Turn on the Light

It was kind of running joke in my family. For some reason we always had a habit of trying to read books or watch television with little to no light on in the room. My mother would always ask if we wanted her to turn the light on? So, whenever I would see her doing the same thing I would jokingly chastise her. We both got a kick out of it. But, to be honest, we should have turned on more light. When you try to read, watch television or make your way in a dimly lit environment, you don't see things as clearly. Therefore, you put yourself at risk of damaging your eyes or not seeing things as clearly as you could. It is probably why I, and most of my family, wear some sort of corrective lenses. There were times when I would defend operating in a dimly lit environment despite knowing that I should probably turn on more light. I guess the idea of being caught doing something not good for us, dislike for being told what to do or just hanging on to our stubborn pride, prevented us from acknowledging the truth. This isn't too bad when it comes to the example I have given, but could have more detrimental effects when it comes to our Christian lives.

"Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law." Romans 3: 27-31

It never ceases to amaze me the number of Christians who not only are attracted to the law, but feel it is their duty to subject themselves to it. I find it hard to believe that they can read the scriptures, with any discernment, and determine that we are encouraged to be under law or observe Jewish traditions. In fact, as the passage above from Romans, illustrates, it is a Christians faith in Christ that is to be commended not our observance of the law. I think this point is made because the law is based on human effort. And, that plays right into our pride. After all, our pride loves to be able to boast about what we believe we are doing for God. Furthermore, it allows us to judge ourselves against others. We like to judge others by the standards we have subjected ourselves to. And most often, we are performing at a higher rate than those we judge ourselves against. As I have heard it stated, "religion is of no use unless you have someone to compare yourself with." Recently, I was involved in a discussion surrounding a Christian saying they felt God was leading them to participate in the Jewish observance of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Now, I am not going to talk about forgiveness. But, what I have observed is Christians living their lives in the "dark" when it comes to law and grace. To illustrate my point, there was an individual who, in my opinion, was mistaking passages talking about the glory of the law, and Paul's boasting about his legalistic righteousness, for commands that a Christian should be living under the law. They were responding to when I said, "The Day of Atonement is a religious tradition that is in direct contradiction to the finished work of Christ. You are free to participate, but I don't believe you are accepting of Christ's finished work by doing so." What they said, following "quote," is followed by my response.

quote: He knew the end from the beginning. If He knew the end why wouldn't it say it shall be a statue for you until My Son comes.

"You said it, not me. "..until My Son comes."

"What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come...So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law." Galatians 3: 19, 24-25

Christ is the end of the law. As you say, He didn't come to abolish the law. He came to fulfill it because we could not and cannot live up to its standard of perfection. The purpose of the law is to lead us to Christ by showing us our sinfulness and need for life eternal. Once we accept Christ by faith, we are no longer led outwardly by rules designed to show our sinfulness, but inwardly by the indwelling Holy Spirit. That is why the Word says we are no longer under the supervision of the law. The law has not been abolished. But, we must understand that the law is for the lost, not the godly.

"We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me." 1 Timothy 1:8-11

If you are a lawbreaker, rebel, ungodly, sinful, unholy, irreligious, kill your father and mother, a murderer, adulterer, pervert, slave trader, liar, perjurer and believe whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, then the law is for you. However, as a child of God, I know that I am something different in the eyes of God.

"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." 1 Corinthians 6:11

The law is not for a Christian and, if you are a Gentile, it was never given to you in the first place. There is no instruction in the Bible that tells a Christian, specifically a Gentile, to subject themselves to laws that the Jews can't even obey fully. If the law is what a Christian is to live by then there is no reason for Christ to have come.

"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:21

When you are subjecting yourselves to rituals, traditions and festivals that originate within the law, you are setting aside the grace of God and are falling from grace."

Just like I was talking about with my family, as it pertained to turning on the lights, even when we are presented with the truth we will rebel against it to hold on to what we are familiar with. I would rather read or watch television in the dark, and risk hurting my eyesight, then turn on the lights, protect my eyes and see what it is I am viewing more clearly. That is exactly what you see with this one response about God and the Bible. The individual doesn't even realize that scripture says exactly what it is they are saying it does not. God did say that the law would be in place "until" Jesus came. But, what people like this person don't realize is that when others, like myself, say that we are not under the law, but grace, we are not saying the law isn't in effect any longer. We just understand its role, and that is to show an unbeliever their sin and, ultimately, their spiritual death so that they would turn to Christ by faith. I shouldn't be surprised at someones inability to decipher between law and grace.

"Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." 2 Corinthians 3: 12-16

For those that subject themselves to the law, and claim to be in Christ, their minds are made dull and a veil covers their heart. They are stagnating the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. What is interesting is that scripture says that in Christ the veil is taken away. Therefore, do I dare ask if these people who cling to the law and Jewish traditions are even saved? They don't seem to realize that the law of the Old Covenant and grace of the New Covenant address two totally different areas. The law addresses issues of the flesh and grace addresses issues of the Spirit. When you don't have the Spirit of God leading you, by default, you need the law to guide you. Besides, the blessings of the flesh promised by God for obedience to the law appeal to the flesh. This is one more insight into the motivations of those trying to live by the law. When you are focused on the flesh you can't be focused on the things of the spirit. There is no way that a person matures in their faith through obedience to the law. The Holy Spirit is our guide in life who leads us into all truth and teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions. Christ is the Light of the world. Perhaps, it is time we get out of the shadows of the law and turn on the Light who indwells us.