“BEFORE FAITH!”

Galatians 3:23-29                                (ESV)

“23 Now “BEFORE FAITH” (in JESUS) came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.

24 So then, the law was our guardian until CHRIST came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

26 for in CHRIST JESUS you are all sons of GOD, through faith.

27 For as many of you as were baptized into CHRIST have put on CHRIST.

28 There is NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, there is NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE, there is NO MALE AND FEMALE, for YOU ARE ALL ONE in CHRIST JESUS.

29 And if you are CHRIST's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.”

As a parent, it can become quite frustrating when you can’t make children SEE that what they are doing isn’t best for them?  Trying to get them to understand that what they are doing will bring them harm or heartache can be one of the most difficult things for a parent to do.  The Apostle Paul must have had this feeling in his writings to the various churches of the New Testament.   Getting them to SEE the finished work of JESUS CHRIST, AND RECEIVE IT, AND LIVE IT, proved to be a difficult challenge!  

Most modern day Believers are so entrenched in skin color, social status, and gender based thinking that we can’t SEE the work that JESUS performed for the sake of the FATHER while here on earth 2,000 years ago.  I’m not sure that we even want to SEE the finished work, because the enemy uses the divisiveness to hinder the furtherance of the Kingdom.  Paul writes in Galatians 3:28 that “There is NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, there is NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE, there is NO MALE AND FEMALE, for YOU ARE ALL ONE in CHRIST JESUS.”   If the enemy can keep us from being “YOU ARE ALL ONE in CHRIST JESUS”, then we are living “BEFORE FAITH”, and refusing ALL of the finished work of JESUS!   

One of the least CHRIST-like moments of raising my children was when I was trying to convince one of my sons that what I wanted hi to do WASN’T going to hurt him.  My patience and tutoring skills weren’t very evident that day!  I’m not certain that the lesson was learned that day, no matter how much I wanted it to be.  GOD ALMIGHTY never has run short of patience and love with me.  HE does continually remind me that living “BEFORE FAITH” is asking to go through more trials to understand what CHRIST has done for me.  JESUS CHRIST broke the bonds of sin and now we are FREE to live in the PROMISE!!!