|
Christian Liberty and Galatians A Guided Study Through The Book of Galatians |
 |
(Galatians 3:21 KJV) "Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given (zoopoieo {pronounced dzo-op-oy-eh’-o}, Aorist Active Infinitive, could have given life) life, verily righteousness should have been by the law." (Galatians 3:22 KJV) "But the scripture Deuteronomy 27:26 hath concluded (sugkleio {pronounced soong-kli’-o}, Aorist Indicative Active, once and for all shut up or enclosed, as if in a net) all under sin, Romans 3:23 that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." (pisteuo {pronounced pist-yoo’-o}, Present Active Participle, keep on believing) (Galatians 3:23 KJV) "But before faith came, we were kept (phroureo {pronounced froo-reh’-o}, Perfect Passive Indicative, we were kept, guarded in a jail) under the law, shut up (sugkleio {pronounced soong-kli’-o}, Present Passive Participle, shut up in a prison cell) unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed." (Galatians 3:24 KJV) "Wherefore the law was (ginomai {pronounced ghin’-om-ahee}, Perfect Active Indicative, became and remained) our schoolmaster (paidagogos {pronounced pahee-dag-o-gos’}, a tutor i.e. a guardian and guide of boys. Among the Greeks and the Romans the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood) to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified (dikaioo {pronounced dik-ah-yo’-o}, Aorist Passive Subjunctive, might be justified once for all) by faith." In his book "The Second Coming of the Church", Christian sociologist George Barna revealed several very interesting things about the modern day "believer". Some of these things he revealed I have long suspected, though other revelations were somewhat startling. In Barna's studies he discovered that:
(Second Coming of the Church, ©Word Publishing, pg. 21-22) Though America has long been considered a "Christian" nation, our concepts of truth, morality, God, and the Scripture have been so far twisted to the left that we are like an empty milk carton. It may say "Milk" on the outside, but there's nothing on the inside of any nutritional value. I certainly do not make this statement about every professing Christian in America, for there are certainly some true believers in America. But for every one true believer there are many others who profess Christ but tolerate things which the Christ of Scripture abhorred: murderous abortion of children, frivolous sexual behavior, drunkenness, adultery, pornography, hate mongering, racism, and the like. What has led to this state of being in the Church in America? I believe it is because we have stopped learning the lessons that the Law taught us, and have preached a "walk the aisle" Gospel too many times from our pulpits. Pastors, preachers, and evangelists have been overly concerned about the numbers of people making a profession of Christ. I say this not to condemn them, for in many instances carnal congregations have weighed the speaker's ability to attract large crowds as to whether they would continue to keep the pastor on salary or not. This has led to a wooing of the crowd by the pastor, and a modification of the preaching of the Gospel in order to draw larger numbers. The result of this skewed system is that many in our local churches walked the aisle to join that church, but were never supernaturally born again by faith in Christ Jesus. Look at the last statistic that Barna notes: 55% of all Americans believe that if a person is generally good or does enough good things for others during their life, they will earn a place in Heaven. Though this is a prevalent belief in America and, I suspect, in our local churches as well, this is not Scriptural in the least. God gave Israel the Mosaic Law when that nation continued to reject salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. They looked at God's provisions of Grace time and time again and yet refused to believe. Some 430 years after Abraham, the founder of Israel, was saved by faith in Christ, Israel was given the Mosaic Law. As we have seen in Galatians the Law was not a means to salvation, but was a "paidagogos", a schoolmaster who served to teach Israel that she was not good enough to get to Heaven on her own. The schoolmaster of the Law had to preside over Israel, chiding and scolding, coaxing and beating, until the heart of the people was ready for the Messiah. The Law, in effect, pointed out the deficiency that our good had - and pointed out that we could not be good enough to get to Heaven on our own. We needed a Savior. When Christ manifested Himself in the flesh, He came to an Israel that had been many years under the paidagogos of the Law. When John the Baptist preached and pointed the way to Christ, his messages were always warning of the coming wrath of God: (Matthew 3:7-10 KJV) "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? {8} Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: {9} And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. {10} And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." The Law taught the people that they fell short of God's righteous standard. The Law showed Israel that, even if they did their best, their best was not good enough for God. Entrance into God's Heaven could only be purchased by God Himself - that each and every person had to accept God in Christ as Savior, and, as God did to Abraham, by believing righteousness would be imputed or credited to their heavenly account. The signs were in place, all signs painted by the Law, and these signs said "A Savior is coming ... You need a Savior ... That Savior is Jesus!". Many saw the signs of the Law and rejoiced.
