Forgiveness, Something New?

As we continue this series of using stories found within the bible to come to a greater understanding of the New Covenant, the Old Covenant, and the relationship they have to each other, we must consider the issue of forgiveness.  There are so many theologies out there that we can become extremely confused.  There are many reasons for this.  First of all, the way the Old Testament is written can lead us to feeling as if the God of the Old Testament was legalistic, imposing, and judgmental.  Adding insult to injury, we are taught that the way the Pharisees applied the law is the way God intended it.  After all, aren’t we taught that they were “experts in the law”?

Over the past several weeks I have been waiting on God’s direction in how to approach this subject and what scriptures would be best to use.  Interestingly, He has led me to simply use what can be found in the New Testament.  So, the question is, how can we, through the stories of the New Testament, come into an understanding of God’s love, forgiveness, and grace in the Old?

What I have come to see over the past few weeks as I have pondered this discussion is that the teachings of the church really help us in understanding this point.  We are taught that Jesus walked in the law because the transition between the Old Covenant and the New did not occur until He went to the cross, was crucified, took on the burden of all of our sins, overcame death, and was elevated to the right hand of God the father.  We are taught that at this moment, when the curtain in the temple tore, that the transition from Old to New took place.  So how does this help us?  In Matthew 9, Mark 2, and Luke 5 we are given the story of the paralytic who was brought to Jesus.

When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home.  And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them.  And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men.  Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.  And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."  But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,  "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?"  Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, "Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?  "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk'?  "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--He said to the paralytic,  "I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home."  And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

                                                                                                     Matthew 2:1-12

The main point comes in verse 10 "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins".  Let me give one more example and we will come back to why this is such an important point.

Within the writings of Luke chapter 7 we find another example:

And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he replied, "Say it, Teacher."  "A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  "When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both.  So which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have judged correctly."  Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  "You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.  "You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.  "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven."  Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this man who even forgives sins?"  And He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

                                                                                                          Luke 7:37-50

This particular story is so filled with opportunities to learn and grow that we almost skip right over one of the most significant parts.  In the last three verses Jesus acknowledges that He knows that she has led a life of many sins, that He forgives her, and that it is her faith that has “saved” her.  He ends this with telling her to go in peace.

We must stop and consider what these verses are telling us.  We must see that Jesus was the mediator of forgiveness and the provider of salvation through faith even under the terms of the Old Covenant (because the New did not come into effect until the end of His earthly ministry).  How can this be?  The answer comes in understanding what is actually being said in John 1.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. ….. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

                                                                                                             John 1:1-5, 14

What the early disciples understood, and is often lost in the translation, is that Jesus has always been, the entire Old Testament is His Word, He spoke it into existence, and it is who He is.  The very identity of Jesus is the embodiment of the Old Testament scriptures.  With this understanding we come to realize that He is the author, mediator, and provider of the man-God relationship from the very beginning of creation, through each of the various time periods, and within all of the covenants.  When we read what He said to the religious leaders who stated “who can forgive sin but God alone” we come to understand something very deep.  He responded by saying “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”.  In this statement He is establishing not only who He is, but more importantly, what His role is within the Covenant that was in place at that time.  Everything He did during His earthly ministry was totally within the context of the role He had served since the establishment of the earlier covenants.  His role within the covenants did not change until after His earthly ministry ended.

Can we put ourselves in the place of those religious leaders, allow the words of Jesus to sink deep into the fabric of our being, and see that forgiveness and grace are not something new to the New Testament?  Can we see that Jesus, as all of the forgiveness and grace we know Him to be, was always in the middle of the man-God relationship from the very beginning?  Can we let God speak to us about this revelation and allow Him to grow our understandings of who He has been so that we may better understand who He is now?

I pray that you have been blessed by this time together.  I pray that God will grow your understandings and deliver you into a more powerful relationship with Him.

Breaking the Enmity; Where Did It Start?

We are going to be starting a new blog series that will be looking to use stories from the Old Testament along with teachings from Jesus and the New Testament authors to give us greater understandings as to where Jesus came to change, replace, and/or expand the understanding of the Mosaic Covenant.  

