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Friday, June 20,
2008
A
Changing Of The Guard
Romans 6:8-14 Now if we be
dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: (9) Knowing
that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more
dominion over him. (10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in
that he liveth, he liveth unto God. (11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves
to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. (12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should
obey it in the lusts thereof. (13) Neither yield ye your members as
instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as
those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God. (14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for
ye are not under the law, but under grace. (KJV)
Now as verse 8 says, that if
you are dead with Christ, dead to your own lusts and desires but alive with
Him spiritually, then you are able to believe as well as live with Him in
the realm of the Spirit. Once our Lord died it was done, not like under the
old law where it would have to be done over and over again, but as we
talked about yesterday it was a permanent change. Have you changed with the
times, no I am not talking about being politically correct with the way of
the world, but changing or transforming daily by the renewing of your mind
in the things of God? Did you ever stop and think that when you yield
yourself to the things of the old law and its rituals you are actually
trying to establish your own righteousness, one our Lord doesn’t
acknowledge? Another way to put it is when you are under the law then you
have separated from grace, a grace that is needed in order to truly be
saved.
Galatians 3:10-14 For as many
as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written,
Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in
the book of the law to do them. (11) But that no man is justified by the
law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
(12) And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live
in them. (13) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made
a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a
tree: (14) That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith. (KJV)
Wasn’t this the whole intent
and purpose, our Lord came to redeem us from the curse of the old law? Yet
with this in mind, why do so many still hold to the law and its dead
rituals, especially when it comes to the true spiritual meaning of baptism?
There is no justification in the law, no righteousness, and yet with this
in mind so many still hold to the dead rituals of it, thinking they will
find justification. Again, did it ever occur to you that when you hold to
these traditions and doctrines of man that in essence you are yielding
yourself to something unrighteous, a law of death, and not of life that you
think you are finding? Instead of reaching out for the spiritual lifeline
our Lord provides for us in Christ, many are still grabbing and hanging
onto an anchor rope, one tied from their neck to a millstone.
Romans 9:31-33 But Israel,
which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law
of righteousness. (32) Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but
as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that
stumblingstone; (33) As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a
stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall
not be ashamed. (KJV)
Has much changed over the
years, whether it be referred to as Israel or what man calls a church today?
Rather than seek the Lord by faith to understand the true spiritual meaning
of His word many are blindly rumbling, bumbling, and stumbling along
seeking their answer in an old law and the works of it. There is a stone, a
rock solid foundation for one to build their faith and trust in, that being
Jesus Christ and the completed work He did for His people, not the
completed work people think they still need to do. While many are running
to and fro seeking the answer in the carnal realm they end up falling short
by holding to a law that our Lord came to eliminate not duplicate, people.
The only way you can and ever will be justified is by Christ, while
anything else will have you falling short of the glory of God, basically
falling flat on your face.
Galatians 3:1-5 O foolish
Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth,
before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified
among you? (2) This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by
the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (3) Are ye so foolish?
having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? (4) Have
ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. (5) He therefore
that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth
he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (KJV)
Did you know that witchcraft
is considered a sin, something our Lord doesn’t look too kindly on? Years
ago there was a TV program called ‘Bewitched’ where someone wiggled their
nose and made things magically happen. Sound silly and ridiculous? Well, every
time someone reverts back to the works of the law, which does include water
baptism folks, it’s like watching a rerun of Bewitched, something foolish
and farfetched from reality. Your entrance into the realm of the Spiritual
had nothing to do with your own works, and you remaining in that realm has
nothing to do with man’s works, but rather a faith in the work Jesus Christ
has done on your behalf.
Strong’s definition for ‘vain’:
1500 eike (i-kay'); probably from 1502
(through the idea of failure); idly, i.e. without reason (or effect): KJV-- without a cause, (in) vain (-ly).
Interesting word there
concerning vain, something that has no reason, idle fits also. You know, a
hundred years ago money was printed and put into circulation for trading
and getting provisions needed. Since that time however a new system has
been put into place in order to buy and sell. If one tries to use the old system
today it would not be accepted because it has been replaced by a new system.
The same pattern holds true with our Lord, the old served its purpose and
has been done away, replaced by something new and in operation today. So
when you see things in the Bible, say for instance the word baptism, do you
just limit it to the old outward realm or are you able to see the deeper
spiritual implication of it, something that is of use and has substance
today? Take some time and pray about the things you do and why you do them.
‘is it because someone else said it was so or is something I know came from
the Lord and keeps me in good standing with Him’. There has been a changing
of the guard people; are you changing into one of God’s people or are you
idly hung up on the old law and its rituals that our Lord said He came to
do away with? Just because it is a crowd favorite with many of man’s so
called people doesn’t mean it works with our Lord. In fact that which man
holds in high esteem is an abomination with God. In other words, when you
see the many doing something they think impresses or pleases God that would
be the first red flag to go back and see what the Lord’s true take and
intention is. As long as you hold God to be true and man the liar then you
will not fall or stumble in your walk.
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