March 7, 2001
Understanding The Truth of The Gospel
Part 2 - Keeping The Water Pure
By Erwin W. Lutzer, Pastor
Moody Church, Chicago, IL
Peter Marshall tells the story about a town in Europe that sat at the foot of a great mountain range. High up in the hills above the village, an old man served as the keeper of the springs. He paroled the mountainside and made sure that the spring which fed the village below was always clear of silt, leaves, and dead animals.
Each day the water would tumble down to the town below, cold and pure. Gardens were refreshed, lawns were green, and people had their thirst quenched. Summer and winter the townspeople drank from its coolness and washed in its freshness.
But the town faced a crisis. Times were hard and the council had a budget to cut. Someone noticed a small amount of money committed to the salary of the keeper of the springs. They decided that they would release him of his duties and end his salary because, 1) most people seldom saw him, they didn't know who he was, and 2) the theory was that the water would probably stay just as pure without this unknown guardian.
For the first few weeks the water seemed to be the same, clear and pure. But gradually a green scum developed on its surface and leaves clogged with dirt and debris floated on the water. After a while, sickness came to the village and soon an epidemic raged, reaching into every home.
The town council met again in an emergency session. They realized they had made a bad decision; so they appointed a delegation to climb up into the mountains, find the old man, and beg him to resume his former labors. Before long, pure water flowed down to the village again; children laughed and played on the banks of the stream as they had in days gone by.
The Apostle Paul saw himself as standing at the head of a fountain; he was indeed the "keeper of the spring" of the gospel message. He knew that if this water was diluted, contaminated or otherwise made impure, the eternal destiny of millions of people would be affected.
The Book of Galatians was written to keep the fountain pure. It is perhaps one of the earliest books of the New Testament, likely written In about 50 A.D. Already then, Paul had to fight against distortions of the Gospel. Any addition to the Good News; any belief that circumcision was required along with faith in Christ in order to be saved; or any thought that the law must be kept along with believing in the cross - Paul knew that all such teaching muddied the pure water of God's infinite grace.
In effect Paul forever exposes the lie that human effort must be a part of the divine initiative in salvation. If salvation were 90% of God and 5% of man, our souls would be in jeopardy.
Understandably, Paul defends his understanding of the Gospel in three different ways.
First, He argues that the Gospel originated with God who revealed it to him. "For I would have you know, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11,12).
Thus, Paul argues that the purity of his message is guaranteed by God Himself. He received it, he says, by revelation when he spent three years in Arabia after his conversion. Recall that prior to his conversion he was entrenched in Judaism, a hater of Christians and yet believing that he was righteous. No one could deny his dramatic conversion and this is why he appeals to it to authenticate his apostleship.
In Arabia he probably studied the Old Testament and saw how it points toward Christ, the One whom he had now come to know as Messiah. There he also conversed with Christ and received the special message of the Gospel. Paul's understanding of the Gospel agreed completely with what Christ Himself taught.
Second, Paul defends the practice of the Gospel. When he came to the city of Antioch, he faced the uncomfortable responsibility of rebuking the famous Apostle Peter for diluting the Christian message.
Here's what happened: Peter, who is generally believed to be the first among the apostles and who is regarded by some as the first pope, began to waver. He would not eat with Gentiles, giving the impression that the Gospel was not for them after all. His actions implied that Gentiles would have to become Jews in order to be saved. He so feared the false teachers that he held himself aloof, giving the impression that he was siding with these Judaizers.
How did Paul handle this wavering attitude? We read, "Now when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face became he was to be blamed" (Galatians 2:11). Paul did not deal with Peter in a back room. Because Peter's actions were public, the rebuke was public.
All distinctions based on ethnic origin, race, etc. have no place at the foot of the cross. Segregated churches are a perversion of the Gospel. We are born equally separated from God; and when we are saved, we are equally saved through faith.
