Singleness of Heart

Deuteronomy 22:9–12 (ESV)“You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited, the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard. 10 You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. 11 You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together. 12 “You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.

So aren't we supposed to ignore laws like this as New Testament believers? Not if we are to understand our salvation properly. These laws in Isreal were instructing God's people to be a certain kind of people who lived and dressed a certain kind of way and always remember to maintain a singleness of heart regarding their God. 

Sowing seed, the unequal yoking of animals and being clothed all find New Covenant counterparts in the teachings of Jesus, Paul, and the Apostles. Consider:

First: Sow the right SEED:
Mark 4:14 (ESV) The sower sows the word.

We are indeed to sow the single and ONLY Gospel delivered unto men for all time (See Galatians 1:6-7). We do not offer people good advice, we bring them the Good News! Mixing the good news with good advice is unlawful in proclaiming Christ. We are saved by HIS work alone!

Second: Work with the right KIND:

2 Corinthians 6:14 (ESV) Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?"

Paul speaks to the Corinthians about being unequally yoked. Now here's our historical problem with this passage. We have ONLY used this passage to prohibit believers from marrying unbelievers. Indeed this is a possible interpretation of the passage. But Paul uses this passage in the context of defending his ministry of Apostleship to the Corinthians and seeking to get them to stop listening to those who misguide them for their own selfish gain! (Consider reading 2 Corinthians through to get this passage's point in light of Paul's greater argument starting in 2 Corinthians 3). The point Paul is making is that we must listen only to certified Gospel workers who genuinely care for the Chruch and not the false shepherd seeking his own gain.

Third: Only one kind of FABRIC:

Galatians 3:27 (ESV) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Romans 13:14 (NLT) Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

Isaiah 61:10 (ESV) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Christians are ONLY and forever accepted in God's sight through the righteousness of Christ. He has provided us with His garment of Salvation. This garment is singular. We do not put on Christ and our own good works. We do not put on Christ and the ideals of this world to make us acceptable to God. He covers us! He makes us right. He provides the wedding garment of singular salvation in His Son. When we do not wear it, we do not rightly enter His presence (See Matthew 22:11-14). 

Finally, tassels are to be applied to the garments of Israel.

Think about this. The garment they attached tassels to would have been made from fabric crafted from their crops sown in singular seed that had been sown in grown plowed with singular livestock and woven together with singular linen. And now they attach tassels to help them REMEMBER God's Word.

Numbers 15:39 (ESV) And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.

If I do not remember the power of the work of Christ, my heart will be misled away in it's own lusts! The answer to our wanderings is the finished work of Christ's blood accomplished for me. 

What is a Christian MOST often called to do? Come back to the Lord's Table and REMEMBER and DECLARE the Lord's death until He comes! We must NEVER forget His sacrifice and we must constantly maintain a singleness of heart to Him! He has made us right. We are grateful and thankful. Let us live in an attitude of appreciation and worship for what our Great Savior has done!