Beyond Belief

I was talking to a friend yesterday about my inability so far to write a testimonial tract to give out. He suggested I simply start with the sentence, "Here's what I believe," and go from there. I liked the idea, but after some thought felt it should be more, "Here's what I know." While a lot of people always say to me, "Well, that's what you believe," it's not about what I believe--it's what the Bible says.

If I could tell people one thing I've learned from attending a Bible church and studying the Bible, it's that all of us today -- Jews and Gentiles are to follow the distinctive ministry of the Apostle Paul, given to him by Jesus Christ after Christ's death and resurrection.

As Paul testifies in Galatians 1: 11-12: "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." In Romans 11:13, Paul writes, "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office."

In Galatians 3:28, he explains, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

What many Christians fail to realize is that Jesus Christ's earthly ministry, laid out in the Four Gospels, was aimed at Jews alone. Matthew 10: 5-7 says, "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Everything you can think of regarding the Law -- from tithing to abiding by the Sabbath day and confessing sins -- fits into a past time period. Paul tells us that until the Rapture and resumption of the Law, we live in the Dispensation of Grace. "For ye are not under the law, but under grace," Paul explains in Romans 6:14.

Believers are not to do good works expecting a blessing. They already have the blessing by the sheer fact they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, knowing He died to pay for all our sins -- past, present and future.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ," says Paul in Ephesians 1:3.