As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,…so is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:9-11.

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. 2 Timothy 2:24.

For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. Galatians 5:5.

And continuing our 351 Old Testament prophecies, promises of God, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we come to number 86: They parted His garments. Psalm 22:18: They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. And, John 19:23-24: Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”

Yesterday in the sermon we read Galatians 5:6-15: For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. The Galatians were being told that faith in Jesus was not enough. The law of circumcision still stood. Can we understand how radical that must have sounded? No circumcision, food laws changed, love your enemies, and former pagans, “sinners all” are now gifted with the Holy Spirit as they believe in Jesus. It’s easy to see why they would have turned back to millenia of traditions bound firmly in 613 laws. Paul needed to bring correction because it was all so new. What today is our “circumcision” we stand upon? Paul told them, If you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you…For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. Can we see today how much harder it is to love and trust Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit? No wonder they fell back on rules and judging – and so do we! For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. We were reminded in the sermon of the deeds of the flesh which Paul also listed here: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing and things like these. I’m not trying to redo the sermon we heard but to share the impact it had upon me. We are living in times of discord, enmity, judging and intolerance that seem heightened and expanded on social media. And it’s spilling into my own heart! This verse spoke to me: But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. And, that we are not then ourselves consumed by the biting and devouring we ourselves do in our own hearts toward others we perceive as “enemies” just because they are breaking “laws” we find as immutable as the law of circumcision. It feels like hate and enmity are being bred in this world, and I am participating in all of it when I share it on social media. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything – but – faith working through love. When we look to God and His love, how can we not see how different that is from all that is harmful in our fallen world? And as we draw near to Him – as we must – He helps us see what we cannot see without Him. We need correction just as surely as did the brethren in Galatia and as surely as we all have needed in every age of mankind. The difference is that God doesn’t bite and devour us. He is patient and kind as He shows us the better way in His love for us and for His children everywhere. His love is like the freshest air sweeping in bringing refreshing and hope and we begin to see all that is possible in His good will for us. Things so needed that our biting and devouring one another for cause, no matter how immutable we think them to be, will never accomplish. But there is hope only God can bring, and He brings it! For we through the Spirit – by faith – are waiting for the hope of righteousness! And He is able! And He begins where He must – in our own hearts and minds turned to Him.

***FATHER, HEAR MY PRAYER Father, hear my prayer; I lift my voice to heaven. To my God and King, my heart and soul I bring, knowing that it cost Your Son upon the cross. Thank You for Your grace, Your mercy rich in blessing, the hope of heaven above, on earth the brothers’ love, forgiveness that endures, the blood that makes me pure. Help me lift my cross and follow You this day, proclaim Your kingdom come, lead men unto Your Son, until this world is won – O LORD, lead me on. Lead me not into temptation but fill my heart with firm resolve to proclaim this great salvation and live life worthy of Your call. Father, hear my prayer: I kneel in faith before You, confident of grace to finish out my race – to wear the victor’s crown. O LORD, lead me on. Amen. Ron Sawhill (Athens, Georgia), personal prayer, 2020.***