Seed
– Seeds
Seed – Seeds
Hello and God bless you.
Please turn with me to Galatians chapter three, verse 11.
We have discussed in the past, the difference one little word can make
in the meaning of a verse. The mistranslation of a
single word can turn the truth on its head and for generations hold a
people in bondage.
Today I would like to share with you an instance of a small
misunderstanding that has caused untold misery for
centuries. Large institutions have been built and
thrived based upon an untruth. Wars have been
fought over the simple concept.
Untold lives have been sacrificed, burned at the stake, sawn apart,
strangled, beaten, imprisoned and starved to death because of either a
lack of knowledge or a willful denial of the simple
truth.
Dare we as God’s children blindly rely upon these same organizations to
translate the words of God for us? Any
who know even a cursory history of Christian religion in Europe and
Briton during the past 2000 years must stand skeptical of the
motivation of the translators.
We must read carefully and with much study to show ourselves approved,
workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth. The responsibility of rightly dividing the
word does not fall to a few scholars and teachers. It is the
responsibility of every believer to understand for themselves so they
may encourage, build up and comfort others with the truth of God’s
words.
How often, we have had the unfortunate experience of being in need of
encouragement only to be preyed upon by some religious vampire feeding
emotionally on our despair. The religious world is rampant
with emotional parasites masquerading as merciful
helpers. Beware.
Paul wrote the epistle to the believers at Galatia because they were
under a frontal assault by blatant religion. God has set us
free from such. We need to understand that religion
is religion. There are many flavors and nuances but all boil
down to the same basic premise: You have to perform according
to someone’s formula to please God.
Religion is religion, no matter the name or label. Christian
religion is religion. Islam is religion. Humanism
is religion. God has not called us to religion but instead
set us free from religion and birthed us into his family.
The believers in Galatia heard and believed the simple gospel of God’s
grace through Christ Jesus as presented by Paul and his
companions. No religious formulas were needed; neither
stations of the cross nor levels of achievement were
required. It was just simply and wonderfully a transition
from death to life, hapless and hopeless to focused and filled with
hope, a worthless subsistence to priceless eternal life. They
had been miraculously changed from being the devil’s slaves to the
God’s beloved children, not by their works, but by the mercy and grace
of God through Christ Jesus.
The assailants came spreading fear, doubt and deceit; fresh from the
city of the great temple. (The bigger the building
the bigger the truth: Right?) The self
appointed heads of the church in Jerusalem couldn’t be wrong; or could
they?
Imagine for a moment, being a new believer intimidated by a group of
missionaries with letters of commendation from the church in
Jerusalem. Would you question their veracity and
intentions? They had traveled a long way to help
you after all. The great James had signed the letters and he
was the older brother of Jesus! He of all people must know
the truth! Yet Paul asserted these interlopers had
bewitched the Galatians.
Bewitchment does not come from God. Bewitchment involves
incantations, rituals, temples, priests, priestesses, sacrifices,
taboos, holy days, summoning spirits and powers ……. Do you
not see the pattern?
This letter to the Galatians is needed today more than
ever. The concept of true Christianity is
hidden from the eyes of the vast majority in the
church. The world doesn’t have a clue.
The world view of Christianity is that it is just another religion
grubbing for cash and power. Unfortunately they are mostly
right.
If you still have your finger in Galatians Chapter three, read with me
starting in the first verse:
Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you,
that ye should
not obey the truth, before whose eyes
Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth,
crucified among
you?
Now let’s skip down to verse eleven:
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of
God, it is evident: for, the just shall
live by faith.
The false teachers from Jerusalem had come claiming that the new
believers in Galatia would have to be circumcised and follow the laws
of Moses to be “real” Christians. The laws of Moses required
sacrifices, rituals, priests, holy days,
and performance to achieve holiness. God
requires faith in Christ. The faith required was freely given
us by grace. Ephesians chapter two verse
eight specifically states: “For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” It is evident: the
just shall live by faith, not of works lest any man should boast.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth
them shall live in them.
Now how plain can it be stated? The law is not of
faith. The just shall live by faith, the law is not of
faith. If you choose to live under the law then you are stuck
in them. The word also says that anything not of faith is
sin.
13 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:
The law is a curse. What? How can I saw such a
thing? Let’s read verse 13 again: Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law. That is a pretty
pointed statement. If it was not a curse why would
we need to be redeemed from it? Do you want to live under a
curse? God sent Jesus the Christ to redeem us, or in our
modern vernacular; to pay our ransom and rescue us from the curse of
the law. He set us free to live under the blessings of
promise as did Abraham.
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the
Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we
might receive the
promise of the Spirit through [hard work and
sacrifice.] NO! it says that we receive
the promise of the Spirit
through faith. (and that not of ourselves,
our faith is a
gift of God.)
15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though
it be but a man's covenant, yet if it
be confirmed, no
man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
Even a covenant or contract agreed between humans can not be changed
once the agreement has been signed. How much more the
covenant of promise that God has sealed with the blood of his beloved
son? God is not a man that he should lie.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises
made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of
many; but as of one, And to
thy seed, which is Christ.
So finally now here is the word I was talking about that was so
misunderstood. The Jews had assumed that the promise to
Abraham’s seed was to the many physical seeds or
offspring. They took great pride in tracing their
linage back to “father’ Abraham. As we rocket toward the
return of Christ, the world is still reaping the fruit of Abraham’s
offspring.
But Paul sets the record straight by rightly dividing the Hebrew word
translated in Genesis as “seed” as singular and not plural as
“seeds.” What a difference it makes. Bondage or
freedom, grace by faith or works, blessing or curse; the turning of
just one word changes everything. For generations and
generations the lie was taught as the truth. The
wrath of the religious comes upon those who break the traditions with
the simple truth of the word.
Yet, do we dare comply with the traditions of man or do we live in the
simplicity and power of Christ? The difference is
astounding: Are we redeemed or under a curse? Are
we complete or not yet complete? Are we God’s beloved sons
and daughters or are we yet slaves to
Satan? In this life we reap
what we sow. No man can serve two masters.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed
before of God in Christ, the law, which was four
hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul,
that it
should make the promise of none effect.
Four hundred thirty years of the law did not, could not cancel God’s
contract of promise by faith with Abraham. God’s faithfulness
and patience waited until the fullness of time had
come. The promise was fulfilled in
Christ. The promise that all hope is based upon:
Christ in you, the one and only hope of glory.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of
promise: but God gave it to Abraham by
promise.
If our inheritance, our full sharing as equal heirs is by the law then
we are without hope. But we do have the hope that
comes of promise by faith. Not of our works but of His work
in Christ, lest any man should boast. Our only boasting is of the
greatness and grace of God. For we are his workmanship, He
created us in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them.
So stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has set us free
and be not entangled again in the snare of bondage, the curse of the
law.
God bless you
