THE SHACKLING OF GRACE
The Christian AND Law
Greetings! Contemplate this...
You can easily identify a law-minded Christian. He gets nervous with verses like Hebrews 10:14, For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. He gets agitated when we affirm that Christ became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him... (Note: One pastor at a men’s retreat got very upset when I confessed that I was the righteousness of God. He felt a few of us could make the same claim as Paul. I was supposed to be confessing my wretched sinfulness during the exercise.) The Apostle continued, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Clearly, we have become the
the righteousness of God in Christ!
A law-minded Christian is uncomfortable if he does not keep his gaze on evil thoughts, choices, actions, feelings. He measures himself by his performance, so he must work daily to rid himself of sin, in an effort to be assured that he is of value to himself or others. He feels guilty and shameful if he is not witnessing. His identity hinges on his self-righteousness and works-righteousness. He is on the opposite end of the behavior spectrum from the Pharisees.
Legalistic Christians give God credit for their better performances and blame themselves for their poorer performances. They regularly reduce themselves to tears as they promise God they will perform better, with his help. But, as Paul observes, We know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that the law is not made for a righteous man (Chris- tian), but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching (1 Timothy 1:8-10). In other words, the law was not made for Christians.
Those who look away from themselves and their performance for righteousness, glory in the righteousness God gave them as a gift by faith. But of Him, you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from
God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—that, as it is written,
“He who glories, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). They praise God for the gift that made them acceptable, worthy, pure, and holy in Christ Jesus.
For those who insist on living under law and look at their behavior for their righteousness—hear this warning!
But my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him (Hebrews 10:38).
Is it worth the risk of keeping a law mentality if it goes against what God desires of his children? Is it worth falling away from intimacy with Christ just to satisfy our need to add to what Christ accomplished for us? You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace (See Galatians 5:4.)
Do we want to experience God’s pleasure? The glorious result of a grace mindset is that our behavior will change for the good without the coercion of the law!
Learn more in my next email, "Mother of Obstacles of Grace."
-Lee LeFebre
