Hebrews 9:14, he offered himself without spot to God, it was voluntary, it was an act of love, it was the most generous payment ever made and there is one more detail in that verse, Christ offered himself through the eternal spirit. This is one of the only places in the entire New Testament that explicitly connects the Holy Spirit to the act of the crucifixion, Jesus Christ did not die as a helpless victim overtaken by circumstances, the Spirit of God was actively involved in the offering, the cross was a moment of Divine coordination between Father, Son and Spirit.
Galatians 5:6, real faith is not static, it moves, it acts, but the motivation is different. Under the law, you loved your neighbor, because you were afraid of being punished if you didn’t. Under grace, you love your neighbor, because you are so overwhelmed by God’s love for you, that it overflows. The action might look the same on the outside, but the heart condition is completely different, Paul is baffled by how quickly the Galatians turned away from this truth, Galatians 5:7. The Christian life is a marathon, the Galatians were running well, they were focused on Jesus, but legalism cut in on them.
Bad theology, it stops your spiritual progress, Paul warns the Galatians about how subtle this deception is, Galatians 5:8-9. If you have ever baked bread, you know you do not need much yeast, a tiny pinch will eventually cause the entire bowl of dough to rise. False teaching is the same, you do not need to reject Jesus completely to destroy a church, you just need to add a little bit of legalism, add a few man-made rules. Give lies enough time and they will infect everything, they will turn a joyful community of believers into a judgmental club of rule keepers. Galatians 5:12, Paul feels so strongly about this, that he uses graphic language, he basically says he wishes they would go even further and cut themselves off, that is how serious he is. Paul wants the source of this legalism cut off completely, because it is destroying the souls of his friends.
Sin costs life and the only blood valuable enough to pay for every human soul was Jesus Christ’s blood. Hebrews 9:22, almost, not all things, almost all things. there were exceptions in the law where purification could occur without blood, a person too poor to afford an animal, could offer flour instead. Certain purifications used water or fire, the author of Hebrews knows this and he says, almost on purpose, because God’s word does not exaggerate, it does not round up, it says exactly what it means. The Bible, it is careful with its claims and if scripture is that precise, you can trust it when it makes its larger claims about blood, forgiveness and the cross.
Galatians 5:6, real faith is not static, it moves, it acts, but the motivation is different. Under the law, you loved your neighbor, because you were afraid of being punished if you didn’t. Under grace, you love your neighbor, because you are so overwhelmed by God’s love for you, that it overflows. The action might look the same on the outside, but the heart condition is completely different, Paul is baffled by how quickly the Galatians turned away from this truth, Galatians 5:7. The Christian life is a marathon, the Galatians were running well, they were focused on Jesus, but legalism cut in on them.
Bad theology, it stops your spiritual progress, Paul warns the Galatians about how subtle this deception is, Galatians 5:8-9. If you have ever baked bread, you know you do not need much yeast, a tiny pinch will eventually cause the entire bowl of dough to rise. False teaching is the same, you do not need to reject Jesus completely to destroy a church, you just need to add a little bit of legalism, add a few man-made rules. Give lies enough time and they will infect everything, they will turn a joyful community of believers into a judgmental club of rule keepers. Galatians 5:12, Paul feels so strongly about this, that he uses graphic language, he basically says he wishes they would go even further and cut themselves off, that is how serious he is. Paul wants the source of this legalism cut off completely, because it is destroying the souls of his friends.
Sin costs life and the only blood valuable enough to pay for every human soul was Jesus Christ’s blood. Hebrews 9:22, almost, not all things, almost all things. there were exceptions in the law where purification could occur without blood, a person too poor to afford an animal, could offer flour instead. Certain purifications used water or fire, the author of Hebrews knows this and he says, almost on purpose, because God’s word does not exaggerate, it does not round up, it says exactly what it means. The Bible, it is careful with its claims and if scripture is that precise, you can trust it when it makes its larger claims about blood, forgiveness and the cross.