Dark Freedom: The Rise of Western Lawlessness - Chapter Eleven
by C.W. Steinle
Copyright 2015 by C.W. Steinle
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Part III - The Everlasting Kingdom
Law-Abiding Grace
As stated in the introduction, lawlessness
is next to godlessness. To deny the law
of God is to deny the God of the law. The Bible plainly and repeatedly points
out that the ungodly do not like to think about God. Paul says in Romans, they don't "like to retain God in their knowledge."
- Psalm 9:17 speaks of nations that forget God; "The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that
forget God." And Psalm 119 says
of those "who follow after
wickedness; They are far from Your law."
Drifting away from God's
government (God's law) is equivalent to falling away from God. How can the citizens of the United States appreciate laws in
general when the civil judges have lost respect for the constitutional laws of
the land? Society at large is blind to
the fact that falling away from the God of laws will inevitably lead the soul
into confusion, and the state into chaos.
The message of grace in many of today's western churches conveys that it
is possible to leave the law behind without falling away from God. Seeker friendly churches are adapting to the
lawless western lifestyle by implying that the law has been replaced by
grace. Whereas, in truth, grace reveals
God's purpose in giving the laws.
In his letters to the Romans and
the Galatians, Paul instructed those churches concerning the functional roles of
law and grace. Peter described the
freedom that we have in Christ, but also warned Christians not to misuse their
freedom. Why were law and grace given
separately? Can law and grace be reconciled
by human logic? In order to answer these
questions it is helpful to examine the circumstances under which the laws of
Moses were given, and the timing of God's provision of grace afforded by
Christ.
To recognize why the law and
grace had to be given separately we must return once again to Mount
Sinai . First we will
recount the actual event from the Book of Exodus. Then we will glean from Moses' reflection on
that event from Deuteronomy. The
Deuteronomy passage explains clearly why the law had to be given in advance of God's
grace.
"Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and consecrate
them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down
upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the
people. You shall set bounds for the
people all around, saying, 'Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to
the mountain or touch its base. Whoever
touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall
surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not
live.' When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.’ So Moses went down from the mountain to the
people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, ‘Be ready for the
third day; do not come near your wives.’
Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were
thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of
the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp
trembled. And Moses brought the people
out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai
was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a
furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.
And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder,
Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.
Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai ,
on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the
mountain, and Moses went up." - Exodus
19:10-20
"Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning
flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the
people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, ‘You speak with us,
and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.’ And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear;
for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you
may not sin.’ So the people stood afar
off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall
say to the children of Israel
This passage demonstrates the
assertion of the last chapter; that the fear of the Lord comes directly as a
result of experiencing the presence of God.
Furthermore, it is this awe of the living God which motivates people to
obey Him; that His fear may be before
you, so that you may not sin. But
the presence of the Lord is overwhelming to humanity in its weak and fallen
state. In every instance of God's
revelation of Himself, God had to make a provision so that men would be able to
withstand the awesomeness of His presence.
God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock.
For the priests in the tabernacle it was the blood of propitiation. Isaiah's lips were touched by a purifying
ember. The Spirit had to raise Ezekiel
to his feet. Thus a provision would have
to be made so that the common people of Israel might be blessed rather than
terrified by God's presence.
"The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from
your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you
desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let
me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire
anymore, lest I die.'" "And the Lord said to me: 'What they have
spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you
from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall
speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My
words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.'" – Deut.
18:15-19
Risto Santala pointed out that
the writings of the Rabbis acknowledged that a second Prophet like Moses would
come:
The Midrash literature on Moses speaks of the 'First' and the
'Last' Saviours. Midrash Rabbah on Ecclesiastes relates how R. Berechiah said
in the name of R. Yits-hak, who lived before the year 300 AD, that:
"Just as there was a First Saviour so there will be a
Last. Just as it is said of the First
Saviour (Ex. 4:20) that 'He took his wife and sons and put them on a donkey',
so it is said of the Last Saviour that 'He is lowly and riding on a
donkey'(Zech. 9:9). As the First Saviour
provided manna (Ex. 16), as it is written, 'Behold I will pour out bread from
heaven upon you,' so will the Last Saviour, as it is written (Ps. 72:16), 'Let
corn abound throughout the land'. Just
as the First Saviour opened a fountain, so the Last Saviour will provide water,
as it is written (Joel 3:18), 'A fountain will flow out of the LORD'S
house'." - Midrash Qoheleth Rabbati 1.
