"All things are lawful for me," Paul said twice in 1 Corinthians. I can do whatever I want without fear of the law condemning me or making me guilty. "But not all things are helpful... but not all things edify... but not all things are beneficial." "All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." (see 1 Cor 6:12, 10:23)
In the verses prior to 1 Cor. 6:12, Paul goes through a list of sinful behavior and he says that those who practice those things will not inherit the kingdom of God. He then goes on to say, "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." It's after all this that he says, "All things are lawful for me... but not everything is beneficial."
As people who have been washed clean (a done deal), we are now among those who have inherited the kingdom of heaven. Since we've been washed, sanctified and justified... there is no legal case that can be made against us - no charge that can be brought up against us - no matter what we do, because "(God) has made (us) alive together with Him (Christ), having forgiven (us) all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." (Col 2:13-14). We are now under a new covenant, because "He has made the first obsolete (and) what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." (Heb 8:13).
All things are lawful for me. Even my sinful behavior doesn't stand in the way of my having been washed, sanctified and justified. However... since I have now been made alive together with Christ, I should not allow myself to be mastered by anything. Not everything is beneficial. All things are permissible, but not everything is constructive.
The main thing I'm pointing out here is that law is not the issue! Real, vibrant, constructive LIFE in Christ is what matters! Whatever the law says, it does not say to those who have LIFE!
This will be the last post in this series for now, unless I think of anything else to add or if anyone has any thoughts or questions that they'd like me to address.
Grace Roots Blog
Showing posts with label sin no longer has dominion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sin no longer has dominion. Show all posts
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Whatever the law says... (Part 3)
I think we really misuse Jesus' "law" words in the church today. We wrongfully and woefully treat them as if they are aimed at Christians, when in reality they are words to those who are under the law. (Can I mention enough, that the purpose of those words would be to stop their mouths and make them understand how far short they really fall - and ultimately that the purpose of the law was to charge the world with the guilt of their sin?)
I think many people have come to Christ for the wrong reasons. They think they have come to Christ so that they can start living better. And if they aren't doing so well in that, they go back to the law or to any or all of Jesus' law words and get "convicted" all over again (and again and again and again). They have missed the whole point of the Law, and ultimately of what it means to be in Christ!
Here's the key to all of this. Once a person who is under the law has heard what the law says and has had their mouth stopped by it, they then die to the law (Gal 2:19) (see also Rom 7:1-6, which contrary to popular application is not a passage about Christian marriage, but is an example of lawful Jewish marriage that Paul uses to show how we had to die to the law in order to be married to Christ). Then by faith (not law), they are raised up and made alive together with Christ. They are then no longer under the law. "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace" (Rom 6:14).
Under the law, sin had its reign over everyone. It's only by dying to the law and being raised together with Christ that sin no longer has dominion over that person. Having died to the law, that person is no longer under the law (and again, no longer under the dominion of sin!). The law has done it's job! The law has spoken and the person has finally understood the message. "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor" (Gal 3:24-25). The law no longer has anything to say to that person, because it's job has been accomplished. The law doesn't go on convicting a person once they've come to faith. From that point on, the person is led by the LIFE of Christ, not by law.
The person now has LIFE, which is the very reason Jesus came. As mentioned above, He came to fulfill the law, He came to redeem those under the law... and He came to give Life. The law could never give life. "For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law" (Gal 3:21).
I think many people have come to Christ for the wrong reasons. They think they have come to Christ so that they can start living better. And if they aren't doing so well in that, they go back to the law or to any or all of Jesus' law words and get "convicted" all over again (and again and again and again). They have missed the whole point of the Law, and ultimately of what it means to be in Christ!
Here's the key to all of this. Once a person who is under the law has heard what the law says and has had their mouth stopped by it, they then die to the law (Gal 2:19) (see also Rom 7:1-6, which contrary to popular application is not a passage about Christian marriage, but is an example of lawful Jewish marriage that Paul uses to show how we had to die to the law in order to be married to Christ). Then by faith (not law), they are raised up and made alive together with Christ. They are then no longer under the law. "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace" (Rom 6:14).
Under the law, sin had its reign over everyone. It's only by dying to the law and being raised together with Christ that sin no longer has dominion over that person. Having died to the law, that person is no longer under the law (and again, no longer under the dominion of sin!). The law has done it's job! The law has spoken and the person has finally understood the message. "Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor" (Gal 3:24-25). The law no longer has anything to say to that person, because it's job has been accomplished. The law doesn't go on convicting a person once they've come to faith. From that point on, the person is led by the LIFE of Christ, not by law.
The person now has LIFE, which is the very reason Jesus came. As mentioned above, He came to fulfill the law, He came to redeem those under the law... and He came to give Life. The law could never give life. "For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law" (Gal 3:21).
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