John 1:17 (Amplified) tells us, "For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth came through Jesus Christ."
People under the Law, needed to qualify by works, in order to receive the Blessing and favor of God. In the old covenant, healing, Blessing, provision and even entry into a place with God, was earned by works. People were required to do certain works, in order to qualify for these things. Under the old covenant, people's qualification for receiving God's Blessing, was based upon their obedience to the Law and providing acceptable sacrifice before Him.
Under the new covenant, through Jesus, God has already provided everything needed to "come boldly to the Throne of Grace," according to Hebrews 4:16 (Amplified) which says, "Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the Throne of Grace (the Throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy for our failures and find Grace to help in good time for every need (appropriate help and well-timed help), coming just when we need it."
If every part of the Law wasn't followed perfectly and correctly, then the very Presence of God's Glory and Holiness would actually destroy the person. Leviticus 10:1-2,3 (Amplified) says, "And Nadab and Abidhu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and put incense on it, and offered strange and unholy fire before the Lord, as He had not commanded them. And there came forth fire from the Lord and killed them, and they died before the Lord." Moses brought forth the Word of God to Aaron in Verse 3 saying, "This is what the Lord meant when He said, I, and My will, not their own, will be acknowledged as hallowed by those who come near Me, and before all the people I will be honored. And Aaron said nothing."
There are several lessons to be learned from the above scripture, that apply for us today. For those who are still trying to please God by the old covenant of Law, this is not His will. God won't destroy us by fire, like He did in the old covenant, but trying to please Him by the old covenant of Law isn't His will and is unacceptable to Him. God Himself has established a new covenant for His family and we must approach Him by faith in Jesus' Sacrifice and believe that Jesus' Sacrifice covered all of the old covenant sacrifices.
We're no longer required to make one sacrifice for sin, one for a peace offering, one for healing or other such things like in the old covenant. God Himself has provided One Sacrifice for all things and for all time. Rejecting His Sacrifice and trying to approach Him by any other way, is not His will. It is our own will and way, like it was with Aaron's sons.
Our healing and provision of the Blessing of Abraham, must be appropriated by faith and faith alone, according to Hebrews 11:6 (Amplified) which says, "But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must necessarily believe that God exists and that He is the Rewarder to those who earnestly and diligently seek Him."
Our entire covenant is based upon faith in what God Himself has provided for us in Jesus, God's Own Lamb. This covenant isn't based on our own works or goodness, but on His Own works and Goodness. Many believe that they must do certain things, in order to deserve healing or Baptism of the Holy Spirit. They mean, well by trying to deserve these things, but this shows they don't believe in God's way of doing and being right. Jesus said in Mathew 6:33 (Amplified), "But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His Kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides."
This seems to be too simply, does it? We're to only "believe," and all these things will be provided. We continue to think there's got to be something more to it and the more we do, the less we get. Why? Because, it's no less God's will for us to offer up things our own way, than it was for Aaron's sons. God's will for us is that b faith, we believe that He and He alone, has made all things possible by One Sacrifice in Jesus Christ, His Son.
Striving to make things happen, instead of allowing things to happen like God said, isn't putting trust and faith in what Jesus has done for us. In our own minds, we're made distinctions between healing and having our sins forgiven. Most Christians believe that Jesus took away their sins when they were saved, but still struggle with the healing of their flesh. We simply believed in Jesus, in order to receive salvation. We didn't need to offer any sacrifices, work any Laws,or do any works. We only needed to believe in and receive by faith, God's Lamb and Son Jesus. For some reason, we stopped believing that the same thing is true for everything else God has offered.
Jesus asked in Mark 2:9-11 (Amplified), "Which is easier; to say to the paralyzed man, Your sins are forgiven and put away, or to say, Rise, take up your sleeping pad or mat, and start walking about and keep on walking? But that you may know positively and beyond a doubt that the Son of Man has right and authority and power on earth to forgive sins-He said to the paralyzed man, I say to you, arise, pick up and carry your sleeping pad or mat, and go home."
Notice, that it took nothing more for this man to believe for his healing, than it did for his forgiveness of sin. It didn't take a separate act for him to receive healing than it did for him to receive forgiveness. He only had to have faith in Jesus. Today's Church doesn't seem to understand and believe that this simply fact of having faith in the One Sacrifice of Jesus, is the only thing needed. We believe in forgiveness, but continue believing we must do more, in order to be healed. The more we do, trying to get healed, the less faith we show in God's way of doing and being right. Matthew 6:33 (Amplified) says, "This is God's way of doing and being right."
Paul writes in Romans 1:17 (Amplified), "For in the Gospel, a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith (disclosed by the way of faith), that arouses to more faith, as it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright, shall live and shall live by faith." Those who are now saved, are living now by faith. Before we were saved, we were dead in sins and trespass, but now we've been made alive, by faith in Jesus Christ. Any other way is "offering up strange and unholy fire before the Lord," and that's not what He commanded us to do, just like it wasn't what He commanded Aaron's sons in Leviticus 10:1-2.
No comments:
Post a Comment