Imagine: You are a missionary to the people of Jerusalem in the year 55 A.D. You have invited a crowd of two dozen local Jews to listen to you share about Jesus on the beach one morning. As they walk up, they can smell something cooking. You’ve got a nice fire going, with bacon andContinue reading “Grace Gives You Freedom from the Law. Use Your Freedom to Serve Others. Acts 15:29.”
Category Archives: Law and Grace
THE RECIPE FOR SALVATION WILL BE RUINED IF YOU MIX IN A PINCH OF LAW. Galatians 5:9.
I love to cook without recipes. When I was a child, I made milk shakes in a blender. I would throw in bananas, berries, ice cream, a raw egg, chocolate syrup, honey, milk, vanilla extract, and more. You really can’t mess up a milk shake. But boy, have I ruined a few meals! I onceContinue reading “THE RECIPE FOR SALVATION WILL BE RUINED IF YOU MIX IN A PINCH OF LAW. Galatians 5:9.”
AN ALLEGORY OF GALATIANS 3.
Imagine a KINGDOM called FAITH. The head of the kingdom is KING ABRAHAM. Before King Abraham leaves for a long journey, he places his child and heir, PRINCE ISRAEL, in the hands of a guardian. The guardian’s name is LAW. Guardian LAW will raise the heir while the king is away, teaching the heir allContinue reading “AN ALLEGORY OF GALATIANS 3.”
IF WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE, THEN WHY ARE THERE SO MANY LAWS? Galatians 3:24.
How many laws are there in America? One thousand? Ten thousand? One hundred thousand? The truth is, no one knows. In 2013, a Senior Legal Research Specialist with the Library of Congress wrote that “trying to tally the number” of federal laws “is nearly impossible.” [1] The laws governing life in ancient Israel were alsoContinue reading “IF WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE, THEN WHY ARE THERE SO MANY LAWS? Galatians 3:24.”
Peter and Paul: BOTH MEN OF ACTION. Acts 10:10-16; Galatians 2:11-14.
The early church had two great leaders. Peter was the first to step up and lead. A number of years later, Paul became the leader, or perhaps a co-leader. The powerful men were close and worked together in spite of the vast differences between them. Christians have long believed they were even martyred together inContinue reading ” Peter and Paul: BOTH MEN OF ACTION. Acts 10:10-16; Galatians 2:11-14.”
You Think Change is Hard? Consider the Biggest Change in History. Luke 24:45.
Change is hard. They say the most stressful times are times of change. Moving, graduating, beginning a new job, getting married, having children—no matter how wonderful, each of these changes is stressful. If they all happen within a short period of time, the stress may become anxiety. Losing a spouse is an even more difficultContinue reading “You Think Change is Hard? Consider the Biggest Change in History. Luke 24:45.”
Some People LOVE Rules. John 9:16.
Some of us find our security in rules. Social rules—both written and unwritten, etiquette rules, grammar rules, rules on the job—there are rules for everything, and believe it or not, there are those among us who crave rules. Rules provide security. If I know the rules and follow the rules, the result I want isContinue reading “Some People LOVE Rules. John 9:16.”
COUNTING LAWS. Matthew 16:6.
Have you ever wondered how many laws there are in the United States? The number is incredibly high—but more importantly, it is UNKNOWN. The Congressional Research Service, a government office filled with professors, researchers, and librarian-types, was once asked to determine the number of laws in America. Their eventual report basically said, “it cannot beContinue reading “COUNTING LAWS. Matthew 16:6.”
Which is Better, Old Treasure or New Treasure? Matthew 13:52.
Which is more valuable–old treasure or new treasure? Imagine a visit to a wealthy couple we will call Mr. and Mrs. Howell. They live in a three-story mansion with Greek columns and dormer windows. Once inside, a remark about an autographed baseball jersey leads to stories about favorite possessions, and suddenly our hosts decide toContinue reading “Which is Better, Old Treasure or New Treasure? Matthew 13:52.”
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