A Mediator

Today, we jump back into our study in Galatians 3:20 where it says, “Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.” The very idea of a mediator implies that there are two parties involved. In the given of the Law, it was God and the People with Moses playing the mediator. However, when God made the covenant with Abraham, there was only one party; Himself. We see this in Genesis 15 in that God actually placed Abraham asleep and made the covenant with Himself and Abraham had nothing to do with it. In other words, God would not rely on Abraham keeping his end of the deal for Him to fulfill the covenant. It is what we call an unconditional covenant in the Bible. A conditional covenant requires both parties to comply while an unconditional only requires one.

The same can be said of the promise that Christ has given to us in salvation. It was between Christ and God who are one and the same. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ…To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself…” It is not conditional upon us keeping the Law but in Christ already doing it for us. What a deal!

Notice v.21, “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.” The Law could not give life in that it only pointed out the sinfulness of mankind.

Notice v.22, “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” Again, the Law could not save, only the promise that was given to Abraham that looked forward to the Seed (Jesus) could save and our faith in that promise.

On that note, I sometimes hear people say that the folks in the Old Testament were saved by keeping the Law. A thousand times, NO! They could not keep the Law. If they could have, Jesus’ death on the cross was in vain. On the contrary, those in the Old Testament were saved by their faith in looking forward to Jesus and we are saved by our faith in looking back at Jesus!

Overcoming Anger, Part 4

Today, we are still discussing the issue of anger. Something else that I want us to remember about anger is that it can be fueled by our own imaginations. I heard one time that life is one percent reality and ninety-nine percent perception. Oh, how true that is. Any of us can look at the same situation and walk away with completely different interpretations. Why? – perception. It kind of depends upon what kind of “luggage” we bring to the party. We all have predetermined dispositions that are based upon our own life experiences.

I once read, “Of the 7 deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back--in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you.”

We must be careful that we do not allow anger to destroy us. It does no good to replay scenarios in our heads. Scenarios of what should’ve, could’ve and would’ve been said or done. Instead, we must learn to yield our thoughts to the obedience of Jesus Christ and let him bring them into captivity. That’s what Paul meant when he said in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” That word “arguments” in the old King James Version means “imaginations”.

We must always remember that anger is a choice. Yes, you don’t have to get upset when somebody crosses you or when something bad happens to you. You can choose to be controlled and manipulated by other people who make you upset or you can choose to disregard them. It’s always our choice in how we respond to anything. Paul said in Galatians 4:12 “Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all.”

Overcoming Anger, Part 3

Last week we were still looking at how to overcome anger. As we mentioned, anger in and of itself is not sin. However, uncontrolled anger is and it can result in other sins as well. We have already looked at the resulting sins of retaliation, cursing, slander and gossip. Today I want to encourage those of you who are struggling with these sins that you must learn to let your anger go.

The Bible says in Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” The encouragement here given by the Apostle Paul is that you must never allow the sun to go down on your anger. In other words, don’t take it to bed no matter how upset you are with each other. My wife and I don’t always agree on everything. I’m sure that many of you can identify with that. However, when it’s time to turn in for the evening, we always express our love for each other. It may be through gritted teeth, but it does happen. Why? First of all, it shows that our love is bigger than any argument that we could ever have. Second, the Bible tells us to do so. Otherwise, we would be giving place to the Devil in that area of our lives. If we are not careful, we will allow that anger to turn into bitterness. Bitterness is destructive to you and everyone around you. I believe that’s why the writer of Hebrews warns and encourages us when he says, “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.” Yes, allowing anger to seethe into our spirits causes defilement. Defilement is “to make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint or debase. None of those are good by the way!

Some will say, “I have a short fuse and I can’t help myself.” That is an excuse for a lack of self-control. The writer of Proverbs 14:16-17 says, “A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, But a fool is arrogant and careless. A quick-tempered (short fused) man acts foolishly, And a man of evil devices is hated.”

Overcoming Anger, Part 2

Last week we started a new series on how to overcome anger. We left off discussing how that anger in and of itself is not sin. However, uncontrolled anger is and it can be followed by other sins as well. The first we discussed is the sin of retaliation. The second sin that can result is cursing. Cursing is the “expression of a wish that misfortune, evil, doom, etc., befall a person or group.” That is certainly not very Christlike! The writer of Psalms 59:12 said, “On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be caught in their pride, And on account of curses and lies which they utter.”

