Make Grace The Principal Thing, Cast Out Hagar (the Law) — [20 Feb 2011, NCC 1st svc personal notes with benefit of CD]

MAKE GRACE THE PRINCIPAL THING, CAST OUT HAGAR (THE LAW)

Personal notes of 1^st service at NCC on 20 Feb 2011 revised with benefit of CD of 1^st service

Hallelujah ! Together with my friends, we were featured in the New Paper's 20 Feb 2011 Table for 4 column.

<Click here to read Table for 4 article from The New Paper of 20 February 2011>

 

SUMMARY:  This sermon is a study in grace versus law as symbolized in the characters of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar — Cast out “Hagar” (the law) in our lives and make “Sarah” (grace) the principal thing!  Most importantly, Jesus’ heart of love is always in wanting to deal with us based on grace.

 

GOD IS A HEALING GOD

God is a healing God. His will because He loves us is that we be healthy. God gets no glory out of people taking care of the sick and requiring time and attention, spending lots of money on medicine and all time.  Of course, thank God for doctors and medicine. God hates sin and God hates what sin brings i.e. sickness and disease. That is not to say that person who is sick has caused a personal sin that brought about that sickness, but all sickness can be traced back to sin i.e. Adam’s sin. Without the Fall of Man, there will be no sickness, because in Heaven, there is no sickness. If sickness is God’s will for us to learn lessons to be patient then Heaven will be full of sickness! Heaven does not have sickness. Therefore you must know in your heart, regardless of human experiences, that God heals. We must believe in healing because the Bible says, by Jesus’ stripes, I am healed. We cannot go by the shaky foundation of human experiences that this person was prayed for and was not healed, because we can equally point to other testimonies whereby others were healed. We must put our trust in God’s word. Even if nobody is healed in front of our eyes, we put our faith in the word of the Living God that He heals!

 

PREACHING BY REVELATION

That is why pastors are encouraged to preach on marriage even if they are not married. There is one particular pastor in church who is not married and receives revelation from God on marriage matters.  Senior Pastor encourages that pastor to preach that revelation. You preach out of revelation not experience. That is what gives pastors the authority to stand  and speak on behalf of God. Prophesy is speaking on behalf of somebody else.  It is that person you speak for who has all the experience and God has ALL the experience and wisdom! God puts His words in our mouths. When He does that, it does not matter if it is a child, woman, donkey, as long as it is God’s Word. For instance, we preach the Rapture even though this has not happened yet. Likewise, we preach on Heaven whilst still on earth. Also a pastor not married can preach on children since that word on children was given in revelation.  IN ESSENCE, we preach based on revelation in every area of our lives e.g. longevity even though still a youth. IN FACT THE MORE YOU PREACH IT THE MORE YOU WILL SEE IT, THE MORE YOU WILL LIVE IT AND THE MORE YOU WILL WALK IN IT.

 

TWO DISMISSALS OF HAGAR.

The first time, Hagar left home on her own.  Hagar is bond woman of Sarah. The second time, Hagar was driven away and never to return. Lessons in both of these incidents.

We got to believe in the PLENARY, verbal, inspiration of the  scriptures of  the Bible . Every word in bible in God breathed and God does not waste His breath. Every word is pregnant with power. One word from God brought light out of darkness. One word from God can change that doctor’s report, financial situation.  One word from God can transform!

Gal 4:21          Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

Gal 4:22          For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.

Gal 4:23          But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,

Gal 4:24          which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—

Gal 4:25          for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—

Gal 4:26          but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

 

Sarai was erroneous in thinking that  God “has restrained me from bearing children” (Gen 16:2) . God’s will is that you be fruitful and He does not want any woman thinking that He restrains them.  See for instance, Psalm 113:9 “He maketh the barren woman to keep house, [and to be] a joyful mother of children”  or Deu 7:14 “… there shall not be male or female barren among you…”  Take these scriptures and meditate on them again and again and God’s word will bear fruit.

One Hagar realized she was pregnant by Abraham, she despised Sarah (Gen 16:4).

