Table of Contents
Led to a Conclusion
Have you ever felt like you were being led to a conclusion on a topic? I am thankful for my memories of a teacher, Ms. Cowan, who made sure we tackled subjects from all sides. She wanted us to be critical thinkers not just re-writing what we have been taught. This has definitely helped me over the years.
Last time, I wrote about Cain and Balaam from Jude 11 in Grace Is-Living In The New Covenant. If you haven’t read it yet you will want to start there. This week, I want to continue with the questions listed in the email that was meant to lead people to a certain conclusion. The history of the rebellion of the sons of Korah was used. We can find this historical story in Numbers 16. I say these questions were meant to lead people to a certain conclusion because as I read through them I began to understand why people literally ran from us in stores and one young girl threw herself into a brick wall so as not to allow us to come close to her. These were the fruits of the conclusion brought about by this “teaching”. So much fear spread to so many people all because of this teaching (belief system) which begins with the wrong starting point. Remember starting at the right starting point helps us understand fully what is being conveyed by the writers of the letters of the New Testament.
Fully Living in the New Covenant
A few days ago, I posted a reminder that I don’t make myself holy, God makes me holy. The week prior I posted: Because I am in Christ, a curse can not alight; because it has no cause to. These truths (from scripture) are coming from the right starting point. I fully live in the New Covenant. As a believer in Christ, the Old Covenant with Moses has no hold on me at all. This is something the Jewish people of the time, who believed in the Christ, sometimes had a hard time with as we can see by the books of Hebrews and Jude. But they also could understand the meaning of what a fellow Jewish believer would tell them when they used the historical stories (scripture) from their past. Hence, the reason Jude brought up the Korah rebellion. It is imortant to remember:
When we look at this scripture with old covenant eyes, aka: the law, then we just see the surface of the story which brings people to the desired conclusion the pastor who sent the email wanted people to come to. But, when we look deeper and see it with new covenant eyes, aka: grace, then we see the meaning Jude was conveying to believers in Christ.
They Must Be Destroyed At All Costs
It is pretty easy to see that the pastors wanted people to believe my friends, family and I were the sons of Korah, we rebelled and we would be destroyed. That it was okay that the pastors were mad because Moses had been “very angry” (Numbers 16:15) and that anything we touch would be cursed (Numbers 16:25-30). I understand where they were coming from in their thinking (belief system) because, as I have stated before, I used to have one foot in the Old Covenant and one in the New, but no longer do I live with that heavy burden. Because, Christ came to give us a light yoke. They wanted people to shun us, not come near us, and believe we and our families would be cursed. I mean have you read to the end of Chapter 16…this explains the young girl running into the wall. They have not just done this same “modus operandi” with us but with many others. It is because they don’t want to answer real questions and if asked real questions you and your family will be put through the same experience as I went through.
Jude 11 and the Old Covenant View Point
In Jude 11 we find the words:” …and in the rebellion of Korah they perished.”. Let’s look at the Greek from this part of Jude 11:
indeed the dispute coming from an opposite conclusion the Korah fully destroyed. (further definition added is mine from Strong’s Concordance at biblehub)
When we look at this history in Numbers we need to understand Moses was set up and chosen not only by God but also by the people. The people at Mount Sinai chose Moses to be an intermediary between themselves and God. The Jewish people had also chosen to follow the law exactly as God was going to lay it out for them through Moses. They, by their own empowerment, believed they could fulfill the law. (Exodus 19:5-20:18) Yet, throughout the Old Testament history from Moses on, we see how the people could not fulfill the law. This is just another example of that. Numbers 16:11 tells us the rebellion was against God and what he had spoken regarding Aaron and his role of the priesthood. How God had “set things up” for the Jewish people to follow (Exodus and Leviticus). In Numbers 16, men came and told Moses and Aaron that the whole congregation was holy and could speak to God while also asking why they had set themselves above everyone else. Yet, as we read in Exodus this is how God set it up and the Jewish tribes all agreed to follow. So, why are they complaining now? Yet, they did. And, in the Old Covenant the way things were dealt with were by the Old Moses Covenant way (whole bunch of people died) which you can read about from Numbers 16:28-50. Thankfully, we no longer live in the Moses Covenant (Old).