We have seen that in the light of the old Jewish literature
the Messiah is to be a "Second Moses" and the "Last
Saviour"; he will be called by the name "Lord"; grace and truth
will be united in him; he will be conceived by the Holy Spirit; he will speak
and act in the name of God, and that will be his distinguishing
"sign"; in this way he will show himself to be Moses
"redivivus". All of these
features apply to Jesus.109
God knew ahead of time how the
people would react to His presence on the mountain. He wanted them to have a 'dose' of His
presence so they would know their God personally, instead of merely knowing
about Him. The Children of Israel
already had an indirect knowledge of God's existence based on His
miracles. No amount of data gathered
about God can replace an actual encounter with God. But in man's fallen state, the presence of
God is outside of man's comfort zone.
The sinner's first inclination to the actual presence of God is to run
and hide from Him, just like Adam did in the garden after his sin.
Therefore God gave His law as a
means of provisional government until that time when Messiah would come and
make peace by the blood of His cross.
The mediator of the New Covenant brought peace, grace, and the
outpouring of the Spirit. "For the law was given through Moses,
but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." - John 1:17 Because of
the peace and forgiveness purchased by the blood of Jesus, Christians can
actually experience the presence of God because they have entered into peace with
God. Note that Jesus' first word to His
Disciples after His resurrection was, "Peace." Because of this peace received through faith
in the redemptive work of the cross, Christians actually long to be present
with God, and they eagerly await Christ's bodily return. For everyone who repents and believes, the
sin that separated fallen man from His Maker has been washed away by the blood
of the Lamb.
Now consider a simple analogy
representing the harmony between law and grace.
The law embodies the rules of God, and grace imparts the life, peace,
and the presence of God. Imagine that a
parent has built a small outdoor park for his children. At some time in the future he will to able to
spend time with them in the park. But in
lieu of his physical presence he posts instructive signs giving directions on
the best and safest ways to enjoy each of the swings and slides and so forth.
Occasionally the kids don't
follow the instructions and they get hurt.
Or they try to do something in different way, like swing from side to
side; which the swings weren't designed to do.
They are usually sorry and go back to following the instructions. After a while some neighborhood children come
by and say that the signs are dumb, and that they were only posted to keep them
from having more fun by doing things their own way. The signs bother them. Just having the signs there spoils everything
for the neighbors who don't trust the father's advice, and would rather be free
to experiment.
At a later time the father comes
to spend time with his children. He
interacts with each one, and tends each one to see that they are having fun,
while avoiding anything hazardous. While
he is present the kids don't really need the signs. They would rather enjoy the time with their
dad and appreciate his personal attention and advice. Because he is there to help them he even
allows them to do some special things that would have been to complicated to
explain with a sign. By spending time
with their father they begin to understand why each sign was posted. The father leaves the signs up so that if
people should come by who don't know the father, and don't know how to play,
they would still be informed of how to use the park facilities.
This analogy has its
limitations. In reality, God always sees
what is happening. God has never gone
away. But still God's presence was
mostly concealed except for His miracles and answers to prayer. Men were like sheep without a shepherd; like
orphans until Jesus sent the Spirit to remain, even to the end of the age. Under grace God's people can be directed
daily by God Himself. As long as
Christians fear the Lord and walk in His Spirit, they do not require the
law. However, when Christians forget God
and walk in the flesh, they are prone to transgression just like those who
don't know God. This is why Paul wrote
in Romans 8:1, "There is therefore
now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according
to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
Again, to go beyond the analogy
above, the Spirit received by those who believe in Jesus is the very life of
God - eternal life. But to enjoy the
presence of God, Christians must continue in their faith. We will deal with the issue of faltering as a
Christian near the end of this chapter. At
this point let us deal with a few common questions regarding law and
grace. First we must recognize the fact
that the differences between the Jerusalem
Church of Jewish believers and the Gentile Churches
That said, the Counsel of
Jerusalem reduced the Old Testament laws to a minimum for the Gentile
believer. Why did they feel at liberty
to do so? First of all, the dietary laws
were refuted by both Jesus and Paul; as well as by Peter's vision of the
unclean animals. Jesus said what goes
into the body cannot defile a man. Then
why was the law ever given to the Jews?
