Thursday, February 25th
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2026-27&version=NIV
The Miserable Christian
Blessings or Curses – The Big Flaw of the Old Covenant
This is a huge chapter for it sets the tone for the rest of the Old Covenant. The rest of the Old Covenant shows the consequences of the children of Israel as they don’t live up to their end of the covenant terms.
If you obey these blessings will follow:
Lev 26:3-13
If you are disobedient then these curses will come upon you:
Lev 26:4-43
As you read the list, it’s not pleasant to be the recipient of God’s wrath
Remember a covenant is an agreement between two parties. For the first time, we are reading about a covenant between God and whole nation of people. With all covenants, there are terms one must follow. God is setting forth the terms of the covenant. IF you do this then these blessings will follow IF YOU DON”T DO THIS, then these curses will follow.
The Old Covenant had a huge flaw - Man couldn’t keep the terms of the covenant!!!
The Law was given to show man’s sinfulness and was a school master to bring us to Christ. Through out the rest of the Old Covenant we will read about a remnant that understood this concept and approached God by faith: Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Samuel, David, Hannah, the prophets just to name a few. More are listed in Hebrews 11
Gal 3:21-22
Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Rom 10:3
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
Getting saved by faith isn't our problem today.I think most of us reading this email have been saved by grace through faith and our righteousness has been imparted to us when we believed on Christ. Faith to be saved isn’t the problem we are dealing with now. The problem is how we are trying to live the Christian life. Some of us have fallen into the trap of Lev 26
A big trap for believers in Christ is to try to go back under to law to live a Christian life. We sure didn’t get saved by obeying the law so makes us think we can live the Christian life by obeying the law by the energies of our flesh. We started off walking with God by faith but then we fall into the trap of following the law to stay right in the sight of God. The Bible calls this “falling from grace”
Gal 5:4
You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
This doesn’t mean we lose our relationship with Christ. We are forever sealed by the Holy Spirit. (Eph 1:13 and 4:30). It means we are trying to live the Christian life by obeying the do’s and don’ts. Why do you need grace and faith if living the Christian life is just a bunch of do’s and don’ts? You don’t this is why it’s called falling from grace.
God is very interested in our conduct and obedience and he has given us the key to do it.
It’s the same way we got saved - through grace by faith. You want to be a miserable Christian? Just try living the Christian life through your own will power. You will be frustrated, you will always feel condemned by your lack of performance, you will either live a very defeated life or you will just give up and move more into sin, “What’s the use, I couldn’t do this anyway?” or the flip side, we will move into self-righteousness. “Look how good I’m doing compared to brother or sister so and so. God must be proud of me!” How do I know this, "Been there and done that!"
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2026-27&version=NIV
The Miserable Christian
Blessings or Curses – The Big Flaw of the Old Covenant
This is a huge chapter for it sets the tone for the rest of the Old Covenant. The rest of the Old Covenant shows the consequences of the children of Israel as they don’t live up to their end of the covenant terms.
If you obey these blessings will follow:
Lev 26:3-13
If you are disobedient then these curses will come upon you:
Lev 26:4-43
As you read the list, it’s not pleasant to be the recipient of God’s wrath
Remember a covenant is an agreement between two parties. For the first time, we are reading about a covenant between God and whole nation of people. With all covenants, there are terms one must follow. God is setting forth the terms of the covenant. IF you do this then these blessings will follow IF YOU DON”T DO THIS, then these curses will follow.
The Old Covenant had a huge flaw - Man couldn’t keep the terms of the covenant!!!
The Law was given to show man’s sinfulness and was a school master to bring us to Christ. Through out the rest of the Old Covenant we will read about a remnant that understood this concept and approached God by faith: Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Samuel, David, Hannah, the prophets just to name a few. More are listed in Hebrews 11
Gal 3:21-22
Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Rom 10:3
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
Getting saved by faith isn't our problem today.I think most of us reading this email have been saved by grace through faith and our righteousness has been imparted to us when we believed on Christ. Faith to be saved isn’t the problem we are dealing with now. The problem is how we are trying to live the Christian life. Some of us have fallen into the trap of Lev 26
A big trap for believers in Christ is to try to go back under to law to live a Christian life. We sure didn’t get saved by obeying the law so makes us think we can live the Christian life by obeying the law by the energies of our flesh. We started off walking with God by faith but then we fall into the trap of following the law to stay right in the sight of God. The Bible calls this “falling from grace”
Gal 5:4
You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
This doesn’t mean we lose our relationship with Christ. We are forever sealed by the Holy Spirit. (Eph 1:13 and 4:30). It means we are trying to live the Christian life by obeying the do’s and don’ts. Why do you need grace and faith if living the Christian life is just a bunch of do’s and don’ts? You don’t this is why it’s called falling from grace.
God is very interested in our conduct and obedience and he has given us the key to do it.
It’s the same way we got saved - through grace by faith. You want to be a miserable Christian? Just try living the Christian life through your own will power. You will be frustrated, you will always feel condemned by your lack of performance, you will either live a very defeated life or you will just give up and move more into sin, “What’s the use, I couldn’t do this anyway?” or the flip side, we will move into self-righteousness. “Look how good I’m doing compared to brother or sister so and so. God must be proud of me!” How do I know this, "Been there and done that!"
There is only one person who can live the Christian life and His name is Jesus Christ! As we humble ourselves before Him, ask to be filled with His Spirit and then as we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Rather, we will obey the law!
Gal 5:16
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Lev 26 ends with God saying, “I will not break My covenant with them” This is the other theme running through the rest of the Old Covenant. How God is working a plan through faith to join all of us as one and to bring all of us into everlasting righteousness (Dan 9:24)
Lev 26:44
Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.
submitted by Kirby Wiseman
Gal 5:16
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Lev 26 ends with God saying, “I will not break My covenant with them” This is the other theme running through the rest of the Old Covenant. How God is working a plan through faith to join all of us as one and to bring all of us into everlasting righteousness (Dan 9:24)
Lev 26:44
Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, nor shall I abhor them, to utterly destroy them and break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.
submitted by Kirby Wiseman
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