The intent of these blogs will be to create an atmosphere where we can open up our hearts to the truth of the Mosaic Covenant in such a way to help us gain a better understanding of the New.  Far too few of us really understand the Old Covenant and instead of allowing ourselves to see it from the perspective that Jesus taught, we see it from the perspective that the Pharisees applied it.  As we read New Testament teachings we tend to believe that Jesus changed or did away with rules and regulations that God had imposed on His chosen people.  If we misunderstand this it will completely undermine the intent of the Gospel message.  Through the use of biblical stories instead of theological debate we will create an atmosphere that will help us to open up our minds to the Word of God in a new and exciting way.  I pray that this series brings deep revelation into your heart. 

by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,  and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (Ephesians 2:15-16)

As we read Ephesians 2 it is very easy to read this scripture and assume that the “Law of commandments contained in ordinances” is specifically directed at the Mosaic Covenant.  This assumption leads us to believing that the Mosaic Covenant disallowed association, relations, or marriage outside the framework of the blood lines of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  This understanding also leads us to believe that the Mosaic Covenant disallowed anyone outside of the pure bloodline to join the covenant, become a part of the people, gain access to God, and partake in the fulfillment of the covenant promises.  With this understanding we conclude that “through the cross” a New Covenant was established that broke down the enmity that was created by the laws of the Mosaic Covenant.

In Matthew 1 we are given the blood line of Jesus.  Within this blood line we are told about five women.  They are Tamar who was Perez’s mother, Rahab who was Boaz’s mother, Ruth who was Obed’s mother, Bathsheba (noted as the wife of Uriah) who was Solomon’s mother, and of course Mary as Jesus’ mother.  Each woman’s role in the family history of Jesus is a little different.  Tamar, although an Israelite, plays the role of a prostitute to trick her father- in-law (Judah) into having sexual relations with her.  This action leads to the birth of Perez who becomes a part of the blood line to Jesus.  Rahab, on the other hand, was an Amorite and her occupation was that of a prostitute.  According to the genealogy referenced in Matthew 1, Salmon (one of the spies Rahab protected) ultimately married her.  Through this relationship she gave birth to Boaz who is also in the blood line to Jesus.  We learn more about Boaz in the book of Ruth.  In this story we discover that he becomes a kinsman redeemer for a woman named Ruth.  Ruth was connected to Boaz’s family through Elimelek who left Bethlehem because of a famine in the land.  Elimelek and his wife (Naomi) had two sons.  The two sons married Moabite women.  After a time all three of these men passed away leaving the three wives with no men to support them.  In time Naomi decided to return to her homeland.  She encouraged her daughters-in-law to return to their own father’s houses.  The one agreed and did as Naomi suggested.  The other, Ruth, refused and insisted on going with Naomi.  Boaz becomes the kinsman redeemer for this Moabite woman and through their union produce Obed who is also a blood relative of Jesus.  The next woman mentioned is Bathsheba.  Bathsheba enters into the royal blood line through the scandalous work of King David as his lust drives him into the spiral of seduction, adultery, conspiracy, murder, and self-justification.  The result of this affair is the birth of King Solomon who continues the blood line through David toward God’s promised seed.  Ultimately the last women mentioned in Jesus’ blood line is Mary who was unmarried and a virgin at the time Jesus was put into her womb.

Of all these women and the various circumstances surrounding their connection to the blood line of Jesus, I find the story of Boaz and Ruth the most applicable in this discussion.  Granted, if we wanted to discuss God’s favor and grace within the Mosaic Covenant there are better examples of God honoring His side of the covenant promises through a family tree compromised with incredible sin, deceit, and betrayal.  However, this discussion is focused on discovering the reality of the Mosaic Covenant in regard to the eluded “enmity and strife” that existed between Jews and Gentiles during the time of Christ.  The story of Boaz and Ruth provide particular insights into this discussion.

One of the most important things we learn about Boaz is his knowledge and respect for the Mosaic Covenant Laws and his obligation to work within the framework of those laws.  In Ruth 3:12-13 we find Boaz quoting the law regarding the due process for Ruth’s redemption.  Ruth 4:1-10 give us a perfect picture of how detailed Boaz was in the legal proceedings that ultimately led to the opportunity for him to redeem Ruth through acquisition and marriage.  Ruth 4:11-12 provides even greater insight into the understandings we seek.  During the legal proceedings Ruth was mentioned two times, in both cases she was referred to as “Ruth the Moabitess”.  Even considering this fact, All the people whom were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses.  May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel” (Ruth 4:11).

So how is it that the court and all the people were able to bestow such blessing upon Ruth, Boaz, and their family? For me the answer comes in Ruth 2:10-11 after Ruth asks Boaz “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”  and Boaz responds by saying “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know”.  What Boaz was getting at was this, in Ruth 1: 16 when Naomi is trying to convince the two daughters-in-law to return to the homes of their own father’s Ruth responds by saying “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodged, I will lodge.  Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.”

