"'So you will by my people,
and I will be your God.'"
God wants us to be his people. He wants to be our God. And who is the 'you' referring to in this verse? I don't know, but God does not discriminate based on race. There is no complicated ritual to be accepted by him, simply: 'If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved".
I find the complete illogic of the Bible oddly reassuring actually. There is no possible way for anyone to earn forgiveness. I don't think I'm a particularly bad person, but I have made mistakes, I have hurt people's feelings, I have contemplated revenge, even if I never acted on it. I am petty and jealous and greedy at times-- okay perhaps often is more accurate. And if I am not a particularly bad person, how could anyone manage it?
So if logic tells me that there is no possible way for me to earn forgiveness, or to be a completely good person, then the only way for it to happen is through a divine gift.
And God neither expects nor requires us to be perfect. He expects us to change our ways, to admit our mistakes and turn away from sin. He expects us to ask his forgiveness when we do sin, and he is willing to forgive us, as long as we are sincere in our repentence.
God's rules boil down to two things: To love God, and to love each other. Nothing could be simpler than that. Or more complicated. If we love God, we follow His commands, we seek to do His will and please Him. And if we love each other, then we work to help each other, not harm each other. We plan our activities with an eye on what's best for our friends and neighbors, and not solely on what's best for us. If all men could truly follow those two commands, there would be no war or murder or theivery.
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