Posted February 14, 2024

Across the nation, we acknowledge Black History and celebrate Love during February. History anchors facts, anchors battles won, anchors your rightful place, records accomplishments as well as hardships. When others try to restrict and remove history, try to change and manipulate it, try to “cancel” it to make you forget who you are (and Who’s you are!), Shame on them. 

What about those who look like Us, in the church, intentionally or unintentionally putting “conditions” on acceptable behavior? Leaning toward our comfort zone and what we have been “fed” down through the years? While there is nothing more important in life than making sure we All know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, what about when we who forget the Great Commission says to make disciples of All nations, when we forget what the Word says concerning the Commandment to Love? For that, Shame on us.

In the Book of Romans, the Apostle Paul, who is fully “sold out” to the Gospel of the Grace of Jesus Christ, can be found speaking to the Jewish people in Rome about their intolerance of Gentiles, taking them back to the history of their ancestor Abraham (TD Jakes, "Potent Faith"). The Jews have created cancel culture, a false holiness concerning themselves. They have become blind to the history that their ancestor Abraham - who did not question a request to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:10-12) - was himself one of these very people they now have nothing to do with. Paul reminded these “salty” followers of the Law they were "called" out of a Gentile whom God chose to be the Father of all nations (Genesis 12-17). They found it incredible to believe Paul is telling them that these “uncircumcised dogs” have the same access to God as they who follow the Law. Paul reminds them that Abraham received the Covenant of Promise BEFORE he was instructed about circumcision. Abraham received the Promise by Faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s seed—not only to those who follow the Law but also to those who have the Faith of Abraham. He is the Father of us all. (Romans 4:16). Righteousness is not by the Law of Moses or through lifestyle or actions. Righteousness is by Faith, in Jesus Christ and His finished work, unto ALL that believe” (Romans 3:22).

Satan, the enemy of our soul, knows that our Faith is "far more precious to God than mere gold (1 Peter 1:7). He knows that God praises our Faith: “No Greater Faith have I seen (Luke 7:9)....Daughter, your Faith has made you whole (Matthew 9:22). Satan is out to steal it, to kill it, to destroy it. Paul preaches to the Jews it is Faith, not behavior, that is credited to us as righteousness. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that Whosoever Believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 ). Paul's case to the Jews and the Gentiles in Rome is that, by Faith, no one is disqualified to come to Jesus. That’s Love.

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