Grace

OH how I praise my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ that I am under grace!

Romans 6:14

14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

I just finished reading Leviticus participating in Bev’s Cover to Cover Chronological Reading of the Bible this year. . Leviticus is a book full of details from our Holy God on how to live a holy life. There is no way I can remember all the details.

But here are a few things that got my mind to rolling. God created man and woman. He knows what is best for each person while living on this earth. Now I’m going into the dietary laws here as that is where I am—on a diet [probably will be my whole life].

From Noah, He told us what animals are clean and which ones are unclean. Then the Lord emphasizes in Leviticus 11 what meat to eat and what meat not to eat. I find it interesting that scientific research is showing unhealthy, even carcinogenic effects of some of the unclean meats that are in our diets.

Road kill—no problem here either as it is unclean. Damaged meat.

Leviticus 11:22 22 Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. I will admit, I’ve seen my oldest son eat crickets. But I guess God said it is okay. I didn’t think so, but who am I to say no if God said yes.

Leviticus 11:29-30

29 " 'Of the animals that move about on the ground, these are unclean for you: the weasel, the rat, any kind of great lizard, 30 the gecko, the monitor lizard, the wall lizard, the skink and the chameleon. 31 Of all those that move along the ground, these are unclean for you.

Those animals are detestable to me alive, so I definitely wouldn’t want to cook and eat a dead one.

Leviticus 17 tells us it is forbidden to eat the blood of the animals. I remember as a child my mother put poultry in a bowl of salt water. For years and years, I thought that’s how one thaws out the meat. I later learned salt water draws out the blood. Then being married to a game hunter, when I prepared wild game, I soaked the meat in salt water to draw out the blood so the meat wont taste “wild.” Then I learned that the beef we purchase in stores is usually pumped up with hormones, so I also soak it in salt water prior to cooking to draw out the blood that is full of hormones. Meat just tastes much better to me that way.

So much in Leviticus that I’d never be able to remember. God taught His people how to stay clean. As a woman, I’m thankful to live in the days of disposable sanitary napkins. To be considered unclean for seven days [or more] and not to be touched by anyone or they’d be unclean. I’d feel so isolated. Besides everyone would know when it was that time of the month. No discretion in that situation.

Leviticus 18:19

" 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Jesus quoted this and recorded in Matthew 22:37-40, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'^[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'^[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." He knew His scriptures and of course obeyed them all.

He summed up the Law. Jesus came and fulfilled the law.

Matthew 5:17

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

The law was given so we’d recognize our sin and a need for a Savior. (Romans 3:19-20) I certainly recognize a need for Jesus as my Savior and grace I need in my life after reading Leviticus.

Galatians 2:15-16

15"We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' 16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Does this mean that because we have faith in Jesus Christ that we can go on sinning?

No way!

Galatians 2:17-20

17"If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

Let’s live for Christ! If we allow HIM, He will lead us by the Holy Spirit to live a life that pleases HIM and brings HIM glory!

Blessings in Christ--