Israel rejected faith in God as a means of salvation repeatedly under the leadership of Moses. Charles E. Hummel in his book, "The Galileo Connection", states: "For more than four hundred years the Hebrews had languished in Egypt far from the land promised to Abraham. Those centuries took a spiritual as well as a physical toll. The people had no Scriptures, only a few oral traditions of the patriarchs. Devotion to the God of their forefather Joseph had largely been supplanted by worship of the gods of other nations. ... When the wanderers arrived at Horeb, their world view and lifestyle differed little from that of the surrounding nations. Their culture was essentially pagan. ... Although Israel had left Egypt behind, they still retained this worldview. Paganism is more than polytheism; it is a way of looking at the whole of life. So a complete break with Israel's past required the strong antipagan teaching provided in the Pentateuch {the Mosaic Law} ...." The Galileo Connection, © 1986 Intervarsity Press, pg. 200-201 We have already studied this truth, so if you missed the study, turn back and start again. God our Savior asked Israel to believe, demonstrated His saving power, provided food from Heaven and water from the rocks, but Israel continued to reject faith in Him. When this only means of salvation was rejected, God our Savior established a Law in Israel, a terrible taskmaster with one job: to convict the people of their hopelessly lost situation. After several hundred years in bondage to the Law Israel should have been ready for the Messiah. As Paul said: (Galatians 4:4-5 KJV) "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, {5} To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." This was "when the fulness of the time was come". Israel should have been ready for Messiah. Israel had been beaten by the Law year after year, suffering under its yoke, a yoke that they could barely tolerate (Acts 15:10). That nation, Beloved of God, should have been ready for the Messiah. Israel had been under bondage, ruled by foreign powers on a regular basis from its founding because she failed to keep the Law. Israel suffered under Babylonian captivity for 70 years because she failed to keep the Law. Israel suffered under Chaldean and Assyrian raids and enslavement because she failed to keep the Law. Israel was, at the time of Christ, under Roman rule because she failed to keep the Law. The Law had become a millstone, choking the common man, demanding that the nation look to Christ for salvation. Many were looking for the Messiah, for they had learned the truth that the Law taught - we ALL need a Savior. We ALL need Christ! Simeon Saw The Signs (Luke 2:25-32 KJV) "And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation (paraklesis {pronounced par-ak’-lay-sis}, Comforter. Similar to texts in John 14:16; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7, though parakletos is used in these texts) of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. {26} And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. {27} And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, {28} Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, {29} Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: {30} For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, {31} Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; {32} A light to lighten (apokalupsis {pronounced ap-ok-al’-oop-sis}, to manifest, lay bare, reveal, make revelation of or to) the Gentiles, and the glory (doxa {pronounced dox’-ah}, splendor, brightness, glory) of thy people Israel." An old man had lived his life under the harsh requirements of the Law. From the time he could first walk, perhaps he sat among the older adults and heard stories of Israel's glory in bygone days. You see, Simeon was born and raised in an Israel that had long been under Roman rule. In Rome, and among the Romans, if you were not as they were - a Citizen of that Fabled Nation - you were considered beneath contempt. Israel, once a nation led by God Almighty, was reduced to the status of lackey to the great Roman Emperor. A mere Roman soldier had the authority to order any Israelite to carry his pack for a mile, like God's chosen were no more than dogs. Any common private in the Roman army could enter your house, take your food, sleep in your bed. Why were God's chosen so reduced to such misery and degradation? Because that proud nation had rejected salvation by faith in God and, having been placed under the Law, had broken the Law of God. Simeon came of age and grew up in a broken Israel. As he looked around and saw the injustices that his people were under, he did as the Law commanded - he looked upward for salvation. Simeon was a just and a devout man, a man who built a relationship with God by faith. One day while he was praying God the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart - you see, God wants to speak to everyone of us who