By Ken Murrell Depew Church of Christ
Americans represent about four percent of the world’s population, while at the same time, we possess about a third of the world’s goods.
A U.N. report indicates that 5.2 billion people, living in 101 developing countries, are in poverty. They have poor health, a lack of education, and low living standards. While you may not like where you live, if you have a secure roof over your head, running water, and electricity, be grateful! Most of the world lives far lower than your standard of living. Many live with dirt floors, and an outhouse, and have to fetch filthy river water for home use. That’s where other people bathe!
The Old Testament book of law, Deuteronomy, instructed the Israelites how God would bless them “if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today…if you obey the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy28:12) God had special blessings for them that were conditional upon their agreeing with Him.
It takes more than faith to be right with God! Thankfully we don’t live under that old covenant! Look at those restrictive words: “diligently obey,” “being careful to do all I command you,” and “if you obey the Lord your God.”That’s plenty of pressure! Could you do all that?
“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans7:24-25) All who have lived since the cross of Jesus Christ have a sin problem. None of us can be freed from our sins except through Jesus! Like the apostle Paul, you, too, can declare, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ.”
“Therefore, the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor, for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:23-27).
Paul wants us to know how to be free from our sins. It can’t be based on any law, because then it isn’t by faith. We are no longer under the old covenant, the law of Moses. That law was for Israel. It was God’s “tutor to lead us to Christ.”
We now live under the blessings of the new covenant. Those living under Moses’ law today cannot be freed from sin in Christ Jesus. Turn to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!