Xenos Christian Fellowship
Christian Principles Unit 2
The Role of the Law in Sanctification
Revised 8/6/2003
|
|
|
Introduction
We have said a lot about sanctification:
we talked about the importance of doctrine, morals, and biblical love. We
have explored the relationship between what we're supposed to do (imperatives)
and what God has done (indicatives) and how all that relates to our experience.
We also looked at how to appropriate our new identity (know, consider, present)
and last week we dealt with our sin nature.
There is still something missing. A
huge area that we have overlooked - the LAW - God's commands. What about the
10 commandments, the rules? This is what most people associate with Christianity.
How are Christians supposed to relate to the law? This is a complex area.
Why for instance aren't we trimming our clothing with tassels and building
fences around our roofs to keep people from falling off? (Deut. 22:8;11,12)
Why do we obey some laws in the Bible but not others? Tonight we will look
closely at what the Bible says about the law and how we should relate to it.
How do Christians relate to the law?
(Romans 7:1-6) 7:6* But now we have been released from the Law,
having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of
the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
Wrong way: "oldness of the letter"
You've died to it (Rom. 7:1-5)
It does not work (7:7-25)
The right way: "newness of the
Spirit" (7:8)
Two things should be clear from this
passage:
- We no longer have the same relationship
with the Law that we had before we came to Christ. Paul says we have "died
to," "been released from" the Law. This is actually another
feature of our new identity.
- This is also a key to gaining
freedom from sin and living effectively for God. Note the parallelism
between this passage (especially 7:4,6; 6:14) and ROM 6:6. In both cases,
we have died to them, with the result that a new and better quality of
life with God is now available to us.
What is God's purpose for the Law?
What does it mean to be "under the Law?" In what sense is the Christian
"no longer under law?" Does the Law play any role in the Christian
life whatever? This is an area of great confusion for Christians, because
while the flesh is totally corrupt, the law is more complicated.
God's Law itself is good, and we
need to understand its proper role in our lives (ROM 7: 7 What
shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be!).
However, relating to the Law improperly (what Paul calls living
"under the Law") is always destructive and is in fact a way of
living according to our sinful natures. Therefore, the first half of tonight's
class will focus on God's intended purpose for the Law, while the second
half will focus on living under the Law.
Three Components of the Mosaic Law
To properly understand the role of
the Law in our sanctification, we need to first understand God's Law and it's
purpose. God did not divide the Law into these three components: they were
"braided" together ( read Lev. 19:23-34 for an example and note
that all three components are present).
Classification Of Mosaic Legislation
|
Component And Purpose
|
Examples
|
Present Status For Christians
|
| Civil: Pragmatic
aspects of civil order. To preserve the nation until Messiah came. |
National laws: witchcraft
& idolatry (considered treason in a theocracy), inheritance laws, penal
laws (murder, theft, etc.), health laws (sanitary codes) |
Jewish theocracy
has been temporarily replaced by national governments during the Church
Age (Matt. 22:21; ROM 13:1-7). |
| Ceremonial:
Israel's prescribed pattern of rituals for approaching God. To prepare &
educate the nation for Messiah's saving work—specifically, the seriousness
of sin & substitutionary atonement. To give Israel a distinct culture
and national identity. |
Sacrificial system
(blood sacrifices), religious calendar including sabbath, ritual system
(ceremonial uncleanness), circumcision, some health and dietary laws. |
Fulfilled by Christ's
work on the cross (Heb. 8; Col. 2:16).
Sacrifice for sins expressly forbidden (Heb.
10).
Ritualism is now set aside for a personal
relationship with God (Heb. 7:18,19; Gal. 4:1-11).
Dietary & calendar observance are no
longer required (ROM 14:1-5).
Note: There has been a great shift in the
way we relate to the law in this area:
1) 100's of rituals to 2
2) lots of detail on how to observe rituals to virtually no details
3) foreshadowing role to commemorative role
Jesus hinted at this change in Jn. 4:23,24.
|
| Moral: A description
of God's character and ethical will for humanity. To give humanity an absolute
morality. To expose their sinfulness & their need for God's grace. To
provide the basis for much of the Old Testament civil law (sexual laws,
murder, theft, etc.). |
Most of the Ten Commandments,
including both behaviors (murder, theft, adultery) and internal attitudes
(do not covet).
