lest anyone should boast

December 10

Give, the Language of Grace
I have written more boldly to you on some points . . . because of the grace given to me by God . . . I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus. (Rom 15:15 and 1Co 1:4)
The grace of God (which produces boldness in those who live by it) is a gift from God. “I have written more boldly to you on some points . . . because of the grace given to me by God.” In fact, “give” is basic to the language of grace.
When Paul began his first letter to the believers in Corinth, he emphasized this truth. “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus.” This is the starting point for all of the work of God in human hearts. The initial work of salvation is by the gift of God’s grace. None of it is produced by the work of man. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph 2:8-9). This same pattern of the giving of grace is true concerning every good thing that God wants to accomplish in man. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (Jam 1:17).
Whatever God wants to do in the family of man is by His grace, which must be given to us by Him. This is true concerning eternal life. “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish” (Joh 10:28). This also pertains to the Holy Spirit in our lives. “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” (Joh 14:16). It is true concerning spiritual gifts. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all . . . But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (1Co 12:7 and Eph 4:7). This pattern applies to spiritual rest and peace as well. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest . . . Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (Joh 11:28; Joh 14:27). When it comes to the greatest matter of all (getting to know the Lord better), God must give to us what is required for such growth: “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Eph 1:17). All of these precious benefits from God are a result of His giving of His grace into our lives.
Will the giving heart of God ever cease toward us? We need never fear that God will be tire of giving us grace. “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luk 12:32).

Lord God, giver of every gift of grace, I thank You for the rich and extensive grace that You have given to me. Help me to understand that all of Your kingdom is brought into my experience by the giving of Your grace, in Your Holy Name, Amen. (From Bob Hoekstra’s Devotions)

All the What Ifs

“I am looking forward to understanding the conclusion of this author, but I am certain that the Torah was insufficient for total salvation, otherwise the Cross would have been unnecessary. And, Hebrews does tell us that if the blood of bulls and goats were sufficient, Yeshua would not have needed to die and be resurrected.”

Can I pose a couple of provocative questions? I don’t expect you to answer them, I am just posing them for contemplation.

“…the Torah was insufficient for total salvation…”

What if Torah was sufficient? What if Yeshua was basically just another Prophet in a line of Prophets calling Israel to repentance, and along with her the Gentiles too? What if Yeshua was God’s final attempt at getting a pretty complacent Israel to SHARE the Revelation on Sinai with the World?

“…otherwise the Cross would have been unnecessary.”

So, what would happen if it was? Or if it wasn’t what the Greek Scriptures claim? What if His death was what historians claim – an execution of another Jewish Rebel against the Roman Empire? What if Yeshua was just another man, and that God in His incomparable Mercy USED those events to reach Humanity?

“Hebrews does tell us that if the blood of bulls and goats were sufficient, Yeshua would not have needed to die and be resurrected.”

What if there is no direct connection between Hebrews and those events, but God allowed the connection be made so we’d CONNECT to Him beyond bulls and goats?

Those are certainly questions that arise from the clash between Hebrew Scriptures and Greek Scriptures. Between Judaism and Christianity, between Yeshua and Paul, between Paul and James, between the Gospels and the Letters, the Letters and the Prophets.

“From Chapter 2 In Hebrews chapter 11 — the “Faith Hall of Fame” as some have called it, we find three interesting names from the Tenakh — Moses, David and Samuel. The book of Hebrews says they were saved by faith, even though they were well known for following the Torah. In writing Psalm 119, David can’t say enough about following the Torah. But, according to Christian theology, there is a dilemma with regard to what he writes. David writes the following about himself: Psalm 119:22 — “Take away from me reproach and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.” Psalm 119:51 — “… yet have I not declined in my interest or turned aside from your Law.” Psalm 119:56 — “I have kept your precepts …” Psalm 119:102 — “I have not turned aside from your ordinances …” Psalm 119:121 — “I have done justice and righteousness …” Is this the same David that committed adultery with Bathsheba and had Uriah murdered? Not to mention a number of other documented violations of the Torah. According to Christian theology, David is clearly a liar. How can he claim to have followed “the Law,” when we all know how he broke it in some terrible ways? To add to the “confusion,” God Himself calls David, “a man after His own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14) So is David a liar? Perhaps God is making an “exception” for him? There is a hint of the answer found in Psalm 119 itself: Psalm 119:159 — “Consider how I love your precepts; revive me and give life to me, O Lord, according to your loving kindness.”

I know, it all seems and sounds heretical, but if we look at what the Tanakh says, repeatedly, there is at least reason for us to suspect that not only have we been thoroughly Greekenized, but we have utterly misunderstood the message Yeshua came to deliver.

One question that keep popping up for me is: Throughout Tanakh God tells us that 1. He abhors human sacrifice; 2. He’d rather have the offerings of our lips and obedience than sacrifices; and yet we are to believe that He demands a human sacrifice to save us, to forgive us – a gift He has offered for free throughout human history? You don’t need to answer that either, I am just posing it, because more than the Greek Judaism (traditional) Christianity presents, this has me puzzled. It defies all logic that God, Who is unchangeable would undergo such a change in character over 400 years.

Ok, I have rambled.

My suggestion is that we take a look at those passages from Chapter 1:

• Romans 7:1-6: “Freed from the Law”
• Romans 14:1-13: “The Law of Liberty”
• Galatians 3:10-14: “The Law Brings a Curse”
• Galatians 5:7 -15: “Love Fulfills the Law”

and ponder “if they do not mean what traditional Christianity teaches, then WHAT do they mean?”

Blessings, Henry