Think of this remarkable incident! By publicly rebuking Peter, Paul is in effect saying that we can distort the Gospel without saying a word! Peter was not saying that the Gospel was not for Gentiles, but by withdrawing from them, he was implying that that was the case. And for Paul, that deserved a stern public rebuke and humiliation!
Third, Paul discusses what justification really means. "Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law; since by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16).
What does Paul mean by justification? It is an enduring act of God by which we are declared righteous in Christ. Notice it is an act. it happens at a point in time. Just as physical birth happens rather quickly, so our spiritual birth is not a process that we grow into but happens at the moment that we exercise saving faith.
Notice also it is an act of God: it is not the work of a minister or a priest. After all, if we were not acquitted by God, the word of anyone else would be irrelevant. Also, we are declared righteous: that is, justification is a declaration in heaven that we are just as righteous as Christ is. His righteousness is credited to us so that we are as approved by God as Christ Himself is.
Finally, it is an enduring act of God. We live our entire lives under the banner of God's matchless declaration. The perfect demands of God are always in force; He has never lowered His standards or chosen to ignore our sins. Every single day, God demands from me absolute perfection. I can only meet this obligation because Christ is my representative and is my righteousness before God.
This is why righteousness is not something I can grow into; it is not something that I can ever attain on my own. If I am to belong to God, He demands righteousness up front - it must be there for me in order to be brought into His presence as one of His children.
In "Pilgrim's Progress" Faithful, representing a Christian is tempted to marry three daughters of the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. He resists the temptation but finds within his heart a tremendous desire to flirt with them. The question becomes, how can he handle these powerful impulses; how can a man who has been declared righteous by God find victory over the deeds of the flesh and the body?
In the allegory Moses, representing the law, comes to beat him to death. Despite being declared righteous by God, the law still condemns his own heart. He can only find freedom by returning to look at the hands of the Savior.
The message of justification is this: God has declared us righteous in Christ, we have total acceptance with Him legally. But now we also have a means by which the guilt within our conscience can be taken away. The condemnation does not vanish when we look within ourselves; attempting to rationalize why we should be free of this guilt does not help. No, we are made free by looking outside of ourselves to Christ who has declared us righteous.
God demands perfection from us day by day or else we are damned. But because Christ is our perfection and meets God's demands for us, we can be free from the condemnation in our hearts.
Jesus Thy blood and righteousness,
my beauty are, my heavenly dress.
Do we now understand why Paul was so concerned with keeping the spring pure? To smuggle works into the doctrine of salvation is to add a disease to the pure water; it leads to uncertainty, defeat and guilt. Faith in Christ alone is our only hope.
False teachers say faith in Christ and baptism are necessary for salvation. Faith in Christ and the sacraments are necessary. Faith in Christ and...... You fill in the blank.
Whenever we add to the pure Gospel, we dilute its message, deceive multitudes, and in the end spread disease among the people. Let's join Paul as a keeper of the spring.
Copyright 1997-2000 The Moody Church and The Moody Church Radio Ministries.
www.moodychurch.org
March 14, 2001
Understanding The Truth of The Gospel
Part 3 - Following The Right Leader
Erwin W. Lutzer, Pastor
Moody Church, Chicago, IL
Several years ago a friend told me a story about how he unintentionally found himself driving in the middle of a funeral procession. When he saw that the hearse was leaving the town to go to the cemetery, he knew he needed to turn around somewhere so he turned off on a side road only to discover that dozens of cars were following him. He stopped his own car and waited along the side of the road and watched as one by one the cars went by him. To this day he wonders where all those people finally ended up.
Whom you follow is incredibly important. To follow a leader who thinks he is right, but is nevertheless wrong, might lead to the gates of hell.
The Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Galatians to explain why human works have no part in the doctrine of salvation. The issue is not what we do, but rather, what God has done. We've shown that the Gospel is a free gift, given independently of human merit. To believe differently is to follow the wrong leader. Christ said that the way to destruction was broad and 'many there be that go in thereat." Even those who know Christ as Savior and have received the free gift of salvation must be reminded of the daily application of the Gospel message. For the faith that saves us is the faith within which we walk. We never outgrow our need for grace. As the songwriter put it, "I need Thee every hour."