The New Testament reiterates these laws.
|
Christ fulfills
its requirements for God's acceptance (Gal. 2:16).
The Holy Spirit fulfills it in our lives
as we walk with him (ROM 8:4).
The New Testament moral imperatives thus
provide a picture of the transformation that God is willing and able to
accomplish in our lives.
|
Summary: Christians are not under the
law in the following ways
- Civil: not obligated to conform
our civil laws to the Old Testament's civil law.
- Ceremonial: not obligated to relate
to God through Old Testament ritual observance.
- Moral: not obligated to earn God's
acceptance by our good works
- Moral: not obligated to serve God
by our own power.
Let's talk more about God's intended
role for the moral law . . .
Gal. 3:24* Therefore
the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified
by faith.
The "tutorial use" of the
Law is a term that stems from Gal. 3:24*, in which Paul states that "the
law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ . . . " The word "tutor"
(paidagogos) refers to "child-conductors," or household slaves
who were in charge of making their master's children go to school, do their
chores, etc. Children under the authority of a task master longed to reach
adulthood so they could be free from them.
Why do we need a tutor?
In the same way, Paul says that the
main purpose of the law is to help us to see our need for the freedom of
God's grace. It does this by revealing our moral weakness and depravity.
By default, we tend to operate in
our flesh. We do what comes "naturally" to us - under our power,
not God's. Approaching God under law is intuitive to our sinful nature,
but the Bible says it's counterproductive. Approaching God under grace is
counter intuitive, but productive.
Paul says the law acts as our tutor
in two areas, Justification & Sanctification:
|
Function
|
Non-Christian
Justification
Gal. 3:24 - The law is designed
to teach the non-Christian that he cannot earn God's acceptance by his
good works. It does this by:
|
Christian
Sanctification
Notice the same ways the law works
in Paul's life as a Christian. The issue here is not getting God's acceptance
(justification), but rather our transformation into the likeness of Christ
(sanctification).
In ROM 7:6, Paul tells us we now
have the option of serving "in the newness of the Spirit"—i.e.,
by the power of the Holy Spirit (which he explains in ROM 8:4-11). This
should be the norm for Christians, and it is an important part of living
under grace. However, because we often default back to trying to serve
God by our own power ("the oldness of the letter"), Paul goes
on (in ROM 7:7-25) to describe living under the Law in this sense, and
how the Law itself teaches us the futility of this way of service.
|
|
Exposes Sin
|
(ROM 3:19,20) Now we know that
whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that
every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to
God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His
sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Like an X-RAY which diagnosis problems,
the law reveals how internally demanding God's standard is, and therefore
how far short we fall (JUMPING TO CATALINA ISLAND). This is what Paul
calls "using the law lawfully" (1 Tim. 1:6-11). Notice how Jesus
used the law this way with self-righteous Jews (Matt. 5:17-48; Mk. 10:17-22).
See also Jas. 2:10; ROM 2:14-16.
|
(ROM 7:7) What shall we say then?
Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come
to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting
if the Law had not said, "YOU SHALL NOT COVET."
Here, the attitude of "coveting"
is emphasized. This is an internal attitude, not just an outward action
(UNLOVING; SELFISH MOTIVES FOR GOOD ACTIONS). We welcome God's deepening
exposure of our sin through his moral imperatives—this is normal for all
growing Christians (OSWALD SANDERS asking the Lord through GAL. 5-"Am
I more patient, kind, etc.?" His goal was increased awareness of
character needs that God might be prioritizing).
The problem is that Paul responded
to this awareness the wrong way. Instead of allowing this realization
to deepen his dependence on God's power to change him, he opts for moral
self-improvement. Note Paul's use of the first person and his lack of
dependence on God's power to overcome the power of sin.
|
|
Stimulates Sin
|
(ROM 5:20)
And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin
increased, grace abounded all the more...
(ROM 7:5) For while we were in
the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at
work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.
The law "increases sin"
by stimulating our sin-nature into action ("DON'T WALK ON THE GRASS;"
"NO FISHING"). It exposes our rebellious pride. Not only do
we fall objectively short of God's standard, but we also realize that
we are incapable of reforming ourselves.
|
(ROM 7:8) But sin, taking
opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every
kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.