It warms my heart to read about times in the history of Israel and God’s people when they really understood God’s heart, understood His covenant, and understood His ways.  What Boaz and those who attend the court proceedings understood was that although Ruth was Moabite by birth, she was Israeli by choice.  In her proclamation of Ruth 1:16 she had converted.  Paul explains this in Romans 8:14 where he says “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”

Unlike the time of the Pharisees, the story of Boaz and Ruth provides a glimpse of a time when there was an understanding of the Mosaic Covenant that was not legalistic, that did not approach God’s Word in such a way to strain out only the words that fit one's agenda, and through a deep understanding of the covenant relationship sought out God’s heart in all matters.  This heart toward God and His covenant is the same as referenced in 2Corinthians 3:5-6 when we read about being the servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

When we read scriptures such as this it is our natural tendency to think that the Mosaic Covenant “required” people to live to the letter and that it was the laws of the covenant that kills.  The simple truth is that what God gave Moses and the ancient Israelites was based on the same love, grace, and forgiveness of Jesus that we have in the New.

As we can see in this example, it is not the covenant, or the law itself that brings division and creates enmity between people.  It is the hearts of people who twist the letter of the law to form traditions that create social divisions that God did not intend.  This understanding is vitally important today as we come into times of great division within the church and from the church toward the outside world.  We are reminded of the past to protect us from repeating the same mistakes in the future.  We are every bit as prone to creating enmity and strife based on our “New Testament” understandings as the ancient Israelites were when their relationship with God was established on the Mosaic Covenant.

There are many scriptures throughout Numbers and Leviticus that further outline how foreigners living amongst the people of Israel were to be included in the feasts, holidays, and given the opportunity to honor the Sabbath rest.  There are scriptures that address how these people are to be dedicated to God, and be brought into the fold of God’s people.  The truth is that Jesus did not come to break an enmity that was created by the law, but to re-establish God’s desire to lead the gentile world away from sin, into holiness, into righteousness, and into the fold of His people where they would enjoy all the benefits of the covenant relationship.  In this case the law was not pointing toward Jesus as a foreshadowing, but Jesus was pointing backwards toward the law, going on record, and attempting to tell us what God’s heart was toward these things from the beginning.

I pray that this blog has led you to go back into the Old Testament, to spend some time in God’s laws, and let Him reveal His heart to you in a new and powerful way.  I pray that your relationship with Him will be blessed and that through this blessing all of your life will be impacted in a mighty and powerful way.  Amen.

The Curse of God's Law

Have you ever stopped to consider what the “curse” of the law really is?  Or even the "burden of the law" for that matter?  Sometimes we hear people say that Jesus came to fulfill the law.  Have we ever stopped to consider that what they are implying might not be what the scriptures are really saying?  How important would understanding these fundamental principles be to understanding the Gospel message?  How important would understanding these fundamental principles be to our Christian walk?  And how important would understanding these fundamental principles be to our relationship with God?

This blog is going to focus on what Paul was really attempting to convey in Galatians 5:1-4 when he wrote:

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.  Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.  And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.  You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 

So often we hear people using this scripture or ones like it to support an argument that Paul saw the law itself as a burden.  Is that what Paul really thought or are we taking these scriptures out of context?

Using Galatians 5:1-4 as our basis of study, we are going to learn how taking scriptures out of context leaves us exposed to the evil for which it was designed to protect us from while we are distracted fighting the very thing the Gospel message was given to protect.

As we progress our way through this scripture we see that Paul sees that there is some kind of yoke that Christ came to set us free from, the yoke represents slavery, slavery is connected to circumcision, circumcision is connected to the Old Covenant Law, and engaging in this ritual renders Christ useless in our walk even to the point of severing us from Christ.  At this point it would be very easy to conclude that Paul is totally against circumcision and the other rituals of the Old Testament Law.  It kind of seems blatantly obvious doesn’t it?

Here is where taking scripture into context is so important.  We must read scripture both before and after those scriptures that we believe are so revealing.  If we keep reading we find the most important part of the entire statement.  In verse four Paul reveals the heart of those whom he is writing to.  He identifies them as those “seeking to be justified by law”.  This verse changes EVERYTHING!!

At this point in our Bible reading, and in the reading of this blog, we have a very critical decision to make.  We have a choice, and the direction we go with this choice will determine who our master really is.  The question is this; Do we keep pressing on with what we thought to be so blatantly obvious, or do we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us forward into new understandings.  The truth is, our flesh hates the law of God, our flesh wants to see it as a burden, and our pride does not want us to be God’s slave.  On the other side, the Holy Spirit wants us to love God’s law, see it as a light yoke, and come into submission to God as a willing slave (a son or daughter). 

When we allow our flesh to control our theology we end up with a double hit against our spiritual journey.  First of all, we miss the very point the scripture is attempting to make and secondly, we end up falling prey to the very thing it is given to protect us from.  Let’s put this scripture to a test using some “laws” and “rituals” we see as profitable in our walk with Christ.

Is communion a burden in our relationship with Christ?  Does it remind us of how burdensome this Christian walk is and how we have been yoked to His ways against our free will?  Does communion remind us of OUR sacrifices and how much WE gave up to be His?

