ACTIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH GOD PART 2

Hello, I will love to assume you have read Galatians 3. This is a basic study of the remaining verses and other bible passages will come in for better understanding.

One way we can neglect the gift of God which he promised and he has kept this promise is when we choose to live by the law. One reason to decide to live by the law is unbelief in the gift of Christ to us, unbelief in the gift of righteousness by faith and rather believing righteousness comes by works. Ephesians 2:8-10a says for by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. One thing about believing your works justifies you is that when you make mistakes, you begin to work so hard with the aim of pleasing God to erase them and then you unconsciously are blinded and can’t see that Christ paid the entire debt (past, present and future). After trying to justify yourself by your works, you realize that’s it’s not enough and then you can’t forgive yourself because you feel you’ve not been forgiven when the truth is that you’ve been forgiven already! When you can’t forgive yourself, the process continues and then you begin to feel unworthy to come before God’s presence and then you live miserably. If you read the book of Leviticus, you will realize how much effort, detail and time where made to sacrifice different animals to cleanse man. As decribed in Leviticus, with all the sacrifices done (not performed just anyhow, but very detailed and carried out with so much instructions). I was wondering "and this was never enough?". The best of the animals were sacrificed. The rules and regulations put in place for living were highly selected and man was punished for even the slightest mistake made.

 The law was given by God through Moses as a result of man’s transgressions. Hebrews 10 vs 1 ''The law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near’’. Verse 3 of this same chapter goes on to say that this sacrifices were an annual reminder of sins. Hebrews 7 vs 18-19 says ’’The former regulation was set aside because it was weak and useless. Verse 19 says ‘’for the law made nothing perfect, and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God’’.

From all this bible passages, it is evident that God knew man couldn’t save himself by his works. The sacrifices of animals couldn’t perfectly and permanently save man either. He knew that only him(God) was perfect enough to save man once and for all(what manner of love). Read John 1 vs 1 and verse 14.  Hebrews 1 vs 3a  says ‘’The son is the radiance of God’s Glory and the exact representation of his being.’’  Christ is God that came in our form to die for our sins. Hebrews 10 vs 10 ‘’And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE for ALL’’.  Verse 14 of Hebrews 10 goes on to say "For by one sacrifice he has made perfect FOREVER those who are being made holy’’. Unlike the annual sacrifices a perfect one was offered once and for all to perfectly and permanently cleanse us. 

Someone may now ask "Does it mean a believer should go on sinning because his sins have been covered for?’’ Romans 10 vs 17 says ‘’Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ’’. For one to have believed, they must have heard the message, had an understanding of the person of Christ and of his finished works. They should know they have a new nature, the sinful nature is gone. Once, a person receives Christ, he receives the Spirit of God that quickens him unto righteousness and he must yield to God's spirit. Hebrews 10 vs 16 says the laws of God will be put in our heart and written in our hearts. Before, this righteousness was being seek for but now it is what you are. The bible calls us the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. With this revelation, a believer can’t be a sinner because his/her name and status has been changed. Sinning is no longer your nature. God doesn’t know you any longer as a sinner, he sees you in Christ’s covering, he sees you as perfection because an exchange has been made and old things are passed away.

Another person may ask ‘’What do you then do when you find yourself doing what a righteous person should not do?’’. First of all, it’s important to fully understand that Christ has paid the price for your sins that even when you make mistakes, you understand that you can’t perform any more sacrifices because you were cleansed once and for all and you remain clean. You should understand that your cleansing was in Christ and only him can help you. Hence, look up to Christ. The spirit of God is always willing to guide us and it’s important to yield to God’s spirit at work in you. Be willing to his spirit and soon you will only hear the voice of God. The spirit of God reminds you of your nature when you are going out of line (note that he doesn’t condemn you but he disapproves). The word of God is more than efficient to renew our minds and when our minds are renewed, our thinking is renewed and then our actions. Meditate on, study and proclaim the word over your life. The word of God doesn’t go unaccomplished.
When one recently accepts Christ into their lives, they are righteous but coming into the full knowledge of who you are and what you have in Christ is a process that you must be committed to, majorly by studying the word of God. Proverbs 4 verse 18 says'' The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day''.

Finally, trust in the finish works of Christ. Understand what your nature is all about and know that God doesn’t see you as a sinner regardless and that the righteousness of God is at work in you.

Verse 27 of Galatians 3 says that we are being baptized into Christ, it means we are being initiated into the totality of Christ. Being seen as Christ, there is no more differentiation regardless of race, tribe or gender. We all are joint and equal heirs with Christ in the kingdom

The purpose of this is to help you understand what Christ has done so you can willingly accept a relationship and partnership with God. God bless you!