Preachers Filters

 

Galatians 3:19-29

I’ve been teaching an adult class at church for many years, and one of the challenges is not to use religious words.  Often, the one sitting in class will close the door of their mind to how the lesson applies to living the Christ life and engage in religious talk; talk that will not have application after they leave the class.  It sounds almost like an oxymoron, to teach the Bible, and keep from using religious words that sound good in class, but are left in class because they are words to be used in church, to explain the teaching of the Bible. My friend Carroll Ray Jr. called it a preacher filter.  As a teacher, my goal is application; the student must learn how they can apply the lesson, at home, at work, or with friends and family.

If you were Abraham or one of his offspring, you were under a promise from God, and yet we have examples like Esau, who put little or no faith in the promise, and also the sons of Jacob, who began living under a standard of their on making.  The law was given 430 years after the promise, and God has not changed, the promise is still in effect, but the people of the promise are living as if they were not people of promise, in fact they are living as slaves in Egypt.  God sends Moses to lead them out of slavery, both physical and mental slavery, by giving them the law.  The law was not given to the other nations it was given to the Jews!  The law was not given to make them good people, but to show them the need for a Savior, we find this truth in Roman 3:20,”For the works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

I grew-up under the Law of Sam Rice, Sam’s law was for our family, it did not apply to the neighbors, in fact, Sam’s law may have been helpful to the neighbors, but they were not part of the Rice family.  Sam made all of his children this promise, break my laws and you will be punished and if you keep them we will live in harmony, but Sam never tried to apply those laws outside of his family.  That is precisely what God the Father has done with the Children of Israel in regard to the law.  The law could not give them life, but it pointed to the need of being Children of Promise, children who need a redeemer, it brought them back to the promised “offspring” of Abraham.

It is very important to read Galatians 3:23-29, “Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.  So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.  Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.  You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor females, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

These Galatians were trying to add law plus grace, and if we are not very careful, we also will submit to rules and acts of religion, and not live by faith.  Jesus had this to say, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. (John 16:7) 

From The Back Porch,

Bob Rice