Free From the Law

We are free from the law. Yes, I said it, we are free from the law.

Now, I am not speaking to the consequences of not obeying the law, I am speaking of freedom from being ruled by it. We are free from the law ruling our movement and actions. We are not paralyzed in work by the need to follow the law.

“³I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” – Galatians 5:3-4 (ESV)

Yes, if you are adhering to the principle of circumcision then you must adhere to the whole law and are a slave to it. Of course, I am speaking of adhering to the principle for the purpose of adhering to the law and not just for medical or traditional reasoning. Yes, reasoning and the order of actions does matter.

You see, the order in which we do things matter in the display of our freedom. We are justified by faith, not by works. We accept the grace of Jesus Christ and the love of God and as such receive freedom from the law. As we are now free from the law, we do the work assigned by God to glorify Him and not to gain favor with Him. Now that we have been saved, we do through obedience and are not obedient to be saved, lest we are slaves to the law.

How are you slave to the law? Are you following the law as a means to gain freedom? What if you were to do so, not for freedom, but because of it?

Heirs Through Satisfied Law

“¹⁶The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” “³For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”– Romans 8:16-17 & 3-4 (ESV)

We have been recognized as living led by the Spirit. And as such we have been adopted as children of God. And as we are children of God, we are heirs with Jesus to the Kingdom of God. What a wonderful thing to have as my identity. I am a child of God and heir to Heaven. But, see in verse 17. We are heirs yes, but in that we will suffer. We will be persecuted as Jesus, our brother was persecuted.

Here is the thing, we will be persecuted, yes, but that persecution is from man, not from God. You see, we have been justified through our faith in Him. We have been set free from the burden that sin has on our lives. As Jesus came and took that burden away. God sent Jesus to appear as us, human, as an offering for sin, condemned our sin, and satisfied the law of sin for us. Jesus stepped in for us with God and satisfied our payment for the sin in our lives. He dismissed the case against us with prejudice to satisfy the law.

I am so grateful that I do not have to concern myself with the consequence of sin, death. I am free from sin and can lead my life focused on the work God has for me and that the Holy Spirit guides me in thanks to the grace afforded me through Jesus Christ. The law was satisfied and I get to live. And I get to live as an heir to Heaven with Jesus, my brother.

How do you qualify as heir to Heaven? Are you getting there for being a good person? What if you realized that it is because your sin has been satisfied by the grace of Jesus and the love of God?

No Salvation Due to Works of the Law

“²⁰For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” – Romans 3:20 (ESV)

There is no excuse for us as we are fully aware of the Law of the LORD as He has written it on our hearts. Because of that, we are accountable to the Law of the LORD to follow the Law. But even as such, we are not justified by our works. No matter how much we do in the Law of the LORD or what actions we take, those works are not going to do anything for us in the line to salvation. It is not the works that bring us to salvation, but our hearts in the following of the Law that the LORD has written there.

“⁹Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? ¹¹If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:9-11 (ESV)

You see, even evil among us know how to take action that is right, but that action does not make righteous. We are judged according to our actions, but we are saved according to our heart, our acknowledgment of, our acceptance of, and our devotion to our LORD and to His works for His Glory and not our own. We take action not to gain salvation, but as an outward display of our salvation the new condition of our heart.

Where does your salvation come from? Are you striving to do the best for the world to see in hopes that you will be rewarded? What if your reward has already been given through salvation and now you do works to show the condition of your heart?

We Speak From the Heart

It is true, when we truly speak we speak from the heart. We have to remember that we are emotional creatures and as such, we speak with emotion. Even in calculated speaking, we end up speaking from the heart.

“³⁴You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.” – Matthew 12:34-35 (ESV)

Jesus is speaking in the synagogue here and is being constantly challenged by the Pharisees and scribes. He points out that where there seems to be speaking from a place of reverence, the hypocrisy in the Pharisees and scribes it known. He is pointing out that where there is speech to the law and the good, the actions speak a different story. The true self is displayed whether good or evil, as that is what is found in the heart.

