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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Write an INSPIRATIONAL article (11/27/14)
I grew up thinking that gentlemen wore neckties.
A neckties was a sign of respectability.

“Neckties must be worn to work in this office” many managers would say.
Failure to wear a necktie was an offense and would result in disapproval and censure.
In our great Westernized developed cities, men would be seen [and still are] scurrying or should I say hurrying to work with their briefcases, suits and neckties.

We did not look beyond neckties.
It was like a stamp that said `he is okay’.
In churches, gentlemen clubs, the army, high schools,
the boy scouts, the red cross, the salvation army
men, women, girls and boys wore neckties with suits or with uniforms.

One day I met a man who refused to wear a necktie [except to our wedding].
He was forced to wear a necktie all of his life so he finally rebelled.
“No more ties” he said.
He wore V-neck shirts, polo shirts and tee shirts.

Refreshingly, in the last decade I have seen the same trend among some well known preachers.
They were wearing jeans and shirts, not neckties or suits.

Ties made me think of the Laws that God gave to Israel.
All they had to do was follow them to be `right ‘ with Him.
Any failure to follow was visible to all, because the Law consisted of a series of rules and commands publicly followed.

The books of Leviticus and Exodus were replete with the Laws.
Many died and the whole race was cursed because of
failure to keep these Laws perfectly.
In fact it was impossible for a mere human to follow the Laws perfectly. We know that the Pharisees failed; and they tried really hard to be perfectly Law abiding.

Then along came Yeshua. He, Son of God,The Promised Messiah and Our Redeemer and Lord of the Sabbath* was popular with the ordinary people. He made them well, he raised their dead, he cast out demons and taught them Truth.
*Matthew 12:1-8

Yes, He broke the Sabbath; you can say He refused to wear a necktie.
He did not disobey the Laws but He fulfilled them and established the law of Love and Grace*.
*Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.


Like the Law, a necktie was bound securely around the neck.
So too the Law bound the children of Israel securely to a way of life.
Knowing that breaking even one of those laws was as bad as breaking all of them, would you choose The Law or would you choose Grace?

The success of the Law `hung’ on obedience and reminded me of a noose.
Here was another picture; an upturned necktie reminded me of a noose. In some cultures, people
were frequently hung up on or hung from nooses.

I invite you to see Grace like a loosened tie hung on a single entity that flowed freely, it was not binding.
Grace was and is free to us and it flows from God alone.
Accept this free gift today!


Grace was defined in The Bible as unmerited favour that could not be earned. Ephesians 2:8 tells us "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:it is the gift of God."

God in Christ Jesus did all the work. All we had to do was accept Him and to live a life of Grace daily.
Out of His love for you and me, came love and obedience from our hearts of love for Him; not from duty.

I am so thankful for Grace.

My husband does not wear a necktie to church anymore.
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This article has been read 842 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Tracy Nunes 
12/09/14
You had a lot of great points here. The analogy of the Law and the constraining neck tie was excellent! My husband is a neck tie rebel too. :)
Sheldon Bass 
12/10/14
I've gone back and forth with wearing a tie and then not, and then back to one of those torturous adornments again. Your parallel to the mosaic law as a restrictive tie, I think enhanced your message of grace, which frees us from the written code. And I was pleased to see you didn't forget to include the important obedience-out-of-love point. Good piece, kudos.

One observation, I believe you may have used the word, "Necktie" a little too often in the beginning two or three paragraphs. You shortened it to "tie" later on, and that was good, but I think you might want to change a couple of the other "neckties" into different words that would still refer to the object. You could really get creative that way, or perhaps use something simple such as, "one of those decorative strips of cloth tied around the necK."

Keep on writing you have the knack!