NO MORE VEILS

I LOVE THE CLARITY OF the eighth chapter of Hebrews. It is so plain and bottom-line; Paul (I believe) says rather emphatically: "The Law has come and gone--and, GRACE has come to replace the Law (Mosaic). The Law wasn't replaced because it was bad, but because it was never meant to be permanent--it was always temporary--as Paul said, in Galatians, "a schoolteacher" to bring us to grace. Now, that we have grace, we don't need the schoolteacher teaching us laws and rules; we have the Holy Ghost writing (and "teaching us all things" [John 14:26])   the "laws" in our hearts, with fleshy tablets, by LOVE. Love enables us, by the power of the Holy Ghost to keep the New Covenant--that no one was ever able to keep under the Old Covenant, because there was no power-- but simply an awareness of sin. Now, we have power--and, "He is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless...". We don't have to sin! We don't have to be controlled by the carnal nature of sin in our bodies anymore--because the Holy Spirit will take the reigns--if we want Him to. That is the choice that we make daily--even moment to moment; that's the crucifying of the flesh and the dying to self. When we deny our flesh the carnal things that it chooses and instead choose the things that please God, we crucify the flesh, one more time. That is love for God.
When we prefer our brother--especially "the least of these" over ourselves, meeting their needs, rather than our desires, we again please God, but we also have shown love for our brother. That's the New Covenant--Matthew 22:37-40. Jesus gave us the New Law, before He departed the earth in His earthly manifestation. He said, "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” They had for hundreds of years, as commanded by God, been rehearsing and striving to keep some 600 points of Mosaic Law--and, if you fell short in even one point, you transgressed in all. Grace should have been a tremendous relief to the Israelites of His day, but like many of us, they were accustomed to the rituals, and protocols. They weren't interested in change--even if it was of God, and for their own good.
Grace, in its fullness, isn't practiced by many--even today, some 2000 years, later. We praise God for His amazing grace, sing of it, talk about it, but live according to many of the same Old Testament Laws and statutes that Israel did--and Jesus came (and became cursed) to free mankind from; as well as many more man-made ones. Grace is superior to anything else--even the Law that God gave Moses. You see, Grace is by promise--it was a Covenant, a promise that God Himself made long before the Law was given, so it (the Covenant of Grace, promised to Abraham) superceded the Law--the Law could not supercede it. The promise was GRACE, through Jesus Christ. To live in this dispensation and govern our lives according to anything other than grace, through faith (which worketh by love [Galatians 5:6]). is to reject the work of Jesus, at Calvary!
He shed His blood--and more importantly, suffered the separation from the Father, so that we might inherit salvation by grace--not works, but the free gift. How can we possibly continue to strive to obtain it by the works of the Law, or laws, or things done in our flesh? It is all about the heart! If our heart is filled with love toward God and mankind, we have power over sin; sin won't be a constant threat. Love destroys sin in us. Who will you sin against that you truly love?
We cannot be righteous--truly righteous, except we be made righteous, by the Holy Ghost in us--no boasting there. Just allow the Spirit of God to have His perfect work in you--molding and shaping love in your heart, and the fruit will follow, and sin will not be at your heels. You will find victory, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost!
There is a reason why the veil was rent in twain in the temple at the moment Jesus died. His death paved the way for no more life by the Law--but New life by Grace. Walk in it and be free from sin--and its horrific power over you.
   

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