Some laws seem to have been given to set the Jews apart from the other
nations. But also, without refrigeration
many of the unclean animals had a history of causing problems.
The subject of washing
procedures and special types of containers also makes sense based on
hygienics. Even though the microscope
would not reveal the reason until thousands of years after the law, God knew
that proper food handling and preparation would protect the people from
diseases that might be spread into the Hebrew community. God's rules on cleanliness helped keep the
Israelites free from the diseases of the surrounding nations.
The observance of holy days was
addressed by Paul in his letters to the Romans and the Corinthians. The Early Church Rome , insisted that the yearly celebration of
Easter also be held on a different day than the Jewish Passover. Rome even
went so far as to excommunicate the Revelation churches of Asia
because they insisted on celebrating on the day of the Jewish Passover.
But the Ten Commandments and the
laws of sexual purity were not in any way expunged by the New Covenant. In fact, they were made even more strict by
Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount; condemning even intentionally meditating on
these sins. If we go back to the park
analogy, those signs weren't taken down; they were repainted in bold
letters! If the reader has been taught
to believe in a Lord who has come to take away His own law, they have not known
the true Christ. The law cannot give
life anymore than the signs in the park could come to life and become the
children's father. The law is not alive,
and it has no life to give. The Bible
says that if someone were able to keep the whole law; even in their heart, they
would not be condemned to death. But
everyone, other than Jesus, has been born with a wayward and deceitful heart so
that, under the law, all men are disqualified.
The law cannot save; and in this respect we are not under the law
because we are saved by grace. But in
our conduct we cannot say that we are
not under the law. Whether we are under
the law or under grace, if we transgress the will of God we have sinned.
Paul, who tells us that he was a member of the strictest sect
of the Pharisees, saw this danger. He
wrote; "But now, by dying to what
once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new
way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code" Romans 7:6.
Originally God justified Abraham on the
grounds of his faith. Legal ordinances given some 430 years later to Moses
cannot annul this "covenant previously established by God" (Gal.
3:16--19). To this day, Christ as the Messiah still has the answer to the Jewish
Torah problem.
The "hedge" around the Law with its traditions and
ordinances of men has now been torn down. The Ten Commandments are of course
still valid as the irrevocable "words of the Covenant". The
Christian's protective "hedge" is Christ himself, and so Paul in his
letters uses over 160 times the phrase "to be in Christ". If we stray
out of Christ, the "dogs of the Law," to use Luther's words will tear
us to pieces. In this way the law serves the gospel. Here lay the background
and logic of Paul's Torah teaching.110
God gave us both the law and
grace. Therefore both are good and
beneficial. Jesus countered the
accusation that He had come to abolish the law by responding, "Do not think that I came to destroy
the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and
earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till
all is fulfilled." – Matt. 5:17-18
The law was given for the
necessary purpose of maintaining order in the midst of a fallen world. "But
we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the
law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for
the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of
fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for
sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other
thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of
the blessed God which was committed to my trust." - I Tim. 1:8-11
The law also confronts imperfect
man with a perfect standard which exposes his inner defect of sin. We are convicted by our inability to live up
to God's standard, leaving us with an unsolvable dilemma: How can mortal man withstand
the judgment of a holy God? The Apostle
Paul said it is this very predicament which directs us to grace as the only
solution.
"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are
under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become
guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified
in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." – Rom. 3:19-20
In Galatians 3:21-25, Paul
explained that law and grace are not in opposition to one another. "Is
the law then against the promises of God?
Certainly not! For if there had
been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have
been by the law. But the Scripture has
confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be
given to those who believe. But before
faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would
afterward be revealed. 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."
The corruption of sin has
stained every man with the defect of inner corruption; a stain which can only be
removed by living a perfect life in obedience to every law of God - a life that
no one but Jesus has lived. But God has
made a way that the stain might be removed through the sacrifice of His Son on
the cross.
