"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."Part of the Church is setting her heart on things below instead of on things above. Part of her is trying to please God and attain His favor by encouraging Jews to be planted in their land (miry clay) instead of being on the Rock (who is above, not below).
- Colossians 3:1-4
"Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother."The Church, Israel, and all nations are called out of the "miry clay" of perishable earthly inheritances, because God has given us "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade... kept in heaven" (1 Peter 1:4).
- Galatians 4:25-26
None of us can afford to try and put our hearts in both earthly treasures and heavenly treasures. Israel can't afford to have both feet planted in the mud instead of heaven. And the Church can't afford to keep even one hand in the miry clay, but must wholly rest on the Rock, and call others to the same Rock. Calling people to "land" is calling them to mire, not to Christ in heaven. The path to heaven for Israel—both now and in the end days—is faith in Christ alone, and does not detour through securing a certain strip of land in the Middle East that is destined for fire like the rest of the earth. God has a much better inheritance for her.
Christians: Encourage her towards her eternal inheritance, not a fading one! Do not encourage her to forfeit her soul!
*****
See also: "Fallen From Grace"
Several years ago before I actually "left" Adventism, I left a certain SDA church because the leadership was offended by the way the Spirit manifested Himself through me at times...
ReplyDeleteShortly after leaving this church I clearly remember how the Lord spoke to me heart one morning as I was planning to "keep the Sabbath" at home by myself and said, "You're still nursing at Hagar's breast!"
I was shocked! But since I had been studying about the two covenant in Galatians 4, I knew what God was referring to, but I had not yet connected all the gospel dots.
The truth of the gospel that is so clearly portrayed in allegorical form in Galatians further propelled me to study God's Word as I studied my way out of Adventism.
After 12 years of research and prayerful study I finally published: "The Naked Truth: Exposing the Deception of Adventism".
I can be purchased on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Truth-Exposing-Deception-Adventism/dp/143926662X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1287621413&sr=1-1.