will heed Him - and told him that he would not die until he saw Messiah. Simeon, with a heart full of joy, began to visit the Temple every day, looking for the Savior. He knew that Christ was coming. Each male child born to Israel was brought to the Temple on the eighth day, according to the Mosaic Law, to be circumcised. Every day Simeon watched proud parents bring their children in. He looked in the eyes of every male infant, looking for the Savior. One day his search was rewarded. Here was Jesus! Here was Christ, God our Messiah come in the flesh! Though extremists will tell us that only the Apostle Paul knew that God was going to include the Gentiles in the Church that He was going to build through Christ, don't you believe a word of it. Simeon knew that Christ came for both Israel as well as for the Gentiles. Look at his words: a light to lighten the Gentiles .... Jesus would be a phos to apokalupsis the Gentiles, a light of revelation to the Gentiles. Many Gentiles, of which I am one, would see the Messiah lifted up and know that they needed a Savior. Though Christ would come to save His people, to save the whole world, many would not receive Him. As the Scripture says: (John 1:10-13 KJV) "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. {11} He came unto his own, and his own received him not. {12} But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: {13} Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." He came unto His own nation, unto the Jews, but the nation would reject Him as Messiah. Not all, for many would receive Christ as Savior. Blessed Simeon rejoiced in seeing Christ our Savior. But many among Israel would reject Christ, preferring the bondage of Rome and the Law to the sweet relief of salvation by faith in Jesus. But not Simeon, not Simeon. He rejoiced, for Messiah was revealed. I'll see Simeon in Heaven one day, and we'll sit at the feet of our Master together. Anna Saw The Signs (Luke 2:36-38 KJV) "And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; {37} And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. {38} And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption (lutrosis {pronounced loo’-tro-sis}, deliverance, redemption, especially from sin) in Jerusalem." (Hebrews 9:12 KJV) "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption (lutrosis {pronounced loo’-tro-sis}, deliverance, redemption, especially from sin) for us." Though Simeon had received a promise from God the Holy Spirit that he would see Jesus before he died, this was not the case with Anna. Anna was a faithful believer, one saved by faith in God just as Abraham her father was. Anna, the Scripture says, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser Was given the Gift of Prophecy (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10), meaning that God had used her on a regular basis to speak to His people Israel. Anna is a lesson for us all. Though Simeon was given a promise that he would see Messiah before he died, Anna was given no such word. Though she was a prophetess, God spoke no utterance, insofar as we can tell from our text, that told her that Jesus was going to be at the Temple that day. No, Beloved. Anna is a picture of a faithful servant doing what she was called to do. Because she was where she was supposed to be at all times, she was blessed along with Simeon in seeing the Messiah. Many in the Church Age tire of their calling. No matter who you are, if you are saved by faith in Christ you have a calling, a place of service, a place to be. Many of you have missed countless blessings because you failed to be at your appointed place when God came. You laid out of Church because a "big game" was on the television. You missed the fellowship meeting because you had a headache. You failed to show up at Bible study on the very day that God had a special lesson planned just for you. When the Holy Spirit softened a coworker's heart to the Gospel, you failed to speak the Gospel, afraid that you would not be heard or, if heard, afraid that you would be ridiculed. Silly believer, what blessings you have missed! God will have to dry the tears from your eyes in Heaven (Revelation 7:17; 21:4), tears you will weep when you discover the blessings that were meant for you that were never received in this life. All because you were not faithful. Anna was faithful, and because she was faithful in serving the God whom she loved she saw the lutrosis, the Redemption, the Savior of Israel and of the whole world. She rejoiced, and thanked God her Savior and Friend, for blessing her with such a great blessing. Oh, how wonderful it must have been to have reached out and touched the baby Jesus! To look at the sinless Lamb, cradled in His mother's arms, and to know that He would one day soon die for me. God, help me to be faithful like Anna, that I not miss even one of Your special blessings, those once in a lifetime rewards that you give to those who attend Your service.