"’Come now, and
let us reason together,’
Says the Lord,
‘Though your sins are
like scarlet,
They shall be as white
as snow;
Though they are red
like crimson,
They shall be as wool.’" - Isaiah 1:18
And even though this divine
salvation from sin is supernatural, it is not beyond human comprehension. There is a place for logic and human
reasoning in the Christian faith. "For this commandment which I command
you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say,
'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and
do it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, that
you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we
may hear it and do it?' But the word is
very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it." –
Deut. 30:11-14
So how might we understand the
mechanics of salvation? Some have used
the acronym for grace: God's Riches At Christ's Expense.
Others have called it "The Great
Exchange," as described in II Cor. 5:21, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might
become the righteousness of God in Him." This gift of grace bestowed upon those who
believe in Christ is the complete forgiveness of sins, and the appropriation of
God's righteousness - it is the righteousness of God imparted as a gift upon
those who are incapable of righteousness on their own. It cannot be earned. It can only be accepted. It is not based on personal merit. It's based on the perfect sacrifice which
Jesus offered for us on the cross.
"For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived,
serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and
hating one another. But when the
kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us,
through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He
poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been
justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal
life." - Titus 3:3-7
But why does John say that truth
came through Jesus? Jesus often began
His statements; "Truly, truly, I say
to you. . ." Jesus spoke with
authority from the full knowledge of the Godhead. And Jesus is the true and only way to be
reconciled to the Father. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except
through Me.
The life of God - eternal life,
is honest life. It is a holistic and
wholesome life that is complete in Christ. It is true life that sets men free to be who
they were created to be. How broken is man in his fallen state! How he is held back by his insecurity, by his
circumstances, by mistakes and misfortunes. But all the while, he attempts to hide his
inner dissatisfaction as he searches within and without for his own identity;
only to be more and more disenchanted with the imperfection of his fallen
state.
Jesus came to give us life,
abundant life, true life as life was meant to be - free from the problems of
guilt, of sin, and even from the fear of death. The New Covenant is the covenant of grace and
truth. It has been said that this gospel
is so simple that it might be stated in four words; "Christ died for
me."
"Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He
entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the
ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the
flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God? And for this
reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the
redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are
called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." – Heb. 9:12-15
If Christ did all of the work,
is there anything left for us to do? Yes. Believe it! How can you indicate that you understand that
the only way to obtain righteousness is through Christ, and that you are
placing your faith Him? Confess what you
believe to God and to others.
"For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, ‘The
man who does those things shall live by them.’ But the righteousness of faith
speaks in this way, ‘Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'’
(that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, ‘Who will descend into the
abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in
your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess
with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto
righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on
Him will not be put to shame.’" – Rom. 10:5-11
"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been
given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end
of the age.’" Amen. Matt. 28:18-20
These verses, known as the Great
Commission, instructed the Disciples to baptize and teach their converts. In obedience to this directive, a believer
should submit to water baptism as soon as possible after placing faith in
Christ. Water baptism signifies
fellowship in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Being immersed in water testifies of one's
own death to self and sin. Submersion in
water signifies Christ's burial and the cleansing of sin by Christ's blood. Rising up out of the water is a picture of
Christ's resurrection, and the believer's new life in Christ.
It is the author's opinion that
God will bless the new believer's act of baptism administered by any true
Christian - whether they incorporate sprinkling or dunking. In an emergency someone might even baptize
themselves. Faith, and the baptism by
the fire of the convicting Holy Spirit, are the works of God unto
salvation. Church leaders have resolved
to carry out Christ's work in various forms, and through various denominations;
but they are only human. They are
sincerely trying to follow God's will.
And God will honor their interpretation of God's will, as long as it
conforms to His Word.
Now let us return from this
evangelistic interlude to our discussion of law and grace. Where did western churches get the idea that
grace has replaced the law in regard to conduct? Just as Jesus said of Himself, grace didn't
come to take away the law, but to fulfill the law. The only time Christians need not heed the
law, is when they are walking so close to God in the Spirit that the fear of
God keeps them within the law -
without the aid of the law. That is
the only time when they are not under the law; because they are under grace. They are free from the law because the
presence of God guides them and persuades them to keep the laws; thus writing
God's law within their hearts and minds.
