The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Galatians 5:1-8, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.
3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.
4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
7 You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?
8 This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.”

Freedom is being judged just about everywhere. It might well be assumed to be found in the field of politics; but it has ventured into the Church of Jesus Christ. Freedom in Scripture does not allow anyone to live and believe as he would. Rather, freedom exists only in Christ.

The Galatians were a wild and wooly group that leaped freely from one belief to another. They were introduced to Jesus by the Apostle Paul. Subsequently, however, there were those who came to believe that they needed to turn to circumcision and keep the Law of Moses. Paul said that if they did that, they were then required to keep all of the Mosaic Law, not just part of it.

Some Christians today hold that Galatian theory. They attend church, and feign a worship of the LORD, but they never really turn from their sin and fully trust Him as LORD and Savior of their lives. Paul clearly stated that they were to live by faith. They were to trust Christ alone, not circumcision, not the Law, not the Church, not baptism, just Christ alone. Yet, they were truly not following Christ’s teaching.

Paul said, “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?” In other words, You were doing very well; you were growing in Christ and the faith. Who bumpted you and broke your stride? You’re not obeying God’s Truth. Whatever it was that persuaded you to leave off from following Him, did not come from God.

Runners have to follow strict training, if they are to have hope of winning the race. Even so, Christians have to follow strict instruction, if they are to be pleasing to Almighty God and accomplish His willful purpose for their lives. Take inventory of your training. Have you read closely the directions the LORD gives in His Word? Or, has your instruction come from another source? Consider those questions carefully. Your very life depends on it.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Galatians 4:21-26, “Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman.
23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.
24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.
25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she (Israel) is in slavery with her children.
26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.”

I have always been interested in genealogy. It’s fascinating to find and read about your ancestors…where they were born, what they did for a living, who they married, the children they had, how they died, where they were buried –and the list goes on and on. Both sides of my heritage goes back into the 1700s. The Jeffries were English; the Andersons were Scots.

What is more interesting is my spiritual heritage. My parents were led to faith in Jesus Christ by their parents; and their parents came to Christ through their parents. The influence parents have upon their children is of enormous value! Parents who participate in worldly activities are saying to their children, “This is acceptable activity for you.” Those who emphasize Christ and His Church are setting a holy pattern for their children.

The apostle Paul had previously led the Galatians to faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, they had gotten spiritually off course, believing now that they were saved by keeping the Law –the Ten Commandments. In the attempt to re-stabilize them in the Christian faith, Paul uses the Old Testament genealogy of Ishmael and Isaac. Isaac was the son that God had promised to Abraham and Sarah.

Rather than wait, as the LORD has said, Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s maid, elected to have a child of their own. Yet, that was not acceptable to the LORD. When the LORD ultimately told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away, it was descriptive of His replacing Old Testament Law in favor of New Testament grace. Thereafter, the LORD directed us all to turn away from sin and accept the LORD Jesus Christ as our Savior.

The key question is: have you turned from sin and accepted Jesus? If not, remember that there is a limit to God’s mercy, just as there is a limit to the time we have on Earth. “Today is the day of salvation.” Tomorrow may never come. What if it doesn’t?

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Proverbs 4:20-27, “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body.
23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established.
27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil.”

How often we are warned! –often by parents, sometimes by close friends, sometimes by pastors. Yet, we stumble, thinking we are our own best informative. We listen to what we want to hear, until it is too late.

Solomon warned his son to listen carefully to his counsel. Keep a good focus on what he taught. Let your life feed on his truth and you will be healthy. Resist perverted and devious speech. It will lead you astray. Keep your eyes focused clearly on truth; and watch with care the direction of your travel. Keep yourself from all evil. This was Solomon’s instruction.

We have so much information surrounding us these days. It’s easy to believe what we read; but such information is not always true. What one person reads is often repeated again and again. Yet, multiple repetitions of wrong never makes anything right or true.

Let me recommend the Bible! From Genesis to Revelation it is all true! Why would anyone believe the words of a man in deference to the Word of God? Sometimes people simply believe what they want to believe; never mind the consequences. But, that’s a slippery slope. Solomon also warned: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 16:25).

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5-6). You can trust God’s Holy Word!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Proverbs 3:27-32, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,’ When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise harm against your neighbor, while he lives securely beside you.
30 Do not contend with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways.
32 For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; but He is intimate with the upright.”

Possibly the earliest word a child learns is “No!” That is doubtlessly why the Proverbs deals so much with the negative aspects of life. As the child grows older, the negative gives way a bit to the positive. The Old Testament lays the foundation for the New Testament. Israel is the object of God’s love in the Old Testament; thus, His teaching that often commences with negative instruction, ultimately becomes positive and blossoms into Christian love.

The New Testament possesses negative instruction, too; but there the LORD is dealing with the Church. As the Church (the gathering of born-again people) learns to shrug off sin and become spiritually mature, love and grace become the focus of spiritual teaching.

Five times in the verses above, Solomon warns us saying, Do Not! Initially, he teaches us not to “withhold good things” from others when it is in our power to give it. If someone is in need and you do not possess what they need, you are under no obligation. You simply cannot provide what you do not have. If, however, you have what your neighbor needs, you are to provide it and not obligate him to wait.

We are never to devise or create harm for our neighbor. We are morally obligated to live peaceably with those who live nearby us. We are not to contend or debate with our neighbors, assuming he has caused us no harm. We are certainly not to envy those who are violent. We are to shun their ways, not respond negatively as they act toward us.

Whoever deals deviously with his neighbor is positioning himself against the LORD. For the LORD is kindly dispositioned toward those who are upright. These are principles parents are to share with their children, leading them to learn and practice the things that are pleasing to the LORD. Have you learned the LORD’s ways? Are you living by His standards? The advantage is yours when you do. Think about it.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Proverbs 3:19-26, “The LORD by wisdom founded the earth,
By understanding He established the heavens.
20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up
And the skies drip with dew.
21 My son, let them not vanish from your sight;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 So they will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck.
23 Then you will walk in your way securely and your foot will not
stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down,
your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear nor of the onslaught of the wicked
when it comes;
26 For the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from
being caught.”

If you look carefully, you will notice what I first noticed about this series of verses. The first verse begins with “the LORD.” The last verse begins with “the LORD.” He is the beginning and the end of everything!

The first two verses site the wisdom and understanding of the LORD; and that He established them for the moral and spiritual benefit of mankind. Keep your eyes on the LORD and what He has constructed. It’s all for you, because all that He has and does is intended for your benefit and His glory.r

Walk carefully throughout life and “your foot will not stumble.” You will have no need to be afraid because you will always be secure in Him. Sudden fear will not alarm you regarding your wicked enemies because “the LORD will be your confidence,” and you will not fall prey to ungodly men.

All of this goodness comes to those who have confidence in the LORD. He is the only one who can keep you from falling; and His promise is to those whose feet are not caught in the traps of Satan and his wicked angels.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom