spoken and meaningful the Lord could get. If you love me, love those that I love. I know that there are teachings out there that focus on the feeding of the sheep and what that means but the essence of the message is love Jesus by loving His people.

There are many reasons we do what we do. We are asked. We are shamed. We are ordered. We are convinced. We are hounded. We are bribed. We are paid. We are threatened.

Do you do what you do because you love the Lord?

I confessed to an elder once that I just didn’t feel like praying. His answer? Then don’t. He was wise enough to know that feelings are fleeting and that my attitude would change because love would get around to fixing what was troubling me. Forgiveness, mercy and grace are extensions of God’s love towards us and in us.

1 Corinthians 13:8  (NASB) Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

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