Zacharias Saw The Signs (Luke 1:68-75 KJV) "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed (lutrosis {pronounced loo’-tro-sis}, deliverance, redemption, especially from sin) his people, {69} And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; {70} As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: {71} That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; {72} To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; {73} The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, {74} That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, {75} In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life." (Hebrews 9:12 KJV) "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption (lutrosis {pronounced loo’-tro-sis}, deliverance, redemption, especially from sin) for us." Who better to see the need for the Savior than a son of Aaron, one of the priests of Israel? Zacharias was an old man who had served the Lord faithfully in the Temple all the days of his life. For many years he hoped that Elisabeth, his wife, would bring forth an heir that would carry on his family name ... but year after year passed with no such blessing from God. One day the angel of the Lord told Zacharias that Elisabeth would have a child. On hearing this the old man was incredulous! A child - how could that be? Because of his doubt the angel took Zacharias' voice, and the old man could not speak until the child was born and was named "John", as God so willed. Day after day and year after year the priests offered sacrifices by the Law of Moses for the children of Israel. Animals without blemish were brought forth, made to pay for the sins of man. But what animal can truly atone for our sins? Does not God, in His justice, demand payment from the offender? If another stand in our stead, should not this Atonement be like us - human - not a bleeting sheep or a chirping bird? The Law mandated a shadow sacrifice. The animals brought to be offered were considered "clean" by the standards set for by the Schoolteacher, by the Law. The "clean" animals were also "without blemish". That which was offered as atonement could not be diseased, nor crippled. These animals could not be the dregs of what the person owned, but had to be the best, the "first fruits", the most costly and prettiest of the lot. Once the animal was brought to the Temple the priests, perhaps Zacharias himself, bound it to the altar so that it could not move. The animal - imagine - struggled against the ropes, making cries in whatsoever tongue God gave it, cries of distress, cries to be released. Then the priest took his knife and, with precise movement, slashed the throat of the atonement. Some blood was often caught in a bucket, but much shot out and ran down the altar as the animal died. The Law mandated sacrifice. The Law demanded this offering not once, but MANY times, and MANY years. It is therefore poetic, illustrative of our Lord's sense of balance that a priest be present at the coming of Christ. Zacharias was the father of John the Baptist, the Great Prophet who announced to Israel the coming of God Incarnate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Zacharias praised God for bringing salvation to Israel. Long had he toiled under the requirements of the Law, long had he hoped for the birth of a child. God who is gracious not only gave Zacharias a child, but used that child to introduce the Messiah, the One Who would redeem Israel from the curse of the Law.
Nicodemus And The Sanhedrin
(John 3:3-10 KJV) "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. {4} Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? {5} Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. {6} That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. {7} Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. {8} The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. {9} Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? {10} Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" It's a sad truth that both the political as well as the religious leaders of a people are often the last to understand God's design. When our Lord walked the earth as Man, there were two "mainline denominations" in Israel. Both denominations evolved out of varied interpretations of the Mosaic Law and the Prophetic Writings. First, there were the Sadducees. From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Our main authorities for the teaching of the Sadducees are the New Testament and Josephus. According to the former, the Sadducees denied the resurrection of the body, and did not believe in angels or spirits (#Mt 22:23; Ac 23:8). More can be learned from Josephus, but his evidence is to be received with caution, as he was a Pharisee and, moreover, had the idea that the Sadducees were to be paralleled with the Epicureans. The Talmud is late. Before even the Mishna was committed to writing (circa 200 AD) the Sadducees had ceased to exist; before the Gemara was completed (circa 700 AD) every valid tradition of their opinions must have vanished. Further, the Talmud is Pharisaic. The Fathers, Origen, Hippolytus, Epiphanius and Jerome, have derived their information from late Pharisaic sources. I used to consider the Sadducees as the liberal theologians of Jesus' day, but I'm afraid that may be an over simplification. The Sadducees did not disregard Scriptural text, but there is evidence that they disputed with the Pharisees over what texts were Scriptural. In other words, my studies show that perhaps they discounted some ancient writings as spurious or not from God, which may account for their belief that there was no future resurrection of the body, no angels, and no spirits. Sadducees sat on the Sanhedrin, and were friends of key leaders in Rome. Because of this the Sadducees were looked at with some disdain by many Israelites. In His ministry Jesus rarely came up against the Sadducees, as this religious organization did not consider Him a threat while He was at odds with the Pharisees. It was not until the people began to regard Jesus Christ as the Messiah that the Sadducees began to plot against Him with the Pharisees. They did not BELIEVE Him to be the Messiah, but the Sadducees had thrived under Roman captivity, even profited because of the liberality of Rome. The Sadducees had established ties with many people in government. If Rome were to hear about this "Messiah", the Romans would clamp down on Israel, thus destroying the influence that the Sadducees had so carefully worked out. The Sadducees are a picture of any Church or any religious organization that has forgotten that its first allegiance is with God the Creator, not with man the created. Even so, this group was not as censured by Jesus as were the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the second "mainline denomination" of Jesus' day. Says the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: The evidence of Josephus, a contemporary and himself a Pharisee, is lessened in value by the fact that he modified his accounts of his people to suit the taste of his Roman masters. The Pharisees, with him, are a philosophic sect, and