Hopelessly Religious Adam: “Give me Law and give me death”
On a recent podcast we looked closely at Galatians 5:13 For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. Oh, the misery of misunderstanding this verse. On a recent podcast I told Steve this was the verse of the month at my church home. Steve and I both agreed that this verse by itself seems to say don’t let grace become a license to sin. Ironically this verse became the one verse that tempered Grace in our minds. I say ironically because in context it actually bolsters Grace. Over and over when I would share my excitement about the finished work of Christ and the revelation of Jesus Himself as our life I was immediately cautioned. Steve said that whenever he would share his thoughts and enthusiasm of Grace plus nothing he would be cautioned to have a balance in his understanding of Grace. Not only was Steve cautioned to balance grace but Galatians 5:13 was the verse used for proof of needing balance. The Bible teaches there is a balance to Law and Grace they would say. Balance balance balance the entire Bible only use the word balance three times. Proverbs 20:23 Divers weights are an abomination to the LORD; And a false balance is not good. Talk about a false balance; to balance Law and Grace is a proverbial abomination! Allow me to calm down and get to the purpose of this blog. What I hope to demonstrate in this blog is twofold. Not only does “only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh” not mean balance grace with law or elementary principles; but, an out of context rendering can actually lead you back to slavery to sin. The context I am referring to is the twelve verses before 5:13 and the verse following 5:13. I believe any committed grace balancing legalist would agree that the following meets the textbook meaning of context.
Here is Galatians 5:1-14 “Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery. Take note! I, Paul, tell you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to keep the entire law. You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love. You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from the One who called you. A little yeast leavens the whole lump of dough. I have confidence in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. Now brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. I wish those who are disturbing you might also get themselves castrated! And the verse after “For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Please notice the highlighted phrases and you will see the context is clear and the warning is resounding: Don’t leave Grace and go back to Law. Keep depending on The Spirit’s power and never ever again rely on your own human effort. Here is another verse that makes it clear that sins power does not come from being under Grace (Rom 6:14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace).
The Old Testament is filled with types and shadows of living by means of the Spirit and not relying on the limits of human effort (Law and Grace) II Kings 4:1-7 is one to illustrate this picture. I have highlighted what I believe these particular types and shadows are saying.
2Kgs 4:1 One of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, has died. You know that your servant feared the LORD. Now the creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves.”
The law is pictured as the first husband in Romans 7:3 and the fruit of that union bore two children named “Slavery and Death”.
2Kgs 4:2 Elisha asked her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house”? She said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.
Oil is a picture of The Holy Spirit’s anointing and a jar of clay represent you. It is The Spirit that “can do for you (jar of clay) what the law (first husband) could not”. The name Elisha in Hebrew means “God Will rescue” and is also the Hebrew name for Jesus.
2Kgs 4:3 Then he said, “Go and borrow empty jars from everyone — from all your neighbors. Do not get just a few. (We are all jars of clay needing only to be filled with The Spirit. We do not need to be emptied of Sin “The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world has already done that) John 1:29
2Kgs 4:4 Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, (Doors are a picture of opportunity therefore shutting the door means give no opportunity to the flesh [human effort] to bear fruit) and pour oil into all these containers. Set the full ones to one side.” (A picture of rightly dividing not balancing flesh and Spirit. Notice how the door is shut to any balance of Spirit filled and human effort or Law and Grace).
2Kgs 4:5 So she left. After she had shut the door behind her and her sons, they kept bringing her container and she kept pouring. (The Spirit never runs out)
2Kgs 4:6 When they were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” But he replied, “There aren’t any more.” Then the oil stopped. (Like daily bread You can’t store The Holy Spirit; it is always and only supplied as needed.)
2Kgs 4:7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debt; you and your sons can live on the rest. (God will supply all your needs through His indwelling Spirit and He will live His life through you by the same Holy Spirit.)
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me; and the life which I now live in the body I live through the faithfulness of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.