How about a marriage ceremony to our relationship with our spouse?  Does celebrating our anniversary make us feel like a slave to our spouse and as such celebrating it reminds us of how we are yoked to them in slavery?  I pray that none of us view these rituals in this manner.  But do you think there are some people out there who do?

These examples should have led us to the conclusion that we have misrepresented Paul’s teachings.  To confirm this understanding we should look to other scriptures that help us understand where Paul really stands in regard to these things.

Based on Acts 16:1-3 we have no choice but to acknowledge that Paul had no issue with circumcision when prescribed with a heart attitude instead of based on the belief that it would somehow “justify” the believer before Christ

 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy…. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him

In Romans 3:25, 3:31, 7:12, 1 Timothy 1:8, and 2Timothy 3:16 we find Paul expressing a greater revelation toward circumcision and the Old Covenant Law.

For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision

Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law

So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good

But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (the only thing Paul had to reference as “scripture” was the Old Testament)

There are many more scriptures that we could pull into this discussion.  One of the most revealing is found in the book of Acts.  In Numbers 6 God gives Moses the parameters of a very special vow called the Nazirite vow.  This “special vow” is a part of the law but is considered to be above, beyond, and set aside as an opportunity for a person who sought a special time with God.  The parameters of this vow called for special ceremonies, more stringent ordinances surrounding food and drink, and even added some other ordinances all together.  Certainly this “extra vow” would only be entered into by those who had a heart for the basic law, saw the basic law from the perspective from which God gave it, and who saw both the basic and the extra aspects of the law as good, not as a burden, and not as a yoke.  What would it say of Paul's perspective of the New Covenant if we saw him taking this "special vow" after coming to the full realization of the Gospel message?

In Acts 18:18 the bible tells us that Paul “had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow”.  The only vow attached to having a haircut is the Nazirite vow.  However, at this point it would be difficult to confirm that it is the Nazirite vow that this scripture is referring to.  However, Acts 21:23-24 clarifies the point.  The ceremony that Paul is encouraged to participate in along with the other four men is the ceremony that is conducted at the conclusion of the “special vow” described in Numbers 6.  This verse is specifically given to us from God so that “all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you (Paul), but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law.”

You might ask me;  “Jeff, why is this so important?  Doesn’t the church embrace most of the Old Covenant moral standards?  Isn’t that what is really important?”  My response is that this really isn’t about the moral standards.

Without knowing it, we have implied that God’s laws should not be a burden to the flesh and that we should not celebrate holidays that remind us of His Lordship.  This opens up the door for each of us to define what we believe to be “a reasonable burden”.  This leads to the drawing of line that establishes what we can and cannot do based on our own flesh led perspectives.  In 2Corinthians 3:6 we are told that the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.  In other words, when we start scrutinizing the law based on our own flesh and our own pride the door gets opened to Satan and he will sneak in, he will kill, and he will destroy.

This leads us to the point that Paul was really making; “Don’t let anyone tell you that you are justified before God based on works”.   When context gets twisted we start defining what it is to be Christian based on our values instead of God’s and we let Satan manipulate us into imposing these views on others.  Some examples of this are the  arguments over proper procedures for baptism and communion, teachings on what is “really” ministry work, or how much we should tithe to remain in God’s will.  Tens of thousands of denominations have grown out of this mindset as each attempts to develop new theology that properly grasp what we “need to do” and how we “have to go about doing it” to ensure our salvation and remain in God’s perfect will.  This is what Paul was warning us about.

Satan uses our attachment to pride, society standards, personal preferences, our heritage, and a lack of understanding to lead us into viewing God’s laws as “the yoke”.  This very notion breeds legalism as it analyzes God’s Word based on human intuition through our personal flesh filters.  The Spirit of the law is quenched and the letter becomes the basis of our teachings.  When legalism becomes the basis of our religion God’s people become yoked, our relationship with God becomes a burden, and our religion becomes a curse upon our lives.  It is time for the Church to grow up, embrace what God has given us, grow into the teachings of the New Testament, and let Christ be our example.

Dear God, please give us the strength to let go of our religion, to break the yoke of oppression from our shoulders, and to stop seeking the wisdom of man as our guide.  Dear God, help us to understand your Word in a new way, help us to dig deep into your commandments, and to open up our hearts and minds to the Spirit.  Dear God, help us put to death our flesh filters and our analytical thought process, help us to see the wisdom in everything you have given us, help us to find Your heart, and help us to embrace everything that Your Spirit guides us toward.  Help us drop our fear of man, our fear of failure, and our desire for perfectionism.  Help us to embrace who you have called us to be dear God, and help us follow You.  Amen