The
sad reality is that most people are ignorant of who we really are since the
advent of the last Adam Who gave us a new life in the Spirit. Most people still
perceive themselves only as what David described stating; “Surely I was sinful
at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalms
51:5).
And
so naturally, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” What has eluded the
minds of many people is the fact that Jesus Christ at His death and
resurrection created a new generation of mankind in Himself by giving humanity
a new life in the Spirit.
I
do hope and pray that we are sensible enough to make that clear distinction
between the life which is in accordance to the flesh and the life which is in
accordance to the Spirit. The main difference between the two is that the life
which is in accordance to the flesh is hostile and it is not subject to the
laws of God and neither can it ever be, while in contrast, the righteous
requirement of the law is being fulfilled in those who do not walk according to
the flesh but are walking in accordance to the Spirit.
Because,
those who living and walking according to the Spirit have received the
consolation stating; “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know
all things… But the
anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need
that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all
things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will
abide in Him” (1John 2:20, 27).
And
what gives us this confidence is our enslavement to righteousness because, “If
we know that He is righteous, we know that everyone who practices righteousness
is born of Him.” And; “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who
practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1John
2:29; 3:7).
But
before proceeding any further let us confirm and reestablish what exactly
righteousness is. Righteousness according to the psalmist David is all of God’s
commandments for he wrote; “My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your
commandments are righteousness.” And according to the wise king Solomon “In the
way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death” (Psalms
119:172; Proverbs 12:28).
Righteousness
is the way of life for those who are living and walking in the Spirit: One does
not keep the law and commandments of God to become righteous, but rather, one
obeys the law and commandments of God because he/she is righteous because,
according to the apostle Paul; “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if
righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain" (Galatians
2:21).
Some
people just do not understand and have not grasped the co-relation between the
law and grace when the apostle Paul made it so abundantly clear by stating; “For
sin (lawlessness) shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law
but under grace. What then? Shall we sin (transgress the law) because we are
not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you
present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey,
whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans
6:14-16)
Note
carefully that, one is either a slave of sin which is to be lawless and a transgressor
of the law or, one is a slave of righteousness which is to be obedient to the
law which leads to righteousness. To be lawless and disobedient is the way of
the flesh, on the other hand, to be obedient to the law leads to righteousness
and it is the way of the Spirit.
It
is important to note that neither grace nor faith made the law null and void as
explicitly stated by the apostle Paul who wrote: “Do we then make void the law
through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.” And later
he asked a question saying; “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly
not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I
would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not
covet" (Romans 3:31; 7:7).
So
why some professing believers are so antagonistic towards the law and think
that they can transgress and disregard it with impunity because we are not under
law but under grace? The crux of the matter is, sin is not imputed when there
is no law, and since no one can say that, I have no sin, or, I have not sinned
signifies that the law is still in force. What is important to know is that; “the
law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace
abounded much more” (Romans 5:20).
And
the way grace abounded much more is that, with the law the wages of sin is
death, but with grace there is forgiveness as we have received the consolation
saying; “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not
sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only
but also for the whole world” (1John 2:1-2).
Please
note carefully that the admonition is not for those who sin or disobey the laws
of God with impunity because the scripture did not say, “and when anyone sins”
but rather, “and if anyone sins” signifying that it is something accidentally
or peradventure committed and not something habitually or committed with
impunity.
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To be continued
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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