The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Galatians 3:22-26, “…the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Have you ever been in a situation where there seemed no way out? It may have been an illness or something you had said that gotten you in trouble. Well, we are all in the worst possible trouble imaginable! No, it’s not political trouble; it’s not even physical trouble. We are in trouble with God! When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, our trouble began. We interited a sinful, anti-god nature from Adam and Eve. You might call it a “spiritual DNA.” That’s why it’s not hard for us to do wrong, but exceedingly hard for us to do right.

When we’re in trouble with human bosses, we often try to bargain our way out. We offer to do something to make up for the wrong we’ve done. And sometimes, it works with human bosses. But it doesn’t work with God! There is absolutely nothing we can do to work our way out of trouble with God. That doesn’t mean there is not way out, it just means we don’t know the way out until He gives us the key that sets us free. That key to our freedom is “faith in Jesus Christ.” When we’re sick, we

trust doctors to do what is necessary to get us well. When we’re in trouble at home or at work, we do what is required to straighten things out wih the boss. And when we’re in trouble with God because of sin, we have to trust Him. He is our only hope.

Paul calls the Law a “tutor” (paidagogos), a servant that accompanied a child from home to school and back and kept him out of trouble on the way. The Law God gave to Moses was the “tutor” that kept people out of trouble with God until He sent His Son Jesus. Jesus replaced the Law, so that “we are no longer under a ‘tutor.’” The way out of trouble with God is to believe upon Jesus, who died and arose again from the dead. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way. We cannot do anything to work our way out of trouble with God other than to believe upon Jesus. He works like a lawyer, telling His Father that we have trusted Him and our sins are forgiven. God the Father then forgives us of our sin. Only then are we truly free.

Are you free in God’s sight? If so, have you told a friend how he or she can be free? Paul told us; now it’s for us to tell others.

You are in our daily prayers,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”