As Paul struggles to keep the law
by his own power, he finds himself breaking it more and more. Note how
frequently Paul refers to himself ("I;" "me") and
note the absence of reference to the Holy Spirit (as in chapter 8).
|
|
Therefore
it Destroys Self-Confidence & Leads Us To Faith In Christ.
The law exposes our impotence
to change on our own power.
|
(Gal. 3:24*) Therefore the
Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified
by faith.
Because of the above, we despair
of earning God's acceptance by our good works and instead look outside
of ourselves to Christ for his free gift of righteousness (PUBLICAN in
Lk. 18).
|
(ROM 7:9-24) And I was once
alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive
and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved
to result in death for me . . . For that which I am doing, I do not understand;
for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very
thing I hate . . . For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is,
in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good
is not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very
evil that I do not wish . . . Wretched man that I am! Who will set me
free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ
our Lord!
It is important to note that Paul
here begins using the terms "die" and "live" differently
than he does in 6:1-7:6. In that section, he uses these terms in the positional
(identity) sense. But 7:9-8:13, he uses these terms in the conditional
sense as synonyms for spiritual defeat and spiritual victory in the Christian
life (see also 8:6,11,13; 2 Cor. 4:16). Note the context to determine
whether he is referring to our position (new identity), as in Romans 5:15;
6:2-11, and 7:4, or our condition (our present struggle with the sinful
nature) as in Romans 6:16,23;7:5,9-11;8:2,6,13.
The Law has led him to despair of being able to do God's will on his own
power. He realizes that while his new nature wants to obey God (vs 18a),
his sin-nature is too wily and powerful for him on his own (Vs 18bff.).
So he finally realizes he must look outside himself to Christ for the
power to deliver him from the power of his flesh (Vs 25a >> NEE'S
"DROWNING MAN" Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life.
p. 168). Vs 25b: Christ is the One who does this by:
8:1 - no longer condemning us
for our sins (JUSTIFICATION)
8:2,4 - giving us the power through
the Holy Spirit to substantially do God's will in this life (SANCTIFICATION)
8:23 - delivering us completely
when he returns and gives us our new bodies (GLORIFICATION) >>
ANTI-PERFECTIONISM
|
| Result: We
are no longer under law for... |
... for justification
(Gal. 3:25) But now that faith
has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
We are no longer under the tutor!!!
Never again should we worry about earning or keeping God's acceptance
by our works, because Christ's finished work has forever secured it for
us.
Many Christians who understand
that they are no longer under law in the sense of justification, do not
understand what it means to be no longer under law with regard to sanctification.
This is what Romans 7:7-25 is all about.
|
... for sanctification
(ROM 6:14*) For sin shall not be
master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.
(ROM 7:6*) But now we have been
released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so
that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
We no longer need to nor choose
to serve God by our own power.
(ROM 6:14*) For sin shall
not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.
"Under law" here is
connected to sin's mastery over us (a sanctification issue) rather than
God's acceptance of us (justification). Paul is anticipating his argument
in ROM 7,8. If we try to follow God by our own power ("under law"),
sin will continue its mastery over us
(ROM 7). But if we follow God by relying on his power ("under grace"),
we will be gradually liberated from sin's power.
(ROM 7:6*) But now we have
been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound,
so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of
the letter.
Serving "in the oldness
of the letter" is what Paul describes in 7:7-25. Serving "in
the newness of the Spirit" is what he describes in 8:1-14.
|
Living Under Law vs. Under
Grace
What does it look like to live "under
law" or "under grace?" Since Christians can still live "under
law" even though we are now "under grace," we need to be able
to recognize the symptoms of these two ways of living the Christian life.
Basically, "under law," I
do it. It refers to approaching God's moral commandments directly (by
our own resources), while "under grace" means "God does it
for me." Under grace we approach God's moral commandments indirectly
through the provision of Christ.
The following chart also explains more
practically the difference between serving God "in the oldness of the
letter" and serving him "in the newness of the Spirit." The
chart comes from Dennis McCallum's book, Walking
in Victory.
|
Area
|
Under Law
|
Under Grace
|
|
View of the Law
|
A set of detailed
obligations that I must keep. |
The underlying
principles of the law describe the ultimate goal toward which God is moving
me: a loving lifestyle. |
|
View of self
|
I am regenerate,
and therefore I am able to keep the law. |
I am regenerate
(see New Identity), but I still can't keep the
law on my own because of my sin-nature. |
|
View of others
|
A threat to your
feelings of acceptance if they are more righteous than you.