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free
from the law of sin and death. For what
the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending
His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned
sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled
in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set
their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the
Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to
be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity
against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot
please God." – Rom. 8:2-8
When Christians are not walking
in the Spirit of grace they cannot disregard the tutor of the law. The law will keep them from getting too beat
up, until such time when they become so hungry for the life of the Spirit that
they repent and return to the presence of God.
Christians don't lose their salvation every time they wander from God,
but if they continue in sin and stray from God's fellowship, what fruit will
they bear to testify to their faith? What treasure will they store up in heaven? Too much time in the dark can cause Christians
to doubt if they were ever really saved; as Peter taught, "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your
faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control
perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and
to brotherly kindness love. For if these
things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For
he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has
forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins." - II Peter 1:5-9 (Emphasis added)
Sadly, the willingness of
western Christians to disregard God's law shows that they have either not known
His presence, or else they have forgotten what it was like to fear the Lord. Instead of trying to conform to the world
they need to come to the cross and repent.
Christ is ready to forgive, to cleanse, and to fill those who believe He
is the Lord with His Holy Spirit. Then
they will receive the love of God, and also know the holiness and majesty of
His presence. Without the fear of the
Lord the nominal Church cannot even claim it has received saving grace; and it
will never keep the law. And if the
Church has become lawless, how will the world come to respect the law? Without the law to act as a tutor, what
standard will draw the lost to Christ?
Now we will proceed to the
touchiest and most politically incorrect issue of the Mosaic Laws; the
punishments proscribed for breaking those laws.
"For the wages of sin is
death." – Rom. 6:23a Is this
true? The Christian who understands the
importance of staying close to the Shepherd should be willing to pray;
"Lord, do whatever it takes to give me victory over that sin which spoils
my fellowship with You." Because
sin cuts man off from the life of God, Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount
that it is better that a man should cut off part of his own body - if that
member separates him from eternal life.
We don't see voluntary dismemberment modeled in New Testament writings,
nor by the Early Church
Voluntary dismemberment and
self-flagellation are no more acceptable to God than suicide. The Mosaic laws say is wrong to cut one's own
flesh as was the custom of the prophets of Baal. But sin should appear so deadly, to those who
understand the holiness of God, that they should be willing to do whatever it
takes to gain victory over anything that opposes God's will.
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not
commit adultery.' But I say to you that
whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with
her in his heart. If your right eye
causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable
for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast
into Hell. And if your right hand causes
you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you
that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Hell."
– Matt. 5:27-30
Physical death and dismemberment
cannot separate the soul from God. "For I am persuaded that neither death
nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor
things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be
able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
– Rom. 8:38-39 But sin can, and does, separate us from God.
"Behold, the
Lord’s hand is not shortened,
That it cannot save;
Nor His ear heavy,
That it cannot hear.
But your iniquities
have separated you from your God;
And your sins have
hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear." - Isaiah 59:1-2
Now if Christians actually
possess such a desire to have victory over sin that they would be willing to
suffer discomfort at the hands of God in order to be sanctified, and to have
fellowship restored, why would they object to punishment at the hands of the
civil authority to correct and punish those same sins?
Indeed, we see that the early
Christian settlements in America
actually desired, and created, civil laws fashioned after the Ten
Commandments. Likewise, those standards
were adopted at the state and federal level by the founding Fathers of the United States . For nearly 2,000 years the Church has
recognized the grace of the New Covenant; and, at the same time, desired to
have civil authority modeled after the laws of Moses. Why suddenly, in the mid-twentieth century,
did western culture begin to object to these laws, which seemed intuitive, good,
and just throughout the previous generations?
Once again the answer lies in
the exaltation of self and the desire of mankind to erect its own kingdom with
its own laws. Westerners have been
indoctrinated by socialists to believe that centralized power is evil. Authoritarian government will lead to social
injustice, and create an inequitable "class struggle." The social engineers hold up the vision of a
social order without laws and without authority - a headless
body-of-state. But it will never be. Self-government is an oxymoron. It is contrary to the divine model of the
Godhead. It is lawlessness. The idea that law somehow conflicts with the Kingdom of God
Nevertheless, a lack of faith in
God and His power has led to a fear that unless man is in control, God might
not be able to protect His children.
