Bob Josey - Thriving in Jesus  - Lesson 4A- Routine Maintenance- Oct 10, 2021

Thriving in Jesus

4A – Routine Maintenance 

Introduction

Everyone who owns a home or an automobile knows that routine maintenance is required during the warranty period and highly suggested when the warranty period ends. We all know that routine maintenance, sometimes called preventative maintenance, on homes and automobiles is the key to the longevity but also to keep expensive repairs to a minimum. We know that even with routine maintenance that expensive repairs can occur. Does anyone have a short illustration where not doing routine maintenance on your home or automobile ended up costing you big bucks to repair. 

When I was director of vocational programs in the 70’s and early 80’s in a school district in Mississippi, we offered a special course once a year at night that was taught by our auto mechanic teacher. This course was designed to teach women about things like how to read the maintenance schedule in their automobile manual, how to check fluids in their automobile, how to check air pressure in tires, how to change a tire, how to read the gauges in their automobile, how to change windshield wipers etc. This was a very successful course that was in high demand because the woman wanted to know how to maintain their automobile. 

For anyone who is married or has been married knows that routine maintenance on a personal relationship with a spouse is not only important but also challenging at times. Routine maintenance with family members such as children, parents, in laws, outlaws, etc., and even personal friends is also important but can be very challenging at times as well.  

Chapter 4 in Rightly Related deals with the important subject of routine maintenance with God. Once we are saved by grace through faith, is when our journey with God in developing and maintaining a personal relationship begins. Routine maintenance is not only required but can be time consuming and humbling. If routine maintenance with God is neglected, there are consequences just like there are consequences of not doing routine maintenance on an automobile and home. Not doing routine maintenance with our relationship with God can also be expensive, but it is usually not in the monetary area.  So, today we are going to begin to explore and discuss some of the challenges of not doing routine maintenance on our relationship with God, In our next lesson we will discuss how to repair our relationship with God if fellowship with Him is broken. 

Our lesson today and next week will a discussion of the questions I sent to you through an email.

1.  Which one of the Ten Commandments does not apply to the believer in Jesus today?  

This is really a trick question. Actually, none of the Ten Commandments, or any of the Laws Moses apply to the believer in Jesus today. Skeptical? Let’s see what Scripture says about the Ten Commandments being applicable to believers in Jesus today. Let me say this up front. There are many prophecies in the Old Testament about the Tribulation Period, the Second Coming of Jesus, and the Messianic Kingdom that have not been fulfilled. Should we study all the Old Testament? Yes, indeed, but the point I will demonstrate through Scripture that we as believers are not under the authority of the Mosiac Law. So, if we are not under the authority of the Law what authority are we under, if any? We are under the authority of the New Covenant that was ratified by Jesus’ blood on the Cross. 

The Ten Commandments were given as part of the Mosaic Law. It’s really an outline of everything in the Law of Moses.  Take the Sabbath for example. Under the heading of the Sabbath is a list of other commandants that explain exactly how to keep the Sabbath. The Law of Moses was given as a unit to the nation of Israel not the church. James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” The point is clear. A person who breaks even one of the 613 commandments is guilty of breaking all of the Law of Moses. This can only be true if the Mosaic Law is a unit and if we are under the authority of the Law of Moses.

The Sabbath begins at Sundown Friday evening and ends at Sundown on Saturday evening. So, everybody who keeps the Sabbath raise their hand. There is no such thing as a Christian Sabbath for all believers. 

The Law of Moses was rendered inoperative with the death of Christ as seen in Romans 10:4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. The word end means end of a duration, end, termination, cessation. 

Galatians 3:19 verifies this. “Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.” Jesus, the seed, made the Law inoperative at His death and that includes the ten commandments. 

Hebrews 7:12 tell us that “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.” When Jesus ratified the New Covenant by His blood, He became He became the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. The Priesthood after the order of the Levites had been replaced. 

Galatians 3:24-26 give us further insight into the Law of Moses. 

24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor until Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

You are thinking to yourselves that if we are not under the authority of the Mosiac Law how about the command concerning murder, stealing, honoring our mothers and fathers, not using the LORD’s name in vain, etc. Let me give you an example. If General Motors bought the Ford plant in Hapeville, the employees would be under a new agreement or contract. Some things in the contract would be the same as the one with Ford, but some things would change. A person may work the same hours from 8 AM to 4:30 PM with 30 minutes for lunch and do the same job except making GM cars not Ford cars. However, the health insurance company would change, the benefits and the retirement system would change, etc. 

When the New Covenant was ratified and came into existence by the blood of Jesus, the Old Mosiac Convent became inoperative. Some things stayed the same and some things changed. The day of worship changed from the Sabbath to any day of the week. Most believers worship on Sunday because it is the day Jesus was resurrected and because of tradition. We are no longer under the Kosher laws and under the sacrificial system. All of the Ten Commandments were restated and placed in the New Covenant except for the Sabbath. So, what is said about a day of worship since the Sabbath is not part of the New Covenant? 

Colossians 2:16-17, “Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.”

Paul in Romans has something else to say about the day of worship for believers in Jesus. 

Romans 14:5-6 “One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.”

We are not only not under the Sabbath Laws, but we are also not under the Kosher Laws.

Galatians 3:10-14 – 

10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.”

11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”

12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.”

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—

14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The bottom line is that we are not under the authority of the Ten Commandments because the Ten Commandments are part of the Mosiac Law. Gentiles have never been under the under the authority of the Mosaic Law because it was given to the people of Isarel not the people of the church. Also, the Mosiac Law became inactive and inoperative when Jesus ratified the New Covenant by the shedding of His blood. Believers in Jesus are under the authority of the New Covenant that has a better Sacrifice, better promises, and a better High Priest. 

Questions and Comments 

Application 

When you read and study the Old Testament, you cannot pick and choose things you want to keep and obey and things you do not want to keep and obey. You are either responsible for all of it or none of it. If you are a believer in Jesus then you are not under the authority of the Law of Moses. You are under the authority of the New Covenant. Don’t mix Law and Grace. 1 Corinthians 10:6 gives us some insight on how to treat the Old Testament, “Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.” 

Also 1 Corinthians 10:11 says, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

There are many lessons in the Old Testament for us to learn. Keep in mind that the promises in the Old Testament were made to Isarel not the church. 

So, if we are not under the authority of the Mosiac or the Old Testament what do we do with it? Do we abandon reading it or studying it. Absolutely not, because it is inspired Scripture and has many lessons to teach us. We call these lessons principles. 

Let me give you a principle concerning the Sabbath. We have established that the Sabbath was given to Israel not to the church or to the Gentiles. Therefore, we have no obligation to obey the Sabbath Laws. My first semester in seminary I studied seven days a week. During our last chapel, the speaker spoke about a principle that comes from the Sabbath. He also concluded we are not under any obligation to keep the Sabbath laws; however, God has designed the body to work six days and use the seventh day to revitalize and replenish the body, mind, and spirit. For 3½ years I took one day off a week to rejuvenate and refresh may body, should, and mind. I got just as much and maybe more accomplished in 6 days that I had originally done in seven days. 

If you are going to thrive in Jesus, it will not be through keeping any of the Laws of Moses nor will it be through mixing Law and grace. It will only be through being obedient to the teachings of the New Covenant.

Questions and Comments

During our next lesion, we will pick up with question 2.