2020-10-02
Good Morning Dear Ones,
One lesson that Paul and the others on his first mission learned was the overwhelming power of faith over the Law. As far back as Abraham, he would discover that he would be deemed acceptable to the Lord (justified) simply for having faith in Him [GN 15: 6]. GA 3:6, “Consider the experience of Abraham, as the Scripture says. He believed God and because of his faith, God accepted him as righteous.” No one is justified by the Law. Remember back to the Abrahamic covenant [GN 12: 1-3]. God said to Abraham, “Through you God will bless all people.” Furthermore, it is said, in GA 3: 10-11, “Those who depend on the Law live under a curse…No one is put right with God by means of the Law, because only by faith is someone deemed righteous by God” [HB 2: 4; LV 18: 5; DT 21: 23]. By becoming a curse for us, Christ redeemed us from the curse that the Law brings. Anyone who is hanged on a tree is under God’s curse. Christ did this in order that the blessing which God promised to Abraham might be given to the Gentiles by means of Christ Jesus, so that through faith we might receive the Spirit promised by God” [GA 3: 13-14]. If there is any question about to whom GA 3: 16 refers, we must note that the singular “Descendant” is used here, rather than “descendants.” The only “Descendant” is clearly Jesus Christ. God intended that the Jews would be a blessing to others and to keep His covenant promise. The Law, which was given 430 years later could not break that covenant and cancel God’s promise [EX 12: 40; GA 3: 17]. The Law was given [EX 24: 7-11; GA 3: 19] to show what pleases God and what doesn’t. But Christ’s Atonement and our faith in Him brings salvation, justification, and eternal forgiveness [JN 3: 16: RO 4: 3; 1 JN 1: 9]. A go-between is not needed when only one person is involved, and God is One [DT 6: 4-5; GA 3: 20].
Not everyone will be saved, because some people remain under sin’s power, when they have no faith in Jesus Christ. The Law was in charge of mankind until Christ came to offer such a wonderful alternative as salvation, justification, and eternal forgiveness. Only faith in Him puts us right with the Lord [GA 3: 22,24]. A person who is saved by faith in Jesus Christ is one who has been unlocked from being in prison to the Law. The faithful person has access to the Holy Spirit. If a person belongs to Jesus Christ, he will receive what God has promised and is a descendant of Abraham, whether naturally (as a Jew) or ingrafted (as a Gentile) [RO 11: 17]. Through faith in Christ, we are all God’s children in union with Him [GA 3: 26-27]. We can look forward to our eternity in heaven, at which time there will be no divisions between us. Each person will be equally loved and cared for by our Lord. Human-crafted divisions, such as by gender, race, denomination, wealth, education, etc. will melt away, replaced by equality [GA 3: 28-29]. The same standard will be used by Christ in judging us. Remember: EPH 2: 8-9, “It is through God’s grace that you have been saved by faith, not your own efforts. No one can boast about it.
The Greek word for grace is charis. It is the direct antithesis of works. This notion separates some Protestant denominations, where works are the explanation for blessing and/or salvation. Sometimes a combination of grace and works is the explanation in such denominations as Catholicism and the LDS church, or works alone as in Judaism. The good works in the latter are called mitzvehs. Mainstream Protestant denominations believe in salvation by grace alone. Charis brings joy and forgiveness; a definition of grace is unmerited favor. The Greek word, pistis, means faith. Faith is a firm conviction or persuasion. One succinct definition of faith is found in HE 11: 1, “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of things we cannot see. It was by their faith that the Biblical people of ancient times won God’s approval.” How amazingly blessed we are as believers in Jesus Christ!
PRAYER: O Lord, You are a Promise-keeper, Who never abandons us. We are so undeserving of the unconditional love You give us every day. You have given us the power to count our blessings by watching You at work in our lives. As You have with me, You can redirect our lives from misery to joy. You can give us tasks to do for You and call us to use skills to do those tasks we didn’t know we have. When we starve for spiritual fulfillment and maturity, You give us those things. Like a mother hen, You gather us, your chicks, to Your breast and comfort us in our times of trouble. When we are ill or in danger, You heal and protect us. You are a God, Who has sacrificed Your only Son, so that we might be with You in a sweet heavenly fellowship for eternity and have the power to turn away from temptations. We are sinners in need of You to live righteously. Our lives may not be easy, but they can be worthy of eternal forgiveness for our sins. We know implicitly that Your ways are right, and we should live by them. Thank You and praise You for all You are and all You do, in Christ’s holy/mighty name. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit has more for me to write about justification through faith in Jesus Christ. So, this will be the subject of next week’s devotion. In the meanwhile, I would be remiss if I didn’t say what the Spirit has given me about the new covenant or the Covenant of Grace. A covenant is a two-way promise. The partners to this promise can be of equal power, as was the case in the friendship covenant between David and Jonathan [1 SAM 18: 1-3]. Or, it can be where the partners are very unequal (one of greater power than the other), as in the Abrahamic covenant where the partners are Abraham and God [GN 12: 1-3]. The Covenant of Grace is an example of the second one, where we are one partner, and God is the other Partner. God agrees to watch over us and love us as no human can. We agree to find, confess, and stop any and all sins we have committed before. We also agree to faithfully obey God. It is God who showed me that I could spend my life serving Him, and it is God Who blesses me with faith-building friendships and other important blessings. I see myself as having to live according to a higher standard than people who influence fewer people. This includes being mindful of the legacy I will leave behind and the responsibility of conveying the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who haven’t heard it. I mention these things in case they apply to each of you. No matter what, it is my hope that we will all watch God at work in our lives and be ever thankful for the blessings He bestows upon us. Praise and thanks be to the Lord!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2020. All Rights Reserved.
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