Separating the Wheat From the Tares - Part 2111

"O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy Name in all the earth! who hast set Thy glory above the heavens." (Psalms 8:1)

Jesus said, "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My Name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." (Revelation 3:8-9)

Consider this. If we were to go back to the grass roots of our faith and remove all of the Biblical foundations that form our beliefs and values, we could readily accept the false imaginations and idolatry of others (that is flaunted as truth) -- and sadly, we would not know the difference. Thankfully, for those who believe, we have gained an understanding that Jesus is the I AM -- The Way, The Truth, The Life.

Why is this important? Because the foundation has been laid -- and Christ Jesus is the chief cornerstone. Indeed, there is no other name whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) And His Name -- the precious, holy Name of Jesus is above every other name that God has given to us in the past. As David the psalmist declared, "I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy loving kindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy Name." (Psalm 138:2)

For clarity, who is the Word? As John reveals in his writings, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God ... and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory) ...." (John 1:1-14)

So, why then do many believers who have come to enjoy and experience God's freedom (at the encouragement of certain individuals) later become subject and confined to the law -- the old covenant ordinances that were of the old. To offer some insight into an answer, it could be because young Christian believers are not yet aware of what is recorded in the scriptures concerning the law, and get caught up in the religious traditions of men.

To that end, let's review this particular point.

The scriptures declare that Abraham had two sons. The first son was born of a slave girl named Hagar. The second son was born of Abraham's wife Sarah, and as such, presented as being a free woman. The child of the slave girl was born in the ordinary course of nature. However, the second son born of the free woman was the child born in fulfillment of the promise. God's promise. Of course, all of this is allegorical, for these two women represent the two covenants.

The first covenant was given from Mount Sinai and represented by Hagar. The children born thereafter, being brought up under the confines and dictates of Sinai law, are born into the bondage of slavery. The law. Note that the word Hagar in Arabia stands for Mount Sinai, and is representative of the earthly Jerusalem which like Hagar was in bondage together with her children.

Conversely, Jerusalem which is above (that beautiful city of God) is free and the mother of us all. If you are struggling here, you might want to go back to earlier blogs where the discussion focuses on the generational history of the promised Seed of the Christ. This will allow you some time to reflect and digest the scriptures before proceeding.

Remember, as you read the scriptures, living under the law was not always the case. God made them male and female - as one man and one woman - so that they could fellowship and converse freely with God.

As we move on, we know that Sarah was barren and without children. That is, until God stepped in. That is until Heaven came down so that His glory could fill our soul. Of course, God stepped in at the appointed time which is important to remember. As the Author of salvation, it was God that opened Sarah's womb. In so doing, He brought the prophetic scripture from the back burner to the front burner. The scriptures state, "Rejoice, O barren woman who never bore a child. Break into a shout of joy, you who have never known a mother's birth pangs. For she, the deserted wife shall have more children than she who lives with the husband."

Like Isaac then, the good news is that we also are children born in the fulfillment of promise. Abraham's son by Hagar may have pursued his fleshly desires, and likewise persecuted Isaac but it does not negate the fact that Isaac was the son of promise born by the power of the Spirit. The difficulty is that this understanding from the scriptures raises questions today.

Still, regardless of what people might say, the scriptures remain true. And herein, Jesus is the absolute.

So what do the scriptures state concerning this ongoing conflict? First, drive out the slave girl (Hagar the law) along with her son. The scriptures state this, not because Hagar is being condemned or discriminated against but rather because God was making it clear that neither Hagar or the offspring would share in the inheritance bequeathed to the Son born of the free woman. The child of promise into which the Seed of promise was to be lodged, and continually progressed through the generations that would follow.

As we learn from the scriptures, that promise would continue until the fullness of time in God's clock, at which time the Holy Ghost would bring His own two seeds of promise (male and female seed) together in the womb of the surrogate mother Mary. So, you see believers, that we are not the slave woman’s child. Rather, we are of the free woman.

So it is in this context that we are no longer subject to the law. The scriptures state that Christ has set us free. Therefore, stand fast in your freedom, and do not become entangled in that yoke of bondage. You are not under law. Christ has taken care of the law by burying it deep in the precious holy blood He shed. The same God who dwelt on earth as a son ... it is His sacrificial death that has made captivity captive.

Remember too, that you have been bought with a hefty price and therefore we ought to glorify God in our mortal bodies. Which, by the way has now made us members of the body of Jesus the Christ. The bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. Blood, Water, Spirit. Refresh ourselves with the assurance that you and I can walk in the glorious liberty as the sons of God. For he who has been set free by the Son of God (God Himself as a Son) has been set free for eternity. Free indeed.

Welcome to the new covenant. Stand in the offering plate.