Glorious Ahead of You
by Edwin Koh Boon Leng
15/10/12
7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. (2 Cor 3:7-9)
Blessings, callings and talents though irrevocable does not mature a person. Lets read Psalms 106...we will get a picture for the need of God stating His standards - the Law.
They soon forgot His works;
They did not wait for His counsel,
But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
And tested God in the desert.
And He gave them their request,
But sent leanness into their soul. (Psalms 106:13-15)
God had promised and have been providing the needs of the people. Manna in the morning and at twilight, meat (Ex 16:18,12,31). God had been providing without fail and without compromise. For 40 years no complain. However the people's complain came when there's a change of address...a move from one place to another..Their cry was for water (Ex 17:1). Has God been providing meat ? YES.
But the people complained and cried out for meat, meat just like they had in Egypt ! So God in disgusts sent so much meat for a whole month that had too much of it. After that God struck them down !
Many people look at the anger of God and say God is unjust...how many fail to see the meaness and ungratefulness of the people ! ?
With Christ in us, the leaness goes when we acknowledge and walk in Him. Lets welcome the fatness of His life and blessings into our lives. Glorious is ahead of you because Jesus is Jehovah Shammah, He is already there. So have boldness knowing there is no condemnation anymore. In the light of Christ, a prostitute who already accepted judgment and condemnation was what she would receive (John 8), found forgiveness and the turning point in her life. In the light of Christ, many have been healed, released and delivered with immediate results. Why wait anymore ? Jesus is here right now.
Many people look at the anger of God and say God is unjust...how many fail to see the meaness and ungratefulness of the people ! ?
As you can see, blessings changes not a man. That's why God sent leanness into man's heart. Leanness is a servant to aid us to come back to truth. Man need to acknowledge God in His heart not just as God but as Lord and recognise it is God who sustains us.
Often time we reject truth and life in God because we do not look into the Word but we depend entirely on another person's version of it. We go from conference to conference, from church to church from versions to versions...and our walk with God is half baked and we are locked in bondage because we receive not the truth that sets us free but we receive commentaries and slogans and we base our lives on them !
1. What Grace Is?
People think Grace makes a man weak and lazy. Grace cheapens what God has done on the cross. First and foremost, grace is not a theology but its the person of Jesus Christ. We have grace because Sin has been judged and condemned. The requirements of the law to give us righteousness came at a price. That price is Jesus Christ - God's only Son on who bore our sins upon Himself because love for us drove Him there...We have grace, because of Jesus Christ. Grace is God's attitude towards us (Jer 29:11)
Often time we reject truth and life in God because we do not look into the Word but we depend entirely on another person's version of it. We go from conference to conference, from church to church from versions to versions...and our walk with God is half baked and we are locked in bondage because we receive not the truth that sets us free but we receive commentaries and slogans and we base our lives on them !
1. What Grace Is?
People think Grace makes a man weak and lazy. Grace cheapens what God has done on the cross. First and foremost, grace is not a theology but its the person of Jesus Christ. We have grace because Sin has been judged and condemned. The requirements of the law to give us righteousness came at a price. That price is Jesus Christ - God's only Son on who bore our sins upon Himself because love for us drove Him there...We have grace, because of Jesus Christ. Grace is God's attitude towards us (Jer 29:11)
2. The Law is Not Bad, It Has a Purpose
God set the LAW as a standard as a tutor (Gal 3:24-25). The Law does not cancel out grace because that was not its intended purpose. Grace does not cancel out the Law either. The purpose of the Law is to "confine us all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe" (Gal 3:22). After faith had come, we are no longer under a tutor (Gal 3:25). Without the Law-which is God given- we won't know our need for a Saviour. Without knowing we trangress God and having no way to have life in it, we won't wake up from our drunken stupor ...drunk with sin and rebellion. Without the leanness in our hearts, we won't cry out for WATER !...LIVING WATER !
3. WHAT IS SIN ?
Sin (Rom 1:28) basically is creation rejecting the creator and the creation wanting to play Creator. Man wanting to be god or like god ! Which can never be.
