Skip to main content

Monday Morning Blog - July 14, 2014

FREE OF RELIGIOUS RITUALISM - Galatians 5:2-4


Paul speaks of the shackles of the "Law" when he refers to the Jewish Religious Ritual (and Requirement ... before Christ came) of circumcision. He does so to compare the Law with Grace. Essentially the Law was a bondage ... a burden; because no one could keep it acceptably. One could try but any failure caused the whole thing to be labeled "FAILURE". 

God provided freedom from the bounds of the law in Jesus Christ (who, by the way, is the only one who kept the Law perfectly, being impeccable Himself - without sin). Freedom in Christ Jesus erases all facets of bondage included religiousness! The words Paul wrote, he wrote from the Holy Spirit who used Paul's own experience as a Hebrew and Jewish Leader. See what he says in verses 2-4. (NIV) 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 

 God's design was that the law was good and necessary in pointing all mankind to their need for the "Perfect One", Jesus Christ. No one but Christ himself ever kept the Law fully. He became our substitute for fulfilling the Law - so in reality ... Christ is better! Christ via "Grace" broke the demands of the Law. Exodus 20 shows the demands of the Law (10 Commandments) while Ephesians 2 display the marvel of Grace ( 8 "for by grace you've been saved through faith ... it is the gift of God")!

 There is provided for all a Grace Liberation! And it's a Grace Freedom Reality! Jesus Himself is that Grace Reality that sets man free. God's blueprint for setting man free is GRACE. God's pattern for man's freedom from the Law is GRACE. God's plan for releasing man fro shackles of sin is GRACE. GRACE FREEDOM REALITY is in the very person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Freedom comes gift-wrapped to you from the Almighty in a Five-Letter Word: G-R-A-C-E!





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Revelation - A Bible Book Often Avoided

MMB 7-1-2024 I have an app on my phone that reminds me of my daily Scripture reading so I can complete reading the Bible in one year. That completion date for me was yesterday June 30, 2024. The app I use suggests three chapters a day except for Sunday which is five chapter readings. I completed an inspiring read through the Book of Revelation yesterday. Many avoid Revelation because of its many "Sevens" that appear confusing. Seven Angels, Seven Bowls, Seven trumpets, Seven Scrolls ... they're there. Then there are descriptions of certain creatures with multiple heads and faces and horns which can shock anyone. But Revelation mostly explains the confusing terms as you read on. You can't give up. You can't fear the terminology. You can't avoid those unknowns because they are soon revealed.  I've decided to re-read the Book. I've done two years of reading through the Bible and I will take a break from that now. But I won't stop reading Scripture. I ...
Post a Comment
Read more

On Hold - The Finale

Today is July 20th. August is upon us and so is the 6th month of unemployment. Correct. After many applications and about 6-7 interviews I am still without work. I was interviewed twice (two different companies) in person this week and I'm waiting on their call back. Both indicated there must be a second interview with others involved. The last offering (Part 2) eluded to a humbling lesson learned. When I walked out of my last job on February 7th I made a to-myself-statement. Essentially I said I'll never work for this company again. But that was before my first humble pie piece I had to eat. So I put in applications with the company's other stores close by. Also I used a second email address so I wouldn't be tied to the store I worked at. I must have been hungry because I began to eat another piece of that pie. I finally reapplied at the store I exited 5 months earlier and yes, used my regular email address to do so. The first part of On Hold revealed my money from my ...
Post a Comment
Read more

MMB 7/29/24 - Callous

Morality in America is going the way of the countries of the world. We've been on this downward slope for a while. It has even sucked into its grasp some believers of the truth of Christ. As a pastor, I began to see this slope toward unrighteousness in the church around 2005. I was in New Hampshire and most people I encountered (including the churched and unchurched) had strong family and character morals. But slowly the demise began. My State at that time was on the lowest tier of the listing of states that had the lowest church attendees. Being a church attender doesn't make you moral. Being a devoted Christ follower in most cases does that. And morality finds itself in various stages.  What people witnessed on the Friday night telecast of the Olympian summer games opening ceremonies had some evidences of this moral decline. Some will see my words as being judgemental. I don't mean to be. I'm just stating what is allowed in 2024 were totally rejected more than 20 year...
Post a Comment
Read more