Sarai, back then, was very domineering. She even said unto Abram (Gen 16:5) “… My wrong be upon thee …” despite the fact that she suggested that Abram go unto Hagar.

Ismail. Product of flesh and thus symbolic of self effort.

Gen 16:1         Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name [was] Hagar.

Gen 16:2         And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

Gen 16:3         And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

Gen 16:4         And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

Gen 16:5         And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong [be] upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

 

 

BE REAL IN RELATIONSHIPS

In contrast, Isaac was born through the free woman and promise. That is what is going to happen to us as well because we don’t want things to happen by self effort because everything gained by self effort you have to maintain yourself by self-effort. No security as by self-effort you have to maintain that particular thing.

If you have to change who you are to get that somebody then you have to maintain that to keep that somebody. That is why in relationship, it is important to be real. Tell people what you feel, what food you like or don’t. Yes, it is important to put your best foot forward but it is important to make sure that that foot is indeed your foot.  Be yourself!

 

JESUS REBUKES HYPOCRISY

When you see sins of the flesh, you see Jesus extending mercy and grace but why is Jesus  so strong against hypocrites?

Because those who are hypocrites can never truly feel God’s love. Why ? Because they think God loves them for their actions (they come to God pretending to be holy, righteous, etc) and not true self.  Hypocrisy is pretending to be what you are not, before God. They are never sure that God loves them for who they are because they think it is because they prayed X number of times a day or fasted, etc.

That is why you should come to God as you are and when you find that God loves you as you are, it transforms you because you know that that Love is real.

So when Jesus meets hypocrisy, one of the kindest things he does is that he ‘rips’ it off. Eg the woman who came in pretence as a Jewess and addressed him as ‘Son of David’ then finally when she said, ‘Lord have mercy on me’, the devil was out of her child.  How many know that Jesus wants the woman to know that Jesus loves her as who she really is. Jesus wants us to know that He can see through any pretence. Let’s rip off our masks.

Today, we receive Jesus as our holiness, righteousness. That is not hypocrisy.

Don’t be hypocrite like Pharisees, it is not the size of the prayer shawl etc, but Jesus had a normal prayer shawl.  It is not the prayer shawl but what it represents – the robe of righteousness.

 

HAGR MEANS FLIGHT IN HEBREW

Hagar always put to flight.

Gal 4:21-26

Whenever you hold on to law, you will be in bondage.  Bondage brings sin, sickness, disease, poverty, depression, etc.

You are never truly free to succeed unless you are even free to fail. But freedom must come. It is for this freedom, that Christ set us free. True freedom is in Christ.

God is using strong words. Even though you are natural Jew you are like an Ishmaelite if you hold on to law.

 

FIRST DISMISSAL OF HAGAR

Gen 16:6         But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid [is] in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

Gen 16:7         And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

Gen 16:8         And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

Gen 16:9         And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

Hagar = Law,  Sarah = Grace.

But there was a time that Law seemed to act in practice, in precepts, as if Grace was the servant!

First dismissal of Hagar speaks (because Hagar came back) of the old testament time, where grace mixed with law, from Moses to before Jesus went to Cross. Jesus operated under Law dispensation.

Yes Jesus is full of Grace but Bible says, He was made under the Law to redeem those under the Law.  (Galatians 4:4-5)

Dispensation of Law terminated at the Cross.

YOUR MAID IS IN THY HAND

Abraham said to Sarah what any peace-loving husband would do in this circumstance, your maid is thy hand, do to her as you please. (Gen 16:6)

Sarah dealt harshly with Hagar (Gen 16:6) and she fled. Aren’t you glad that this lady who represents Grace also had temper problems (so don’t be too harsh on yourself).

When Hagar fled, the ‘angel of the Lord’ (this expression typically used to refer to the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ) met her and asked to return to Sarah, her mistress.

V9 .  Return and ‘submit yourself under her hand’ (NKJV)

Jesus is the best interpreter of scripture. So we see here that whenever the law tries to assert itself,  Jesus tells Hagar (the Law) to submit under her mistress, Grace (Sarah).

