Therefore, there is no opinion, no wavering, no man's
exceptions that can annul the Law's demands or commands. The Law is fixed forevermore. Man tries to "tamper" with it, but
it's God's Law. It is fixed by God
Himself, so that every person on the planet is accountable and becomes guilty
before the Holy God. Romans 3 covered
this.
Interestingly enough, God never calls the Law love. He says it is Holy. Holiness of God can never be attained by
man's efforts. And for years, this
reality was demonstrated throughout all the Old Testament. Men like Abraham, Noah, Enoch, Samuel, David
- all of them were men of faith. If they
had kept ALL God's command (a/k/a the Law), then there would be no need for
Christ to have come.
It would have meant that if one could do, all were expected
to do it.
Paul goes on to explain that if the husband dies, then the
woman is free. She is free to
marry. No one then, can call her an
adulteress, because she has adhered to the absolute legal requirements of the Law.
We are not called though to start living under the Law. If we place ourselves there, we will have the
Law scrutinize us in such a way that will deserve death. So, if we now subscribe exactly to the terms
of God's provision in His Great Salvation, we will end up realizing the power
of our salvation and the fruit we can bear.
Plus we will walk in freedom, conscious of Christ and His love, not SIN
conscious.
So what are those terms?
Those terms are found in Romans 7:4. Paul says we have undergone DEATH to the
LAW. How? This has happened for us and to us through the
BODY of Christ and His crucifixion and death. We are to take our place with
Christ in that death (Romans 6).
Here is the rest of it:
"So that NOW you may belong
to ANOTHER - to HIM WHO was raised from the dead in order that we may bear
fruit for God." God says this, not
me.
If a person is a child of God but walking by the demands of
the Law - or in other words, strive in his fleshly effort to achieve the
holiness and perfection the Law requires, then he is going to experience death. Listen to this as to what Paul says: "Once
I was alive, but quite apart from and unconscious of the Law. But, when the commandment came, sin lived
again and I died (was sentenced by the Law to death). (Leviticus 18:5).
You see, the Law is not a baseball game where it is three
strikes and you're out. No, it's one
strike and you're out.
The Lord and I have had hours of conversation over
this. The reason is, I deeply wanted to
understand what God Himself revealed to Paul the Apostle. We must understand that Jesus Christ has
ALREADY achieved ALL righteousness and holiness. We are going to experience His Life and
Person through us!
And besides, if Christ has ALREADY achieved ALL
righteousness and holiness, why am I trying to?
Instead I am called to come into CHRIST - by faith, then live by His
life. It makes absolute sense that if
Christ, WHO is life now lives in me, and His life is love, joy, peace, etc.
through His Spirit - why then is there any need for LAW? Paul definitely covers that in Galatians -
"against such there is NO Law!"
Galatians 2:20 is pretty clear. "I
have been crucified with Christ - it is no longer I (the old) who live. But the
life I (the new created self in Christ) now live, I live BY FAITH in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Married to another).
"Trying" to understand this with our brains is
impossible. God has to teach us all in
such a way that we all come to understand what He means, what it really is to
live and walk His way. It is spiritually
understood and discerned. And it has to
be God to cause us to fully understand.
As I write this devotion, I just know within my heart, this
is good news. To trust in the living
Jesus Christ in the heart for ALL fruit and works is the way of God. It took me years to unsaddle all the
traditional thinking and teachings, but I sincerely believe when one trusts
Christ - really trusts HIM - there is no way but up.
Until next time,
Sue Gaither
No comments:
Post a Comment