LLM Question for 1-1-2012, and, THE LLM STUDY OF THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS, CHAPTER 3, PART 2 of 3

May this New Year Be Blessed for You in the LORD!

Now, whether or not you decide to address your shortcomings with a New Year’s Day resolution is up to you. But when these resolutions fail, we tend to put off addressing the problem again until NEXT New Year’s Day!

A much better solution is found in the use of the word...HENCEFORTH, used by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul. It is far better to encourage the people of God to take a moment and reflect when they see a HENCEFORTH and ask, WHENCEFORTH? The answer to WHENCEFORTH should not be limited to the first day of the New Year, but rather every time you read a HENCEFORTH verse. Then when we read the Words of the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul, “henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk” (Ephesians 4:17), and “henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6), we should renew our determination to obey these admonitions with EVERY reading of such verses. Remember, “He died for all, that they which live should not HENCEFORTH live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15).

And Here is the First Question of 2012: The great purpose of The Law of Moses was to show the sinner just how great a sinner he was. True or False?

Please take a moment to respond at the LLM Question of the Day

And now the answer to the LLM Question of 12-29-2011

Question: No prayer, no agonizing, no religious struggle is required on the part of the BELIEVER in Christ to receive the Holy Spirit. True or False?

Answer: TRUE! By BELIEVING God, the sinner, justified without the law, not only receives eternal life as a free gift but he receives the Holy Spirit, immediately, as God’s free gift! Now, out of the 734 responses we received to this question, 90.3% of you got it right. Praise the LORD! Therefore, now, let us take a look at…

THE LLM STUDY OF THE EPISTLE TO THE GALATIANS, CHAPTER 3, PART 2 of 3

When Christ died on the cross He broke down the middle-wall of parti­tion between the Jew and the Gentile. However, the revelation of this fact was NOT given to the Twelve Apostles, in the early chapters of Acts. This we may learn by reading Acts 10:28, which we quote, “And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another na­tion; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” God nailed the law of com­mandments to the cross and took it out of the way. Colossians 2:13-14.

Now we quote Galatians 3:13-14

“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: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith.”

In the study of the Bible we observe the four-fold curse, The curse when sin entered by Adam; The curse suggested in Galatians 3:10, which is the curse of everyone under the law. Then in Matthew 25:41 we read these words, “then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” But there is another curse which we have quoted in Galatians 3:13, “Christ was made a curse on the cross.” That delivered Israel from the curse of the law. What did it do for the Gen­tile?

By the death and resurrection of Christ, the blessing of Abram, the un­circumcised Gentile, came upon all Gen­tiles through Jesus Christ, namely, righteousness without works or religion.

Compare Galatians 3:14 with Romans 4:22-25, which we quote, “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith”, and “And therefore it was imputed to him for righteous­ness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our LORD from the dead; Who was delivered for our offen­ces, and was raised again for our justi­fication.”

Also by believing God, the sinner, justified without the law, not only re­ceives eternal life as a free gift but he receives the Holy Spirit as God’s free gift!!! No prayer, no agonizing, no religious struggle is required on the part of the believer to receive the Holy Spirit. Think of the disgraceful con­duct of some in their unscriptural methods. You know who you are.

In Galatians 3:16 we have the truth which is also found in Hebrews 2:16, which we quote, “For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abra­ham.” There are some Christians who object to applying the term “seed of Abraham” to members of the Body of Christ. Gentile members of the Body of Christ are in no way the physical seed of “Abraham.” They are the spiritual seed of “Abram,” which is quite another matter. Some insist that Gentile members of the Body of Christ have nothing to do with anything that is Israelitish, and nothing to do with any covenant that God made with Is­rael.

While it is true that both the Old and the New Covenants have to do with God’s dealings with Israel, it is also true that the Christ, by whose shed blood we are saved, is called, in Romans 9:5, an Israelite. He died as the seed of Abraham and the seed of David. Even the Apostle Paul, in his Gospel, in connection with “the Mystery,” wrote these words in his last Epistle, 2 Timothy 2:8, “Re­member that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead ac­cording to my Gospel.”

Now let us quote this very important verse, Galatians 3:19

“WHEREFORE THEN SERVETH THE LAW? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”

“THE LAW WAS ADDED TILL.” It was added to the Gospel, mentioned in Galatians 3:8, UNTIL Jesus Christ, on the cross, abolished it. 2 Cor. 3:9-16. Surely we have here the answer to the legalistic teaching of the Seventh Day Adventists and others. There is a great difference between the Law that has been abolished and the new law that has been established and which abides, namely, “the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus”. Romans 8:2; Hebrews 7:11-12. This law enables us to walk in the Spirit and fulfill the righteousness of the law. Romans 8:4. The sum total of the spiritual life of man is to appropriate, to demonstrate, and to propagate “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”

Nothing has brought more distraction, discomfort and doubt in the hearts of believers than the lack of understanding of the believer’s relation to the Law of Sinai.

“Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” Acts 16:31, while there is still time!

So There You Have it!

Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide. The time is short

Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.

In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry

Pastor David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

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