In Hebrews 11, the heroes kept law by faith. None of them, it is recorded as having kept the law perfectly.  Not 100 per cent, as law is not of faith. It is never recorded that ‘by keeping the law’ Moses led Israel over the Red Sea, cause Angel to pass over, or slay Goliath, etc. It is always recorded in Hebrews 11, ‘by faith’ this and that act was done etc, and the Law is not of faith !

So even in the age of Law, there were 2 elements. Grace and Law. God always wants Grace principal !

God always want law subordinate to grace. Like Hagar subordinate to Sarah. Note this is for dispensation of law.

Observe that for the Jews then, when they put law in principal position, they mistake God’s mind and they find have no favour before God, or is not in the position where God wants him to be. But when the Jew like David put Grace the principal element and puts his faith in God’s grace, they find favour! David had 2 counts of death against him (adultery and murder) but threw himself on the mercy of God — ‘ have hesed on me O God’ (Psalm 51). He knew that even under Law dispensation, God considers Grace as the principal elemement.

LAW IS GIVEN IN EXODUS 20

But even before Exodus 20 ends grace revealed (God knows we won’t be able to make it under 10 commandments) in the form of altar of earth or altar of un-hewn stone described for peace and burnt offerings. No tools to be used. No steps. This means: No self effort. Not man-made. No human steps. No human works. Yet we focus on the 10 commandments (that’s like putting Hagar first) !

Whenever the law tries to put itself in the pre-eminent place, we must put it in its proper place.

We know this instinctively – when our domestic helpers try to ‘play’ boss, we put them in their place.  [Editor: my paraphrase of this point by senior pastor]

 

 

 

WHEN PEOPLE CAME BACK FROM BABYLON

Ezra preached the law of Moses for hours on 1st day of 7th month —  Rosh Hashanah (Civil New Year).  One of the most glorious and joyous of celebrations (the other being Tabernacles).  This day was a witness of Grace (yes, even under Law) that a permanent day of Grace would come.  It called day of grace or revival.

But on this particular date, the more Ezra preached Law, people wept more, as they could not take it as they saw how much they had fallen short of the requirements under Law.

Neh 8:8 – 12

Neh 8:8           So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading.

Neh 8:9           And Nehemiah, which [is] the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day [is] holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

Neh 8:10         Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for [this] day [is] holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Neh 8:11         So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day [is] holy; neither be ye grieved.

Neh 8:12         And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

 

“…mourn not,  nor weep”  – Why?   Answer:  Essentially Nehemiah and Ezra were saying in Neh 8:9, yes the law has come and is making its requirements BUT remember Grace is greater than the law and this day is all about Grace and Grace is Holy and this day is holy, so rejoice!

For us:  We have a permanent day of grace!

Whenever you hear things which make you sad and discouraged because we don’t come up to the level, it does not matter because we are not under Law.  Law must be kept under Grace!  Grace  has the principal say !

Whenever there is a collision between these 2 elements, God says, Grace comes first.

You feel like crying because of the Law but Grace says, rejoice ! So we rejoice.

 

Religion will say this day is holy to the lord, so mourn. “Today is holy, rejoice! ”  Our God is different.

“….Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet …”  (Neh 8:10) that is why we do even on our Chinese New Year

Joy of lord is your strength —  Neh 8: 10

When law and grace in collision, law submits. Grace is mistress and Law is servant girl.

The safeguard against sin, is to have your heart established in Grace. For sin shall have no power under you when you are not under law but under Grace. Law was strength of sin.

 

GRACE IS WHAT GOD LOVES

Grace is mistress of the home.  Grace is what God loves.  When Sarah died, Abraham cried his eyeballs out.

In the bible, it never says Abraham loves Hagar. Even in weeping when she left, Abraham wept for Ismail not Hagar.

God loves Grace and not His demands on you.

David was new covenant minded in old covenant whereas many new covenant believers are old covenant minded in the Grace Dispensation !

