I know, I know… it's been a really long time since I've updated my blog… But I have legitimate reasons! First off, Dad took the entire month of September off from work and we've been very busy working on a new barn for our goats. It has 4 stalls, a hayloft, and the middle is big enough to drive a 9 foot vehicle through it! … I'll post a few pictures of it in a second.

Second, Megan came back to visit with us again and is spending the month. This day last week, Megan and I officially started courting each other. Courting, unlike dating, is a pure relationship in preparation for marriage. There is no touching, or kissing. The Bible also warns us against fornication, in numerous places:

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;  (Ephesians 5:3)

Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
(Ephesians 5:7)

Thirdly, Megan and I both registered Facebook accounts. Strange, yes. It's starting to grow on me, now that I'm learning my way around, and have installed a Firefox addon to block all the Facebook ads… (Now, we just need to come up with some way to hide billboard ads from windshields!) It's definitely a big place with lots and lots of people. You can find me here… feel free to add me as a friend =)

There are three types of people that will call themselves Christians (possible more, with strange and perverse doctrines, but I am not going to deal with all of those, just these three). Only one of them is truly converted and a follower of Christ, whereas the other two are complete opposite ends of the spectrum and still think that God will accept them.

First off, you have the "carnal Christian". A person who believes that once they are saved, they are eternally sealed, Christ's blood covers them, and a mystical grace comes upon them, allowing them freedom to live a lascivious lifestyle, more wicked than when they were "lost".

Romans chapter 7 is their favorite chapter of the Bible, the highlight of the Christian walk. "but I am carnal, sold under sin.  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.", "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

Does this sound like a truly converted Christian, in the highlight of his faith in Christ, or does it sound like a sinner, under the conviction of the law, wrestling against his flesh when he knows that he should be doing right?

Having Grace does not give us a license to sin, it is not some mystical power that protects us from God's wrath and eternally seals us. For we see just one chapter before, that Paul clearly tells us that our liberty in Christ and Grace is not be used to sin.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
(Romans 6:1-3)

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(Romans 6:14-16)

Then, we move forward two chapters, and we find more verses proving the point:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
(Romans 8:1-9)

So, since Paul is so very clear that to be carnally minded is enmity against God, and those that are in the flesh cannot please God, how does Romans chapter 7 fit in, between both of these chapters?

It is very simple. Paul was giving an account of his life before he met Christ, of how he struggled with the flesh, and his members warred against his mind. To say that this was the best that Paul ever got, and that every Christian must follow his example is both blasphemy and contradicts Chapters 6 and 8 of Romans, along with many other chapters and verses in the Bible.

So then we have another type of person that goes completely to the other end of the spectrum. A doctrine that they teach tells us that we are not under Grace, but under the law, and we must keep the Jewish feasts, sacrifices, and ceremonies in order to be a Christian.

They turn to the verse in Matthew 5 that says "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." and base their entire doctrine upon this. Yes, they are correct that "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law", for without the law, we could not come to Christ.

Yet they base this verse for them to keep the feasts, ordinances, sacrifices and ceremonies of the Jews. But this is nothing new, for even Paul himself had to deal with this kind of false doctrine in his lifetime, and it came from the Galatians…

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
(Galatians 1:6-7)

Here we see that the Galatians have quickly removed the gospel and grace of Christ into another gospel. We move over to chapter 2, verse 14 and  see that Paul asks Peter and the rest of the Jewish Christians:

But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
(Galatians 2:14)

Apparently, Peter was compelling the Gentiles to live as Jews (observing the law, the passover, the sabbath, the feasts and ceremonies) and yet here is Paul rebuking them all.

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
(Galatians 2:19)

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
(Galatians 2:21)

Chapter 2 was an entire illustration and example to the Galatians. Because when we step back over to Chapter 3, he is directly addressing them in his letter.

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
(Galatians 3:1)

Shall we call that a strong rebuke? The Galatians had erred in their faith, and Paul had this revealed to him by Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:12). They were teaching that salvation comes by the works of the law, and not by the grace of Christ. This is the other extreme.

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
(Galatians 3:11-14)

Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
(Galatians 3:19-26)

The Scripture is very clear that if we are under Grace and justified by faith, that we are not under the law. When we walk in Christ, we are not a Jew, we are a Christian (meaning, Christ-like).

Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
(Galatians 4:8-11)

In truth, the law places us in bondage. By the sacrifices, ordinances, feasts, and observing the Sabbath and Passover, those that do so are in bondage. Not a bondage to sin, but a bondage to a servile obedience in the law, an obedience that God finds no pleasure in.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
(Galatians 5:1)

Christ made us free from the yoke of bondage which is through the law. But now, he has a much higher expectation level of those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. "That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. " Matthew 5:20-48 shows Christ's new expectation level of a Christian. A filial obedience, where one desires to be in obedience to the Father, not one of servile where you follow the letter of the law for self-glory.

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
(Galatians 5:4)

Whosoever believes that they are under, and justified by the law, they have fallen from the Grace of God "that bringeth salvation" (Titus 2:11), deny his power and he died in vain (Galatians 2:21).

So, the True Christian is one who must balance between these two false doctrines. Either extreme is wrong, whether you claim that Grace gives you a license to sin, or deny his Grace and live under the law. Both are wrong.

The True Christian is one who loves the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, (Mark 12:30-31) remaining sober, righteous and godly in this present world (Titus 2:12), and remaining holy, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:16).

A lot has happened over the last several days, and I am trying to recall it all correctly in order to write it down.

Last Saturday, my grandparents came down to Virginia to go to a wedding over in Culpepper and then came over to our house to spend the next several days. We had some good Bible studies while they were here, too. Then Sunday evening it started snowing, snowing, snowing; the most snow that we have seen in years!

Later that evening, the lights started flickering and this was not a good sign with all of this snow. About 9:30PM Dad decided to turn the heat up in case the power should go out, and went outside to clean off his car for work in the morning. At 9:32PM we heard a shotgun blast through the woods and the lights went out simultaneously. The battery backups immediately starting whining about the lack of power and we made an effort to shutdown all of the computers.

From 9:30PM on Sunday night till 5:00AM on Tuesday morning, we were without power. Thankfully, the Lord sent several service trucks our way this morning and replaced the fuse in less than 10 minutes. We found that there were no trees on the lines anywhere, and that it was most likely a limb that fell and touched both wires causing this big mess.

We shoveled and plowed snow all day Monday so we could move around. We probably had about a foot of snow but most of it had settled down to around 7 or 8 inches.

Gran and Pap, when faced with the prospect of spending the night in the barn to stay warm, decided to leave for home around 3:30PM on Monday. They made it home safely that evening.

I was able to get some pictures of all of this, so here are a few:

Dad and I slept in the barn last night to keep the barn warm and to stay warm. (The girls decided that it was too uncomfortable and slept in the cold house at 50F.) A Rapahanock service truck pulled up at 5:00AM this morning, replaced the fuse, and then we were back with power!