Enjoying Where You Are on the Way to Where You Are Going Page 8
The Law was given in order to show man his need for a Savior. We are supposed to try to keep it until we realize that we absolutely cannot, and then humble ourselves and ask God to help us, which He has done in the person of Jesus Christ.
Religion says, “You have to find a way, no matter how impossible it may seem. You had better do it … keep the rules or take the punishment.”
But relationship says, “Do your best because you love Me. I know your heart. Admit your faults, repent of your mistakes and just keep loving Me.”
Grace Versus Law
But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets,
Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction,
Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives.
[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,
Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment.
It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has [true] faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26
The Apostle Paul had his work cut out for him when he was given the task of preaching grace to the Jewish people of his day. They had been trying to keep the Law for a long time. For centuries they had lived under “the system.” When they succeeded, they felt good about themselves, and when they failed, they felt condemned.
As Paul expounded here in Romans 3:21-26, they were having a difficult time understanding the new order of things, so he had to teach them about God’s grace which justifies and accepts as righteous all those who have faith in Jesus Christ, Who is Himself the fulfillment of the Law.
After Paul preached this message to the Jews, which is wonderful good news, he told them something that to the religious person is not good news.
Faith Versus Works
Then what becomes of [our] pride and [our] boasting? It is excluded (banished, ruled out entirely). On what principle? [On the principle] of doing good deeds? No, but on the principle of faith.
For we hold that a man is justified and made upright by faith independent of and distinctly apart from good deeds (works of the Law). [The observance of the Law has nothing to do with justification.]
Romans 3:27,28
The flesh of man wants to have something about which to feel proud. It wants credit. In God’s new plan, there never would be, and could never be, any credit given to man. Jesus has done everything, and all man is to do is believe!
Everything that man receives from God is attained by faith, not by works.
First the man has to have faith, then he can certainly do good works, but he has to always bear in mind that those “works” do not earn him any particular favor with God. He is to do them from a “pure motive,” which is a desire to give, not to get!
Life and Light of the World, Living Epistles
The Church should be bubbling over with life. It should be vibrant, alive, active, energized, peaceful and joy filled. I believe with all my heart, as a result of my own experience — in addition to what I have watched other people go through — that a wrong approach to God will totally prevent this kind of vitalized living.
A legalistic, religious approach steals life. It does not nourish it. Remember, Paul said, “The Law kills, but the Spirit makes alive.” When we follow the Spirit, we feel alive. When we follow the Law, it drains the life out of us.
The Church of Jesus Christ is supposed to be glorious. (Eph. 5:27 KJV.) Remember, of course, that the Church is made up of her individual members. How can the Church be glorious if those who have accepted Christ as their personal Savior are not glorious?
Each of us should ask the question, “Would people want what I have by watching my life and looking at my countenance?” We are to be the light of the world (Matt. 5:14), living epistles, read of all men. (2 Cor. 3:2 KJV.) As such, our lives are to be letters to the world.
Where Is the Glory in the Church?
Now if the dispensation of death engraved in letters on stone [the ministration of the Law], was inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its brilliance, [a glory] that was to fade and pass away,
Why should not the dispensation of the Spirit [this spiritual ministry whose task it is to cause men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit] be attended with much greater and more splendid glory?
2 Corinthians 3:7,8
In these verses, Paul revealed how glorious the new dispensation should be by using an illustration from the days of Moses and the Children of Israel.
When Moses came down from the mountain after receiving the Law, the glory of the Lord shone from his face to such a degree that he had to wear a veil when talking with the people. (Ex. 34:28-35.)
Paul used this incident as an example. The Jewish people of Paul’s day had already experienced that trying to keep the Law actually ministered death to them instead of life. Paul was telling them that if this thing which ministered death arrived with such glory that it shone forth from the face of Moses, the Lawgiver, how much more glorious should this new covenant be that ministers life?
There are some congregations here and there that are visited with the glory of God on occasion. Are we supposed to wait for God to sovereignly usher in the glory, or should we bring it in with us? Perhaps if we were more glorious personally, we would not need to pray for God to bring the glory. We could bring it with us when we come to church, and take it with us everywhere we go.
If all Christians took the glory of God to work with them, or out shopping with them, or to school with them, it would not be long before the world would be affected in a very positive way.
We believers talk about the glory, preach on the glory, sing about the glory, but the world needs to see it! The world needs to see a lively Church, made up of living stones.
Living Stones
Since you have [already] tasted the goodness and kindness of the Lord.
Come to Him [then, to that] Living Stone which men tried and threw away, but which is chosen [and] precious in God’s sight.
[Come] and, like living stones, be yourselves built [into] a spiritual house, for a holy (dedicated, consecrated) priesthood, to offer up [those] spiritual sacrifices [that are] acceptable and pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:3-5
Notice that the writer begins by saying that we must first taste of the goodness and kindness of God and “come to Him.” Then — like “living stones” — we are to lead a dedicated, consecrated life that will include spiritual sacrifices, but only the kind that are pleasing and acceptable to God.
The only kind of spiritual sacrifices that are pleasing and acceptable to God are the ones that are done out of right motives. They are done to express our love for Him, not to get Him to love us. They are done because of what He has already done for us, not to get Him to do something for us.
God is not for sale!
We cannot buy His love, favor, mercy, anointing, answered prayer or anything else.
The Law Is a Veil
Nor [do we act] like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing [splendor which had been upon it].
In fact, their minds were grown hard and calloused [they had become dull and had los
t the power of understanding]; for until this present day, when the Old Testament (the old covenant) is being read, that same veil still lies [on their hearts], not being lifted [to reveal] that in Christ it is made void and done away.
Yes, down to this [very] day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their minds and hearts.
2 Corinthians 3:13-15
In this passage from Paul’s letter to the Corinthian believers, we read that when the Law is read, a veil lies over the hearts and minds of the people.
A veil is a separation.
As long as we read the Bible as Law, there will be a separation between us and God that will prevent proper relationship. Even though the Old Covenant is now made void and done away with, if we are legalistic, we will read legalism into everything the Bible says.
Remember, a legalist is someone who is overly concerned with rulekeeping. He exalts rules above relationship.
Don’t be a legalist, hiding behind a veil of rules and regulations, but come to God just as you are with open heart and unveiled face.
Come With Unveiled Face
And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
In this verse we read that we must come with unveiled face in order to receive the benefit God wants us to have from the New Covenant.
To me, this means that when I stop being religious and legalistic and just come to Jesus, when I lay aside all “my” works and begin to see Him; when I allow Him to remove the veil from my eyes, then He and I can enter into personal relationship that will ultimately change me into His image.
There is a big emphasis today on spending personal time with the Lord, and rightly so. More than anything else, we need His presence. He is the only One Who can do anything for us that will be permanent.
Unfortunately, many people have been frustrated by this emphasis in teaching. They want to spend time with God, but feel uncomfortable. Or, they don’t know what to do during those times.
We must learn to “be,” and not always feel that we must “do.”
Some express that they never sense God’s presence. They have found prayer and fellowship to be a dry experience. I believe one of the reasons is that people are still living under the Law instead of under grace. Grace is not the freedom to sin; it is the power to live a holy life.
But grace also sees when our heart is right toward God and even though our performance may not always be perfect, grace forgives and helps us get from where we are to where we need to be.
The Law condemns. Grace (the dispensation we are now living in) removes the condemnation, and sets us free — free from and free to. Free from condemnation, self-hatred, self-rejection, fear of God and many other negative traps. And free to serve God without pressure, free to use the life and energy we have been given to behave better, rather than to fight condemnation.
The Veil Removed!
But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he took the veil off until he came out. And he came out and told the Israelites what he was commanded.
The Israelites saw the face of Moses, how the skin of it shone; and Moses put the veil on his face again until he went in to speak with God.
Exodus 34:34,35
While I was pondering the veil spoken of by Paul in 2 Corinthians 3, God gave me an awesome example. When a man and a woman get married, the bride comes to the groom with a veil over her face. At the conclusion of the ceremony when the minister says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” and turns to the groom saying, “You may now kiss the bride,” the groom lifts the veil, and he and his bride enter into a more intimate relationship initially depicted by a kiss.
They could never have a close personal relationship if the new bride absolutely refused to take off her veil. Just imagine what the life of that couple would be like together if the bridal veil was never removed.
Even when Moses received the Law and had to place a veil over His face when he was among the people, the Bible states that when he went into the presence of God, he had to remove the veil. Moses could not be in the presence of God with the veil over his face, and neither can we.
Just as no marriage relationship can be proper with a veil between the bride and groom, neither can a relationship between a believer and his Lord be proper until the veil of legalism is removed.
The groom lifts the veil from his bride. Jesus is the Bridegroom, and we are the bride. He has come and lifted the veil of the Law. He has fulfilled the Law for us and paid the penalty for our lawbreaking.
For those “in Christ,” the veil is lifted!
Don’t be a bride who insists on keeping the veil on, when the bridegroom is trying to remove it. Don’t cling to the old way of legalism, but yield to the new way of love.
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Legalism in Practical Matters
I bear them witness that they have a [certain] zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to [correct and vital] knowledge.
Romans 10:2
A legalistic approach affects every area of life.
I was legalistic with my housework. I cleaned our entire home every day. I vacuumed, dusted, buffed the hardwood floor, shined the mirrors, and washed, dried, and folded whatever laundry had accumulated from the previous day. I had no time to do anything except work, and I resented the fact that I never seemed to have any enjoyment. Without realizing it, I was robbing myself of the enjoyment I so desperately wanted but could not seem to find in my life.
One day some of my friends invited me to go shopping with them. I wanted to go. My heart said, “Yes, go have a good time,” but my flesh said, “No, work before fun!”
I was walking down the hall proceeding with my cleaning when the Holy Spirit spoke to me: “Joyce, this dirt will still be here tomorrow. The work will wait for you. Sometimes you have to walk away from it and have a little diversion. I call it the spice in life. Eating bland food will keep you from dying, but it is so much better when it is flavored with a little spice.”
Workers and Lovers
A workaholic — which is what I was — gets the job done. Workaholics may even gain the admiration of their peers, but they usually don’t enjoy life very much. Also, they frequently start showing signs of the stress under which they live. It shows up on their faces, in their bodies, in their emotions and even in their minds.
“Workaholism” puts a burden on the entire family, and sometimes it places so much stress on a marriage that it ends in divorce.
Occasionally we see a “worker” who is married to a person with a “fun-loving” personality. God brings such opposite marriage partners together to help them maintain balance in their lives. The fun-loving person may need to learn to work a little more, and the worker may need to learn to have more fun.
God’s design is that we learn from each other and help fill up one another’s weaknesses. We are to keep each other balanced. By watching other people, we may realize that we are out of balance in one area or another.
When a workaholic marries, he may realize that everyone does not love work the way he does. In my case, I was always trying to get Dave to get up and work. He worked all week as an engineer, and on the weekends he enjoyed watching a ball game, going to the golf course or playing with the children. I would nag him to do something “worthwhile.” I actually saw no value in enjoyment. I wanted it, but was afraid of it.
In all fairness I must say that I like work, and I am not ashamed to admit it. I am a worker; God fashioned me that way. If He hadn’t, this book would not have been written. It requires a lot of hard work to do anything worthwhile, but the good news is that now I also like enjoyment. I have learned to leave my work and enjoy the “spice” in life anytime I feel like things are getting “bland.”
Of course, I was livid with anger. I would tell him repeatedly, “Will you stop it! Just stop it! People are staring at us. You’re making a scene!” None of it stopped him. If anything, it spurred him on. He occasionally chased me with the grocery cart, which really upset me!
Dave is six feet, five inches tall, and he is able to see over the tops of the grocery aisles. He would get in the aisle next to me, and, of course, he could see me, but I couldn’t see him. He would throw things over the aisle at me, leaving me wondering what in the world was going on.
I was a very intense person. I did everything with extreme concentration. Going to the grocery store was a major project for me. At the time, we only had seventy dollars for two weeks worth of groceries and a family of five to feed. I was a coupon clipper, so I always had my calculator and box of coupons with me.