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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Not Under the Law but Under Grace, #12
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)
The one position considers that our sins are covered no matter how we behave; we ought to try to do good because we love Jesus, but our eligibility for eternal life in Heaven is not based on our behavior but on the grace and mercy of God. We are not under the Law but under an amnesty. Christ is the end of the Law, the abolishing of the Law, and freely assigns righteousness to those who have faith in Him.
The other position views salvation as the means of deliverance from sin and of bringing forth a new righteous creation. When we sin we are to confess our sin, repent, and avail ourselves of the grace of God to enable us to overcome the sin. Because we are not under the Law but under grace we are legally free to enter complete union with the Lord Jesus without having to worry about feast days and the washing of pots and pans. Our union with Christ brings forth the fruit of righteousness each day. The new creation is being revealed in our personality. We are growing continually in the ability to distinguish between good and evil, being able to select the good and resist the evil. Christ is the aim and purpose of the Law and the Law has brought us to Him.
The two positions are not the same. One is the true Gospel of salvation. The other is another gospel. Make no mistake—they are not the same! One of them is accurate and the other is a grievous error.
"I do not live any longer," Paul maintains. "The life I am now living in my body I am living by faith in the Son of God. Every aspect of my thinking, speech, and actions, every moment of every day, reveals that my old nature has been crucified and Christ is living in me.
"I am overcoming sin each day because the life of Christ does not sin. The part of my personality that is yet unredeemed is kept from condemnation by the blood of Jesus. I am living by total faith and trust in the Lord Jesus.
"To keep on walking in the sins of my flesh would mean I was building again the body of sin that Christ seeks to destroy, and in that case I indeed would be a lawbreaker. Were I to continue to live in my flesh I would be barred from the Kingdom of God, I would not inherit it. There is no practice of sin in the Kingdom of God.
"If it is true that I am not practicing righteous behavior by observing the ordinances of the Law of Moses but by living in the life of Christ, of what use is circumcision to me?"
For in Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. (Galatians 6:15)
To be continued.