I was recently listening to a teaching by Åge Åleskjær, my friend in Norway (and pastor at Oslo Christian Center) and heard him teach about Sarah and Hagar. I have spoken from that text many times, but Åge pointed out a truth that I had never seen which really needs to be understood in the modern church world.
You remember that in Galatians 4:24, the Apostle Paul said that that Sarah and Hagar's lives are allegories that teach us about law and grace. Isaac is the promised son, miraculously provided by grace, and Ishmael was a son of the flesh, produced by Abraham's own self effort.
In Genesis 21:10, Sarah told Abraham concerning Hagar: "Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac." The NT lesson here is obvious - law and grace cannot live peaceably in the same house (life or church). There will always be conflict between the two.
The interesting aspect of this passage that I hadn't seen is the timing of it all. Two verses prior to Sarah's admonition for Abraham to "kick that mother out, and send her son with her" the Scripture tells that "the child [Isaac] grew and was weaned." When he reached the place where he stopped needing milk and could now eat solid food, it was time for Hagar and Ismael to go.
The implication is that when a person matures to the place where he advances from milk to "the meat of the Word," he will understand that the Law must be totally driven out of his way of living. The word cast ("Cast out the bondwoman.") means to hurl with great force. There can be no tolerance or patience with legalism in our lives.
Sadly, those trapped in legalism see themselves as having reached a level of maturity that the rest of us haven't achieved. The truth is that they are still babies. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:25 that we don't need the Law as a "nanny" anymore. We have Christ and He is enough!
We can determine something about the level of our Christian maturity by how connected we still are to religious rules in our lifestyle. When I was a young child, I had to be told to brush my teeth and bathe. Nobody has to tell me that now. The same is true as we mature spiritually. Some churches are nothing more than child-care nurseries where Christians are treated like babies, being told exactly what they should do and not do in every area of life.
It's time for us to grow up and start acting like who we are. We have only one mother and her name is Grace. It's time to kick Mrs. Law and her obnoxious son (the works of the flesh) out of our lives.
When Isaac was weaned, they had a big party. (See Genesis 21:8) Moving from the babyhood of legalism to the maturity of grace is a reason to celebrate. Kick the Law out of your life and live in grace. God knows it's time.
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Steve,
ReplyDeleteI really agree with the Galatians text and the idea that the law and grace cannot exist together. Yet, I believe that as we walk in an obedience of faith (trusting Christ in us to live the Christian life) we come under God's law from a different perspective. Now, being dependent upon Him, we obey His commands (which I see as the law of Christ).
To me, it is the same law of God, but dealt with vastly differently (from a different vantage point). We're dead to the law on stone tablets, yet now we can "deal" with God's law because Christ is living that law out in us.
What do you think? Am I out of my mind on this?
Adrian
www.gracethatworks.com
Mrs. Law and her obnoxious son, the works of the flesh, have tried to infiltrate my marriage, my family, my interaction with other saints, and so on and so on. Even 2% Law leavens its way through 98% grace and leaves it ineffective.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all you've done to lead me to Christ, Mr. Law, but I now have to say goodbye forever!
Adrian, I appreciate your perspective, but don't agree with it. It sounds as if you are saying that Christ enables us to obey the law.
ReplyDeletePaul said that we have "been made to die to the law," which means that we have no relationship to it at all - neither positive nor negative.
I don't think that "Christ is living that law out in us" now because He fulfilled the Law. It's a done deal, so that there is nothing left for us to fulfill.
The law of Christ is the law of love and has nothing to do with the codified law of the OT. The old covenant has passed away and the New has taken its place.
You're not out of your mind :) You and I do, however, have a different mind about this issue.
Steve,
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting on my question. I definitely do not believe that Christ enables us to live the law as many say. I cannot live the law; either before faith came, or after it. However, my reasoning is this:
Our purpose as believers is to bear fruit (not produce it). The question is----how? By faith, or by works?
I say by faith. However, the scriptures tell us to "do good works" very often in the new testament. If God is the only one who is good (Luke 18:19), then who is the only one who produce good works? I say God himself, in and through the believer, as we participate in His divine nature by faith. If the fruit of the Spirit is Love, and the fruits of righteousness come through Christ (Phil. 1:11), and God is love, and love fulfills the law------then I believe I fulfill "good works"; yet not I , but Christ in me.
Adrian
[[Paul said that we have "been made to die to the law," which means that we have no relationship to it at all - neither positive nor negative.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that "Christ is living that law out in us" now because He fulfilled the Law. It's a done deal, so that there is nothing left for us to fulfill.]]
Steve, in much, much respect, I still must say the Bible flat out contradicts you on this:
Rom 8:4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
The law is meant to be fulfilled in us, as surely as the sun rises in the morning. A Gospel that doesn't sanctify unto holiness, is no Gospel at all.
[[It sounds as if you are saying that Christ enables us to obey the law. ]]
Christ doesn't enable US to obey the law, CHRIST HIMSELF actually lives out from inside us. That is what true salvation really is.
Discerning One - with equal respect toward your position, I will say that you and I don't agree on this subject.
ReplyDeleteRomans 10:4 says that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. I don't think the Bible contradicts me on this, but believe my position is the biblical position.
Your reference to Romans 8:4 fits my viewpoint perfectly in that the righteous requirement of the Law has indeed already been fulfilled in us in the person of Jesus Christ.
I agree that a gospel that doesn't sanctify us unto holiness is no gospel. Paul said in Romans 1:17 that by the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith and that the just shall live by [that] faith. We live by the faith of the son of God who has fulfilled the Law and now is our very life. He doesn't "live out" the Law from within us. He expresses His life from within us. We have been delivered from the Law altogether.
I can appreciate where you're coming from in your thoughts since your viewpoint is the one I held for a long time. Our complete delieverance from the Law is often hard to accept, even among those who understand their identity in Christ.
I make no claims to having perfect understanding on every subject and readily acknowledge that, being imperfect, I could be wrong on this, but I don't think so. I believe my position is consistent with Scripture.