calvary's filter

Before Jesus died on the cross and opened a new and living way, religious folks were under the law.  The law gave rules and commandments men were to follow in order to have a degree of spirituality.  But the law could do nothing to change the nature of sinful man, under the circumstances it was the best God could do.  Over a three day period everything abruptly changed.  Jesus could settle the sin issue once and forever and then He would be raised from the dead to enforce His Word.
 
Hebrews 8:6 But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for He is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.
 
The covenant God made with Abram was between God and a man, the new one is between God and Jesus.  So, everything contained in the Old Testament is brought to Calvary and filtered through the cross.  Some things came to an end such as eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth.  Some things were changed, such as circumcision.  We don’t circumcise our flesh, we make covenant in our heart.  Furthermore, some things ended such as animal blood for atonement of sin.  The blood of Jesus blots out all sin and changes our nature, which removes us from any bonds with the devil.
 
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 If you will hearken unto the voice of the Lord, all of these blessings will come upon you and overtake you.

This blessing was spoken over men who were under the law.  What happened to this promise when it was run through Calvary’s filter?  Can men now have the blessings apart from obedience?  Has the offer of the blessings expired?  We are not under the law, we are under grace.  How does this affect the blessings?  Grace has been imparted to the new creature to empower him to obey and be faithful to his new nature.  The promises remain but the means by which we take hold of them now becomes much easier.  If you think it’s hard living under grace, go back and try to live with the devil telling you what to do!
 
Colossians 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in Himself.
 
The devil came to the cross of Calvary rejoicing that he killed the Son of God.  For three days hell celebrated the incarceration of Jesus.  But on the third day a light brighter than hell came and emancipated Jesus. He was raised from the dead by the glory of God.  The devil crawled away from Calvary totally defeated and stripped of all the power he took from Adam.  The only working part of the devil is his mouth, he can talk a good game but he can’t play.  The purpose of a filter is to screen out contaminates and the devil didn’t make it, his mangled nonexistent body is not in our realm.  The old wiped out devil must sit on the sidelines and hear us sing praises to our Lord.  If he gives us too much grief we can make him join us in praising our Lord.

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