Jesus has delivered us from a place where God could not find one trace of righteousness to a place where Jesus has so cleansed us that God cannot find one trace of sin in His eyes. It is so complete, as complete as what Jesus’ sacrifice can make you.

Matt 12:1-14

The disciples plucked grain on sabbath .  The disciples ‘worked’ in this sense as they  were hungry.

Pharisees pointed out that this act was unlawful. Technically they were right.

Pharisees famous for bringing law from subordinate place to superior place. But they forgot that Jesus was the one who was the Angel of the Lord that spoke to Hagar! “Return and submit yourself” under the hand of your mistress, Grace.

Matt 12:3        But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

Matt 12:4        How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

Matt 12:5        Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

Matt 12:6        But I say unto you, That in this place is [one] greater than the temple.

Matt 12:7        But if ye had known what [this] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Matt 12:8        For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

 

V6-8. Quoting hosea 6:6 and there the word translated as ‘mercy’ is Hebrew: hesed or loving- kindness or grace

Hosea 6:6        For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

God / Jesus  is saying, I desire Grace (hesed) and not sacrifice.  Jesus is telling the Pharisees that had they known this, they would not have condemned the guiltless.

Do not ‘condemn guiltless’ ( all of us ) . Jesus said

We are guiltless not sin-less.

Why are you so concerned of the sin in your heart? God did not promise to remove the sin in your heart. That will happen in the rapture. Aren’t you glad that God has removed sin before His eyes at the Cross. You are looking inside you when you should be looking outside you to the Cross. That’s why some of us are confused. We are looking for a peace from within, when we should be looking for a peace that comes from outside you i.e. from the Cross. We are confounding the work of the spirit in you for the work of Christ for you. Unless you understand the work of Christ for you, you won’t have the peace of the spirit in you because the Holy Spirit has come to testify of Jesus. Stop looking within and start looking with-out.

Jesus is the Lord. The Law is not lord.

Why is healing not so rampant in churches today despite being in New Covenant? See Matt 12:9 onwards.

Matt 12:9        And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:

Matt 12:10      And, behold, there was a man which had [his] hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.

Pharisees were trying to put ‘hagar’ in charge of synagogue when Jesus (the one greater than Sabbath) is there ! Again they are trying to put the law above the One who told Hagar (the Law) to submit under Grace. They forgot that it is Jesus who is in charge of the synagogue.

 

Sometimes it is good not to answer question. Like Jesus. He answers question with question.

Matt 12:11      And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift [it] out?

Matt 12:12      How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

Matt 12:13      Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched [it] forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

Look at Pharisees response in v14 !

Matt 12:14      Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

We preach grace not religion.

Even under law, grace is in prime position , and law is in subservient role.

It is lawful to do good on Sabbath.

 

WHAT MAKES JESUS ANGRY?

Look at the same incident in Mark’s account.

Mark 3:5 this only place in Bible that it is expressly mentioned that Jesus angry ‘looked around at then with anger’

Mark 3:5          And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched [it] out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Jesus angry at lack of grace !

We simply assumed that he was angry when he overturned money changer table in temple. You can do things without anger! No mention of Jesus being angry there.  Action does not mean he is angry. Example, you can issue a stern warning to your kids about crossing the road without being angry.

The only place in the gospels that say Jesus was angry is in Mark 3:5. This is significant because Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

There is no record that Jesus is angry when he encounters the social outcasts or tax collectors, etc. In fact, Jesus even allowed woman to weep at His feet. He even allowed Matthew (a tax collector) to be one of his disciples.

WHAT MAKES JESUS ANGRY?  ANSWER: LACK OF GRACE.

There may have been a lot of things that God may have been angry in the OT. But on the Cross, all his angry was exhausted on Jesus Christ.

 

WHAT GRIEVES JESUS TODAY?

Jesus ‘grieved at hardness of heart’ Mark 3:5.

