But then, indeed,
when you did not know God,
you served those
which by nature are not gods.
But now after you
have known God, or rather
are known by God, how
is it that you turn again
to the weak and
beggarly elements, to which
you desire again to
be in bondage?
You observe days and
months and seasons and years.
I am afraid for you,
lest I have labored
for you in vain.
Galatians 4:8–11
Many can
draw upon their memory of the past and see that they walked in darkness and the
only light that shone in them was their own light of desire to do whatever they
wished to do. God was known to possibly exist; did not many religions speak of
a god? Yet, to actually know God
personally was not within a person. This person without this knowledge of God
served other things as gods. NO, you may shout, I did not serve an idol! I did
not think that other things were gods! To admit in reality that which was done
in secrecy, that is, done by your own desires and placing a thing, a person, an
object, a desire, above all else is to give to that thing, person, object, or
desire the same place as one would do for any god. You may call the night day,
or the day night, but whatever one is still dark, and the other is light. Call
whatever you want a thing to be called does not change the actuality. Those things are not gods, and they are not
the One and Only true God, Jehovah, and His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy
Spirit, One in essence, one in carrying out the will of God, all are One and
are the Godhead. We did not server God; we served ourselves placing ourselves
as the first in priority for our lives.
God is
Just, not just, just, but Just. Just is more than just an attribute of God, it
is God. So why should we marvel at the fact that Just, God, the Justice of God
hates what is unjust, that which is accursed?
Sin brought the curse of death, therefore death is accursed, and God
hates death. God acted according to His justice by demanding payment for this
debt of death, the thing accursed by God. God is Merciful. Mercy is not just an
attribute of God for God is Mercy. God acts according to Mercy. Man does not have within himself any power
to pay this debt that is accursed by God. This curse must be met with another
curse, equal for equal. A man, who would not lose his innocence, must pay the
loss of innocence, by a man,: like for like. God did not sit back and ponder as
what to do about this problem examining one option over another. Before time
began, and time requires two things, and at least one be moving, and things to
exist require space so that movement could be achieved, and for movement to
exist there must be power and that power must be absolute needing no other
power source. All this before anything outside of God existed God had set forth
His plan with all things worked out and as the first cause of all things works
through in the life of His creation by second causes. The debt was paid before
all things existed and the debt was actuated by Jesus Christ, God Himself, the
Second Person of the Trinity clothed in flesh who died upon the cross, the tree
and God foretold that anyone hung on a tree is accursed (Deuteronomy 21:23).
God knows, from the beginning of all time that He knows, not just knows as we
might say, but knows that person, inside out, and knows what it would take to
give to that person that He knows immortality that was lost at the Garden of
Eden. Man would need to have faith (Ephesians 2:8). And God through His Spirit
and His word inspired by Him to be written for all generations would enable
that faith given to man. Jesus Christ was the payment for sin, for the accursed
and for all who would believe upon Him and by that believe live for Him, be
changed into His image. All this by the power of God to those He knows. Paul
makes this clear and plain, God knows you even before you knew him: “But now
after you have know
God, or rather are known by God,” (vs. 9). This
should make you shout with glee, with hearts so filled with joy that God chose
you, saved you, and will give to you immortality. Do you understand this? This
is the gospel, this is what God has done and what did you do? You, by the faith
given to you, believed God and His Son, and the Holy Spirit and you were
driven, at least at first, to become formed into the image of Jesus Christ.
Are one of
those that the apostle Paul was addressing; one who had returned back to their
old ways, “those weak and beggarly ways” and other things have taken
priority over God, over Jesus Christ who died for you, redeemed you. If so; are you willing to change from the
inside out so that your outside equals your inside and that your life is not
some sort of dichotomy, saying one thing but believing in your mind another, or
doing things which seem so Christian but not with your whole heart? God lives
by His Justice and when Jesus Christ suffered on the “tree” because of man’s
curse, to die in the place of man as his propitiation for man’s sin, he did so
not disdaining this needful act of death, rather because God loves His children
and saves them. Jesus Christ really died, not swooned, not feigned death, but
died. The Jesus Christ rose again on the third day, walked talked, ate, with
people and then was watched by some 500 people as He ascended back into heaven
where He presented to the Father the payment and now sits at the right of hand
of God making intercession for all of God’s chosen people. Quit now observing
works. Don’t place works in the place of simply serving God in all that you do
in this life. When you fail you have a Father who forgives. With that
forgiveness then move forward and do not commit that sin again and this I
possible by the Holy Spirit that lives in His children. He guides, He
instructs, and He will not overpower you just so that you do the will of God.
NO! You and me, must take the initiative to become formed in the image of Jesus
Christ. We are separate from this world, our home is “somewhere in the blue” as
the old hymn goes. Live now that way and God will bless you in ways you will
not even know or understand, the greatest of all blessing is: HE SAVED YOU!
Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him,
And said to
him, “One thing you lace:
Go your way, and sell whatever you have
And give to
the poor, and you will
Have treasure in heaven; and come, take up
The cross,
and follow Me.
Mark 10:21
Can You Neighbors See Christ In You/
Richard L. Crumb
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