not an active political party. Their Messianic hopes are not so much as mentioned. Although the Talmud was written, both Mishna and Gemara, by the descendants of the Pharisees, the fact that the Gemara, from which most of our information is derived, is so late renders the evidence deduced from Talmudic statements of little value. Even the Mishna, which came into being only a century after the fall of the Jewish state, shows traces of exaggeration and modification of facts. Still, taking these deficiencies into consideration, we may make a fairly consistent picture of the sect. The name means "separatists," from parash, "to separate"—those who carefully kept themselves from any legal contamination, distinguishing themselves by their care in such matters from the common people, the ‘am ha’arets, who had fewer scruples. Like the Puritans in England during the 17th century, and the Presbyterians in Scotland during the same period, the Pharisees, although primarily a religious party, became ere long energetically political. They were a closely organized society, all the members of which called each other chabherim, "neighbors"; this added to the power they had through their influence with the people. The Pharisees were a religiously conservative group who were closely allied with the scribes, those who copied Scripture. As such the Pharisees, more than any other, should have seen the signs and the shadows of the Law. They should have been looking for the Messiah, looking for the Savior, and should have greeted Jesus with open arms when He came on the scene. Sadly, as is often the case, these religious leaders of the nation were so self involved that they took the bondage of the Law as a joy. As if they derived perverse joy out of it, the Pharisees made a show out of keeping the Law, pompously and publicly showing off their ability to pray and to tithe at all visible prescribed times. The lessons that the Law taught were lost on these people. This was terribly sad, because, of all the leaders of that day, the Pharisees were in the best position to lead Israel to Christ. Instead, they became His bitterest enemy. Jesus lambasted these religious people in Matthew 6 verse 1 and following by calling them hypocrites, using them as an illustration of how NOT to keep the Law. When Nicodemus came to see Jesus, there is evidence that his conversation led him to accept Christ as Messiah. Nicodemus did go to Pilate and ask for the body of Jesus after His crucifixion (John 19:38-40). He, along with Joseph of Arimathaea, prepared Jesus' body for burial, and laid Him to rest in Joseph's tomb.
Peter Preached In The Wake Of The Signs (Acts 2:25-41 KJV) "For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: {26} Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: {27} Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. {28} Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. {29} Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. {30} Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; {31} He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. {32} This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. {33} Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. {34} For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, {35} Until I make thy foes thy footstool. {36} Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. {37} Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? {38} Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. {39} For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. {40} And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. {41} Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." Those whom the Gospel had the greatest impact toward were those to whom the Mosaic Law was directed: the average Israelite on the street. Many preachers look at the results of Peter's sermon, the three thousand people who repented and accepted Christ as Savior, and consider how they might reproduce this wonderful result. As any casual reader of the Gospels would know, when Jesus Christ started in His earthly ministry, He started out with only a few followers or disciples. As He roamed the countryside preaching, the number of disciples increased dramatically - at one time several thousand people followed Christ to hear His message. Toward the end of His ministry, however, Jesus lost adherents to His message until, at the end, only a few remained by His side. You can chart the rise and fall of Christ's disciples during His three year ministry based on the number of spectacular miracles that He produced. When Christ was actively healing those who were sick, lame, crippled, or in some way diseased, there were great numbers who followed Him almost as if He were an entertainer. Toward the end of His earthly ministry the spectacular miracles slowed, then ceased, and with their decline there came a decline of the number of adherents to His message. I do not point this out to denigrate the earthly ministry of our Lord and Savior. What happened while He walked the earth happened because God willed it. But what happened is also a pattern that we can use to learn something of ourselves and of those around us. With the exception of Jesus Christ we all are, in our innermost being, somewhat selfish. No matter how gracious, no matter how generous the person we may think we are, we all have a small core of ego inside that says "Feed me first before you feed anyone else". The large number of disciples that followed Jesus followed Him for what He offered - the miracle cure, the spectacular sign, the power over nature, the ability to heal MY loved ones or MY self. As the miracles tapered off, as His ministry drew to a close, the disciples also disappeared one by one until only a few remained. Some, like Judas Iscariot, followed Jesus because they thought He was planning to overthrow Rome. When the overthrow did not come Judas felt betrayed, and subsequently became the agent that would lead Christ to His Cross. Others, like Peter, did not comprehend the scope of Christ's ministry. As John stated: (John 1:17 KJV) "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." The ministry of Christ can only be effective when it touches the lives of people who have first been under the convicting influence of the Law. Of the thousands who witnessed the miracles, legitimate and Godly and awe inspiring miracles that our Lord performed, only a few stood at the foot of His Cross and wept for Him as He hung dying. Yet when Peter preached the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost, three thousand joined the Church following his simple message. Peter preached of the prophesied Christ, Peter preached of the risen Christ, but Peter also preached to a people that were under the yoke of the Law, and who were aware of their sinful state because of that Law. Peter's message was "Save yourselves from this untoward generation". Those who heard the Gospel message were quickly convicted because the Law, the Schoolteacher, had done its job. It had convicted them that they were sinners, lost and destined for hellfire, unless they accepted Christ as Savior.
