Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, special ones.

Becki should be coming out the front door any minute…as we agreed to do a walk/jog about now. It’s sure a pretty picture out this window…except for all my clutter. It’s like every square inch of this property cries for my attention.

I didn’t get any farther with my work list yesterday than the Teen Challenge graphics applied to their two vehicles. That consumed 7 hours to apply it all. Didn’t return home till about 8pm.

Lots on my plate today. Blessings on your plate.

Love, Dad/Ray.

If we agree with Biblical revelation that there are two, and only two, spiritual kingdoms—and that these two are in perpetual conflict and competition over the souls of men, we will not be surprised at the schemes and strategies of evil to obscure or neutralize God’s plan for salvation. All such strategies are diabolical and in the same camp with witchcraft and black magic. Neutralization (to render ineffective) of the Gospel was the clear objective (at least it was clear to Paul) of the enemy kingdom in regards to the Galatian believers who were converted under Paul’s earlier evangelistic efforts. The tools of influence being used against their faith are some so-called Jewish Christians who turn up to teach that receiving Christ in faith is not enough—they must also practice all the laws handed down from Moses. For this reason these teachers were called “Judaizers.” And for this reason, Paul was very ticked off.

You and I will do well to brace ourselves from any similar attacks and influences that would reduce our faith to so many rules. That is simply the religious treadmill all over again—a lot of superficial activity without accomplishing victory over sin from within. It’s about as effective as reaching real destinations on a rocking horse, as compared with a real horse—lots of activity and motion, but it doesn’t go anywhere. You can be sure that Satan is not at all alarmed with this kind of faith. Indeed, it is one of his favorite objectives. It’s good for us to be reminded too. We are born of the Spirit and saved (changed on the inside) not because we do righteousness (THIS IS THE LIE), but we do righteousness because we are born of the Spirit and saved (THIS IS THE TRUTH). To put it another way, who and what you are is not determined by what you do, but what you do is determined by who and what you are. Paul’s fierce argument is that religious legalistic bondage to the Law of Moses not only weakens the Gospel, it actually repudiates it.