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.
There are many people who despise alcohol in this country, but you have to admit, it has been around for thousands and thousands of years, and in some places is as commonplace as a glass of water. Unlike Americans, many people in Europe will drink wine with almost every single meal. But did you know that back in 1919 the United States passed a law that prohibited intoxicating liquor, which was basically any beverage containing more than 0.5% alcohol. In fact you couldn’t manufacture it, sell it or even transport it somewhere else. But one thing that they quickly found out was that it was extremely hard to enforce and eventually led to bootlegging and secret bars known as speakeasies. For many years the country was in a complete uproar because a lot of people partake of alcohol for enjoyment rather than misuse. But this law only lasted for a period of time, and because of the outcry of many Americans, the 21st amendment was eventually ratified in 1933 which repealed the 18th amendment and completely voided The Volstead Act.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
When you repeal a law, it is the formal legal cancellation or revocation of an existing statute by a legislative body. It basically makes the law null, void and obsolete. I guess I have always found it remarkable how people understand how Earthly laws such as the Volstead Act can be repealed, but at the same time they don’t accept that this is exactly what the Lord Jesus did with the things of the Old Testament. They were created by God, and they were eventually repealed by God. When Jesus died on the cross, He said it is finished, and everything before that point we are no longer in bondage to, even certain passages of the Gospels where Jesus was speaking about the law to the Jews. The point is that nobody kept it, so the Lord abolished it and completed it himself and then completely replaced it with a brand New Covenant, contained in the teachings of the Christian faith.
Hebrews 8:7-13 (KJB) For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Just like the Volstead Act, nobody was keeping the Old Testament law. Many religious leaders were just using it as an opportunity to find fault with others, while they themselves were living lives of open hypocrisy.
John 7:19 (KJB) Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
Galatians 6:13 (KJB) For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
Why does the preaching of the cross bring forth so much persecution? It’s because Jesus has put an end to the things concerning the old Covenant. This is why when you preach that we are completely free from it, it drives people who are still under the law completely out of their minds.
Galatians 5:11-14 (KJB) And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased. I would they were even cut off which trouble you. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
This is the reason why you cannot combine Judaism and Christianity in some type of dual covenant theology. Those who desire to be under the law have not fully trusted in Christ Jesus, and are outside the grace of God. Both covenants are spoken of in the following passage, describing how the Old Covenant is to be cast out, just like the bondwoman and her son. Cast out you say? Yes, because those who reject this passage reject the Christian faith.
Galatians 4:21-31 (KJB) Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 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. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 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. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
Christians are no longer under the law, and are not to return to what God has already abolished. That would be like people trying to keep the Volstead Act after it has already been repealed. What foolishness!
Galatians 3:23-26 (KJB) But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
There is no commandment by the Apostles to keep the law.
Acts 15:24 (KJB) Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
Even false forms of Christianity want to judge you by what you eat and drink, and even by not keeping a Sabbath day! They are no different than the hypocrites of old. Thank God so much for lifting this burden from us, and putting the Old Covenant to rest. Don’t let anybody judge you on any of these things, because those who do are certainly not a Christian.
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.
In this world, many Earthly rulers can void something just by a stroke of their pen. It can be that simple, but that is the power of authority. Jesus has done the same thing for all of us, because with a stroke of His own authority and purpose, He abolished the Old Covenant and instituted a brand new one, just like repealing,……
…..The Volstead Act
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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