Tuesday, March 25, 2014

STAND STAND FAST AND STEADFAST -Pastor J. C. O;Hair



STAND STAND FAST AND STEADFAST 
Pastor  J. C. O;Hair

Let us compare Galatians 5:1 and I Corinthians 15:58: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

“Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

It is obvious that a person must first have liberty before that person can stand fast in that liberty. Believers have liberty because they are in Christ, and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1 and 2).

Christ said, in John 8:36; “Whom the Son sets free shall be free indeed”. Then we read in Romans 6:18 and Romans 7:6, “Being made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness.” “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held: that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”Liberty in Christ Jesus, by the grace of God.

So we learn that Christians are delivered from the law of sin and death, from sin and from the law given at Sinai; by the work of Christ - (Romans 8:2 and 3).

The Gentiles, throughout Galatia, as sinners, had not been under the law. But many of them, who were saved by Paul’s grace gospel, were bewitched by zealous religious Jews described in Acts 15:9 and 5, who taught the Gentile Christians . . . “Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”

Paul called these bewitched Gentile Christians, “foolish Galatians”, (Galatians 3:1 to 4). Even Peter the minister of the circumcision, said . . . “why tempt ye God, to put a yoke (the law) upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” (Acts 15:10).

Note Paul’s words to those Gentile Christians who went back from Calvary to Sinai: “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Galatians 5:4).

Paul wrote in Romans 5:2 of this grace wherein we stand. He pled with the Galatians not to make the vain attempt to supplement the grace of God or make their salvation more secure by getting under the law.

Note Paul’s words in Galatians 2:21: “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” In Romans 6:14 Paul wrote: “Ye are not under the law but under grace.”

Christ had suffered intense agony to deliver all who were under the law (Galatians 3:13) and to give liberty to believing Jews and Gentiles.

So Paul urged the Christians not to be entangled with the yoke of bondage but to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath set them free.

Now compare Romans 4:5 with I Corinthians 15:58: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth, on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” 

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Now read I Corinthians 3:11 to 15 and learn that it is possible to be saved so as by fire without works that will be rewarded. The thief on the cross was saved, but he had no good works for reward. But if we build on Christ the foundation our works will abide; will be wellpleasing to God and will be richly rewarded. (Read Colossians 3:15 to ).

(A 10 Minute Video)


    Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
https://www.facebook.com/cecil.spivey



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