The word ‘grieved’ is Greek,  syllypeō

Sullupeo : Sui (Strong’s 4862 – means ‘with’)  +  Lupeo (Strong’s 3076 – means ‘grief’)

Jesus was thus ‘with grief’ at the hardness of their hearts.

Lupeo is the the Greek word which is translated as the expression ‘grieve’ in the passage ‘Do not grieve holy spirit’  in Eph 4:30

Eph 4:30          And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Side note: Yes music does help in sense of helping you to focus but music does not heal. Jesus healed without music.

Not everything and anything grieves Holy Spirit.  Don’t be weird and bring in ‘laws’ which do not even exist from Mount Sinai. Example: too much make-up or too fashionable etc.

What grieves Holy Spirit? The answer is in the context i.e. Eph 4:29

Eph 4:29          Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

When you speak unmerited favour, you have just imparted Grace. E.g.  You are depressed but I say unto you that you look beautiful in Jesus. Speaking favour that you do not deserve.

It is good for wives to compliment their husbands even when they don’t deserve it. The boss or somebody else may say the same compliment but it lacks the same power as when wife says it to her husband.

Wives have power when they compliment husband.

We are not for profanity (e.g. we are against profane movies, etc) but Eph 4:29 is not about profanity.   It is about when leaders make God appear harsh (e.g. When Moses struck the rock 2^nd time).   It is about fault-finding finger wagging individuals who insist that there be pre-qualifying before Grace can be received.

 

LAUGHTER IN ATMOSPHERE OF GRACE

Gen 21:5         And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

Gen 21:6         And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, [so that] all that hear will laugh with me.

Gen 21:7           And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born [him] a son in his old age.

Gen 21:8         And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the [same] day that Isaac was weaned.

A lot of laughter in atmosphere of grace.

In that day and age, child probably weaned at age 2 or 3.

 

Gen 21:9         And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.

Gen 21:10       Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, [even] with Isaac.

 

Cf .   Galatians 4:28 – 29

Gal 4:28          Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

Gal 4:29          But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him [that was born] after the Spirit, even so [it is] now.

 

From this we understand that those under law will persecute those of grace. It is never people of Grace persecuting those under law or writing poison e-mail or doing bad things. People of Grace understand Grace.

Worse still, those under law who persecute those under Grace think that those under grace think like them ! They are victims of their own erroneous thinking. Just because you do it, does not mean, I do it as well !

We are not perfect but we are in the perfect one. Because our trust is in Him, He knows it.  But the moment you start talking about your self effort — you start despising God’s riches and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing God’s goodness leads you to repentance, and you are always talking about the law as if people who preach Grace are anti-law.  Let me tell you this, we uphold the Law, we say, that by keeping the Law nobody can be justified. That is putting the law on a pedestal, putting the law on a high plain. That only Grace can cut it.

 

ISMAIL, 15, WAS MOCKING ISAAC, 2

Gen 21:10       Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, [even] with Isaac.

Gen 21:11       And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

Gen 21:12       And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

V11. Grievous because of son (Ismail) and not Hagar.

V 12 sometimes, God will put word in wife mouth but not always e.g. Eve to Adam (when Eve was listening to snake-talk) or Sarah earlier.

V 12. in Isaac your seed shall be called

Gen 21:13       And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he [is] thy seed.

But God is gracious and still blesses Abraham’s mistake (Ismail – born of self-effort).

This time when Hagar is dismissed, there is no Angel of the Lord to say go back. Why?

This time the Son has come (born of Grace).  For the first time, after Jesus has been resurrected from the dead — the sons of God have come — God now has his own sons born of his spirit now! God has Isaacs all over the place now that Jesus has rose again.

The moment Sarah is expecting and the moment Isaac is on the scene, there is no place for law and no angel sent to call Hagar back. The law has been fulfilled and nailed to the cross.

 

 

 

WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURE SAY?

Gal 4:30 – 31 ‘what does the scripture say’ only appears twice. The second is here. Cast out law!!!

Gal 4:30                      Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”

Gal 4:31          So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

What Sarah says is scripture.

