Page 99 - Laying Down the Law

A New Creation

he apostle Paul devoted most of his letter to the church in Galatia to correcting
Tand refuting the error of those who were teaching that Christians must keep the
Law of Moses. Toward the end of the book, as Paul was summarizing what had been
written, he made a statement that goes to the heart of what is truly important.

Galatians 6:15
For in Christ Yahshua neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails
anything, but a new creation.

Paul says that neither keeping the Law (circumcision), or not keeping the Law
(uncircumcision), avails anything. That is to say, neither Law-keeping, or freedom
from the Law, can bring any man to that perfect and mature state that the Father
desires for His sons. Being under the Law will not bring you to conformity to Christ.
Freedom from the Law will not either. Becoming a new creation will. Man must be
born again.
One night a ruler of the Jews came to visit Yahshua. This man’s name was
Nicodemus. He was well versed in the Law, being an instructor of all that Moses had
written. For 1,500 years the Israelites had been under the tutelage of the Law. It
served as their guardian and school-master. Yet, the Jews, like all men, had hard
hearts. The main message of the Law had not been perceived, or received. The
message of the Law is that man, apart from Christ, is spiritually dead. The natural
man cannot please God. Man must receive a new heart and spirit. He must be born
again.
When Christ met with Nicodemus that night, He went straight to the heart of
what mattered most.

John 3:1-3
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This
man came to Yahshua by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are
a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God
is with him." Yahshua answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

For many years, the abruptness of Christ’s answer has grabbed my attention.
There is no chit chat. There is no response to the comments of Nicodemus. It is as if
Christ begins an entirely new conversation, for He understands that Nicodemus is a
blind leader of blind men. He will never find the answers he needs on his own. Christ
must take Nicodemus by the hand and lead him to the truth.

John 3:4-8
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter