What powers of Hell, what Scheme of Man
Hey There
So for everyone that must know... I'm finally living in Alaska again! I was getting sick and tired of getting the reports (especially from Indiana... sorry guys) that it was negative something and snowing... and here I was in 32 degree weather and melting all my snow. God finally blessed us with about 8 inches a couple days ago. YES! Can you tell I absolutely love living in Igloo land? What in the world am I gonna do when I move?!
Oh, I had a couple people getting antsy to know what's going on in May... and the only reason I didn't address it head on was I thought I'd already brought it up for prayer, or for everyone to argue about. I'll be in Indiana from May to the end of August living with some friends of mine. I'd love to give details, but, I've learned that that's a little TOO complicated!
Galatians 5:2-4 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Can I hear a big resounding, "OUCH!" Women? We're not excluded from this. Sorry. Circumcision these days can come in a whole different way.
Have you ever turned your back on God, but not noticed it? Hine's sight is always 20/20. So, sorry about this, but we're taking a trip. We find something in the Old testemant that we think we need to follow that makes us forget the new covenant we have with God. We make that rule that is now our idol the only thing we live for. It is now our god. And the Real God? Oh He's in there, just on the bottom shelf.
Paul is actually talking about the action of cutting the body in this passage. But when I was reading through the whole chapter I found myself weeping at the fact that I had done the same thing in so many, many ways. At times in the past I had forgotten about grace and made God sit back and watch as I go through the rituals to try and earn his love. And that's just not possible.
Reading your Bible
Going to Church
Giving to the Poor
.....
All these things are fantastic, and I love them dearly. But if you let yourself forget God because it CAN be just a ritual at night before you go to bed ("now I lay me down to sleep... okay I said my prayer!") Going to church because, well just 'cause. Giving to the poor because you want the blessing, not because you want to grow closer to the Creator and his love mercy and grace. The list goes on. Everything can be turned into that, and I don't mean to split hairs like this. But where have we forgotten grace, and where have we brought in our own salvation?
It happens. I've been there. If you don't know everything about me, you'd be surprised to know just how many 2 faced ideas and rituals I made up before I found grace. These verses say that if we do these things, Christ will be of NO (ABSOLUTELY NO) Value to us. The King of the Heavens will slip away because we've made up our own ordeal. Which sounds okay, right?
But the thing is, we're human. What thing, made by a human has ever held when faced by the fires of hell and the schemes of Satan? None. And so, my friends, the grace of Christ is the only thing we can grasp on to. The only thing. He covers every ritual we've tried, and will try, and gives us forgiveness and a future instead. I can't imagine anything other than that.
See ya around
Cass
So for everyone that must know... I'm finally living in Alaska again! I was getting sick and tired of getting the reports (especially from Indiana... sorry guys) that it was negative something and snowing... and here I was in 32 degree weather and melting all my snow. God finally blessed us with about 8 inches a couple days ago. YES! Can you tell I absolutely love living in Igloo land? What in the world am I gonna do when I move?!
Oh, I had a couple people getting antsy to know what's going on in May... and the only reason I didn't address it head on was I thought I'd already brought it up for prayer, or for everyone to argue about. I'll be in Indiana from May to the end of August living with some friends of mine. I'd love to give details, but, I've learned that that's a little TOO complicated!
Galatians 5:2-4 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Can I hear a big resounding, "OUCH!" Women? We're not excluded from this. Sorry. Circumcision these days can come in a whole different way.
Have you ever turned your back on God, but not noticed it? Hine's sight is always 20/20. So, sorry about this, but we're taking a trip. We find something in the Old testemant that we think we need to follow that makes us forget the new covenant we have with God. We make that rule that is now our idol the only thing we live for. It is now our god. And the Real God? Oh He's in there, just on the bottom shelf.
Paul is actually talking about the action of cutting the body in this passage. But when I was reading through the whole chapter I found myself weeping at the fact that I had done the same thing in so many, many ways. At times in the past I had forgotten about grace and made God sit back and watch as I go through the rituals to try and earn his love. And that's just not possible.
Reading your Bible
Going to Church
Giving to the Poor
.....
All these things are fantastic, and I love them dearly. But if you let yourself forget God because it CAN be just a ritual at night before you go to bed ("now I lay me down to sleep... okay I said my prayer!") Going to church because, well just 'cause. Giving to the poor because you want the blessing, not because you want to grow closer to the Creator and his love mercy and grace. The list goes on. Everything can be turned into that, and I don't mean to split hairs like this. But where have we forgotten grace, and where have we brought in our own salvation?
It happens. I've been there. If you don't know everything about me, you'd be surprised to know just how many 2 faced ideas and rituals I made up before I found grace. These verses say that if we do these things, Christ will be of NO (ABSOLUTELY NO) Value to us. The King of the Heavens will slip away because we've made up our own ordeal. Which sounds okay, right?
But the thing is, we're human. What thing, made by a human has ever held when faced by the fires of hell and the schemes of Satan? None. And so, my friends, the grace of Christ is the only thing we can grasp on to. The only thing. He covers every ritual we've tried, and will try, and gives us forgiveness and a future instead. I can't imagine anything other than that.
See ya around
Cass
posted by Cass | 2:42 PM
3 Comments:
Very insightful. Isn't it strange how we always know in theory that God loves us, then we try so hard in practice to earn His love? Instead of wasting our time earning brownie points with the King, we should put our heart into growing our intimacy with Him.
Good one, Cass! It is always good to be reminded of the unconditional and vast love of Christ, and that we can't ever make Him love us more or less by what we do.. He loves us anyway.
Thanks for sharing!
By the way, I think it's great what you're doing in Alaska! I'll be supporting you in prayer!
Living in an igloo for the Lord must be fun!
Well said.
Post a Comment
<< Home