Just as it was in the days of Jesus, our current generation will flock to follow the spectacular and the miraculous, but large numbers may not necessarily mean committed lives. Why is that important? Because to say that you are a thing is not the same as being a thing. You can say that you're a parachutist all that you want. You can own a parachute. You can wear a parachute. You can wear the uniform that a parachutist would wear. You can speak the lingo, know the terminology, sound well informed as a parachutist. But if you have never jumped from a flying plane wearing a parachute, then you are NOT a parachutist. You're just a person that TALKS about being a parachutist. The same thing is true of Christianity. Hundreds, even thousands followed Jesus during His earthly ministry. They heard the sermons. They witnessed the miracles. Some even went out and recruited others to come and join in the mass rallys for Jesus. Yet when life got serious, when the Roman soldiers stormed in and grabbed Jesus, these people ran like dogs with their tails on fire. Why? Because talk is cheap. Only the committed are ready to jump from the plane. Only the committed are parachutists. What the modern Church is populated with, almost to the point of toppling, are those who know the terminology but who have never jumped from the plane, and wouldn't jump from the plane if it was on fire. Why? Because the modern preaching of the Gospel has gotten away from preaching absolutes, and has moved into feel good sermons, empowerment sermons, special occasion sermons, and compromising sermons. Consider the Law of Moses, the Law of God given under the hand of the prophet Moses. The Law stood EXACT in all that it taught. Where the Law dictated the dress of the priesthood, it gave EXACT standards for color and design. Where the Law dictated the equipment of the Temple, it PRECISELY described how each thing was to be made, and out of what substance. Where the Law dictated various sins and their implications, it did NOT make allowances for special circumstances, nor did it consider age or environment. The Mosaic Law stated "If you take a life, then the state has the duty to take your life". No appeal. No conditions. No circumstances. Just a "if you do it, here's what you get". The Mosaic Law for Israel was thus a absolute standard and a teacher of God's unchangeable righteous and holy nature. When the Israelite looked at God through the spectacles of the Law, they saw Him as a perfect Being who stood in judgment of their frivolity. When Peter preached the Gospel to Israel on the Day of Pentecost, he made references to the standards of the Law. Israel's apparent failure to maintain the standards of the Law proved that they needed a Savior. Christ was that Savior. Israel responded to the message of salvation by faith in Christ, and three thousand were saved. When the Law was initially given to Israel under Moses, it was given to a people who had shown NO PREDISPOSITION toward salvation by faith in God. God approached Abraham, asked him to believe, and Abraham believed God apart from the Law and it was counted as righteousness. God approached Moses, asked him to believe, and Moses believed God apart from the Law and it was counted as righteousness. God approached Israel through Moses, asked Israel to believe, and Israel refused to believe in Him, so God gave Israel the Law. Peter approached Israel, and asked an Israel that had been under the bondage of the Law to believe, and three thousand believed and were saved by faith in Christ. Has our generation seen the signs of the Law? Has our modern Church understood why Christ had to die for our sins, how terrible our sins are to God, what sin is, and that there is no moral relativity? Since the average sermon rarely deals with the matter of eternal punishment and sin, the answer is emphatically no! "To the average American, truth is relative to one's values and circumstances. Only one out of every four adults - and even fewer teenagers - believe that there is such a thing as absolute moral truth. The Bible is relegated to nothing more than a book of riveting stories and helpful suggestions. Human reason and emotion become the paramount determinants of all that is desirable and appropriate ... Consider the social implications. Without an objective standard of right and wrong, laws and regulations become recommendations rather than mandates. Rights are nothing more than sets of competing preferences ... Without absolute moral truth, there can be no right and wrong. Without right and wrong, there is no such thing as sin. Without sin, there can be no such thing as judgment and no such thing as condemnation. If there is no condemnation, there is no need for a Savior. This progression renders the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ historically unique - and eternally meaningless." George Barna, The Second Coming of the Church, ©1998 Word Publishing The Gospel message is incomplete if you do not understand that you are a sinner, condemned to eternal damnation if you do not accept Christ as Savior. You cannot understand that you are a sinner unless you have viewed your life in comparison with the holy life of God, and found your life in extreme depravity. The average Gospel message tells the sinner to "repent", but does not tell them why they need to repent, or what they are to repent from. In fact, one of the most prevalent ideas in the Church today is that we can earn our way into Heaven by our good works. Though the Law as schoolteacher stood and taught for thousands of years that none of us are good enough to get into Heaven on our own, people still have the concept that they are, at their core, good people, and God certainly wouldn't cast them into Hell for all eternity. This "I'm Inherently Good" attitude is dangerous, deadly, and has led many into eternal damnation. Consider the Rich Young Ruler who came to see Jesus.
