Favorite Book Friday February 13,2021
It’s #favoritebookfriday! My first school week has been done and it’s been fun and I have the best work study ever. I definitely had a lot of fun at the meeting yesterday. Anyway let’s get to work. This chapter in Classic Christianity is called “the ministry of condemnation”
We talk about this before but if truth sets you free, the error binds you. Especially the church makes such a big fuss over going to church, reading your Bible and all those Bible things, you feel condemned. You do all these things but you problems don’t change. Law and grace end up the issue of God’s acceptance. It affects everything with our relationship with Christ. We try to make ourselves acceptable through the law, grace or Galatianism. Let’s break it down.
The law is the first example. It’s based on what you do or don’t do. There’s a big two letter word called “if” which means it puts a condition on God’s love. The second is grace. Grace is total acceptance before God. Man does nothing to earn it. Man only have to us receive it. The third example is also very dangerous: Galatianism. It’s the attempt to mix law and grace ends up full of contradictions. It said God’s grace makes it possible to for His acceptance. It said “God will love you if you keep all the rules. It’s like telling your friend you’re giving them a gift that they have to pay for it. We tell people Christianity is about God’s love and acceptance but throw a bunch of rules on top. The same thing was happening in the early church. They wanted to combine the Torah and the words of Jesus. Paul says the church in Galatia was foolish for believing in this. This belief is incorrect but also very dangerous. It’s also not performance based. Some Christians end up frustrated and hurt because they believe they will go to heaven but their day to day lives feel like a disappointment to God. Because they feel that way, they don’t feel the beauty of Christ living in the inside of them. This happens because people don’t understand the meaning and purpose of the law. The law’s purpose is to define sin and convict men of their guilt and need of a savior.
The law’s purpose was never to make man right with God. It simply was a placeholder. It’s all or nothing. James said if you broke one rule, you were guilty of breaking them all. Paul says in Galatians “cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the law.” Why? Because doing one thing wrong would curse you. The law kills and condemns. That’s the law’s job. The only way to be saved is to believe in Jesus. An example would be the sabbath. Jesus issued in a new covenant. Anyway Can now be a sabbath for you. Laws aren’t just commands but they have a penalty attached. It’s hard to believe but because of God’s Grace, you’re already accepted by God. Jesus brought the law to It’s end so we could be free to receive his Grace.
That’s it for Instagram! See you on the website!
Chapter 10 is titled “free from the yolk of slavery. There’s this belief that you have a license to sin once you get saved and that’s not true at all. Paul letter to the Romans says by no means! It’s like having the best meal ever because you’re starving but instead of eating it, you eat trash. You can have the best food ever but still want the garbage.
We gotta get over out obsession with sin. Jesus gave his life for us to not be wrapped up in sin. Sin isn’t the focus,Jesus is. The garbage of sin doesn’t even look appealing anymore.
No matter how hard we try, we can’t try to produce the Christian life through the law. Because we end up producing the actions we don’t want to do. That’s human nature. The law only deals with the external not the internal. Jesus gave his hardest criticism for those trying to hold onto the law. The law only produces hypocrisy and wickedness. The law isn’t even faith based.
Too many Christians are known for what they are against rather than what they are for. It makes us feel good. Bob gives some Wild examples that you should check it. Another example is the law requires human efforts. But the truth is we can’t keep the law. Trying to experience grace while living under the law just won’t work. The law can only expose the problem. We have to turn to Jesus to be dependent on him. We do wrong but we’re no longer defined by them. No matter what you do to keep the law, it just won’t work. There won’t be peace when you try to keep the law. The law just makes us hypocritical. It doesn’t mean your imperfect but rather a actor or a pretender. What happens when we’re set free by grace. It’s good to rebel against religion but let me tell you about the true God who loves and accepts you. Your his child. You only get tired of this because we’re crushed by the burden of the law.
So what do we do? We stand firm the fact Jesus sent us free. Jesus says come to him and he will give you rest. His burden is easy and light. Law and grace can not coexist. You can’t hold onto grace but try to keep one law. It’s all law or all grace. Don’t fall away from grace trying to keep the law. Keeping the law is slavery so don’t go back. All you have to do is believe so don’t settle for anything less.
Chapter Highlights (Chapter 9-10)
Law and grace is the issue of God’s acceptance
Under the law, man is responsible to make himself acceptable to God according to what you do or don’t do.
Under grace: God gives man a standing of total acceptance
Law is the realm of what you earn by your performance. Grace is the realm of receiving a free gift. How could you ever mingle the two?
The law’s purpose is to define sin and convict men of their guilt and need for salvation
Under the law a man’s works is in order to be accepted by God. Under grace, man serves because he is already accepted by God.
The goal of the Christian life is not to stop sinning! The real goal of the Christian life is to know Christ!
The law of the realm of self effort
Salvation is not a release from punishment that we deserve. It’s truly being rescued from what we are.
Don’t settle for anything less that believing in Jesus. That’s enough
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