Don't Be Left Holding the Bag

# 276 Today’s Living Word comes from Mark 2:22 "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

Jesus uses still another example to show the necessity of breaking free from the traditional ceremonial law and works of the Pharisees and relying on His grace alone for salvation.

Putting new wine into an old container will cause the old container to burst because the old container no longer has any give in it, and the fermenting activity of the new wine will cause the container to burst resulting loss of wine and the container.

That’s the trouble with salvation by tradition, ceremony, and works...it has no give in it, and those who rely on it will be left holding an empty bag. Ceremonial traditions can be a beautiful way to express worship, but beware of the trap of rigidity. Never allow ceremony, tradition, or works to become a substitute for a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Are we saved by the overflowing grace of God............. or by unbending rules, ceremonies, and traditions of men?

Ephesians 2:8, 9 says, “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word.