(Matthew 19:16 KJV) "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" One day while Jesus was teaching, a rich young ruler came and asked Him a question. The question seemed innocuous and innocent, but in reality it cloaked a life that was full of itself and void of God. Like many in the Church today, this young man asked Jesus, "What can I do, that I may have eternal life?". Actually, what the young man said was much more complex than this. He started out by saying, Good Master In the Greek this is agathos didaskalos, literally "Teacher who is intrinsically good, good within himself". The young ruler regarded Jesus Christ, not as God Incarnate, God in the flesh, God come to earth to save man from his sins, but he regarded Jesus as a human teacher who had progressed, through his studies, into some state of goodness that God honored. He regarded Jesus almost as if He were Buddha moving into a greater state of being, into Nirvana. Jesus, a mere man, had worked Himself into this place where He could do these great and wonderful things. His thought was, "If Jesus can do this, then I can reach this state of Nirvana also, if Jesus will only tell me how He did it". Our Lord knew exactly what this young man was asking. This was the reason that He prefaced His answer with: (Matthew 19:17 KJV) "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God ..." Jesus had the right to be called "good Master", and was intrinsically good, good within Himself. Jesus was and is God, and because of that He is good. Nonetheless He would not accept the title of good in the way that this rich young ruler meant it. If the young man was looking at Jesus as if He were no more than a good teacher, some sort of Buddha or Siddhartha who had progressed through stages to a state of Nirvana, then our Lord wanted no part of that sort of label. The young man also said: what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? He wanted to be like what he perceived Jesus to be. In other words, the young man wanted to work his way to God just as he perceived that Jesus worked His way to God. Jesus' response what framed in such a way as to direct the young man away from self effort, and to direct him toward faith in God. Jesus continued by saying: (Matthew 19:17 KJV) "... but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." I can hear you now. "Wait a minute, preacher! Didn't you say that keeping the Law, the commandments of God, could not save me?" Yes, I did say that, and showed you proof of that in the Scripture. Jesus is not saying that keeping the commandments will save, but He is following the natural progression of the young man's thoughts. You see, the young man thought that he could be good enough, that he could do something to earn his way into Heaven. While he had this concept in his mind, that he could be good enough, that he could be (in the words of this generation) "all that", then he could not be saved. A person, a people, a nation must see themselves as they truly are, see themselves in the light of the Law as sinners, lost and undone, before they can see the need of a Savior. The Israel to whom the Law was initially given was in the same predicament as this young man. That Israel had lost touch with Who God truly was, and the Law redirected them to realize that they needed a Savior. Jesus was redirecting this rich young ruler toward the Law to make him examine his life, to see in the light of the Law that he desperately needed a Savior, and Jesus is that Savior. The thought processes of the rich young ruler are no different from many who populate our Churches today. The religious but lost Church goer thinks: I am a fine person, a good
person worthy of salvation. When Jesus told the young man to keep the commandments, the Law of Moses, the young man replied with assurance "Which ones?". You see, he was so certain of his own inherent holiness before God, that he just knew that God was going to let him into Heaven. This same attitude prevails in the general population of the Church today. Parents allow their children to come to the meeting of the Church wearing immodest dress, certain that God will wink at sexual innuendo as "harmless". People tolerate and even promote racism and hate mongering on corporeal Church property, believing that the Blood of Christ will ignore such a thing. Words are carelessly spoken behind another's back, slanders condoned, separatism praised. We are entirely too easy with our God, believing Him to be a "good old buddy" rather that the Immense, Awesome