This is the forth of a three part series that seeks to
portray the unique position of the church in time and covenant. Within that
context, I have tried to develop a revelation that proceeds through creation,
the Old Testament, and the New. If Ecclesiastes portrays the epiphany of the
Old, one must portray Romans as the unique treasure of the New, even though all
New Testament books, speak of the clear and direct revelation of Jesus Christ,
showing the completion of GodŐs revelation to this present age.
Allegories are stories that present complex truth in such
a way as to simplify, truth in a way understandable to the minds of simple,
fallen man. To a certain extent, we all live out portions of these stories in
our daily lives, some of which we understand, most lying in the wisdom and
mystery of God that we now are not so much aware.
I had just finished setting up my camp for the evening
when this old gentlemen walked in. In this campsite the view was spectacular,
and since there was plenty of room, I ask if he would like to join me in this
wonderful scenic cathedral. He seemed strong and wise for a man of his age, and
he carried a sense of purpose that few men of any age seem to possess. I
offered him some of my soup, to which he graciously accepted, provided that he
be able to provide the main course, using the fuel from my stove, for he said
he had miscalculated the amount of fuel he would need to carry, and he was far
from the end of his journey.
When I ask him his name, he said that his real name was
not of importance, but his friends called him Preach, short for Preacher, for
that was his calling in life. As we conversed over dinner of something that
seemed as a Middle Eastern delicacy, he mentioned that this journey was a hike
that he and his wife had always wanted to do. As she was recently received into
that everlasting creation, before she passed on, she had ask him to complete
this travel, that their work had never given them the time to complete. It was
her desire upon their eternal meeting that he tell his beloved wife the details
of this trip, and the people he had met on this wilderness journey.
As the sun set over the lake and the distant peaks,
Preach said to me, ŇI would like to tell you a story I just remembered, a story
told to me long ago, a story I heard before I began my ministry, and have at
times passed on to some I have met on this journey we call life. It is a story
about the wisdom of God, a story of deep magic and mystery, set in place before
the foundation of the world and shall not be fully understood until the end of
time. Now, it is the responsibility of those who receive the story to wait at
least two years before they tell it to anyone. During that time as you
remember, you must update the circumstances into your current life and culture,
but the characters must remain the same. The title of this story is: Sarah, the
Prince, Grace and Faith.
ŇAs you know, Sarah was the wife of Abraham, as well as
his sister. This tale is one of the lives of three of their offspring, early
Christians, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, GodŐs children of the
promised Messiah, and a story of their walk in this life. This is their story
as I tell it, but when called to retell it, remember to update it into your
culture, your understanding, and details of your life.
So this is my version of that story told to me by Preach
that night. Some of the aspects of the story, I do understand, some still
remain completely beyond my knowledge, but I to faithfully proclaim this
mystery for it may be of merit in your life. Remember that it must be at least
two years before you can retell this story to anyone, for it must grow in you,
and become part of you so that you can adequately understand a portion of its
depth.
As the story begins, there was once a prince of noble
birth, traveling through this very land in search of a majestic wife. He had
not been too successful, for he had trapped himself into a marriage that had
gone bad and was recently divorced. But he had hope that somewhere he might
find her, his princess and his queen. Being a strong man and into physical activity,
he had recently run his first marathon. For princes and teachers like to
discuss, that life is like running a marathon and not a sprint. Though few
princes or teachers spend the time training for such an event, for in that
training, one would learn that the race is easy, but it is the discipline of
the training that is difficult.
It was a beautiful warm day, for the race. But this was
not a marathon, but a half marathon, just over thirteen miles. It started and
ended in an estate and stretched through the country side into the village and
back to the estate. As the Prince began to run he felt good and ran faster than
he knew he could continue, for he really was no longer training at any
distance, for other affairs had occupied his interest.
At about three miles, as the people began to distance
themselves, he found himself running beside a young woman of incredible
physical attractiveness. He, and most who would meet her would call her of
super model heritage. As they ran, they struck up a conversation discussing
aspects of their lives. They seemed to have a kinship in common, though she
truthfully stated that she was recently married, her name was Grace. As he ran
the prince prayed that some day that he might find someone for his own wife,
who not only had such physical beauty, but such growing internal beauty as
well. At ten miles, the prince, for his training was such, ran out of gas,
while at least the woman of his dreams ran on ahead. Finishing the race, he
again saw the noble princess, this woman Grace, and met her husband, who seemed
annoyed about the whole incident. But the princeŐs life had been changed, for
whenever he dreamed of his God given partner and prayed for her appearance,
many times he would remember Grace and the wonderful seven miles of his race.
Time passed, and over the years the PrinceŐs remembrance
of Grace grew dim, he forgot her name, but he always remembered the kinship he
had known those brief moments. One day, in his church he met another woman,
having that same physical and inner beauty. They talked and again he recognized
that same attractiveness that he once had only dreamed about and seen, just
briefly. In time he recalled that it was indeed that Grace of many years
before. That kinship was still there. He also knew that if he had been King
David, he surely would have done what David had done with Bathsheba, and would
have sent GraceŐs husband to a similar fate.
But the Prince and Grace were not just the children of
Abraham and Sarah, and the off spring of David, they were of the family of the
great eternal king, the Messiah of Israel, Jesus Christ. They were able,
struggling with that temptation, not to follow the desires of their hearts and
fall into sin. Because they not only might one day wished to be married, their family
relationship was what bound them from going beyond the wish. But that family
kinship was something that Grace did not share with her current husband. But over time Grace became aware that
even though they knew they could never meet in any circumstance as long as her
current husband lived, their love would one day be apparent, if not in this
age, in the age to come. For their kinship was of family first and foremost.
