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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Not Under the Law but Under Grace, #11
For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. (Galatians 2:18)
Paul has been grievously misunderstood. This misunderstanding has wrecked the churches of our day.
Paul's argument against the Law of Moses has been interpreted by Gentiles as an argument against righteous and holy behavior. It is as though we are saved apart from righteous and holy behavior, when in fact righteous and holy behavior are salvation and proof of the Kingdom of God in our life.
It is an enormous, deadly misunderstanding!
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. (Galatians 2:19)
What does this mean, "I through the law am dead to the law"? It means that the judgments of the Law brought Paul down to the death of the cross. The Law slew Paul. Because Paul is dead the Law no longer governs him. He now is free to be married to Jesus and to live unto God.
The expression "dead to the law" has been interpreted to mean we no longer are bound by the Law of Moses. This is only partially true. The point is, we have died because of the Law. Therefore it is not appropriate for us to sin, that is, to continue to act as though we were still alive.
We have not died to the Law of Moses so we can be free but so we can "live unto God." This is where the breakdown of understanding is. No Christian is free from the Law of Moses in the sense the expression is used currently. Rather, he is dead to the Law of Moses, having died with Christ on the cross of Calvary. Now the believer has been raised with Christ ; not merely raised, but raised with Christ. We have died to Moses, not that we may be free but that we may be married to Christ.
The answer to the question of the relation of Moses to Christ, and the understanding of the manner in which God views sin (which is defined in Galatians as the "works of the flesh"), is found in the following passage:
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
We believers are not free from the laws of righteousness; rather, we are crucified with Christ.
It is not I who am living but Christ who is living in me. This is the same as having the Torah written in our mind and heart, for Christ is the Word, the Torah of God.
One doctrinal position is that by accepting Christ, the Law of Moses has no more authority over us. Our sins are forgiven, and when we sin God does not see our sin but only the righteousness of Christ. When we die we will go to the spirit Paradise to live forever.
The other position is that the Law has condemned us to death because of our sin. Therefore we have identified ourselves through water baptism with the crucified Christ. By faith we have risen together with Him to the right hand of God. Christ is now our life and when He appears we will appear with Him in glory, ready to restore Paradise to the earth.
To be continued.