The third sin that may result is slander. Slander is “oral communication of false statements injurious to a person's reputation.” Anger can certainly lead to slander. Proverbs 10:18 says, “He who conceals hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool.” Other verses include Psalms 34:13 and 1 Peter 3:10.

The fourth sin that may result is gossip. Gossip is “idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others.” The first thing that we do when we are angry with someone is share it everyone else. That is a big no-no in the Bible. The Lord shared the method of dealing with others when we feel that we have been wronged in Matthew 18:15-17 when he said, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church…”. That is the biblical way of handling someone who you are upset with…not by calling every person on your speed dial!

On another note, Paul warned us in 2 Timothy 2:14 that when we speak evil of someone to another person, we are actually “subverting” that person who we are speaking to. The word “subvert” means “to ruin”. We are ruining that person by making them also think evil of someone else, thus dragging them into our sin.

Home Bible Study

I really do believe that the Lord would have me to start a Bible study in our home. Please help me to pray about which night of the week would be best for that. I miss the fellowship and intimacy that a home fellowship affords. Let me hear from you if this would be something that you would like to be a part of as well.

Overcoming Anger

Today, I am going to take a little detour from my normal series through the book of Galatians to speak about overcoming anger. Ephesians 4:26 says, “BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” There are several things that I want us to look at about anger. First, we must realize that anger in and of itself is not sin. As a matter of fact, Jesus got very angry in Matthew 21:12-13 when he “…entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves…and said to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN." The point is that being angry is not sin. However, uncontrolled anger is.

We must never let our anger control us. Some people say that they can’t help themselves, but that is not what the Bible teaches. On the contrary, Paul said in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Did you notice the fruit of “self-control”? That means that you can, as a fruit of the Spirit, control your anger.

If anger is left uncontrolled, it always leads to sin. I want to discuss here and in the next few articles the result of uncontrolled anger. The first result can be that of retaliation. Oh, we all know what it feels like to want to get even. We learned that on the floor of K4! “Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth”! However, Paul said in Romans 12:17-21 that we are to “never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men…never take your own revenge…but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Wow, I don’t know about you, but that flies in the face of my natural instincts.

The Purpose of the Law

Today we pick up our study in Galatians 3:19 which says, “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” So, the question now is, “If the Law did not set aside or even add to the promise that God made to Abraham what was the purpose of giving it at all?” It was added because of transgressions. Sin! Romans 4:15 says, “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” Also, Romans 5:20 says, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” So, the Law was to point out our falleness until the Messiah would come and offer a way to fix it. Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

An evangelist by the name of Fred Brown used three images to describe the purpose of the law. First he likened it to a dentist's little mirror, which he sticks into the patient's mouth. With the mirror he can detect any cavities. But he doesn't drill with it or use it to pull teeth. It can show him the decayed area or other abnormality, but it can't provide the solution.

Brown then drew another analogy. He said that the law is also like a flashlight. If suddenly at night the lights go out, you use it to guide you down the darkened basement stairs to the electrical box. When you point it toward the fuses, it helps you see the one that is burned out. But after you've removed the bad fuse and inserted a new one, you turn off the flashlight as that it is no longer needed.

In his third image, Brown likened the law to a plumb line. When a builder wants to check his work, he uses a weighted string to see if it's true to the vertical. But if he finds that he has made a mistake, he doesn't use the plumb line to correct it. He gets out his hammer and saw. The law points out the problem of sin; it doesn't provide a solution. Of course, the mediator spoke of in this verse is referring to Moses.

The Blessing of Abraham

Today we pick up our study in Galatians 3:10-12 which says, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.” You either live under the Law or you don’t. I’m humored by those who in their desire to keep one aspect of the Law for salvation completely ignore the rest. Paul is saying here that it is all or nothing.

Notice vv.13-14, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” The blessing of Abraham was that through him all of the nations of the earth would be blessed. We see this promise in Genesis 12:1-3 when God said to Abraham, “…I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

First, the Messiah, our Savior, Jesus Christ was a Jew. Second, the world has been blessed even more by the Jews in that most of the breakthroughs in modern science and medicine have been because of the Jew. If you don’t believe that, go and search the web for how many Jews have won the Nobel Prize! It’s a whooping 176 recipients! They represent 23% of the total recipients since 1902 and yet they represent less than 1% of the earth’s total population. That’s phenomenal by any count.