Creator and Father of us all. Jesus' answer to the young man's cockiness is telling. He said: (Matthew 19:18-19 KJV) "He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, {19} Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Jesus quoted the fifth, (Exodus 20:12 KJV) "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." Sixth, (Exodus 20:13 KJV) "Thou shalt not kill." Seventh, (Exodus 20:14 KJV) "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Eighth, (Exodus 20:15 KJV) "Thou shalt not steal." And ninth commandments. (Exodus 20:16 KJV) "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." In fact, Jesus quoted the portions of the Law that related to man's relationship to man, not the portions of the Law that related to man's relationship with God. This is telling, because it proves this point: If a person is righteous, in a right relationship with God, then that person will be honorable and just in his dealings with man. Let me say that another way. If you are a Christian, and not just someone who says he is a Christian, then just as your Father is, you will be gracious to those around you.You will, as John said, love your fellow man if you are a Christian. Listen to these absolutes: (1 John 3:17-18 KJV) "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? {18} My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." (1 John 4:7-11 KJV) "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. {8} He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. {9} In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. {10} Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. {11} Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." The rich young ruler heard Jesus' words. He heard Jesus quote the commandments that related to love for your fellow man. He even heard Jesus' summary of these commandments, which is: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself Having heard all this the young man's confidence was unshaken. Had he done any of these negative things? Had he murdered, bore false witness, stolen, committed adultery, dishonored his parents? Probably not. But he had not fulfilled the intent of the Law, and that was to love your neighbor as yourself. No one, not you nor I nor anyone, can be flippant with God insofar as our need of the Savior is concerned. As I write these words I realize that I needed a Savior when I met Christ 27 years ago, and I need my Savior now more than ever. As I grow in Christ the sins that I used to wink at are now as outstanding as black hashmarks on my soul. I realize my shortcoming. I realize my unfaithfulness. I realize I need Jesus now more than ever. (Matthew 19:20 KJV) "The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?" This young man would not be alone in this day and age. So many believe themselves to be self sufficient, complete without God. "I've done all this - what else do you want me to do, God?" God wants you to realize that your efforts are pitifully inadequate to earn your salvation. Just as the fig leaves that Adam and Eve made to cover their nakedness were inadequate to cover their sin, our own righteousness always fall far short of the mark of God's standard. We need a Savior. We must trust and believe on Jesus Christ the Messiah. The Law was and is a schoolmaster teaching us how devoid we are of goodness. If we have learned that lesson, we are no longer under the Mosaic Law but we are saved by faith in Christ. If we have NOT learned that lesson, we are yet under the Law, and condemned in the ways which we fail to keep it. The rich young ruler realized his condemnation, but never saw his salvation in Christ.
(Galatians 3:25 KJV) "But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." (Galatians 3:26 KJV) "For ye are (este, Present Indicative, Linear Aktionsart, "you keep on being") all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:27 KJV) "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Matthew 19:21-22 KJV) "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. {22} But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." Once the believer is saved by faith in Christ ... is truly a Believer, not just says that he is a believer, then that person comes out from under the schoolmaster, out from under the Mosaic Law. You can only become a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ our Savior. There is only one way to God - through Jesus Christ. There is only one atonement ore payment for sin, that being the atonement that Jesus Christ made on the Cross. Unless you have looked at your life and seen that it is devoid of righteousness, in desperate need of a Savior; unless you have looked at Christ and decided that He and He alone is qualified to be your Savior, then you are just like this rich young man - lost and still dead in your sins. At the end of the day the young man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. What about you? Is your hope in Christ alone? Do you think you're good enough to get into Heaven? Or have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, and are you living your life as He leads you, day by day? The answer you give to these questions may be the most important answers you ever give. Consider them wisely.
|
