Going Against the Grain of Grace

Dear fellow leaders in Africa,
 
Greetings once again to each of you and to the congregations you serve.
 
In writing to the Thessalonians Paul notes, “they received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit” (I Thessalonians 1:6 NKJ). I know the same is true of so many of our members all over sub-Saharan Africa, from Cape Town in the south to Jos (Nigeria) in the north. Please thank all our members for their faithfulness in difficult times.
 
The Gospel continues to be preached in word and power to a troubled continent. We are all delighted that the Worldwide Church of God is doing its small but meaningful part in fulfilling the commission of Christ to make disciples of all men and women.
 
Many festivals are being held within the next month or so in various areas of the world, including Africa. Let’s make these festivals celebrations of salvation – a time to celebrate the salvation we have received from Christ through the great sacrifice He made for us.
 
Eugene Peterson’s “The Message” rendition of 1 Peter 1:18 has the apostle Peter reminding the scattered Jewish converts to Christianity of the commitment we make to Christ because of our redemption. “Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God”, he writes. Every day a personal awareness of what Jesus has done for us. “Now that you’ve cleaned up your lives by following the truth”, he continues in verse 22, “love one another as if your lives depended on it”.
 
Peter is anxious that church members don’t go back to the old ways. He says that their past belief system was like a dead end, going nowhere. The New King James translation of 1 Peter 1:18-19 explains that corruptible things like silver and gold, or in our modern thinking materialism or following any idolatrous system, did not redeem those believers of Jewish or Israelite background “from the aimless conduct received by tradition from their fathers”, but it is the precious blood of the Lamb that has bought them and us out of the slavery of the old ways.
 
Redemption is a term to do with slavery. To redeem means to buy someone out of slavery, so that he or she becomes a free person. Jesus Himself, through his sacrifice, buys our freedom from whatever belief system that holds us captive.
 
Such words would have been hard for Peter’s readers! They may not have realized they were in need of redemption from the traditions of their fathers. Peter was preaching the word to them in power in the midst of their great spiritual affliction, the legalism that they had inherited from the Old Covenant. What were the traditions? You don’t need me to spell them out to you – you know what they are. The laws, the statues, the feasts, the ceremonies, etc. Peter lumps all these things together and calls them “aimless conduct”! He should know. He was brought up in them, was redeemed from them, went back into them for the sake of keeping up appearances, and then repented and turned to the Lord upon Paul’s admonition.
 
Some false teachers tried to make believers in Gentile Galatia begin to observe the old covenant traditions. In exasperated tones Paul beseeches the members, “You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened as you no longer have the crucified Christ in clear focus in your lives”. (Galatians 3:1, The Message). Paul can hardly believe it. How could the Galatians, who had been bought out of the slavery of paganism, now put themselves back in chains to another false gospel, namely the spiritually defunct Old Covenant and all its traditions? The Holy Spirit had changed their lives and miracles of so many kinds had taken place in their midst. “…He who supplies the Spirit among you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Galatians 3:5 NKJ). They were in danger of losing the very freedom that they had received from Christ.
 
What about us? Are we in danger of losing the very freedom we have received from Christ? Spiritual slavery can seem so attractive. Health and wealth gospels, deliverance ministries, Old Covenant legalism, New Covenant legalism (which goes against the grain of grace) – they can seem comforting and appealing. But don’t go there, to any of those things. Hold fast in the freedom that Jesus has bought for us at great price – his own life.
 
Yours, in Christ’s service,
 
James R Henderson,
Superintendent of African Mission.
 
Bibliography:
The Holy Bible, New King James version, published in various editions by Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, USA.
Eugene Peterson’s “The Message//Remix: the Bible in contemporary language”,2003, published by the Navpress Publishing Group, USA.
 

Previous Thought of the Month:

‘Shepherding the flock’