Don’t let the ‘dog days’ of legalism ruin the warmth of the Son’s love.
Dare 2 Share - Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil… Philippians 3:1-2
Have you ever heard the phrase “The Dog Days of Summer” and wonder where it came from? Perhaps you were thinking that it referred to the hot days of July and August, where you might see dogs laying around on porches because they are too hot to play fetch. Or maybe you were assuming that it referred to the time when the scorching sun makes you as lazy as a dog that is trying to keep cool on a blistering day. Believe it or not, the phrase is almost 2500 years old, possibly even older.
The “Dog” referred to is none other than the Dog Star, Sirius. Sirius is the star that marks the head of the constellation Canis Major, the Big Dog. Sirius is the brightest star (other than our own Sun) as seen from the Earth. The “dog days” is talking about the hottest time of the year when Sirius is barking the brightest in the night sky.
In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul is giving a warning about some “dogs” that might be sneaking in the back door of the church. There were people who laid out a list of rules and regulations that you had to follow if you wanted God to love and accept you. They forgot that when Jesus said, “it is finished”, He wasn’t joking around. His death on the cross paid the full penalty for past, present and future sins.
When you trusted Christ as your Savior, you gained full acceptance in His sight. There is nothing you can do to make Him love you more, and there is no sin you could commit that would make Him love you less. The people in Paul’s day were control freaks who thought that Christ’s death wasn’t enough to gain a person complete approval in God’s sight.
Guess what? They were wrong, and believe it or not-they are still barking today! Let me give you a few of the modern day snarls that echo in God’s house:
If you listen to all the right music and don’t see the wrong movies, God loves you more- woof!
If you read your Bible everyday and pray because you feel guilty if you forget, Jesus will put you on His “A” list- woof!
If you never say the wrong words, the Father will definitely speak of you more highly- woof!
Am I saying that you shouldn’t strive for holiness in your daily life? Of course not. What I am saying is that believers should live to please God because He loves you unconditionally. Our lives should be one big ‘thank you’ to God, not an effort to earn His pleasure.
Remember that Christians aren’t saved by grace and then live by works- that idea comes from the canine dictionary and not the Bible. Don’t let the ‘dog days’ of legalism ruin the warmth of the Son’s love.
Questions:
1) What is the primary reason that you live to please God: guilt, or grace?
2) Are you trying to live the Christian life in your own power?
3) Do you have unsaved friends that need to hear about the unconditional acceptance of God?