How do we know we are on the right road? In Galatians 3 the Apostle Paul gives three signposts to guide us. He pinpoints with even greater clarity what the good news of the Gospel is all about.
-Signpost #1
First, the Gospel, he says, is the work of the Holy Spirit not the work of the flesh. "You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you; did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:1-3).
Did you get the contrast? The Holy Spirit was received by faith; to be "born of the Spirit" is a gift of God given to those who realize their helplessness and trust Christ alone. And when we are born again, we become complete in Christ. Just as a baby is born complete with all physical characteristics, and has only the need to grow, so we too are born into God's family complete. That is a work of the Holy Spirit.
We are saved by faith and we are sanctified by faith. Our walk with God is not dependent on the flesh. Works have their place, but they can never bring spiritual victory to our lives. Only Christ can do that in response to faith. "As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Colossians 2:6).
The first sign post is that salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit, not fleshly effort or sacraments.
-Signpost #2
Second, Paul says that the Gospel is a matter of faith, not law. Even Abraham, he says, was justified by faith. Christ reminded the Pharisees, who prided themselves in their ancestry, that Abraham has no spiritual grandchildren. No one is a Christian because he is born into the right family. Though physically the Jews might have been able to trace their pedigree back to Abraham, spiritually speaking, Christ said to them, "You are of your father the devil" (John 8:44). Personal faith, individual faith is needed for the gift of righteousness.
To try to be saved because of ancestry or through the law only brings a curse. To quote Paul, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written 'Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them.'" Now that no one is justified by the law before God is evident; for the righteous man shall live by faith (3:10, 11).
Thankfully, Paul says that Christ was made a curse for us through "hanging on a tree." To be stoned was humiliating, but stoning had a touch of dignity when compared to the shame of being crucified naked, lifted above the earth for all to see. Paul's point was that Christ was shamefully treated and exposed, but He did it for us. He did it to "redeem us from the curse of the law" (3:13). Once again, the point is dear: Christ took our place, paid our penalty, and set us free. The law was like a plumb line that showed us we were crooked, but it could not straighten us out. Because, by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in His sight,' (Romans 3:20).
The second signpost is that we are saved by faith, not through the law.
-Signpost #3
Third, Paul emphasizes that salvation is a matter of grace; that is, undeserved favor. God does it all. We rest in His free gift on our behalf.
Think of the implications of grace!
Christ meets the demands of the law for us every day. We often say we are "free from the law", and this is true, of course. But what do we mean by this? Does it mean that God has withdrawn His need for righteousness? Has He become more lenient throughout the centuries and hence is less demanding than in the Old Testament?
Let me state boldly that the law has not been set aside; it continues to make incredible demands upon us - moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day, and year by year. Indeed, if the law had been set aside, Christ would not have had to die on the cross.
Here is the good news: Although God demands perfection from me every day in order for me to receive His acceptance and love, fortunately, I do not need to meet those standards. Christ has come to save me; and He, as my representative in heaven, daily and hourly meets God's high standards. That sets me free from an impossible responsibility, namely, to satisfy the demands of a God whose holiness is beyond my comprehension.
Augustine, a great theologian and philosopher, was thrown into despair, contemplating his own failure to attain the unspotted perfection of a holy God. Thankfully, he saw the corresponding truth; namely, that thanks to Christ, he was "off the hook." He cried out with both despair and joy, "Oh God, demand what you will but supply what you demand." It did not matter now how high God's standard was since he did not have to meet it. What mattered is that he knew that Christ had met that standard for him. Every morning as he rose from the bed, every afternoon as he debated other scholars and wrote his books, Christ was continually Augustine's righteousness. Christ was meeting demands which, humanly speaking, are impossible for us to meet.
