Avoiding the middle man

We've all heard this counsel about making purchases -- try to avoid the middle man! Do what you can to purchase something directly from the seller. You'll likely get a much better price.

Well, in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep, I received from God a new perspective on the middle man. It came from re-reading the book of Galatians in The Message. I've read this book a few times over the years, usually during sleepless nights. It continues to pack such a powerful punch.

Paul repeatedly sets forth the truth that believers in Christ are to avoid letting anything get between them and Jesus. Not the law. Not good works. Not living by a system. Not pleasing men. So many verses jumped out at me at 3 this morning, including:

"Convinced that no human being can please God by self-improvement, we believed in Jesus as the Messiah so that we might be set right before God by trusting in the Messiah, not trying to be good." (bold letters mine)

"If a living relationship with God could come by rule keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily."

"if there was a middleman as there was at Sinai, then the people are not dealing directly with God, are they? But the original promise is the direct blessing of God, received by faith."

After I read this part about the middleman, it became so clear --no wonder we need to depend on nothing but faith in Christ! Looking back in my life, I've let the "middleman" keep me from Christ. I can't blame the middleman -- it was my sin and blindness. The church I grew up in was like a middleman -- lots of religion and rules and rituals, but I didn't hear the gospel. I didn't know Christ. Again, I was to blame.

Then when I finally (after too many years of resisting God's grace) accepted Jesus and began following Him right after graduating from college, I eventually fell into letting the middleman get in the way. I bought into the legalism of my new church tradition and tried so hard in being "right." I became very loyal to the church and its basic teachings, but gradually felt so spiritually lonely and "un-alive."

I ended up at Harding University, studying for the ministry. And that's when the foundation of my theological opinions began to crumble. Especially when I began to read in the school library some articles about the gospel and how sectarian thinking keeps us from experiencing the joy of Christ. The Holy Spirit convicted me how I needed to let Christ set me free.

Reading Romans and Galatians were tremendous eye openers, as they have been for millions of other believers over the centuries. Years later God used Promise Keepers, Walk to Emmaus, Max Lucado books, the preaching of Lynn Anderson, Landon Saunders, Mike Cope and Chuck Swindoll to help me see the glory of the gospel. And friends/mentors like Randy Becton, Lou Seckler, Bill Nash, James Hallmark and my precious wife taught me so much about living in grace and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill me daily. Then there were the life-transforming books and sermons on tape by the Welsh preacher, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who helped me see so clearly man's depravity and that we're saved totally by grace through faith in Christ.

I could go on and on about the gospel. And how I so adamantly oppose any religious system or denomination or church structure that tries to corral me into legalism. Like Paul, I want to live boldly by these words: "Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you." (Gal. 5:1)

My brothers and sisters, let's strongly resist and reject any middle man theology. Let's glory in the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. And let everyone know the sweet promise of our Savior: "if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)

What's your story of how Christ set you free ? Anyone else out there who has let the middle man get between you and Jesus?

Walking in freedom, by His grace,

Jim