Galations the VS.’s
In Galations Paul contrasts the mans fall through Adam and the redeemed innocence that Jesus brought through his obedience and death on the cross.
These contrasts spotlight the importance of the cross. I’ve posted on this subject before but it is vital to the life of the believer. It brings me into a total paradigm shift. I see the world differently because of this grace revelation.
Galations 1:6 (The Mirror Translation)
I am amazed that you can so easily be fooled into swapping the Gospel for a gimmick! The Gospel reveals the integrity of your original identity rescued in Christ; the gimmick is a conglomeration of grace and legalism. A mixture boils down to a do-it-yourself plan to salvation. 7. There is no other Gospel in spite of the so many so-called Christian priducts branded “gospel.” If any hint of the law remains, it is not good news but merely religious people’s ideas, detracting from the Gospel of Christ….. 9. Let me blatant and clear about this: any gospel that does not emphasize the success of the cross is a counterfeit and produces nothing but the curse.
At the cross we were crucified with Christ, past tense! Do you understand the ramifications? I’m a bit foggy on it myself but it is starting to sink in the more I meditate and marinate in it. Its one or the other its either we fall under the Law or we fall under Grace. There is no fence sitting no taking some law and some grace. Paul states it pretty clear, using words like blatant and he even tells you which side of the fence to land on…GRACE!
The law implies or is founded on a DIY (do-it-yourself) mentality. If we could attain righteousness on our own works Christ would not have been sent down to walk as a man, submitting himself to all the temptations, and taking those sins (blameless and innocent as he was) for us. In a DIY world we wouldn’t need grace. And again we can’t mix the Law and the grace message no more than we allow ourselves to continue to live a life seeking out sinful lifestyles. I choose to live in faith. I choose grace. I know fromy previous history I can’t depend on myself to keep afloat in this world filled with temptations.
Law (vs) Grace
Flesh (vs) Spirit
Works (vs) Faith
I want to live I grace not under the Law, I couldn’t do it!
I don’t want to wallow in the flesh when I could soar in the spirit. I think of William Wallace in Brave Heart declaring FREEDOM!
I couldn’t work enough to gain a level of goodness, that’s not how it works. The pharasees tried and were labeled white washed seplacurs. I chose faith.
In a Mirror Dimly (Ordinary Life)
Many people look at God and think hes all about rules and limitations. Heis not interested in controling you. Gods one agenda is to save and set you free to be fully and truly yourself, to be the person he dreamed of. He knew you before you were born. The only reason you are here is because he liked what he saw when he pictured/dreamnt about you before you physically existed. He thinks about you and that thrills him.
Eph 1:4 He does what he likes, he makes what he likes. Your existence is not an accident. Many of us have issues with identity and don’t understand that identity is the root of the problem. Ask yorself this question: do I like who I am, do I like myself? We have gone through confusion because we did not like ourselves. God does not have that problem with us, HE LIKES US AS WE ARE! He does not frown when he thinks of you, he smiles over us and desires to be in relationship with us.
Through the Gospel we have an oppurtunity to see what God sees in us. Gal 2:20 It is no longer I that lives but Christ that lives in me. God sees us through God grace redemption glasses. He sees us atvfull potential even whenvwe are not. Is this faith of Christ in the our incarnation of what he sees in us more important than what we see? Is this faith a human action or a God deal?
I was taught what I needed to believe about God growing up, but he would rather I learn what he believes about me. There is a huge difference in these two lines of thought. I want to know the declaration of what God believes about me! It is not my thoughts about God that defines him, it his thoughts about me that defines me. the Gospel doesn’t come demanding faith it supplies faith.
Matth 11:27 No one Knows the father ecxept the Son, no one knows the son except the Father.
If following laws and precepts were enough Jesus wouldn’t have to have come and died ont the cross.
The law reveals the problems, it reveals the spider web but left the spider. Jesus came to kill the spider.
Jesus is not just an example for me but of me. 2 cor 3:18 We behold Him as in a mirror. We behold Him, is there any fault in Jesus (in the image in the mirror)? We behold Him as in a mirror, if we see Him doesn’t he see us too? He comes to reveal the truth about you! That we may know who we are. He came to reproduce His very qualities that he has in us. The cross was that hard reset that set aside the law and brought the new Adam that wiped out the sin nature. That mirror goes two ways. We put off this transformation saying I’m not there yet, but a mirror is AT THIS MOMENT. It is not in the past or future it is the here and now. God sees us in our best even when we are at our low points. That image in the mirror is our original identity, our redeemed innocence, our victorious overcoming walking in power and miracles persona.
Jesus walked his life without sin. He came to earth and took on mans form. he was made flesh. He went through all temptations that entangles our humanity (Hebrews 2). He was at base flesh. It says he grew in wisdom and knowledge (Luke). He knew his father, he knew his mission, and he knew the outcome while still being man like us. Romans 8 calls his flesh, sinful flesh. He was able to look to his father and see the eternal outcome. He sees the spectacular and has a purpose/mission to see eternal results. In my blog yesterday I asked are we willing to lay down our life for the eternal outcome. Am I willing to lose my life. Jesus laid down his life for us so that we could walk into that same eternal mindset here on earth and eternally.
In Romans makes such an appeal that we see that we can/could die with Christ at the cross and walk in his calling on earth as it in heaven TODAY! Paul looked into that mirror and sam that image of Christ reflected back in him(Paul). That image points to a reality greater than me. I want to experience that reality.
Grace at the Cross
We owe the flesh nothing. In the light of all this, to now continue to live under the sinful influences of the senses is to reinstate the dominion of spiritual death. Instead, we are indebted to now exhibit the highest expression of life inspired by the Spirit. This life demonstrates zero tolerance to the habits and sinful patterns of the flesh.
Rom 8 : 12-13
Mirror Translation
Reveal the cross to me. My request.
Death on the cross liberates me, im now no longer bound by the law, grace
The magnitude of the death broke the hold of sin and death, it broke the hold of the law.
Rom 5:8 God’s love gift: mankind was rotten to the core when Christ died their (my) death.
Death HAD a global impact. No one could escape it. Our old lifestyle was co-crucified together with him…our slavery to sin HAD come to an end. Death lost its dominion over Christ in his resurrection; he died for my sins past present and future. He paid for our sins. Our sin man died on the cross that day 2000 years ago. There is no longer condemnation, that doesn’t mean to go ahead and sin, it means walk in the liberty pressing in walking in that no longer being tied to temptation or judgment. I can walk knowing he loves and accepts me unconditionally. I probably will mess up. There will be days I dont meaaure up but I dont have to measurw up to the law, I walk in righteousness to the best I can and let grace take my short comings.
Philipians 1:21 For me to live is Christ to die is gain. Every day is a new day in him.
(Andrew Farley google him)
81% of professed Christians believe spiritual maturity is trying to follow the rules, if you choose to be ruled by the law you will forever be in condemnation.
Therefore im a new creation in Christ daily hourly.
Rom 8:15
Slavery is such a poor substitute for sonship!
Law > leads through fear.
Sonship > responds to Abba Father
2 Tim
God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power love and sound mind.
God does not look down on me in judgement but love.
John 5:24
We were meant to walk free in Christ, dead to sin. We walk around in a spirit of fear and condemnation,
The devil has bamboozled us. We do not succeed through striving or self improvement, we need to get grace of the cross glasses and see His sacrifice, the death of the cross brings freedom from guilt and fear.