I believe that one of the reasons God has blessed the United States of America is because of the way we have treated the Jew. While Europe, for the most part, turned their backs on the Jews when they needed them most, America did not.

Salvation by Faith

Today we pick up our study in Galatians 3:6, “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now Paul compares our faith and salvation to that of Abraham. In Romans 4:9-11, the Apostle Paul tells us that Abraham’s salvation came as a result of faith and not works when he said, “…for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.”

In other words, Abraham’s circumcision took place many years after he was actually accounted righteous by God; thus works were not involved in his righteousness. We find these accounts in Genesis 15:1-6 where it was declared by God that Abraham’s faith in the promises that God had given to him had made him righteous and in Genesis 17:9-10 when the ordinance of circumcision was actually given. What we see here is that salvation by faith is not new to the New Testament. Prior to the Law, Abraham was saved by his faith as well.

Notice v.7, “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” Have you ever heard the song, “Father Abraham had many sons and I am one them and so are you. So let’s just praise the Lord.” Just as Abraham was saved by faith, so are we; thus we are the children of Abraham.

Notice v.8, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” The concept of God blessing, much less offering salvation to the Gentiles was not even an option to the Jew of Paul’s day. Yet, the Scripture says that God had a plan of salvation for the Gentiles in view even at the time of Abraham! That’s great news for us Gentiles! Jesus said in John 10:16 “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”

Noticev.9, “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” Just as God blessed Abraham because of his faith, so he will bless us as well if we have faith. Want to be blessed? – Have faith!

Editorial Backlash

A few weeks ago as I was working my way through the book of Galatians in my weekly column with the Brownsville Herald, I discussed the issue of the "Perpetual Virginity of Mary." That is the Catholic doctrine that Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus. Wow, what a backlash I received from some in the community. The amazing thing is that none of them argue from the point of Scripture but chruch tradition. Jesus had much to say about placing the traditions of men over the clear teachings of the scripture.

So, is the perpetual virginity of Mary Biblical? It is the official position of the Roman Catholic Church that Jesus' mother Mary remained a virgin for her entire life. Is this concept Biblical? Before we get into looking at specific Scriptures, it is important to understand why the Roman Catholic Church believes in the perpetual virginity of Mary. The Roman Catholic Church views Mary as "the Mother of God" and "Queen of Heaven." Catholics believe Mary to have an exalted place in Heaven, with the closest access to Jesus and God the Father. Such a concept is nowhere taught in Scripture. Further, even if Mary did occupy such an exalted position, her having sexual intercourse would not have prevented her from gaining such a position. Sex in marriage is not sinful. Mary would have in no way defiled herself by having sexual relations with Joseph her husband. The entire concept of the perpetual virginity of Mary is based on an unbiblical teaching, Mary as Queen of Heaven, and on an unbiblical understanding of sex.

So, what does the Bible say about the perpetual virginity of Mary? Using the New American Bible, which is a Catholic translation of the Bible, we can see that the perpetual virginity of Mary is not taught in the Bible. Matthew 1:25 in the NAB tells us, "He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus." He, Joseph, did not have sexual relations with her, Mary, UNTIL after she bore a son, Jesus." The meaning of this Scripture is abundantly clear. Joseph and Mary did not have sexual relations until after Jesus was born. Matthew 13:55-56 NAB declares, "Is He not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not His sisters all with us?" Catholics claim, correctly, that the Greek terms from "brothers" and "sisters" in these verses could also refer to male and female relatives, not necessarily literal brothers and sisters. However, the intended meaning is clear, they thought Jesus to be Joseph's son, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, and the brother of the unnamed and unnumbered sisters. Father, mother, brother, sister. It is straining the meaning of the text to interpret brothers and sisters as "cousins" or "relatives" with the mentioning of Jesus' mother and father.

Matthew 12:46 in the NAB tells us, "While He was still speaking to the crowds, His mother and His brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with Him." See also Mark 3:31-34; Luke 8:19-21; John 2:12; and Acts 1:14. All mention Jesus' mother with His brothers. If they were His cousins, or the sons of Joseph from a previous marriage, why were they mentioned with Mary so often? The perpetual virginity of Mary cannot be drawn from Scripture. It must be forced on Scripture, in contradiction to what the Scriptures clearly state.