An excuse for self-righteousness if they
are less righteous than you.
|
Means of receiving
God's love and opportunities to give God's love. |
|
View of the Holy Spirit
|
Little practical
understanding of the Spirit's ministries. |
Depends on the
Holy Spirit for all power, motivation, and direction. |
|
The "key" to spiritual
growth.
|
Moral willpower
or
Special experiences
|
Knows self-effort
is futile (ROM 7:18). By relying on the Spirit, not the letter, I can gradually
change.
Looks to a process, not to quick-fix experiences.
|
|
View of the "Means of
Growth"
|
Ways to keep or
get God's blessing |
Avenues through
which we expose ourselves to the life-changing power of God |
|
Mental focus
|
What do the rules
require? What am I not allowed to do? |
My new identity
in Christ.
My personal love-trust relationship with
God.
Loving others as a means of growth.
|
|
Motivation
|
Fear/threat and
guilt.
What will God or others do to me if I sin? |
Grateful response
to God's love and grace. |
|
Reaction to Trials
|
View as God's
punishment; suspicious of God's retribution. |
Confident of God's
loving discipline. |
|
Reaction to spiritual failure
|
Surprised and
distressed.
Rationalizations, minimization, blame-shifting,
and self-recrimination.
Vows to do better.
|
Not surprised.
Confident of God's acceptance & therefore
can admit sins to self & others. Responds well to admonition.
Repentance & return to active dependence.
|
|
Reaction to spiritual success
|
Proud and intolerant
of others. |
Humbly grateful.
Still able to empathize with those who fail.
Sees continued need for growth.
|
|
Long-term result
|
External, superficial
conformity, but increasing internal defeat and hypocrisy which leads to:
Growing cynicism & giving up
or
Self-righteous externalistic comparisons—self-deception
|
Gradual transformation
into a person who remains focused on his identity in Christ, with an increasing
measure of victory over sin.
A more loving, other-centered person.
|
The Many "Faces" Of Legalism
When we live the Christian life "under
law," its practical outworking can take many "faces." We are
using the term "legalism" to describe these different manifestations
of living "under law." We should be aware of these forms of legalism
both for our own spiritual health, and to help other Christians who are ensnared
in them.
Performance for acceptance by other
people
Even if we understand that God accepts
us unconditionally and permanently, if we really value certain people's
acceptance more than God's, we are living under the law.
Anger when they don't respond "appropriately."
Unwillingness to serve unless they
are present, or "accept" us; more motivated because they are
present.
Unable to serve anonymously.
Focus on God's acceptance.
Drop our expectations of how we
want other key people to respond to us.
Learn to ask rather than demand.
Think through beforehand how we
will respond if others don't meet our expectations.
Wrong view of God's moral will
When we view God's moral will as
antithetical to our ultimate fulfillment (GOD AS COSMIC KILLJOY), or as
demands for our impersonal obedience out of a sense of duty only, we have
believed Satan's lies and become profoundly legalistic.
Complaining about following God.
Lack of enthusiasm and excitement.
Chronic inability to have victory
over a sin-area.
Get into the Word and discover
and choose to believe that God loves you!
Reflect on the passages that assure
us that God's will is for our good (see ROM 12:2b; Jn. 10:10; Deut. 10:13).
Reflect on the fact that God's
imperatives are invitations to experience more of God's goodness and faithfulness
Defective ethical priorities
Not all moral issues in the Bible
are equally important. Jesus told the Pharisees they "strained out
gnats but swallowed camels" when they emphasized tithing garden herbs
but neglected mercy and justice and faithfulness (Matt. 23:23,24). The Holy
Spirit does not treat us as impersonal machines upon which he mindlessly
enforces God's morality. Instead, he works with each of us personally and
starts with "first things first." Above all, he is out to transform
us into people who love others sacrificially.
Equating cigarette smoking with
fornication for new Christians.
