FLEXIBILITY OF GRACE AND FAITH WITHOUT COMPROMISE

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi 

   

Num 9:6-10 TLB “ But as it happened, some of the men had just attended a funeral and were ceremonially defiled by having touched the dead, so they couldn't eat the Passover lamb that night. They came to Moses and Aaron and explained their problem and protested at being forbidden from offering their sacrifice to the Lord at the time he had appointed.  Moses said he would ask the Lord about it, and this was God's reply:  "If any of the people of Israel, now or in the generations to come, are defiled at Passover time because of touching a dead body, or if they are on a journey and cannot be present, they may still celebrate the Passover, but one month later,”

          The Old Testament law required that those who made contact with a corpse abstained from religious duties until they were declared ceremonially clean by the priests. Therefore , it was common to see some of the Israelites avoiding contact with corpses during religious festivals however , some with more compassion for the bereaved and dead gave a helping hand in burying the dead to avert a major epidemic that may occur if bodies were left unburied on account of the Passover .

          The Passover was a solemn moment that no one wanted to miss out of because of the inherent blessings however, some persons were unavoidably absent by reason of a journey while others because of a burial . When Moses enquired of the Lord concerning this issue He directed that those who were involved in a burial and or were absent by reason of a journey be given the opportunity to celebrate the Passover one month later. This is a demonstration of God’s grace and flexibility of the law of faith without compromise.

   A personal example, as a tradition I love to give my ceremonial tithes and offering on Sundays but on a particular day I received news that a certain senior citizen was in distress that required emergency medical attention at a hospital , I gave my tenth part to the family instructing they use it to give medical attention to the sick person and due to our timely intervention she was healed of a terminal disease . Now , giving my tenth part to the ill person is what God would expect of me to do under that circumstance . It served its purpose.  Gal 5:13-14 NKJV  says “ For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another". Faith is not rigid but flexible under grace. We should not use a religious duty as an excuse to compromise on our faith or service to God and humanity. We are called to serve. We should create a balance by avoiding anything that would serve as a hindrance to prayer, fellowship, and evangelism.  However, we should not allow Satan afflict us with guilt for doing a good deed. Do not punish yourself  for failing to read a certain number of scriptures per day or staying awake to pray at midnight .Jesus ever lives to intercede for us and has delivered us from the era of sacrifice.   

       A lady had a dream in which she saw a widow with six children begging for food beside a road and she heard a voice saying to give her tithes to the widow, amazingly by the next day while on her way to meet me she saw the same widow at the exact spot begging for arms and without hesitation she gave her tithes to the widow. While reporting herself she struggled with guilt thinking she had done something wrong but I comforted her by saying she had done what the lord expected of her and would be rewarded accordingly and to the glory of God that same week she received a long awaited breakthrough.  The lord says Matt 9:13 NIV  “..I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' Let love for our neighbor  be the motivating factor for our actions.

As you receive Jesus Christ as lord and savior and read this now , receive grace for freedom from guilt and condemnation in Jesus name.

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