Christ then has redeemed us from the law's penalty and guilt. Of course there are certain penalties that we need to pay for sins or crimes that we might commit. If you kill a person, you may have to spend the rest of your life in jail or even go to the electric chair. If you hate a person, you will also have to pay the penalty that hatred brings with it. The temporal consequences of sin continue even after we are converted. But Christ has redeemed us from the eternal penalty of our sin. Our place in heaven is assured, our place before the throne uncontested. We enjoy a permanent standing in the sight of God, and will understand its implications much better when we are personally ushered into the divine presence.
But what shall we do with the guilt that we feel within our restless conscience? When Paul said the strength of sin is the law, he meant that the law produces guilt and guilt tends to drive us to commit more sins. The feeling of defeat generates more defeat; self-condemnation leads to self-absorption which leads to more sin.
William Justice has written, "For every failure to live up to some ought, there is a tendency to punish oneself in such a way as to produce another failure. When I fail, I punish myself with more failure. I feel guilty, and thus feel the need to pay; but unfortunately, I choose a method that will leave me with a sense of having failed. On and on, the cycle rolls downward like a snowball rolling downhill adding to its weight and momentum with each revolution. The load of guilt becomes greater and greater, and the rate of descent faster and faster - this is the cycle of the damned."
What do we do with such a vicious sense of failure? The grace that saves us is the grace that keeps us. Just as I met the divine standard by looking to Christ for my salvation, so I must respond to the residue of condemnation that still lurks in my heart. As already emphasized, we cannot defeat the accusations of Satan by trying to convince ourselves that we are not great sinners. Indeed, no matter what people may say about you, take heart because the half has not been told! Think of what your enemies would say about you if they really knew what went on in your heart!
So we confront our sin realistically, but we also look to the cross which was a real sacrifice for some real sinners. Growth in grace is not only sinning less; it is becoming more sinful in our own estimation. And the more we see ourselves as sinners, the more we look to the One who redeemed us and died in our stead.
Salvation is a package deal: We not only receive the gift of righteousness through Christ, which is ours eternally, but we also receive the grace by which our consciences can be purified and we can walk with victory and joy. We also receive the Holy Spirit who dwells within us as a companion and source of strength.
William Randolph Hearst, I am told, enjoyed famous paintings. He asked his staff to search for a particular one that he wanted and was willing to pay virtually any price for it. Later, as the story goes, they returned to tell him that they had indeed found the picture and he would not have to pay a single dime for it. It was found in his own warehouse! When Christ redeemed us, many benefits were tucked away and are distinctive of the doctrine of salvation. Within our own warehouse, we have the privilege of finding unexpected blessings.
But the path is the way of the spirit and not the flesh; it is of faith not law; it is grace not human merit.
If we follow these signposts, we enter into the riches of the Gospel.
Copyright 1997-2000 The Moody Church and The Moody Church Radio Ministries.
March 21, 2001
Understanding The Truth of The Gospel
Part 4 - Adopted Into God's Family
Erwin W. Lutzer, Pastor
Moody Church, Chicago, IL
The American family is disintegrating before our eyes. We are growing an entire generation many of whom have deep emotional and spiritual needs. Children have lost their sense of "belongingness"; they have not had the opportunity of growing up in a wholesome, emotionally supportive environment. It is difficult to live without love and value, a sense of purpose and meaning. These are shattered when we don't have roots, or when we grow up in a strife-torn family.
Yet, we have an even greater need than a wholesome earthly family; we need God even more than we need caring parents. As David himself said, "For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me up" (Psalm 27:10). It's the difference between eternity and time; the difference between an Everlasting Father and a flawed human one.
We've all seen pictures of starving children around the world, and I hope that we are able to weep over the emotional and spiritual pain that engulfs our globe. And yet, though it is difficult for me to say this, it is better to be a child starving in Africa and go to heaven, than to be a pampered adult in America and go to hell. Unfortunately, we sometimes live as though this is the only world; we weren't created for this world but for the invisible world to come. And our relationship with Jesus Christ determines our eternal destiny.
Paul wrote the Book of Galatians to answer the question of how a sinner can be right with God. In previous studies I spoke about the doctrine of justification: to be declared righteous by God is a gift of grace; it does not come through the law or through works. Nobody has ever made it to heaven by trying to be as good as somebody else! Only the perfect can enter, and therefore we must be accepted in Christ's behalf.
To illustrate the difference between law and grace, and to show how radically we are blessed once we are justified, Paul teaches that we are sons of God. He contrasts this with the nation Israel which he says was like a child. "Now I say as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father" (Galatians 4:1). Paul's point is that though a child might own great wealth, he really is no better off than a slave as long as he (the child) is too young to enjoy his inheritance. In the same way Israel was really a child, promised great wealth but too "young" to enjoy that wealth.
In the ancient world there was a much sharper division between adults and children than exists in our own society. So when Paul says that Israel was like a child, he meant that the nation had not grown up. Like a child, the nation had limited understanding; they did not see Christ dearly, and their knowledge of God and His relationship to the world was restricted. Children are not able to see the big picture. They are caught up with details but they miss the significance of what they are doing.
Children also have limited privileges. Israel, under the taw, was not able to communicate directly with God in the holy of holies and thus the priesthood was instituted. There were many regulations and often there was not a clear picture of spiritual freedom and the blessings of forgiveness. The promises were there but their fulfillment seemed afar off.
So, says Paul, Israel was a child destined to inherit great blessings, but actually the nation enjoyed tittle of its privileges. It was more like a slave than a son.
But then God entered the picture! "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law" (4:4). With the coming of Christ everything changed. The child now stood to inherit the blessings; the wealth which had been stored up could finally be used. The slave could live like a son.
And now, says, Paul, all believers in Christ are sons. In order that He might redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of His Son into our hearts crying 'Abba! Father'" (4:6).
Christ's assignment was specific: To redeem us. That is, He as the Son of God came to give a sacrifice of infinite value that we might be freed from the bondage of sin and the law. With sixty million slaves in the Roman Empire this imagery was well known in Paul's day; the purchase and trade of slaves happened continuously.
If a man chose to buy a slave, the man could either be freed or adopted into the family as a son. This adoption meant that the new son had all the rights of a legitimate son. His previous debts were canceled; he was given all the rights and honors that pertained to adoption. In the same way, through Christ we have been adopted into God's family and given sonship status. We have such intimacy with Him that we can cry "Abba! Father," a term of endearment, a term that signifies close family bonding.
Let's not miss Paul's point: A person who is saved today is not considered to be a child who has to grow into his inheritance, but is instantly considered by God to be a son with all established rights, privileges, and advantages. We become God's children through regeneration, and instantly are elevated to the full status of sons.
I met a new believer recently; he is so new to the faith that he scarcely knows the difference between the Old and the New Testaments. And yet he has the same advantages, the same rights and privileges as those who have been saved for many, many years. We don't have to wait to receive our inheritance; we possess it through faith the moment we believe.
What are the implications of sonship for us? First of all, our new Father bears responsibility for His children. He will not abandon us nor put us up for adoption; we will never be lost in a child custody battle. We may disobey and He will discipline us, but we will never be cast aside.
Second, we are loved unconditionally. It would be heresy to say that God would love us more if only we were better! There is nothing that we can do to make ourselves more pleasing in His sight if we view ourselves as complete in Christ and belonging to Him forever.
Third, our heavenly family is more important than our earthly family. I am not saying that the trauma of a dysfunctional family can be easily set aside; I'm not insisting that the abuses that go on in our homes can simply be ignored. Those who are thus wounded must work through these hurts as best they can, but they do so knowing that there is an anchor in their life that will not let them drift aimlessly. No matter how bad it is here, eternity will more than compensate for It. The sufferings of this present life we not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. "Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God" (Galatians 4:7).
A woman who was raised in an orphanage told me how she craved to be a part of a family. As a teenager she walked the streets in the evenings, straining to look through windows just to see a family together. Often she saw them eating at a table or reclining in the living room. She would try to imagine what it would be like to really 'belong.' Finally, at the age of 20 and after being mistreated at several foster homes, she met Christian parents who told her, 'Don't call us Mr. and Mrs....it's Morn and Dad.' She was thrilled. At last the formalities of merely being an acquaintance were past: she moved right into the intimacy of the family circle.
Yes, we presently are sons, and the day is coming when we will become full heirs. And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ... (Romans 8:17). We shall even share in His eternal glory. No, we will never become like God, for He is beyond all human limitations. But He is generous enough to honor us as a father honors his children. "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him because we shall see Him just as He is" (1 John 3:1,2).
In what sense shall we be like Christ? We shall have a similar body, a glorified body that is not subject to the limitations of matter, a body that is indestructible. We shall have similar desires for holiness, purity, and appreciation for God the Father. And of course, we share a similar future, being together forever in the presence of God the Father, seated at His right hand. The riches of sonship!
Copyright 1997-2000 The Moody Church and The Moody Church Radio Ministries.
March 28, 2001
Understanding The Truth of The Gospel
Here is an assignment: Take a moment to write down all the things that you think would make you holy. I'm sure that most of us would include such things as memorizing scripture, praying, witnessing, and perhaps even selling our goods to feed the poor.
Now I'd like you to mentally list all the things that would make you happy. Perhaps a woman would like a better husband; someone else asks for better health, more money, a vacation, and a peaceful environment.
I think the Apostle Paul would tell us that none of these lifestyles really reflect where 'life is at.' He writes, "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6).
Circumcision is used here as a symbol of the entire Jewish religion. It represents the lifestyle of people who worked hard to be holy. If you were to ask the Jews to make a list of the things that would make them holy, it would be a long list indeed. For the law was complex and included detailed matters that pertained to every facet of their existence. And many of them tried to keep these regulations meticulously.
The word uncircumcision is used in this verse to refer to the Greeks who glorified the human body and emphasized a life of indulgence. To them, circumcision was a sign of shame; those who participated in the athletic games had to prove that they weren't circumcised. Here the word represents a lifestyle of indulgence, aesthetic beauty, and human attainment. If you asked a Greek in the days of Paul what it would take to be happy, his list would have included virtually all of the pleasures that life can embrace.
Interestingly, Paul says that both lifestyles amount to nothing. Let's look at them now in more detail.
First of all, the way of religion is a way of rituals, human discipline, and various kinds of works righteousness. Paul says, "Behold I Paul say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who received circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole law" (5:2,3).
Paul's point is this: Just as it is wrong to think that we are saved by works, so it is wrong to think that we are sanctified by works! If we think we are saved by works, we diminish the cross; if we think that sanctification (personal victory) comes through our human efforts, we again diminish what Christ has done for us. Christ's provision included the gift of our justification but it also included the gift of our sanctification. Both come to us by faith.
If you are a perfectionist, you will gravitate toward works righteousness. You will find a certain sense of satisfaction in putting yourself under the law of whatever variety, and you will also demand that others be there with you. Unfortunately, perfectionists often feel frustrated, unable to enjoy the company of those who are not trying as hard as they are! The bar is always raised a notch higher, however, until most perfectionists fall back in despair. No matter how hard they work, holiness seems completely beyond reach.
Paul speaks of those who want to be sanctified through works as being severed from Christ...fallen from grace (v. 4). This doesn't mean that they have lost their salvation, but Christ is of no benefit to them in their daily walk; they are cut off from Christ's power. All of us have met Christians who have said, "I want to witness, but I have nothing to say because Christ seems to be of no benefit to me."
To summarize: If we think that holiness is just a matter of memorizing Scripture, praying, and the spiritual disciplines, we will never measure up; there will be little Joy. We will experience the grind but not the glory.
Paul writes, "But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another" (5:15). Legalists become meticulous judges of the behavior of other people. Having defined the Christian life in terms of external effort, they are critical of all those who do not fall into their particular mold. To become righteous by observing rules, however good these rules and disciplines might be, is to experience frustration and the feeling that one has never done enough.