First time ‘what scripture say’ appears was when Abraham believed. (Romans 4:3)

Rom 4:3          For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

 

Many churches never cast out the law! Many churches believe in mixture of law and grace, and many times, grace slowly comes down and law goes up. Also, it seems that whenever the leaders in these churches sin, it is always grace, but when it comes to dealing with people, it is law.  It seems that some leaders preach law but they live by the mercy of God!

Cast out bond woman and her son – this is Sarah’s word and Bible says she is not speaking not on her own authority but under authority of Holy Spirit.

Bond Woman = Hagar = Mt Sinai

Law and Grace cannot live under the same roof.

Even under Law Dispensation, these 2 elements co-exist but God always prioritizes Grace! Law is subordinate.  Now under New Covenant, Law is no more and it is totally Grace.

Gal 4:30.   Cannot be heir is a serious matter. It means you cannot inherit. You cannot inherit health, wealth, prosperity, etc when you have the law with you!

Cannot have mixture and inherit.

 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

You must be finished with guilt, condemnation, etc.

Even when you fail, you must not feel guilty, etc.  This is in order to end the cycle of you feeling bad, come under law and repeat or continue in the sin.

NOTHING IS PASSED OVER BY GOD. GOD IS HOLY. AND YET NOTHING IS IMPUTED TO ME.

Nothing is passed over by God. God is Holy

And yet nothing is imputed to me.

Why?

For Christ was judged for THEM all !

The above is the Gospel in a nutshell and this is how we ought to live.

To feel condemned or guilty when you fail or when you lose your cool etc, that is the law, that means you still have the law. You ought not to feel that way.

But is it not right to feel bad after such incidents? Yes, it is one thing to feel a certain kind of remorse. That’s different. But most of the time, we feel bad and we repeat that sin.  Have you noticed that in your life? Why do we repeat that sin? We have just come under law.

 

WHEN DID PERSECUTION BEGIN?

Isaac persecuted when weaned.

What is weaning? When child starts to take solid food.

Heb 5:13         For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

What is Baby Christian? Baby Christian is one unskilled in the word of righteousness. They only take milk.

Sometimes we hear doctorates in theology say ‘we need more righteous’ or ‘we must pursue righteousness’. These folks are unskilled in the word of righteousness. You cannot have more righteousness as this is a gift from Jesus. You are either righteous or you are not.

Jesus urged the people to “SEEK’ it in ‘Seek ye first the Kingdom and His Righteousness …” because at that time Jesus had not died. Once He has died, you simply receive it, and you walk in it and then ‘… all these things shall be added unto you’.     It does not mean a system of righteousness defined as, Jesus way of doing things, or Jewish way of trying to pursue righteousness.  His Righteousness is a gift to be received.

GO YOU WAY, EAT THE FAT, DRINK THE SWEET, THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH.

Folks from other churches get irritated when we say things like the above or things like “Grace, Grace. We are highly favoured, deeply loved, etc’  They don’t understand that we are being weaned. We are Isaac which means laughter. Our church is full of it. Folks from other churches don’t understand this and find us irritating. They don’t like it as we are always blessing and they say, is there not a place for suffering? We are being weaned. We keep saying, we are under Grace, we are under Grace. They don’t understand so they persecute us. They are actually expressing their nature as Ishmaelite when they do this.

Are you my brother from Sarah (Grace) or my brother from another mother, Hagar – law?

We inherit as sons of Sarah!

Ismail and Isaac share the same father. So people who come against us, they share the same heavenly Father but their mother is Law. Our mother is Grace. And they always want to throw stones at us. But you know what, we inherit! It is never we persecute. It is always the other way round. We thank God for this. We thank God that we are in a place to bless people. Hopefully people will find Grace and realize that the mother they thought was their mother is not their mother. So one day, the 2 brothers (Isaac and Ishmael) will come to a place where they are ONE new creation in Christ!

NOTHING IS PASSED OVER BY GOD AND YET NOTHING IS IMPUTED UNTO ME FOR THE CROSS HAS CANCELLED ALL MY SIN!

 

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