Seemingly minor details often significant

I was checking my grandson’s math homework one evening last school year. For several exercises, the student was to find the incorrect number in a sequence, mark it, and write the correct number on a line at the end of the sequence. Then, they were to make up their own number sequence with an incorrect number and mark that number, again showing the correct one on a line at the end. I forgot that last part of the instructions and told my grandson he’d done the exercise incorrectly.

After some discussion, including, “Don’t argue with me, boy!” he responded with, “But Papa, if this isn’t where the answer goes, why is there a bigger space between these two lines and all the others?” I then looked at his exercise with pre-printed underlines and the practice exercises, also with pre-printed underlines and saw that there was, in fact, a difference in the gaps between the lines as he mentioned. I hate it when that happens – he had me dead to rights by using a seemingly insignificant detail.

The details, however seemingly minor, in many situations often turn out to be of significance. Jesus said that the Jewish leaders should’ve practiced the weightier matters of the Mosaic Law as well as the lesser parts and that the least bit of that law wouldn’t pass away until it was all fulfilled, which he did on the cross (Matthew 23:23; 5:17-20; James 2:8-11; Hebrews 10:1-18).

Many people honestly and mistakenly assume that since the Mosaic Law and all its requirements have been fulfilled, Christians aren’t under any religious law – that there’re no requirements for salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). But Ephesians 2:8-9 are only a few verses of scripture and they must be interpreted in light of the rest of the New Testament. The Bible is clear that we’re under a law of liberty from the consequences of sin, but there are requirements to receive God’s grace in salvation (1 Corinthians 9:19-21; Galatians 5:1; Romans 6:23, 3-10; James 1:22-25; Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46-49; John 3:16-21, 36; 15:9-10; Mark 16:16; Hebrews 10:19-22; Colossians 2:9-12). We’re actually called to a higher level of righteousness than those under the Mosaic Law.

I was honestly mistaken about my grandson’s math homework, but when he pointed out the minor detail of the spacing between the lines, I agreed that he’d done the exercise correctly. I heard a preacher say once that when those who are honestly mistaken are faced with the truth of scripture, they either cease to be mistaken or they cease to be honest.

Having read the scriptures cited in this article for yourself, where do you stand on what many consider to be the unnecessary issue of baptism for the forgiveness of sin and to receive God’s gift of his Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39; Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:24; Hebrews 2:1-4)? Although he was without sin, even Jesus had to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 3:13-17; Hebrews 5:7-9; Romans 3:21-26; Galatians 3: 26-29; 4:6-7).

Leonard Lauriault writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected]