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The Daily Word of Righteousness
The Manual and the Garden, continued
If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. (Galatians 2:17,18—NIV)
In the second chapter of Galatians, Paul addresses the issue of going back into sin once we have left the Law of Moses. The relationship of sinful behavior to the grace of Jesus Christ is not understood by numerous Christians to the present hour.
The following verse is Paul's answer to the question of how Christians are to regard sin, now that they have been freed legally from the jurisdiction of the Law of Moses:
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20—NIV)
"I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."
"In Him is life, and the life is the light of men."
"The life is the light of men." Life is light. The Life of Jesus Christ is light, Divine Light. When we have Christ in us we understand that which theology can never grasp.
We do well to study the Scriptures until the Day Star rises in our heart. When the Day Star rises we have true understanding. In that Day we know we are in Christ and Christ is in the Father.
How many hours have theologians spent arguing over the nature of the Godhead (more quibbling over the manual). The Godhead can never be comprehended by the mind of man. The Godhead is comprehended only as Christ is formed in us. Then we know we are in Christ and Christ is in God.
When Christ is formed in us we understand being circumcised or not being circumcised is of little importance (more debate over the manual). All that matters is the new creation, which is Christ formed and dwelling in us.
When Christ is formed in us we understand that the Law of Moses no longer has authority over us. Yet we know we must overcome all worldliness, all sin, all self-will. We know this because these spirits are not coming from Christ who is being formed in us but are at war against Him. Worldliness, the lusts of the flesh, and self-will are totally incompatible with the new Life being created in us. Such personality traits are not permitted in the Kingdom. The Law of Moses serves as a tutor to bring us to Christ so true moral transformation may take place in our personality.
The manual tells of the transformation and assures us of ultimate victory. But no change actually takes place in us until we keep God's commandments in the New Testament, until we obey Christ and His Apostles. It is the change itself, not belief in the manual, that is salvation; that is the Kingdom of God; that is eternal life; that is the new covenant.
Christ commanded us to rejoice, to leap for joy when men speak evil of us because we are serving Christ.
When someone persecutes us unjustly our adamic nature responds with anger and a desire for revenge. If we will permit Adam to do so he will fume, complain, act angrily and spitefully, and nourish a root of bitterness over the incident.
To be continued.