Monday, December 16, 2013

Lord of the Rings: Guardian or King

I was studying Galatians today and the image that came to mind to visualize this text was Lord of The Rings. Which who knows Tolkien was a Christian so perhaps this was part of his intent.

The image is of a guardian like Lord Denethor vs the rightful king by the promise: King Aragorn.

Galatians 3 teaches us about the law and faith and how they relate and yet faith rules.


23 Before the coming of this faith,[j] we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

The law was our guardian making us aware of sin and guiding us. But Israel was still dark and in decay and under sin. Life under the law looks a lot like Gondor under Lord Denethor. Gray, dark and decaying. Yet when the king came and Aragorn led his rightful people they came to beautiful life. They glowed white and fought valiantly against Mordor even to the black gate. The people were the same people and the guardian was important. 

For us Israel was kept under the guardian of the law, but then our King Jesus Christ came to give us our full life by faith in him! We are no longer slaves to sin. We can be who we were made to be by God through Christ. The law was our guardian but we are no longer under the rule of the guardian the law. 

For those that rejected Aragorn there was only death and hopelessness and so to are those under the law without faith in Christ. But by faith we who know Christ no longer live under the law without hope but have life and hope!

Galatians 3

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Through faith we are children of God! We too are heirs of the promise of eternal life!
Amen

Guardian

King!

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