Gal 3:23

"But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed." Gal. 3:23

There are all kinds of custody. There is child custody. Most parents have this type - by birth. No, not the parent's birth - the birth of their child! There is protective custody. To enjoy this one a person must have WITNESSED something terrible and be willing to testify to it at serious personal risk . Oh, there is police custody - that generally means a person has DONE something wrong and has been taken to jail, not for his protections, but the community's protection.

In today's verse, we see that there is another type of custody: Law custody. It sounds a lot like police custody - and in many respects it is. Law custody means we are under the protection or oversight of the law. Law in this case is defined as the "Law of Moses" - the Old Testament Law handed down from Mt. Sinai to multiple generations of Jews and Christians. Most religions have a set of laws that also fit the bill here. And if there is no religion in an area, the state does the honors. The goal is to keep us, relatively speaking, "out of trouble."

The Law serves another purpose as well. It defines what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. How would we know to drive down the correct side of the road - unless there was a law that told us? Can you imagine driving down an expressway at 70 miles per hour without a law that directs us in the correct lanes for a certain direction? In this sense, the Law is our protector.

It is also the instrument that defines what is WRONG. It is the law that keeps me from robbing $1,000,000.00 from my bank. That would be robbery - STEALING AS PER THELAW! I don't have that much money in my account. It would be someone else's money. That fact is defined by LAW. And it is that definition that keeps me on the right paths - the penalty for breaking that law is long-term police custody with all expenses paid by the Government of the land.

Paul tells us that the Law had us in custody - until FAITH came. Faith in what or whom? Faith in Jesus Christ; no, faith through Jesus Christ. It is that saving faith received as a gift from Jesus that releases us from the Law. That doesn't mean I am now free to do what I want. It DOES mean that I am free from the burdens of the Law that points out my errors, and that I am now under a new law: the law of love.

Where once I was told to "not lie," now I want to tell the truth because of the law of love. Love dictates that I must be honest - no, that is not a must. That would make it legalism once again. No, love puts it in my heart, my personality, my very essence to BE honest. That is the difference. One says I MUST. The other creates the WANT.

I like living under the law of Love - it's bonds are much more comfortable than the Law of Sin and Death - the Law of Moses. If you are not living under the Law of Love now, I encourage you to take the step. All you have to do is ask, and Jesus will enter your life and fill it with love - and love will fill you with the WANT to be good. Now I have a simple question for you.

Are YOU Right with God?

True Christianity is not about attending a particular church, or how your parents raised you, or what country you were born in. Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that He is your Savior. It's not good enough that your priest, pastor, mother, or aunt knows Jesus, you must know Him for yourself. They cannot believe in Him for you, you must believe for yourself. They cannot repent for you, you must repent for yourself.

Jesus is everywhere all the time. He can hear you now if you ask Him for forgiveness. Please turn your life over to Him NOW. Time slips by so quickly, don't miss this opportunity. If you want to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you can say a prayer something like this:

"Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible for it. I know that I have earned punishment from You, and that the fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You died in my place. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take my sin away, I am relying totally and only on You. You are the only one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it, I repent. Come into my life, take away my sin, and show me how to live my life in a way that is right and pleasing to You." Thank You Jesus, Amen

If you have prayed this, YOU ARE SAVED! You are now completely forgiven, a new creation, innocent in the eyes of God, please e-mail me and let me know and I will guide you toward fellowship and Baptism. Welcome to the family of God! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen