Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Imagine getting home from school one afternoon, and you found a post-it note that your dad had put on the refrigerator. He had listed about thirty items that he wanted you to complete before supper time. Suddenly you were overwhelmed because there were so many things on the list that you really didn’t know if you would be able to complete. But when your dad finally got home after work, he watched from the living room window as you ran around the yard trying to get everything done. Eventually he approached you and asked if he could look at the list, but rather than adding to it, he crumpled it up and threw it into the trash can. As he put his arm around you, he told you that he could get a lot of this stuff done himself, and slowly walked you inside the house to sit down for dinner.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
It’s an incredible blessing to be released from certain things that you are obligated to do, and because of what Jesus did for us all on the cross, a Christian has been set free from the requirements of the Old Testament. But rather than walking in the liberty that we have in Christ, many people will try to go right back into bondage all over again by trying to keep the things from which we have been freed! It’s almost like reaching back into the garbage can, pulling out the list and attempting to do what your dad had already thrown away. The Apostle Paul was once a Jewish Pharisee, and he warned the church about getting involved with these types of activities, because if they were actually going to get circumcised in order to keep the Old Testament, then they were rejecting the grace of God in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 5:1-4 (KJB) Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
The Apostle Paul was once very high up in the Judaic faith, but he placed his faith in Christ Jesus and became a Christian. When this happens, we are no longer under the legal requirements of the Old Testament, and are completely released from its obligations. Mind you, there are certain things in the old covenant such as adultery which are also condemned in the Christian faith, but that is because they are sins of the flesh. There were numerous restrictions in Judaism, such as certain eating restrictions, that are done away with in Christ Jesus. Imagine all of the different things that the Apostle Paul was able to eat for the first time when he became a Christian. This is because he had placed his complete trust in the Liberty that is found in Christ Jesus. Observing certain days of the week, or even keeping away from certain types of food does not make you Holy. After all, many people wanted you to observe a Sabbath, but then they went and killed God’s only begotten Son Jesus on the cross. So what do we learn from that? People might keep a specific day of the week and then be absolutely cruel! What matters to God is love out of a pure heart, and becoming a new creature inside of your heart.
Colossians 2:13-17 (KJB) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
There were some people who wanted other Christians to keep the law and be circumcised, but the Apostle Peter, who had been raised a Jew corrected them on that issue.
Acts 15:5-11 (KJB) But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Those who have become followers of Christ Jesus are not to return to the things that the Lord has abolished. We must place our complete faith and trust in Him, and the teachings of the New Testament.
2 Corinthians 3:13-17 (KJB) And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
So as a Christian we must always remember to be thankful for the Liberty that we have in Christ Jesus. He has abolished all of the things that we were required to do, like a dad reaching out to help us, and tossing away,…..
…..The Post-it Note
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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