The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Galatians 5:6-10, “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. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. 10 I have confidence in you in the Lord, that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.”

Have you ever had someone challenge your faith in Christ? It is quite common for people who do not accept your beliefs to challenge them. In the New Testament, these people are called Judiazers. They were Jews who insisted that Gentiles had to accept Judiasm before they could become Christians. Remember that the Galatians were an unstable people, believing first one thing, then another? Well, the Judiazers had infiltrated the Galatians and got them confused about the salvation in Jesus Christ that they had embraced.

Today, we still have Judaizers. We call them legalists. Oh, they believe in Jesus, but they have some “homemade rules” that everyone must follow or they cannot be saved. In other words, their “faith” is mixed with “works.” Paul rebukes people like this when he says, that “rules” don’t matter; what matters is “faith working through love.” His challenge to the Galatians is his challenge to us as well: “You were running well, who bumped you and broke your stride?” He then adds that whoever tells you that anything in addition to faith in Christ is necessary for salvation did not get their information from God or the Bible! Oh, they may quote a biblical verse as one of their “rules,” but the true understanding of that verse is different from they way they use it.

It doesn’t take much to lead us from a true belief experience with Christ back into the ways of the world. “A little leaven,” Paul says, “does the trick.” Just one step back into the world is all that it takes. Paul warns us not to adopt any view that is not truly biblical and Christian. There are consequences if and when we do. And those who lead us away from the truth in Christ alone will stand in judgment for their deeds. This is serious stuff! That’s why our fellowship must be with other believers. Yes, we are to witness to non-Christians; but we are not to run with them. Pick your true friends carefully. Satan has disguised some evil people, so as to deceive you. Stay in the Word daily! Be prayerful in all things! Trust only the LORD!

We pray for you always, and we need your prayers, too,

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.”

Dear Grands,

Galatians 5:13, 16, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another…. 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

To put it mildly, the Galatians were a mess! Long before Paul ever reached them with the Gospel, there were an off-again-on-again race of people. So, the things that captivated their interest and life-style were quite opposite of the truth that Paul brought through the Gospel.

The Galatians were prisoners of their sinful culture, and Paul called them to freedom in Christ.

But freedom in Christ does not mean we can do whatever we want. Obviously, the Galatians thought it did. Freedom to this off-again-on-again people meant that they were free to do anything and everything they wanted. We are living in a culture like that today. People who claim to have received Christ as their Savior are falling back into ways that are not Christlike. They are using their freedom as “an opportunity for the flesh.” They believe that they now have the freedom to swear, to drink alcohol, to frequent and carouse in bars –to do whatever they please. They mix Scripture with ungodly practices, thinking that the freedom they have in Christ permits freedom to engage in evil. But Paul says, NO!

How can all of this be turned around? If those who misuse their freedom have truly been born again in Christ, the Holy Spirit will prick their consciences in the effort to bring them back to Christ. But, If they can continue to engage in practices that are sinful, without being bothered by the Holy Spirit, they simply have not been born again in Christ.

Satan leads many to believe they are Christians, when they are not. Their profession of faith in Christ was superficial; they have mistaken believing that God exists to mean that He has saved them from their sin. The only valid proof of salvation is the LORD’s control of the life. “All that glitters is not gold.” Pray for those who are traveling in the wrong direction instead of walking in the way of the Holy Spirit. Be bold in sharing the Word, and let His control be observable in your life at all times.

We love you and pray for you daily,

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.”

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 10:7, “You are looking at things as they are outwardly.”

Everything in Scripture is for our understanding. It is vitally important, however, that we take what we read in its context. I can remember my preacher-grandfather saying to me, “You can prove anything you want by what you read in the Bible by twisting it; but to understand what the LORD intends you to understand, you must regard the context in which it is written.”

While that is true, it is also true that some statements in the Bible just jump out at us with truths that seem to ignore their context. When Paul wrote the verse above, he certainly did not intend it to mean anything and everything it might mean to our thinking. Yet, it does have meaning that fits every occasion. “You are looking at things as they are outwardly.” Could that be a warning to us that problems we face are not being solved because we are not looking at them with an inward, spiritual examination?

What is the LORD intending when the problems we face are not being resolved? Are we looking to Him or to others for the solution? Are we in a rush for what we want, or are we willing to wait for His timing? We think we have to resolve our problems in a hurry. But His timing is always correct. He wants what is good for us; and our trust and waiting on Him in the long run always proves better than our own. My thoughts go to Samuel, who said to King Saul, “Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the LORD?” (1 Sam. 15:19).

Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” He wastes no time, but does everything for the best for you. God bless you!

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.”

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 4:15-18, “For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Oh, so that’s how you do it! Now I understand! How many things we have faced in our lives that were a mystery to us. Then, someone revealed how it was done -what it meant– and the light dawned and we saw it all clearly.

These verses from the Apostle Paul could be called “a study in contrasts.” He contrasts things that are

“for (our) sakes” with things that “abound to the glory of God.” He contrasts our “outer man” with our “inner man” and the “decaying” life with the “renewal” of life. He also draws a clear distinction between our “light affliction” with the “eternal weight of glory”; the “seen” with the “not seen” and the “temporal” with the “eternal.”

We simply live too much for that which is temporal. Money, possessions, fun, friends, travel, and a host of external, temporal things –things that will one day be viewed as having had little-to-no value. What we need to be living for are those things that have eternal value –things that even now can bring glory to the LORD! Those things have value and we experience the warmth of that value when we engage in them. Prayer, witnessing, love, help and achievements for others –all of this gives us an internal satisfaction that those temporal things do not. We need to live for the eternal instead of the temporal.

Now that I’m beginning to understand how it all works, what am I going to do about it? How am I going to change my habits, my focus? I must live in His Word. I must listen to His Spirit. I must love Him more than everyone else. I must be thankful, for it is He who is LORD! It is He who is our Supreme Authority!

We love you and pray for you daily. We need your prayers, too.

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.”

Dear Grands,

1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

This is a verse I remember as “confusing” to me as a teenager. Paul says, “be steadfast, immovable” –and I could understand that. But then he added “always abounding.” That gave me pause. I could one be immovable and abouding at the same time? I was further confused because I had always believed that the Bible was without error –something I continue to believe without question! But how is something like this verse to be understood?

In the preceding verses, Paul has emphasized the literal, bodily resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ. He speaks about the Last Days and says that the LORD is victorious and has given to us as believers victory as well. He then concludes his thought by instructing us to be what he notes in that final verse.

It is a verse (and a passage and a letter) only for believers. He assumes that we know the Gospel and

Have received it. Now, we are not to waver one iota in our belief. We are to be settled in our thinking, not wobbly, not distrubed by anyone’s thoughts or teachings to the contrary of what we believe.

Further, we are to excel (abound exceedingly) in the work He has given us to accomplish! Just imagine:

the Creator of all things, the One who raised Himself from the dead, has chosen us to become involved in His ongoing work!! Further still, we are assurred that what we do will not be worthless (vain) because it is His work. He guarantees the overall excellence and value of His work. So, don’t give up! Like a doctor’s surgery –it takes time to heal, but in the end it will give life to the patient.

We Love and cherish you all,

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.”