The Plumbline

You have been severed from Christ, if you seek to be justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with God] through the Law; you have fallen from grace [for you have lost your grasp on God’s unmerited favor and blessing]. For we [not relying on the Law but] through the [strength and power of the Holy] Spirit, by faith, are waiting [confidently] for the hope of righteousness [the completion of our salvation]. For [if we are] in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but only faith activated and expressed and working through love. (Galatians 5:4-6) If we seek to be declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, placed in right standing with God himself, then the keeping of rituals, ceremonies, or 'rules' is not the way to go. Rules and regulations are all good, but when we attempt to make them our 'end all' for right living, they fall short of grace each and every time. Grace is unmer...

"Set yourselves apart for a holy life. Live a holy life, because I am  God , your God. Do what I tell you; live the way I tell you. I am the  God  who makes you holy. (Leviticus 20:7-8) There is a concept in business today called "branding" - it carries the idea of the techniques utilized to ensure that the public knows your name, recognizes you as a leader in your industry, etc.  Companies invest big money into making sure that they are recognizable in the community they serve by the "brand" they have invested time, talent, and energies into creating.  It is kind of like what God said through Moses so many years ago - "Set yourselves apart..."  God was telling us to be known by our "branding" - that which makes us uniquely different from those around us and makes people want what it is that we possess. Although the concepts of "branding" are primarily a marketing technique in the business realm, I think we can draw some parallel...