This lack of confidence in God to govern His people through the civil
authority might be expected from the ungodly.
But the Church Patriotic has jumped aboard the socialist bandwagon right
along with the world. (We will learn in
the last section of this book that America 's rift with her leaders is
part of a comprehensive plan to undermine the U.S. Republic.)
The take-away for the Church in
this discussion of law and grace is that the New Testament amplifies God's
government rather than diminishing it. The
New Testament declares that the Lord has come.
The gospel does not hide God's system of justice, it further reveals it.
"For
in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is
written, "The just shall live by faith". For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." – Rom.
No matter how wayward the world
and contemporary church culture might be, when a person is reborn of the Spirit
into the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit is still able to convict the heart of
sin, and to instill a proper fear of the Lord.
But without proper exampling and discipleship, these new believers will
be apt to be carried away by a culture obsessed with liberty and independence.
The world has no freedom to
offer which can compare to the freedom found in Christ. There is nothing more fulfilling than knowing
God. The fallen sin-self looks for
freedom from all outside authority, but the soul set free by Christ is freed
from its myopic mindset and soars in the vastness of the knowledge of God. With the sin issue settled, the soul has
nothing left to hide. In the light of
God's glory there remains no false sense of self-worthiness to defend. Furthermore, the Christian is commissioned by
God to accomplish His work by the power and gifting of the Holy Spirit, laying
up eternal treasure in heaven. But this
purpose-filled life is only found by submitting to the King of glory.
Let us return one more time to
the European Renaissance to observe God's remnant Church Rome 's errors, another movement was born in
the Rhineland to carry the flame of true
Christianity. The fire from this camp,
along with courage of Wycliffe, would kindle what would become the Protestant
Reformation. These Christians have been
referred to as the German Mystics. This
title gives the impression that experiencing God's presence is mystical, or
even optional, in the life of the believer.
But only a personal encounter with God can impart a genuine fear of the
Lord.
The theology of the German
Mystics was not fully refined to remove the dross of personal assumptions. But the fear of the Lord was instilled in
these Christians who believed that Christ could be known personally. They believed their names could be written in
heaven without the necessity of having their names written on the roster of the
apostate Roman Church. We will only
mention a few of the movement's prominent leaders. Meister Eckart taught that God was in Christ,
and Christ was in those who had been born again by becoming empty to self in
order to seek after God. John Tauler's
writings are still quoted today in Protestant Churches. The Friends of God consisted of various
fellowships along the Rhine . Their most influential writer used the
pseudo-name, "The Overland." The German Theology111 is a
comprehensive statement of the German Mystics' beliefs; published around
1497. Schaff gives the following
synopsis.
The German Theology
sets forth man's sinful and helpless condition, Christ's perfection and
mediatorial work and calls upon men to have access to God through him as the
door. In all its fifty-four chapters no
reference is made to Mary or to the justifying nature of good works or the
merit of sacramental observances. It
abounds as no other writing of the German mystics did in quotations from the
New Testament. In its pages the
wayfaring man may find the path of salvation marked out without mystification.
The book, starting out with the words of St. Paul, "when
that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done
away," declares that that which is imperfect has only a relative existence
and that, whenever the Perfect becomes known by the creature, then "the I,
the Self and the like must all be given up and done away." Christ shows us the way by having taken on
him human nature. In chs. XV.-LIV., it
shows that all men are dead in Adam, and that to come to the perfect life, the
old man must die and the new man be born.
He must become possessed with God and depossessed of the devil. Obedience is the prime requisite of the new
manhood. Sin is disobedience, and the
more "of Self and Me, the more of sin and wickedness and the more the
Self, the I, the Me, the Mine, that is, self-seeking and selfishness, abate in
a man, the more doth God's I, that is, God Himself, increase." By obedience we become free. The life of Christ is the perfect model, and
we follow him by hearkening unto his words to forsake all. This is nothing else than saying that we must
be in union with the divine will and be ready either to do or to suffer. Such a man, a man who is a partaker of the
divine nature, will in sincerity love all men and things, do them good and take
pleasure in their welfare. Knowledge and
light profit nothing without love. Love
maketh a man one with God. The last word
is that no man can come unto the Father but by Christ.
