Part 3 – A New Way of Living

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The Flesh Strains, While Christ’s Love Constrains.

While we as Christians today are “not under ‘the Law’(Rom. 6:14), the indwelling “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” fulfills “the righteousness of the Law” (Rom. 8’:4) in us! Trusting in this Pauline understanding is what saved Paul and saves us from misery and defeat, from struggling to live the Christian life. We need not keep the burdensome Mosaic Law, the Messianic Law of Jesus, or any external religious law. The Holy “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” frees us from the power of “the law Sin and Death” (Rom. 8:2), fulfilling righteousness in us as we walk by faith in God’s words to us concerning the cross-work of Jesus! We walk sensitive to the Spirit in us and even when we sometimes fail… Jesus’ Blood ever speaks for us, having already paid for all sins; past, present and future.

Galatians 5:13-18 confirms this. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust (desires) of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth (has desire) against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so (in order) that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” The Holy Spirit leads and guides us today; we’re not under the management of the Law (v 18). When we “walk in the Spirit,” allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us and work in us, we will not sin, that is, we will not “fulfil the lust (desires)of the flesh.” “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Phili. 2:13)

For nearly 1,600 years (from Moses to Paul), Israel strained to keep the Mosaic Law. Unlike their heathen (Gentile) neighbors, the Jews had “the Law of God,” and other advantages (Rom. 9:4-5; cf. Eph. 2:11,12). Despite their privileged position (cf. Exo. 19:5), however, they were just as sinful as the Gentile non-Jews. Hence, the Gentiles observed that “God’s” people, Israel, acted just as shamefully as they did (Rom. 2:17-29)!

Sinful Israel broke this Old Covenant (Mosaic Law), thus necessitating the institution of the (future) New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8:7-13). If Israel, sinful sons of Adam that they were, could not keep the Mosaic Law, should we Gentiles fare any better, also being sinful sons of Adam? I think not (cf. 1 Cor. 10:1-14)!

In Acts 15:1-5 when believing, Law-keeping Jews, saved under Israel’s program of faith plus works, demanded that Paul’s Gentile believers (saved in Paul’s ‘grace program’) keep the Law in order to be saved, the Apostle Peter asked:

“Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the (these new) disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” (Act 15:10)

Law-keeping is a burden, for no sinner can bear it! Israel itself chafed under that Law as all men will.

The Apostle Paul (below) reaffirms that Mosaic Law-keeping requirements are a “a yoke of bondage:” Law-keeping is impossible for us sin-laden creatures, and this performance-based acceptance system of the Law makes void (cancels) God’s grace-based acceptance system, which is in operation today during the current “dispensation of the Grace of God.” When the legalists (Law-keeping Jews) tried to subvert the Galatian believers by telling them to keep the Mosaic Law for salvation, but Paul warned the Galatians, saying;

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect (no benefit) unto you, whosoever of (think) you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Gal. 5:1-4)

If we attempt to make ourselves acceptable to God by doing “good” works, then we are ignoring Christ’s perfect, finished crosswork on Calvary, which is the only means whereby we are made acceptable to God. For only Jesus Christ will ever please God the Father (Matt. 3:17). By struggling to live the Christian life under the Law-keeping of any external law, we render useless Calvary’s impact on our lives, never allowing Jesus Christ to live His life in us and through us because we are too busy trying to live it.

Unlike Judaism, and contrary to popular belief, Christianity is not a system of rules and regulations. The Christian life is not us trying to “measure up” to please God, that’s impossible. After God proved that sinful mankind could never keep His Law perfectly, He introduced… through the Apostle Paul’s ministry, the wonderful system we now enjoy; His grace-based acceptance system, where He alone makes us acceptable in God’s sight, being “accepted in the Beloved,” (Eph. 1:6) that is… in His Son, Jesus Christ!

“(Jesus) made himself of no reputation, and took upon him (Jesus) the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Phili. 2:7-8).

Jesus Christ was obedient to His Heavenly Father, declaring, “…the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him(John 8:29bc; cf. Isa. 50:5-6). His Father, God, affirmed: “This is my beloved Son: in whom I am well pleased (Matt. 3:17).

On Calvary’s cross, the blood of God’s perfect “only begotten Son” was shed for our sins! “For Christ also hath once suffered for (all) sins, the just (Jesus Christ had a right standing before God) for the unjust (we who had a sinful standing before God)” (1 Peter 3:18).