For Romans 7 teaches that: For a woman who has a husband
is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies she
is released from the law of her husband. So then if while her husband lives,
she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress, but if her husband
dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has
married another man. Romans 7:2,3 (I would say that not only natural death, but
the more common death of this age, divorce.)
So to this day, Grace exhibits to all who see her grace
that comes from God alone. For it is not the law of the Old Testament that
binds her to her current husband, for if that law had been strong enough, David
would not have fallen with Bathsheba, and she would be one with her Prince. But
the law that binds, is the love shown to her and to her brother and Prince, by
ChristŐs testament, and it alone is strong enough to keep them. It is the law
of the Spirit, the comforter, the sanctifier, by which eternal life is secured.
It is the grace of Jesus Christ that can overcome the temptations of this
world, and provide the strength necessary to walk through any adversity this
world may bring. Through her suffering, as Christ suffered, Grace shall
manifest one day all the promises made to her through that suffering. For in
Christ is that ultimate fulfillment, made manifest by words, actions, and
promises.
This application of GraceŐs grace, is what all men and
women of the family of God face as they go about their work in this world. They
are bound by the law by some means to this world, but they long to be with the
Prince of their dreams, though that is just a hope in this present time.
Therefore it is the limitation of the Mosaic law fulfilled in Christ that
allows us the grace necessary to continue in service we no longer find
fruitful. To that end it is that restriction of personal rights in Christ that
limits the power of His church in this world. But that allows for a deeper
expression of the glory of God through those in obedient service. Those who
subject themselves to the depth of character building illustrated by GraceŐs
devotion and beauty are being adorn eternally, truly as the bride without spot
or wrinkle.
Faith is a woman of beauty similar to that of Grace.
Though she is of different stature, all who see her marvel at her noble
heritage. She shares with Grace that same inner beauty, but for sake of this
story her husband has died. She is again of this age, a child of the most high
God, through Abraham and Sarah, David, and Jesus Christ. Made a widow by
divorce, she has two children, who soon will leave and travel to a distant
land, leaving her truly alone, as she has not been for many years. So much
beauty, such a noble life, and no Prince to share it with. Could it be that her
years of service in much grace, have come to an end?
But Faith acts in faith, upon the grace she has been
given, in circumstances which she doesnŐt fully understand and through a
grafting process, her broken promises of the law have by faith made her the
wife of the Prince. But it is not only FaithŐs faith that has given her that
opportunity, but GraceŐs grace. For if Grace had not received enough grace to
maintain her relationship with her natural husband, who may or may not ever
receive eternal life, the Prince and Grace would have come together just as
David and Bathsheba, and they would have by this time, been bound not only by
natural law but eternal law.
To understand this it is wise to look at the context of
Chapter 11:19-24: You will say then, ŇBranches were broken off that I might be
grafted in.Ó Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand
by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural
branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and
severity of God: for those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you
continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if
they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft
them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature,
and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more
will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree.
This leaves us with the Prince, betrothed or married to
two beautiful sisters, in an age in which only one wife is acceptable, but for
the Prince most of his life, no wife has been the norm. However, in this Prince
we see the most remarkable transformation of all, in which the depth of the
wisdom of the New Covenant is revealed. For at the end of the age, the Prince
in all is masculine power, will become part, an individual, complete as the
Bride of Christ. It is in that context that the Prince becomes as Sarah, the
Princess of Abraham. Together Grace and Faith are truly one with him, being
changed into their sister. The central theme of Romans is Chapter 8:1,2: There
is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not
walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and death. That
law of the Spirit of life transcends our understanding, our hopes, our
knowledge and wisdom.
For we see at the completion of time, God as the
remaining masculinity, in the persons, of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We
see in the lives of mankind, GodŐs highest creation, not the mother earth, but
the perfection of Christ through His bride in which all have become sisters and
daughters of Sarah, offspring of GodŐs grace and faith through Abraham. This is
a story about the wisdom of God, a story of deep magic and mystery, set in
place before the foundation of the world and shall not be fully understood
until the end of time. It is for us to understand the small portion of royalty,
grace and faith we have been given, and to walk appropriately and in obedience
before the eternal King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The grace through faith (or is it the other way around)
of the Lord is manifest not in our strength, but in our (feminine?) weakness. This
is the most complex subject I have ever tried to illustrate. To some extent it
is based upon my observations of life, but I sense a depth that I would like to
be able to understand more fully. Could Grace and Faith change positions? Or
could Grace become Faith quickly, by divorce or death? What about the Prince,
is his grace and faith enough to overcome his desire of being a guy and develop
the inner beauty that both women, and the eternal Bride of Christ exhibit. To
be truthful, I can relate to the Prince, without any understanding of beauty,
either from Grace or Faith, beauty is not something that remains in guys, it is
a gift they must receive. Eternal beauty seems the sole provision of the
sisters of Sarah. Pray for the church for at times we all walk as Grace, Faith
,and the Prince, very little do we exhibit the beauty of Sarah who in her old
age was still desired by kings.
I am continuing to fret about finances and moving forward
in GodŐs provision, but in doing so do I risk the possibility of leaving faith
and grace, behind and stepping out into a world of lies of my own creation.
Please intercede towards the provision of grace and faith so that I seek and
require only the provision of the Lord!