If we were trying to
convince the Galatian church members that attempting to follow the
law of God and its requirements was a return to incompleteness, how
would we approach it? Perhaps if we think about it long enough we are
happy to know that the Holy Spirit chose Paul the apostle for the
words rather than us. The point is that the law of God shows all of
us our sinfulness because we are not able to keep it. If we could
keep the law, we would have no need for the grace of God through
Jesus Christ, but because we fail to abide by it, we need Jesus in
our lives. Paul shows us our common bond in Galatians chapter four
and verse twenty-six where he wrote:
But Jerusalem which is
above is free, which is the mother of us all.
In contrast to the bondage of the law, Paul said, “But Jerusalem
which is above is free,...” There is liberty in heaven. The
writer of Hebrews wrote in chapter twelve and verse twenty-two of
that book:
But
you are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels...
As an allegory once again, Paul employs Jerusalem to illustrate
heaven. In heaven there is no violation to the law, and therefore
there is no sin. In heaven it is free, and no one is in bonds. Rather
than being bound as those tied down by the law, liberty reigns, and
we are free indeed. As Jesus said in the eighth gospel of John in
verse thirty-six:
If
the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
Paul continued, “...which is mother of us all.” In other
words, we are born into the heavenly Jerusalem the moment we receive
Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. He makes way for us to be born
into the Kingdom of God, and the grace He extends in effect births us
into the company of those in heaven.
God desires a relationship and fellowship with everyone in the world.
He extends His grace through the sacrifice of his son Jesus to all
who will simply receive His wonderful gift of salvation. When this
gift is received, we are born into the Kingdom of God, and our place
is made and waiting in heaven. This idea is one of the most
liberating among people, and those who ascribe to it are free and
free indeed.
Next time Paul will share how Jerusalem from above is different from
the one on Earth, so read ahead, and let us join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look for
the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation
to Generation” in all major
bookstore
sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to
e-books, and find it locally
at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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