Jude 11 and the New Covenant View Point
How do we look at this through New Covenant (grace) eyes since this example is being used in the New Covenant time? We can see that Jude is letting believers in Christ understand that God has again set things up, but now in a different or “New Covenant way” because his Son has changed everything. Remember Christ created the New Covenant. There are men/women that are teaching opposite of what God has set up under his son. This is the “dispute coming from an opposite conclusion” from Jude 11 above. So, what does that opposite teaching look like?
I would venture it is the same issue Paul and John were warning believers of, antichrists. People teaching in direct opposition to what Christ accomplished on the Cross. Mixing law and grace, proclaiming Jesus was not the Christ and other things you can read about in Chapter 6 of ‘The Door Is Open’. This all comes from a place of self-empowerment which is in direct contention with God empowerment:
When we are able to see that these two core belief systems (self empowerment and God empowerment) are actually in contention with each other, this will literally help you understand the whole bible. (The Door is Open Chapter 2, pg.24)
Self Empowerment
Self empowerment is the root. The sons of Korah were using self empowerment by not following the law God had laid out under the Old Covenant. In the New Covenant there are teachers coming in using self empowerment rather than the grace of God empowerment. Thankfully, we now live in the New Covenant and are all called as kings and priests (Rev 1:6 & 5:10). Jesus leveled the playing field and our self empowerment does not like that. We may be called to be different parts of his body but we are all equal. As humans we try to create hierarchies and the New Covenant is not about that at all unlike what was created under the law in the Old Covenant. In our time, it is about Christ on the Cross dying for our self empowerment (Chapter 14, Time To Really Live Free) and giving us God’s portion, grace, while also giving us eternal life when he raised to life three days later. We no longer are tied to the Old Covenant because of Christ. Anything that is taught opposite or in opposition to this fact and truth will be destroyed in the end. It will be like chaff in the wind. All those acts out of self empowerment are wooden vessels (2 Timothy 2:20). Even as Paul told Timothy in his letter to him, to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, this is what overtakes everything in the end (2 Timothy 2:1). Paul never told anyone to be strong in the law.
Fear and Faith
When people are afraid they can easily return to self empowerment. It seems easier/safer, we are doing something to earn God’s love, and/or we believe we are somehow in control of what makes us feel afraid. But then there is no faith in God, only fear. I am also not saying you have to be perfect in faith that is why there is grace (and more on this in another future post). Just hold on to the truth that Christ did what he did and is who he is. This is where faith is. Remember, faith is born from the Father not from ourselves:
We do not self create our faith, ever. Time to Really Live Free pg. 72
From this truth simply rest in God. How do you do that? I talk in length about how to in Chapter 7, of Time To Really Live Free.
Grace
Let’s remember grace is not a slippery slope (read here for more) it is what Christ came to give us. I and my family were going to choose to live from that place…I wasn’t forcing anyone else to. But like Paul said in Galatians 5:18 (MSG-emphasis mine), “Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?” (You can read more about this in Chapter 8, The Door Is Open). I choose to fully step into the new covenant and realize I am crucified with Christ and:
Legalism, the law will never be able to do what God is able to do within us. pg.110, The Door Is Open
It is easy to control people under the law. That was part of the purpose of the law. A larger part of the purpose of the law was to show people they could not follow it perfectly 100% of the time and to show us our need for a Savior. Paul talks about this extensively in Romans 5 which I break down in my last chapter in Time to Really Live Free. I desire for many others to live from this place. It is a free will choice each can make. I end this post with:
We are fortunate to live in this time. This time of Grace. The New Covenant.
…the Good Shepherd (Jesus) , is trying to lead us out of the cave (law) and into the wide open spaces (grace) and we are no longer confined to the cave (law). pg 67- Time To Really Live Free
May God fill you with understanding as he unwinds old belief systems and you see the way he sees. Much Grace, Darlene
