#167-G112 ~ Galatians 5:1-4
When our time ran out last time, we were looking at two passages that speak of what is commonly called The Great Commission–Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:14-20. The Mark 16 passage is the one of the two that is often overlooked because many people don’t like to accept the fact that the miraculous things spoken of there went on for many years, throughout the timeframe of the whole book of Acts. So, we will continue our study here with Mark’s account of all this. Regarding these miraculous things spoken of here, the question needs to be asked–Are these things going on today? The correct answer to that is NO. The main reason they’re not is that this IS NOT our commission. It was Israel’s! A change in God’s plan for His people has changed since then. We are now living in what is rightfully called the Dispensation of Grace. The Mosaic Law and the program the Twelve Apostles were commissioned to introduce was interrupted because of Israel’s unbelief and rejection of that message. Nevertheless, I here explain a variety of things about the Mark 16 commission and why it DOES NOT relate to us today. Here I point out that our commission today is found in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. Lack of understanding of this has contributed to the establishment of what we can speak of today as denominationalism.
Then in these next few verses I discuss the Mosaic Law and how circumcision was then being emphasized as a requirement for salvation. Well, it wasn’t then and it isn’t now. No rituals at all as a manifestation of someone’s faith for salvation are required. None at all! Salvation today is acquired by grace through faith in what Jesus Christ accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection. The passage I refer back to here on all this is Galatians 3:11. I close the video out with Galatians 5:4 where Paul makes it clear that no salvation is provided when people depend on some form of law-keeping for it. Salvation is absolutely free, becoming ours through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
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