2004-11-19
Good Morning Faithful Readers,
Last week, we looked at how God transforms deceitful human hearts into faithfully obedient ones in the light of MT 5: 17-20. This passage deals with how Christ has not come to do away with the Law, but to make it’s teachings come true. The admonition that anyone disobeying even the least of God’s commandments teaches others to do the same. These people will be the least in God’s Kingdom. Those who keep the Law, teaching others to do the same will be the greatest in God’s Kingdom. Those more faithful than the teachers and Pharisees will enter the Kingdom. In reality, Christ is the Fulfillment of the Law [RO 10: 4]. Today, we will look at what this wonderful truth really means.
To begin, let’s look at GN 3: 15, the Protevangelium [the first statement in the Bible of the conflict that is to be between mankind and evil]. God speaking to the serpent after the original sin has been committed, from the KJV, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Don’t be put off by the archaic language here; I used it on purpose because of the use of the word “seed,” which refers to offspring. What is being said here is that mankind and Satan will be locked in a battle that is what we call spiritual warfare in modern parlance. The next part of the sentence even tells us who is going to win out in the end, because bruising one’s heel causes pain, but not death. On the other hand, bruising one’s head means death. Now look at GA 3: 16 [KJV], “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to Thy Seed , which is Christ.” This verse does not use the plural for Seed [capitalized because it refers to Christ], meaning many people. It refers to one person only, Jesus Christ. Another way of putting this concept is no one is saved by the Law, but all who believe in Christ and have repented are saved by the Atonement of God’s only begotten Son. Christ becomes the Fulfillment of the Law in the lives of true believers.
GA 3: 10-13 helps us to better understand this part of the great gift of salvation that comes to us through our faith in Christ. “Those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the Scripture [DT 27: 26] says, ‘Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the Law is under God’s curse!’ Now, it is clear that no one is put right with God by means of the Law, because the Scripture [HB 2: 4] says, ‘Only the person who is put right with God through faith shall live.’ But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, as the Scripture [LV 18: 5] says, ‘Whoever does everything the Law requires will live.’ But by becoming a Curse for us Christ has redeemed us from the curse that the Law brings; for the Scripture [DT 21: 23] says, ‘Anyone who is hanged on a tree is under God’s curse.’” You see only Christ is perfect enough to do “everything the Law requires.” We can’t, because of the imperfection we inherit from Adam and Eve and the sins we ourselves commit. As for that tree upon which the cursed hang, Christ’s cross is that tree! He hung on the cross taking our sins upon Himself, so that a way for salvation is opened for believing mankind. Right about now if you are feeling very blessed, Dear Ones, then you are getting the point of all I have written here.
There is more to say about how Christ is the Fulfillment of the Law, but for now, let’s look at how the truths in the Scriptures above impacts us in our lives today. You’ll remember that while we are under grace, it is not as the anti-Nomian objectors of Paul’s time thought, grace without license. We have godly rules and regulations which lend organization to our society and allow us to operate with thoughtfulness and consideration for others. I remember bristling when told in one state where I was driving that U-turns were not allowed. I wanted to get where I was going and had gone too far along the street I was traveling. However, upon further thought, I began to realize how dangerous U-turns would make it for drivers coming in the other direction. So, I turned left and drove up that street, made two more left turns and then a right turn, which got me going where I wanted to be. If this rather inconvenient necessity hadn’t been accomplished, it’s entirely possible that I could have caused an accident-a much more inconvenient and dangerous event.
In a much more profound view of Christ as the Fulfillment of Law, I can see how I no longer have to take a legalistic view of my life the way a traditional Jew does. I don’t have to feel hopelessness when I catch myself lapsing in my struggle to get swearing out of my life. My conscience, which I hope and pray is led by the Holy Spirit [another of God’s gifts to me], reminds me of JAS 3: 9-10, which makes God’s will clear. Then, I can turn to God praying, “Yes Lord, I know Your will about cussing, and I have lapsed without intent. Please forgive me and help me to not lapse again.” Truthfully, I’ve had to do this a few times, but the Lord knows my lapses are not with malicious intent. He knows the content of my heart. I also have the comfort of knowing that Christ is right there with me in the arena of my challenges, not waiting on the sidelines to jump in only when He feels like it. He does the same for any believer. We don’t struggle alone.
PRAYER: O Lord, this morning I was sorely provoked to cuss on the phone to a scheduler for a delivery to our home who refused to give me a choice of the time. While I didn’t, I thought about it. She was curt and inflexible. We are all provoked at times by our circumstances to sin. That is why You have given us EPH 4: 26-27, “If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day. Do not give the devil a chance.” Each of us has times like this, but through Your word, we can gain Your insight into our life’s circumstances. 1 PET 5: 6-8 warns us, “Humble yourselves, then, under God’s mighty hand, so that He will lift you up in His own good time. Leave all your worries with Him, because He cares for you. Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” Then, You Lord, speaking through Paul, really adjust our angry fleshly attitude with EPH 4: 31-32, “Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ.” And there it is, Dear Lord, Your perspective, which changes the heart-attitude of a saved person- who because of Your Son’s death on the cross can now choose not to sin. You are an awesome compassionate, wise, and patient Deity. You are our One and Only True God, Who deserves our honest confession, our thanks, and our eternal praise. Your power to transform fleshly human hearts is mighty and Yours alone. We pledge You our eternal love, obedience, and faithfulness to our Covenant of Grace commitments. In Christ’s holy name. Amen.
There is more to say about how Christ fulfills the Law, which will be in next week’s message. Jewish people have observed the High Holy days, including Rosh Hashanna [the Jewish New Year-Sept. 16th this year], the Ten Days of Awe, and on Sept. 25th, Yom Kippur-the Day of Atonement. Unlike the Jan. 1st New Year, Rosh Hashanna is not a day for celebration and noise making. It’s a day to begin contemplation of one’s relationship with God over the last year. The observant Jew is to look at his decisions, relationships with others, and actions taken against the teaching of the Scriptures. If wanting, then confession is in order during this time. Whether traditional Jew, Messianic Jew, or Gentile Christian, God knows the content of one’s heart. Yom Kippur is the day when God decides whether or not He will grant forgiveness for one year to Jews living under the Covenant of the Law. If we look at the Covenant of Grace that Christians and Messianic Jews (like myself) are under, we can take comfort in knowing that if our openly confessed sin and repentance leads to eternal forgiveness through Jesus Christ. This is no invitation to keep on committing the same sin with intent. It is God’s effort to show us that through our faith in Christ that He has transformed our hearts [RO 12: 2]. Our High Priest, Jesus Christ, speaks to us in HE 8: 12, “I will forgive their sins and will no longer remember their wrongs.” Take further comfort in HE 10: 10, “Because Jesus Christ did what God wanted Him to do, we are all purified from sin by the offering that He made of His own body once and for all.” We are truly a blessed people!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn