Not My Fault, Still My Problem

"And the LORD spake ...When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean ... and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD for his issue" - Leviticus 15:1-2, 14-15

Yuck! Old Testament laws can be very graphic but if one believes, as the early Christians,¹ that even Old Testament law has application today, then what do these verses tell us?

They show that even unintended uncleanness is still uncleanness. Having a boil, lesion, or zit is certainly not the intention or even the fault of the individual, it's the way we all are - the human condition.

Yet it still needed cleansing and sacrifice.

We are, all, born with various problems, tendencies, and orientations. Whether our fault or not they are still unclean and need the forgiveness and cleansing of Christ.²

- fritz

^{1 - 1st Corinthians 9:9-10
2 - 1st Corinthians 6:9-12}

What's His is Mine!

For this is what the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.' - Acts 13:47

Paul took a scripture from Isaiah 49:6, clearly referring to the work of Christ, and proclaimed it was God's calling to him.

Can he do that? Sure. Can we do that? Yes.

Paul, knew that those who are joined to Christ by faith are part of Christ in actuality.¹ What belongs to us now also belongs Christ - our sins, griefs, shortcomings.² He embraced them and took them to the cross. What belongs to Christ is now ours³ - his payment for our sins, his resurrection, his fellowship with the Father, his anointing with the Holy Spirit, his seat on the throne, even his call to ministry and the work of others in Christ. He now lives his life through us (though not exclusively), and not just for our benefit, but to those He came to save.⁴

- fritz

^{1 - 1st Corinthians 6:17, Ephesians 5:30
2 - 2nd Corinthians 5:21
3 - Romans 8:32, 1st Corinthians 3:22
4 - 1st John 4:17}

Living "In the Flesh" by Faith

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20

Being "in the flesh" is not a bad thing if we mean, as the Bible periodically does, the physical body, indeed, that's why God gave us bodies in the first place.

Our individual bodies are intended for Christ's use:

"[T]he body is ... for the Lord; and the Lord for the body." - 1st Corinthians 6:13b

When we give ourselves to Christ our physical bodies become part of his, like my arm is to me.

Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. - 1st Corinthians 12:27

-fritz

Members of His Body

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." - 2nd Corinthians 5:17

Something happens when a person gives his or her life to Jesus; the Bible says a new "creature" is begun. The term "creature" literally means "formation", "building", "creation".

This is not just a euphemism for a mental change or attitude adjustment; the biblical view is that we become joined to the risen Christ in such a way that we are bodily part of him and he is bodily part of us.

Our physical bodies are not valueless. God created them with purpose and, joined with Christ, they become an expression of Himself.

Listen to how the Apostle Paul expresses it,

"Now the body is ...for the Lord; and the Lord for the body ... Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. - 1st Corinthians 6:13, 15

How would your actions change if you saw your body as actually being God's earthly representation of Christ's body?

-fritz

Jesus is not an OX

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Jesus (Matthew 11:29)

We are often given the mental image of two oxen yoked together, the experienced one helping the other. Jesus is portrayed as the experienced ox helping us pull our burdens.

Jesus' hearers had a different picture.

"Yoke", was the term for embracing God's laws; it is still used is this way, today.¹ A rabbi's yoke was his unique interpretation of the law. Each rabbi found the brightest and most able students to take his "yoke" hoping their abilities would ensure dominance. They would learn his ways, live his life, and pass it on to other worthy recipients.

Jesus picked fishermen, tax collectors, political zealots, and even poor failures to take his yoke. He knew success advancing the Kingdom depended not upon the ability of the student but the teacher.

"and such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
- 1^st Corinthians 6:11

His invitation still stands.

- fritz
1 Search Google for "Yoke of mitzvot"

Little Fingers and no Shaving Kit!

Half an hour before work and I'm standing around looking for my shaving kit!

My youngest had put it on a lower shelf; mystery solved, just one more thing of mine taken by little fingers, used, and not returned! What pushed me over the edge was discovering my favorite razor and aftershave were replaced with something inferior!

"Don't I even have a place the size of a postage stamp where I can keep my stuff?!" I sputtered at 6:30 in the morning!

I learned two important lessons that day.

Lesson One: Giving my life to Jesus also gave him all that's mine - I'm now a steward not an owner.

...ye are not your own ... ye are bought with a price.
- 1^st Corinthians 6:19b-20a

I knew this, but over time I forget, sometimes holding even the smallest things too tightly. My heavenly Father loves me enough to reveal unsubmitted pockets so I can enjoy Him fully.

The second lesson would have been missed had I not relearned the first.

My son saw his older brother take my items and go away! My littlest loved me enough to find replacements, put them in my bag, then returned it as close as he could reach, just so I would have have a good day when I woke up!

I learned that day little fingers can have big hearts and are a blessing from God and I told them (my son and my Savior) so!

- fritz