What does this mean for you and me? Well, I see this as the chance for us to get right in the heart that what comes from us will be that of good and not evil. We are to be speaking good and the way for that to manifest is for us to be filled with good to that good flows from us.

“³⁷for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” – Matthew 12:37 (ESV)

When it comes down to our judgment at the feet of Jesus, we will be judged as to the words we speak and the actions we take. We have to remember that people are listening and watching. When they hear, they take note and then the see if/when the actions match or not and from there they take things on for themselves based on that they witness. The Pharisees and scribes were known for saying one thing and doing another, and therefor were not as trustworthy as one might think. Would we be the same as them?

We are to fill our hearts with the good of the LORD and then allow that good to flow from us. We are to say and then do to ensure that those around us are witnessing the same goodness from both ends. When we do, we will be doing the work of the LORD and bringing about His glory to the world. We will be judged by that which flows from us, I am working to choose good from the heart, both in deeds and in speech.

What is coming from your heart? Are you saying one thing and then doing another? What if you were to fill your heart with the LORD and allow Him to flow from you, the goodness that He is?

Righteous Defined

This morning I am beginning to study the word “righteous” and thought it a good idea to look into the word first and then begin my study of the biblical applications.

Righteous – 1: acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin 2a: morally right or justifiable b: arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality (Merriam-Webster Online)

As I review the definition I see that to be counted as righteous, one is to be in line with God, “accord with divine or moral law”. One also is “justifiable”. I believe we have to be careful with our view of being righteous to ensure that there is a fit into those.

Someone that is righteous is not necessarily perfect. There are some that did/do questionable things and frankly may not be liked in the world. When just viewing the actions of the person, one might view them differently although they were following the will of God. Noah was a righteous man although he did build and ark and only took his family and animals allowing for the rest of the world to be wiped out. Abraham was a righteous man who was willing to kill his son. David was a righteous man and he killed a man.

Looking at the definition, and taking into account being in line with God and being justified in action, I know that each of these men above were certainly that. If you just look at the actions of them without knowing the whole rest of the story, one might see them as evil and only in line with their own wants and desires, Noah to survive, Abraham to keep his authority, and David to demonstrate his power and strength. Yet, when you look closer at the reason for their actions you see the alignment with God, Noah told by God to take only his family to start fresh in the world, Abraham demonstrating his obedience to God no matter the cost, and David to demonstrate that with God all things are possible.

I believe that we have to be more in line with God than with anything or anyone else. This alignment with God does not guarantee anything, although it is a great place to start. When aligned with God, I will find myself morally correct and justified in my actions. Will I always get it right, OH NO. But more often than not, I will.

Am I righteous, that I do not know, as only God will determine that. I will say that I do what I can to be in alignment with God. I know that my actions that are in response to God are justified in His plan and therefore I am in His will. The consequences I may experience in this world are of little concern when I consider that I am doing things in the will and as a result of follow the law of God. I will be told when I meet the LORD in heaven as to whether or not I was righteous in this world and until then it is my responsibility to following His will and striving for righteousness.

What is your understanding of the word righteous? Are you of the opinion that it is something that the world recognizes? What if you focused instead on being aligned with God as opposed to the world?

Faith Not Works

I started my study of the word “works” as a natural progression from my study of “mercy”. I keep running into the idea that works do not get me there, they are the result of my salvation and justification. I do not “earn” anything through my works, only demonstrate my salvation and justification. This morning is no different as I again am led to Galatians and the passage titled “Justification by Faith”.

“¹⁵We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; ¹⁶yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” — Galatians 2:15-16 (ESV)

What I have learned in the passage is really nothing new. What I have come to realize this morning is that God is speaking to me. I have been struggling with the lack of acknowledgment in the works that I am doing. I feel as though I am being ignored and not gaining anything in return for those works. I have realized that it is the “man” in me that is seeking this acknowledgment and not the Christian in me. I am looking for the reward here in this world and not focus on my Kingdom purpose to spread the gospel and allowing God to do His work through me.

