2002-01-01
Good Morning Fellow Believers,
I am led to continue discussing the impact on Galatia (and any community that does this) of attempting to achieve a belief system that mixes Law and grace. The problem for a covenant people such as the Galatians were and we are is that these two systems are not compatible in God’s view. That fact that God felt the need to replace the old Covenant of the Law with the new Covenant of Grace stands as proof of that. The Law served to allow people to know what was acceptable to God and what wasn’t [RO 7:7] but it wasn’t ever designed to bring salvation. Only Christ’s death on the cross could do that [RO 3: 24-25]. Something was said in a recent sermon given by one of our congregation’s pastors, which I found very reassuring. I always worry that you as my readers will get tired of me repeating certain things. Our pastor said, there is a reason why we should never write a sermon or send a message about Godly things without mentioning the death of Christ on the cross, why His blood shed for us is so important. I know I do that often and now feel affirmed in doing so. There is nothing more important for us to understand that that one single act of blood sacrifice for our sins and its many impacts on our individual and congregational lives.
2 THESS 2: 13-17, “We must thank God at all times for you, brothers, you whom the Lord loves. For God chose you as the first to be saved by the Spirit’s power to make you His holy people and by your faith in the truth. God called you to this through the Good News we preached to you; He called you to possess your share of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, our brothers, stand firm and hold on to those truths which we taught you, both in our preaching and in our letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ, Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and in His grace gave us unfailing courage and a firm hope, encourage you and strengthen you to always do and say what is good.” As you can see, Paul was not only concerned about the truth being clouded by human intermediaries trying to put a different spin on it in Galatia, but also in Thessalonica and all over the church. That concern still applies to us today.
Paul’s attitude about attempts to mix Law and grace in Galatia are revealed in some tough talk in GA 1: 8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel that is different from the one we preached to you, may he be condemned to hell!” There are times, and this was one of them, when Paul’s talk needed to be tough to gain the attention of potential apostate Christians. Part of this group trying to mix grace and works were the Judaizers, who were trying to convince Gentile converts to Christianity that they needed to have their men circumcised in order to be blessed by God. They didn’t accept Paul’s teaching in RO 2: 29 regarding the fact that physical circumcision is not as valuable to God as “circumcision of the heart.” Our heart-attitude is what God really wants us to conform to Christ’s. God invited us to come to faith, which He gives us, and wants us to make the changes in our lives necessary to allowing us to join Him in His work. These Judaizers completely missed the boat! That same can be said for people today who have the idea that their deeds can bring them salvation, even when mixed with faith. God has offered us a covenant relationship with Him, and He wants us to understand clearly what that means.
We see more of Paul’s tough talk in GA 5: 2-4, “Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, it means that Christ is of no use to you at all. Once more I warn any man who allows himself to be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the whole Law. Those of you who try to be put right with God by obeying the Law have cut yourselves off from Christ. You are outside God’s grace.” How much clearer can it be? Law and grace simply don’t mix. Works can’t bring us to salvation. They certainly are a natural outgrowth of the righteousness with which a justified person’s account is imputed. While Christian men aren’t rushing to be physically circumcised in this day and age, the principle of putting a human spin on the word of God is just as dangerous in putting one outside the Covenant of Grace today as it was in Paul’s time. I witness to my own personal belief that the only ways to stay right as participants in the Covenant of Grace is to: 1) remain daily in God’s word, 2) pray frequently both privately and corporately, allowing God to speak first, 3) seek a personal relationship with God through fellowship, witnessing to His word, & ministries of service, 4) serve God using the talents He gave us in the ways He directs, 5) abide with God as His friend, allowing Him to have a real, intimate friendship with us, 6) allow our congregations to be led by Christ, and 7) never forget the we (as individuals) and our congregations together are part of the larger Body of Christ, which is to be unified and edified. I’m not saying that we should never consult a responsible commentary, but this should never be done before consulting the Scriptures directly. I witness to the fact that this is the way that God transforms us by the renewal of our minds [RO 12 2]. Believe in His power to do this! It’s real!
PRAYER: O Lord, You have entrusted us with a great treasure, Your word. By what Paul has said in most of his epistles, e.g. to the Galatians and the Thessalonians, You make us aware of the human propensity for putting a different spin on Your word than You intend. This is what happens when human agendas don’t align with Yours and get in the way of the Holy Spirit freely operating in our lives. Please, Dearest Lord, give us the self-discipline to stay daily and closely in Your word, so as to prevent this from happening. Give us the discernment we need when the enemy tries to tempt us to swerve in his direction instead of Yours. Help us to realize You have equipped us both with faith and with the ability to fend his temptations and him off. When we have two-way communication with You in prayer, we lay ourselves open to Your enormous power to refresh and renew our minds. You alone have the power to change our hearts from self-centered, Satan-led people on a one-way trip to spiritual death to Your adopted children who tread the narrow, difficult path to eternal life. We know You are asking us to examine our individual lives, to expunge the sin that is still in them, and to make Your agenda our own. You are the Lord of our lives. We acknowledge that we are sinners with a poverty of spirit that only You can fill. We admit that guilt and worrying are sins, so we place our concerns at Your altar in humility. We celebrate the joy of Your leadership in our lives and offer You this day our adoration, worship, loyalty, diligence, trust, obedience, utmost praise, and thanksgiving. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, I am led to write a little more about Paul’s objections to mixing Law and grace, as well as beginning a careful examination of GA 3. This vital chapter of the book of Galatians is packed with lessons that really clarify the picture on Law and grace. The time we spend on this issue is not wasted, because it will help us to have discernment in our own lives and to prepare us to witness to the truth intelligently and effectively to those around us who either don’t have it or are seeking it. God gives us this understanding from the Scriptures, because of His profound love for us and desire to have us in closeness to Him, living a life of joy and fellowship for eternity. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn