Good morning and welcome in today. Today we are going to take a look at some scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
As I’ve said many times before, our family has had a bunch of goats on our property for the main purpose of providing milk for the kids. Andrew fenced in a really nice big area for them so that they could snack on the smaller baby trees or other items that they found tasty. Goats are really good at clearing large areas of land all by themselves. Andrew used to fence the goats in with pig fencing. Because we do scrap iron there was an ample supply of free fencing to do this.
One of the problems with goats is they have fairly tough horns. I know that some people cut them off but I didn’t have the heart to do that. One of the main issues with our goats is that Andrew used to go out in the morning to feed them but he would find one of them stuck in the fence by their horns. He really didn’t know how long they had been there. They were completely stuck and entangled most of he night.
Have you ever been entangled by something before? Have you ever tried to untangle a fishing line that was completely tangled up on the spool? Have you ever tried to untangle a spool of string that you were preparing to fly a childs kite?
In the morning when Andrew went out to feed the animals he would release any goats who were stuck in the fence. This reminds me of the Christian Life. God does not want us entangled with the law and demands of the Old Testament. Like Andrew freed our goats in the morning and didn’t want to see them entagled, God wants to free us from the old covenant and calls us to liberty and freedom from law.
Gal 5:1-6 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Just like our goats we don’t want to be entangled in the old testament. You have to remember that the law produces punishment. That is its purpose. If you speed on the highway you get a ticket. But those who wield the power of punishment have to understand that in the scriptures we are all equally sinners in the eyes of God. It doesn’t matter if it’s one sin you committed or 500, we are all equally deserving of death and hell. The Old Testament is law while the New Testament is mercy and grace.
Jesus died on the cross to free us from the law. Those who don’t understand that really need to study the Bible more. Many people say that there is no liberty without law but when you really think about that statement take a look at what Jesus did for us. He freed us completely from the law of the old testament.
Circumcision was a lawful requirement by God, but he completely canceled the law so that we would learn to be merciful and forgiving with each other. Just as the Apostle Paul who was a legal lawyer eventually learned, we are all sinners who have come shory of the glory of God. Instead of judging others, why don’t we learn to help each other? Why can’t we learn not to be a stumblingblock to others? When you condemn your neighbor, you only condemn yourself because we all have done the same things. I was punched so many times in the face by a student in high school I could have gone to law with him but I DIDNT. I chose to help and love him which is what I have learned from Christ Jesus who died to forgive a moron like me.
Those who are professing to be Christian and attempting to follow and perform the teachings of the old testament are turning away from the grace of Christ. It comes down to a matter of what you trust. Nobody is justified by the law in the sight of God. This means that without Christ Jesus in your life, you’re going to come short of the glory of Heaven at Judgment Day. Our God is a God of forgiveness and if you don’t take advantage of it you condemn yourself.
There are many people today who profess Christianity but believe in a duel covenant theology. As the Apostle Paul teaches, those who do such things have fallen from grace. If only more people would learn to love each other as Jesus loved us, and to be forgiving and graceful with others, this world would be a better place. God calls us to cast of the Old Testament and to trust in his son Jesus. Cast out the bond woman and her son, (those who are still enslaved to judaic law) and embrace love and mercy in Christ.
Gal 4:21- 31
21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Love one another. If you can simply do that, you are doing God’s will from the heart.
Jesus completed everything in the Old Testament already. Trust in what He has done for us and walk in His grace.
Oh,….. and make sure you don’t get stuck in the fence!
Let’s think about that for today and Lord willing I’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody❤
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