We come now to the way to happiness, the Greek interpretation of the "good life." I mentioned a moment ago that the Greeks were into pleasure; they believed that religion was confining and quite contrary to happiness. Young Christians who become discouraged often say, in effect, "I'm going to trade holiness for happiness. I will satisfy my own desires; I will do my own thing, and I will enjoy what I think is right for me." They plunge headlong to a life of ease and indulgence which often leads to fleshly, self-centered existence.
The indulgence of the flesh is slavery. The more we feed our fleshly desires, the stronger they become. Take any area of the flesh and that particular weakness, no matter how appealing it might be, can ultimately consume any one of us. The flesh always hungers for more fulfillment, always demanding more than we are ever able to give.
To choose the so-called way of happiness creates vacillation and guilt in the life of a Christian. Despair leads to more guilt; and the guilt, in turn, magnifies the despair. Though he does whatever he feels like doing, the pleasure-seeker is robbed of happiness. He has a raging civil war within and he does not know how to negotiate a peace treaty. That's why embarking on the life of the flesh usually ends with alcoholism, immorality, or drug abuse. People are trying to deaden the pain of an empty life.
If the so-called path to holiness leads nowhere, and if the path to happiness is fraught with dangers and despair, where should we turn? To quote Paul again, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything but faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6). Thankfully, there is a better way. Paul says the answer is "faith working through love."
Faith, Paul says, is the answer for the person who seeks holiness as well as for the person who seeks happiness. In other words, holiness and happiness are attained by resting in what God has done. It is the kind of faith that enjoys the righteousness and holiness that is already ours in Jesus Christ. Holiness can never be attained by looking to our good works, how ever well intentioned they may be, but by looking to Christ and drawing from Him the resources that are at our disposal because of who we are in Him.
What role do the Christian disciplines play in our lives? Obviously, it is important to memorize Scripture, to pray, to yield, and to read and study the Bible. These works are of value in our pursuit of holiness to the extent that they expand our understanding of what God has done for us and keep us focused on the completeness of Christ's work in our behalf. The point I made earlier is that in and of themselves, such efforts have no power to change us. These disciplines bring about a transformation only when they point beyond themselves to the righteousness and glory of Christ. It is not what we feel that makes us holy; it is the direction of our focus, the direction of our faith and love.
Every day we need a fresh understanding of Christ and what He has done for us. Every day we need to affirm the promises of the Lord, to choose to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. But it is a walk of faith. It is a walk that draws on resources that have already been given us in Jesus Christ.
One day I met a couple who told me that they were having conflict in their marriage. So they decided to memorize more verses of Scripture, to pray more, and to exercise the disciplines of the faith. Incredibly, along with such well-intentioned efforts, their arguments escalated. There was nothing they could do that would seem to relieve the tension.
Then, they read Galatians 5:6 this way, "For in Jesus Christ neither being happily married or being unhappily married means anything but faith working through love." When they began to focus on who they were in Christ and the completeness of His work, they were then free to finally be honest with each other so that they could seriously address the differences between them.
Someone has suggested that Galatians 5:6 can be an "idol smasher." It can be read this way, "For neither being promoted or being passed over for a promotion means anything; neither having money nor not having money means anything; neither having a happy marriage nor an unhappy marriage means anything - all these idols are unimportant but faith working through love."
The faith that saved us is the same faith with which we walk. And once we have found the route to holiness, we have also found the route to happiness. For the same faith that makes us holy also makes us happy.
Perhaps God wants to free you today from the bondage of a critical spirit, a kind of legalism that assesses other Christians by external rules. The rules may be important just like foul lines on a basketball court tell us where the boundaries are, but those rules cannot create the fruit of the Spirit. "Faith working through love" is the key that unlocks the door to both holiness and happiness.
Copyright 1997-2000 The Moody Church and The Moody Church Radio Ministries.
Part 5 - Enjoying Your Freedom
Erwin W. Lutzer, Pastor
Moody Church, Chicago, IL
www.moodychurch.org