4. MORE GLORIOUS
Without Christ, we are condemned and guilt ridden. Without any way to change and transform. Without Christ there is no possibility of man discovering hope and life again. The price of our sin is unpaid and a warrant is out for our arrests...to be paid when we die. No wonder many people fear death.
Now in knowing this, God sent His only begotten Son to pay our price. To receive our punishment in our place. To fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law. The Law brings death...but in Jesus Christ our redeemer, we have life and life abundantly. His blood that (Heb 9:22) was shed for us, is redemption magnified.
As Scripture says, when righteousness by faith comes, there's no need for a tutor anymore. Now going back to the original scripture above...if the ministry of condemnation had glory (the law), the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more (the covenant sealed by the blood of Christ). For what is passing away was glorious ( the Law), what remains is much more glorious (our salvation in Christ).
So salvation is like arriving at the interchange between judgment and redemption. In Redemption thru repentance a new form of life beckons (Gal 2:20-21)..a life lived by the laws of faith. How does faith come ? by hearing (Rom 10:17). You can only hear when you are in Christ. And in Christ...the Holy Spirit brings us forward from glory to glory. ..the ministry of grace is the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:8)..the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Heb 12:28) is governed by the laws of faith. ..sealed by the precious blood of Christ..Jesus did all this because He loved us first.
So the grace does not set aside the law..but is the fulfillment of the law..Grace is given to us in Jesus Christ...Grace is Jesus Christ personified !
God set the LAW as a standard as a tutor (Gal 3:24-25). The Law does not cancel out grace because that was not its intended purpose. Grace does not cancel out the Law either. The purpose of the Law is to "confine us all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe" (Gal 3:22). After faith had come, we are no longer under a tutor (Gal 3:25). Without the Law-which is God given- we won't know our need for a Saviour. Without knowing we trangress God and having no way to have life in it, we won't wake up from our drunken stupor ...drunk with sin and rebellion. Without the leanness in our hearts, we won't cry out for WATER !...LIVING WATER !
3. WHAT IS SIN ?
Sin (Rom 1:28) basically is creation rejecting the creator and the creation wanting to play Creator. Man wanting to be god or like god ! Which can never be.
4. MORE GLORIOUS
Without Christ, we are condemned and guilt ridden. Without any way to change and transform. Without Christ there is no possibility of man discovering hope and life again. The price of our sin is unpaid and a warrant is out for our arrests...to be paid when we die. No wonder many people fear death.
Now in knowing this, God sent His only begotten Son to pay our price. To receive our punishment in our place. To fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law. The Law brings death...but in Jesus Christ our redeemer, we have life and life abundantly. His blood that (Heb 9:22) was shed for us, is redemption magnified.
As Scripture says, when righteousness by faith comes, there's no need for a tutor anymore. Now going back to the original scripture above...if the ministry of condemnation had glory (the law), the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more (the covenant sealed by the blood of Christ). For what is passing away was glorious ( the Law), what remains is much more glorious (our salvation in Christ).
So salvation is like arriving at the interchange between judgment and redemption. In Redemption thru repentance a new form of life beckons (Gal 2:20-21)..a life lived by the laws of faith. How does faith come ? by hearing (Rom 10:17). You can only hear when you are in Christ. And in Christ...the Holy Spirit brings us forward from glory to glory. ..the ministry of grace is the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:8)..the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Heb 12:28) is governed by the laws of faith. ..sealed by the precious blood of Christ..Jesus did all this because He loved us first.
So the grace does not set aside the law..but is the fulfillment of the law..Grace is given to us in Jesus Christ...Grace is Jesus Christ personified !
With Christ in us, the leaness goes when we acknowledge and walk in Him. Lets welcome the fatness of His life and blessings into our lives. Glorious is ahead of you because Jesus is Jehovah Shammah, He is already there. So have boldness knowing there is no condemnation anymore. In the light of Christ, a prostitute who already accepted judgment and condemnation was what she would receive (John 8), found forgiveness and the turning point in her life. In the light of Christ, many have been healed, released and delivered with immediate results. Why wait anymore ? Jesus is here right now.
With this knowledge, Lets come to Christ boldly.
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