Morality without love (cold, selfish,
person who never smokes or cusses). See ROM 13; Mt 22; Jas. 2; 1
Jn. 2:7-11; 1 Cor. 13 for passages that emphasize love as the main ethical
priority.
Learn what ethics the Bible emphasizes
(e.g., honesty; sobriety; sexual purity; loving others; etc.).
Pray for insight to cooperate with
the Holy Spirit in his work in people's lives.
Extra-biblical imperatives
When we make moral rules or absolutes
that are not in scripture, we have created a form of legalism. Over time,
these rules tend to erode the authority of God's Word by obscuring it.
Jewish Hand-Washings (Mark 7)
Drinking; Dancing; Movies
Cards; Some Forms Of Colorful Language
The justification for this is usually
that these rules make it more difficult for us to sin (BRAZIL: GIRLS NOT
ALLOWED TO WEAR SLEEVELESS BLOUSES; MEN NOT ALLOWED TO ATTEND SOCCER GAMES).
But these rules don't necessarily protect us from sin—and they exact a
cost in outreach by creating a Christian subculture that is needlessly
different than the rest of society. Ultimately, we have to decide which
is more important—that we make it as difficult as possible for us to sin,
or that we make it as easy as possible for others to come to Christ!
Use the Word as a "scalpel"
to pare away the man-made rules.
Perfectionism
We are not speaking of the doctrine
of Christian perfectionism (that Christians can get to the point in this
life where they no longer sin), but rather unrealistic moral expectations
on one's self or others. In a fallen world, we will never have perfection
in any area. As Francis Schaeffer said, "If we insist on perfection
or nothing in any area in this fallen world, we will have nothing every
time."
Unwilling to try new things unless
success is guaranteed.
Everything is "black and white"
or "all or nothing" in relationships, ministry evaluation, etc..
Overriding sense of disappointment
with whatever we are perfectionistic about; tend to live in the idealized
past or future.
Unduly rigorous in confronting
others.
Ask God to open our eyes to see
how much imperfection he tolerates in us!
Ask God to see the "big picture"
and general direction of people's lives rather than just focusing on what
is still deficient.
Take steps of faith to try new
things.
"Resist" more than "replace"
emphasis
When we emphasize what God does not
want us to do more than the satisfying life God makes available to us, this
casts a negative, ascetic tone ("I can't" vs. "I get to")
to our Christian lives that is uninviting and unmotivating. If we focus
only or primarily on what we shouldn't do rather than on what we get to
do, this makes sin more attractive. This would also be evident in how we
view others' struggle with sin.
Lots of "Don't do" language
and thinking.
Lack of loving output and other
ministry.
Emphasize the biblical positives:
learning truth, loving others, etc. This is a real key to effective grace-based
parenting, discipling, etc..
Insufficient emphases on indicatives
We may not have extra-biblical rules,
but simply don't teach and model God's grace enough. The result is a harsh
environment in which people tend to hide their sins for fear of rejection.
Groups that have lots of admonition
but little encouragement have this problem.
Be sure that your teachings and
relationships have plenty of indicatives and encouragement.
If we understand grace and are aware
of the various forms of legalism, no one can "put us under law."
We can operate under grace no matter how legalistic others might be! (Anti-Victimology).
Keep in mind, Paul was rebuking the Galatians for choosing to be under law
when responding to the Judaizers; he wasn't addressing the Judaizers for putting
them under law, though he freely admits they are wrong for their approach.
Qualify: Young Christians may need
some protection here until they get grounded.
Memory Verses
Gal. 3:24* - The purpose of
the Law is to lead us to faith in Christ
Rom. 7:6* - There are two ways
to serve God for the Christian: "in the oldness of the letter" (self-effort)
and "in the newness of the Spirit" (dependence on the Holy Spirit)
Rom. 6:14* - Simply trying to
keep God's law by our own power makes us slaves to sin
Rom. 7:7-25** - A picture of
Christian's struggle under the law
Assignment
Read Walking
In Victory , chapters 18-20 (Navpress), 17-19 (New Edition). Write
one paragraph summarizing the chapters, and one paragraph on what
was most helpful to you.
Contact
instructors with questions or comments
Return to top of this
document
Return
to Xenos Home Page
Return
to Crossroads Home Page
Return
to Christian Principles Intro Page
