Day 9 – For freedom
Dear Friend,
The Day of Atonement is about to begin—in just a few hours from now! As it comes, I believe it will usher in a new season of God’s favor, mercy, and presence as we respond to His instruction by faith!
This was the commanded time when the High Priest of Israel entered the Most Holy Place to symbolically sprinkle the blood of a spotless lamb on the Ark of the Covenant’s
Mercy Seat before the presence of the Lord in atonement for God’s people.
Atonement: To take what is separated and to bring it together AT-ONE place again. AT-ONE-MENT.
That’s why we celebrate the Ultimate High Priest and the spotless Lamb – this Lord Jesus Christ – in this Atonement season of Tabernacles. He shed His own blood on that cruel, angry, biting beam to rescue and redeem us, wash us clean of our sin, and give us God’s eternal promise that He will abide with us.
What a good Father! And what a reason to celebrate! Come before Him to honor Him for what He has done for us! After all, we could never have achieved salvation, much less unity for eternity with God by our own means.
But that was exactly the soul-killing leaven faced by the church at Galatia. They denied the instrumental role of God’s grace in their eternal hope, and replaced it with what the Apostle Paul calls,
“a different gospel, which is not a gospel” at all (Galatians 1:6-7).
The congregation of the church at Galatia was a mixture of Gentiles and converted Jews. Many converts still kept the Mosaic Law. They insisted on the legalistic requirements – such as circumcision – as necessary components of inclusion in the family of God, even after the apostles had dealt with those matters.
Paul revealed these “false brethren” were stirring up division solely for the purpose of keeping true believers in bondage under the law in order to pacify the Jews and keep them from opposing their congregation so violently. Paul exposed their motives — to avoid suffering persecution — for the cross of Christ (Galatians 6:12).
His direct and powerful rebuke of the leaven of the Galatians stated that anyone who chooses to follow the law, rather than live under God’s grace through faith in Christ, is bound to follow the law in its entirety, denying themselves the freedom granted to us on the cross.
In Galatians 5:1, it is clear,
“For freedom, Christ freed us. Stand fast therefore and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” It is impossible for men to follow the law apart from the Holy Spirit. That is one of the reasons Christ came to save us and fill us with His Spirit!
Beware the leaven of the Galatians! Your Bible still declares,
“By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
We cannot earn it and we cannot deserve it. But God, in His love, calls us to freely receive it by faith. Give God glory today for the atoning work of Christ, our Redeemer, who saved us all by Himself. And join me in honoring the Lamb of God in this holy season.
The Day of Atonement – the holiest day of the entire year – begins at SUNDOWN TONIGHT!
I urge you to send me your prayer needs right now – do not wait! I want to believe God with you for your miracle and the 7 mighty blessings of Atonement. If you have not already done so, make sure you bring your Atonement Offering before the Lord as He commands (Deuteronomy 16:16). Your seed-faith gift will help keep this vital voice for the Gospel strong.
Yours for the harvest,
Pastor Rod Parsley