I will say that it is hard, knowing that I am doing the work and others seem to be doing less and getting more out of it. Whether it is safety, security, promotion, recognition, celebration, or whatever, I have to remember that all of that is of no consequence in the end and my relationship with Christ and the work I am doing for Him is what really matters. I have to know that God is taking care of me to provide for my needs and allow me to be content in it all. I am His to do with what He pleases and not for my own pleasure.

Yes, I would “feel” better in this world if my works were more recognized and appreciated. It would be easier to make it to the next knowing that my works were known to be in the best interest of all. But, it is not my works that are gaining the notoriety, it is my faith in Christ that gains me salvation and justification with Him and that is what really matters.

Lord, give me the strength to know that I have already found favor with You and You have provided for my salvation and justified me through faith in You. I am Yours and You are mine. Give me the wisdom to know that my faith is enough and I must continue my work for You to demonstrate my justification thanks to my faith in You.

What are you relying on to gain salvation and justification? Are you out there working to somehow earn it? What if you placed your faith in God, knowing that it is enough and your works are just your demonstration of the salvation and justification the LORD has provided thanks to that faith?

Stay Alive in Faith

I have been saved by Christ and justified through my faith. I now have to remain alive in that faith and how is that done but through my works. I have to continue to demonstrate my faith and justification through my works for Christ and that will keep me alive in my faith and guide me in my relationship with Christ.

“¹⁵If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? ¹⁷So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” — James 2:15-17 (ESV)

My faith and justification is not determined by my works, but it is displayed by them. I have to remember that just because I have been saved and justified, that is not the end of it all for me. I also have to remember that it is not my works that get me there, but it is my works for Christ that demonstrate that I am there. Without the works, I am simply sitting and not completing the tasks that God has given me to complete.

In my role as a professional trainer in the world I am not directly involved in the growing of and enhancing the business. Granted, that is not my role and I have accepted that training is who I am and not just what I do, yet there is a part of me that thinks that I could be adding so much more. This is the feeling I get until I take a closer look at just how I am impacting and the work that I am doing. I care for the people and do all in my scope to impact them. I do believe that they know I care for them. I do believe that I am impacting them. I do believe that work is the work for God. I also write here about what I am learning and spreading that to others. This is the work for God. I am faithful, I am justified, and I am not dead.

What works are you doing? Are they for God and as a demonstration of your faith or are you hoping to gain faith and justification? What if you relied on your faith and did the work to remain alive in that faith?

Justified Then Works

I have written a number of times about the fact that works are more done as a result of our justification and not to in some way gain justification. I have to remember that as a follower of Christ, I have already been justified and as a result, I have work to do for God, not as repayment for my justification, but I am now part of the family and I am responsible for work in the family.

“⁸The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.” — Titus 3:8 (ESV)

I notice in the above verse in the letter from Paul to Titus, “those who have believed in God” will “devote themselves to good works”. Paul does not say that the good works guide them in their believing, but that they have already believed and now will do the good works. It is those who were justified that will be compelled to do the good works. We do nothing in the way of works to gain justification, that comes from simply accepting Christ as our Savior and fully believing in Him.

“⁴But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” — Titus 3:4-7 (ESV)

We are saved “according to his own mercy” and not by the works that we do. I can give to all the charities, feed all of the homeless, adopt all the children, build homes and hospitals and yet without acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Savior, I will still not be justified. With that acceptance, I will not be in the business of gaining something from my giving, I will simply be giving as a part of my role as a member of the family of God.

I have said that my wife and I like to watch television series and we just started another, “New Amsterdam”, that really tugs on our heart strings. In one episode, there was a father and daughter seeking help for the ailing daughter. She needed a lung transplant and of course the father was willing to give for his daughter. He was however not a match for her yet was a match for another in the hospital. He was informed that if he gave, the hospital would do everything they could to find a donor for his daughter, and he agreed. As the episode unfolded, it turned out that the daughter was not strong enough in the moment to go through the surgery. That did not deter the father one bit. He agreed to give even expecting nothing in return. In the end the daughter did receive the transplant and all was well, but the story here is about the giving of the father, not to gain something, but to give.