In 1621 the Catholic Church placed the Theologia Germanica on the Index.
If all the volumes listed in that catalogue of forbidden books were like
this one, making the way of salvation plain, its pages would be illuminated
with ineffable light.112
The Mystics found that God's
presence could be experienced through Christ.
Later theologians categorized these believers as Mystics based on the
fact that they claimed to have experienced a spiritual encounter with God. Is this type of encounter, by which a person
advances from knowing about God to making an actual acquaintance with Him, a
realistic expectation? Is experiencing
God's presence a singular event in the Christian life? Might such an encounter constitute the
beginning of a true relationship with God; or is it something that comes
through a lifetime of refinement, meditation, or education? Lastly, what does self-denial have to do with
drawing near to God?
In order to answer such
questions let us consider a logical argument which Jesus gave to those who had
accused Him employing demonic spirits to accomplish His miracles.
"And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that
the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.
But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of
the demons.’ Others, testing Him, sought
from Him a sign from heaven. But He,
knowing their thoughts, said to them: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is
brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how
will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by
whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons with the finger of
God, surely the kingdom
of God
Now take this same line of
reasoning and apply it to the self. The
self stands vigilant guard over its own house.
When a person confesses that Jesus is his
Lord, that person is saying that he has handed over the keys to every area of his
life. But does that person really want
Christ to possess him completely? Is he
really willing to have Christ take all of his soul as His spoil? The self is a strong man. It fights to retain some item of personal
value that it is unwilling to be counted as Kingdom property. The self reasons, "If all is Christ's,
what will become of me?"
The problem from the standpoint
of salvation is that sin bonds the self with the devil. The house of self must be spoiled in order
for Jesus to break that unholy alliance.
The real strong-man is the devil hiding behind the door of what appears
to be one's own house. People can try to
clean house on their own, but unless they have honestly received Christ they
will be self-deceived. They might, through
their own sense of guilt or willpower, obtain spans of victory over sin. Nevertheless, in their heart they remain
un-submitted to the authority of God.
Therefore the devil is still in the house; and can, at his whim, cause
further destruction.
"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry
places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, 'I will return to my house
from which I came.' And when he comes,
he finds it swept and put in order. Then
he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and
they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the
first." - Luke 11:24-26
Let us conclude this chapter on
law and grace by reviewing Paul's warning about "self-imposed"
religion. "Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of
the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to
regulations -
‘Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,’ which all concern things
which perish with the using - according to the commandments and doctrines of
men? These things indeed have an
appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of
the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh." – Col.
2:20-23
How has the reader's religion
been imposed? Was it imposed by parents,
the Church, or the preferred state religion?
Is the reader relying upon his own self-imposition of God's law? Or has the reader been imposed upon by the
very real presence of God - by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit? John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus
with a call to repentance. Repentance
unto salvation involves the honest admission that, up until the moment of surrender,
the strong man of self is still guarding the house from the lordship of Christ.
God made His presence known at Mount Sinai so the people might fear Him and be obedient
to His laws. The children of Israel did not
remain at the mountain forever. In
Deuteronomy Four, the parents were instructed to teach their children what they
had experienced at Sinai along with the laws so that they
might "learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth." The Holy Spirit has been sent by our ascended
Lord so that each generation till the end of age can experience God for
themselves. Christians do not live every
moment after their conversion actually experiencing the awesome presence of the
Lord. But between such experiences they
remember what it is to fear the Lord.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge.
The reality of the presence of
God is the power which enables grace to govern in the place of the law; not
contradicting the law, but superseding the law.
The misinformed and nominal church has never experienced the power of
God; and, therefore, cannot fear Him because they have not known Him. Yet they declare they can ignore the law
because they are standing under the umbrella of grace. They have neither submitted to law, nor grace. They are out of control. This is one of the delusions of lawlessness.
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