There is a lot to unpack in the above, but I will simply leave it here. I have to remember to be like the father and know that I have already received my reward from Christ thanks to my acceptance of Jesus as my Savior. I have been justified already and now it is time for me to give, not to gain, but because I have received.

What are you doing as works in the world? Are you doing works to gain something? What if you accepted Christ and the justification that comes with salvation and then did works to simply give?

All In, Justified by Faith

This morning I continued my study on the word “justified” and remained in the book of Galatians. The passage is from chapter five and is titled in my bible, “Christ Has Set Us Free”. I can only think of my approach to my justification through my faith in Christ and wonder am I indeed all in or am I still looking to be justified through keeping of the law.

Let me explain a minute. I have indeed accepted Christ as my savior and believe that He died for my sins and that the sins I have committed and those that I will commit have been expunged. God has forgiven me and forgotten all that I have done. If that is true, why would I still hold on and try and influence others by insisting that they do things or that I am doing things the right way and in the spirit of Christ? Am I somehow looking for justification from man for the work that I am doing and am claiming somehow that I am righteous for the work that I am doing?

“⁴You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” — Galatians 5:4 (ESV)

I have to get out of this thought pattern and rely solely on the justification provided me by the sacrifice of Christ and His forgiveness of my sins. Christ is enough and I have to be all in and justified by faith and not be looking to the works or law for that justification or I might as well fall away from Christ and continue to rely only on myself.

“⁵For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” — Galatians 5:5-6 (ESV)

My works are important, not for my justification or salvation, but for demonstration of my salvation and justification. I have been granted the freedom from sin through my acceptance of Christ and my faith in Him. I have now to show the world what I have been given.

“¹³For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” — Galatians 5:13-14 (ESV)

I am all in for Christ. I have been justified through my faith in Him and I do NOT need to seek it anywhere or from anyone else. I only have to demonstrate my faith and that I have been justified through my actions serving others. I should not expect anything from anyone, just give to them and allow God to work through me into their lives.

Where are you looking for your justification? Are you continuing to seek it, even after you have been justified by Christ? What if you were just all in with your faith and justification from Christ and allowed Him to work through you and your actions as you demonstrate your justification through your service?

Justified by Covenant

“Covenant: a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement” – Merriam-Webster Online

The piece of the above definition I hone in on is that of the “binding agreement”. This to me indicates that it is set and all parties are held to the agreement and it is not able to altered.

God has entered into two major covenants with man, the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. These covenants are binding agreements and were not to be altered by either party. Both covenants are still active today as they work together.

The Old Covenant was driven by the laws and rules established by God in preface to the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This was driven by keeping the laws and rules so as to stay in right standing with God. And even when there was not the right standing with God, there was the ability to offer an annual sacrifice to Him to regain favor and right standing.

That sacrifice was the transition to the New Covenant that was enacted upon the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. The sacrifice of Jesus took the place of the annual sacrifice to regain favor and right standing. I no longer “need” to sacrifice to God, I only need to repent and seek forgiveness for the sins I have and will commit.

“²⁴So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ²⁶for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” — Galatians 3:24-26 (ESV)

There is still the need to follow the law, only the law I follow is that of God and not for the purpose of gaining something, but in obedience and because I have faith in Him. I follow God thanks to His promise to provide for me as he demonstrated with the death of Jesus for my sins as He was sinless. Thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus I am free from sin. Just as with the Old Covenant and the annual sacrifice, I am good to go as relates to being justified, only I will now rely on God and not the law to be sanctified and maintained in my faith. I have salvation from that sin and no longer have to present to God other than my obedience to Him.

It is the promise of the covenant that keeps me in right standing with God. I have been justified by faith, and that faith is due to the covenant that God has with me. The unwavering promise that is binding and unchangeable. I know what I have in God and know that He will always be here with me and I have nothing left to do to gain His favor. I only have a lot to do because of His favor.

How are you looking to be justified? Are you continuing to follow the law in hopes that it will do it for you? What if you followed God and knew that you are justified and that His promises will not waver or be changed?