I Timothy 1 v 19b – 20 - Excommunication [2]

 In Corinthians Paul says, ‘…hand over one from of this sort to close beside Satan, penetrating towards the aim of the ruination of the flesh in order that the breath is being delivered to safety within the Day of the Lord’ (I Corinthians 5 v 5). Paul places his focus on the Day of the Lord which is associated with the fair Judgement of God by means of His Messiah, when secret matters of the heart and things done in darkness will be revealed. For the Apostle the Day of the Lord is in many ways the time of completion and fulfilment for Christians. It is the time of rousing up from out of the dead, standing up again, full redemption and the allotment of divine rewards and inheritance to Christians as sons and heirs in God’s house. 

 

The ‘breath’ being delivered is often interpreted by commentators to refer our ‘soul’, by which they tend to mean an immortal incorporeal ‘true self’ sheathed by our physical body. That’s according to orthodox Christian tradition anyway. I am proposing that our ‘breath’ is our inner ‘direction and movement of energy’, related to life, sensitivity and responsiveness to God. 

I suggest that if Christians are regarded and treated as an ‘outsider’ as a result of their excommunication, then this leads them to ‘necessary proportionate recompense of their wandering off course’ (Romans 1 v 27b). This recompense, this proportional and appropriate payment for wandering off course, may take a number of forms. Such an individual may become materially wealthy and/or successful – but lose their breath – their energy and sensitivity to the Lord and thus suffer loss within the Day of the Lord. Or they may suffer illness, or loss of their favourable situation or reputation, or experience adversity, regret, a sense of abandonment or isolation, or any number of such things. By experiencing such adverse circumstances the aim is that they come to see that they have turned to ‘broken cisterns’ instead of the ‘water of life’. The hope is that as a result they may turn back in repentance towards obedient trust in and sensitive responsiveness to God and His Messiah, thus delivering their breath now, at this present time, and thus receiving the beneficial future consequences of this within the Day of the Lord.

There we are, Paul is quite consistent. He was no legalist, nor was he a permissive liberal. Nor was he anti-law in the sense of opposing or negating the principles and aims of divine law. Christians are placed under the free gift of God by means of the Messiah, who fulfils the requirements of divine law on their behalf and pays the price required by law for their self-forfeiture. Paul was therefore against Christians referring to the external written codes of Levitical law as a means of godliness, arguing that Christians are not under Levitical law, or any written system of law for that matter. Rather, Christians have been transferred into a royal priesthood of the order of Melchizedek with Jesus the Messiah as their High Priest. The principles of divine law are written in the Christian’s deep inner core, and borne witness to by the indwelling Breath. So Christians are exhorted to walk around day-by-day within the sphere of the Breath. In other words, in this respect, the locus of the dynamic of the Christian life is within, rather than by reference to and imposition of external written codes. The focus is on union with the Messiah as their Lord and Saviour, and on the Breath enlightening and illuminating the Christian’s perception of unseen realities. It is on Christians co-working with God by exercising their mind, such that they reason things through to their proper conclusion. It is on carrying these enlightened principles and conclusions across from within into their speech and behaviour in practical beneficial love, especially to fellow Christians, so that they speak and behave consistently with their calling, and bring forth the primary Fruit of the Breath. In the process they are being transformed into the image of the Messiah as the Breath opposes the impulses of the Christian’s fleshly constitution. 

Galatians 6 v 9, 10 - An apportioned share of the divine inheritance

 ‘And we should not grow weary in doing good, because not growing faint, in our season we will reap a harvest. 10 So then, in the manner that we have opportunity, we should be working good toward all, and especially toward those belonging to the family of faith’, (Galatians 6 v 9, 10). 

Sometimes, teaching the word faithfully and having practical beneficial love towards fellow Christians can seem to be a laborious and unrewarding endeavour. It can make us feel weary and lacking in motivation. Thus Paul encourages Christians not to grow weary in doing good. The Christian’s deliverance away from divine judicial condemnation by means of the Messiah and the set-apart Breath is given as a free gift as a result of God’s promise, a promise that He has sworn on oath on His own name. No one will snatch those who have been given to him from out of the Messiah’s hand. As Paul declares in Romans 8, no one and nothing can separate us away from the love of God. 

But for Christians, there is a prize to obtained and a harvest to reap. If Christians persist in wayward behaviour or become lazy, they will suffer ruin and loss. They will not lose their deliverance, but they will reap a smaller harvest. The ‘harvest’ is their allotted portion of the divine inheritance. It is his obtaining of the ‘harvest’ that is Paul’s motivation for persisting steadfastly in doing good. ‘…because not growing faint, in our season we will reap a harvest’. In our season, when the harvest comes, which will be at the advent of the Millennium Reign and the first rousing up from out of the dead so as to meet the Messiah in the air and enter into the unseen heavenly realms.

‘So then, in the manner that we have opportunity, we should be working good toward all’. Christians are not summoned to be antagonistic towards unbelievers, nor to negate them. Christians live in a world in which the majority of people are unbelievers. Christians are like wheat growing among weeds and wheat-like plants. So, while God continues life-breath to us and the season of sowing lasts, Christians are encouraged to live their lives as peaceably as they can. To be good marriage partners, family members, neighbours, employers, employees and work colleagues. But this is especially case when it comes to their relationships with fellow Christians, bearing in mind the primary injunction of the Messiah to show practical, beneficial love to one another.  

Galatians 4 v 30, 31, 5 v 1a - The exclusion of Hagar the slave girl and her son Ishmael from the inheritance

 ‘But what is Scripture saying? ‘Be throwing out the slave girl and her son, because the son of the slave girl will absolutely not inherit in company with the son of the free woman’. 31 Therefore on this basis brothers, we are absolutely not children of the slave girl, but on the contrary, of the free woman, the free’, (Galatians 4 v 30, 31, 5 v 1a).

Paul refers to the language of Sarah to Abraham when she requested him to throw out Hagar and Ishmael, (Genesis 21 v 10). Her words received endorsement, ‘And rulers and judges said to Abraham, ‘Don’t let it be displeasing in your sight because of the boy or your concubine. All, whatever Sarah has said to you, listen and pay attention to her voice, because your seed will be called out within Isaac’, (Genesis 21 v 12). Thus, as the Galatians could read for themselves in the Scriptures, delegated rulers and judges said that Hagar and Ishmael were indeed to be sent away from Abraham’s family. The son of the slave girl was not to share the inheritance with Isaac. In the same way, on this account, all Jews who continue to exist under 'Jerusalem' and the legal Covenant of Sinai, enslaved to seeking to obtain judicial approval by observing its written codes of law, are excluded from the ‘family’ of those brought forth as a result of the announced promise. They are excluded from the divine inheritance. Thus Jesus says to Jews, ‘Struggle to go in by means of the narrow door. For I am saying to you, many will seek after entering in and will not be able, 25 away from which the master of the house having roused up and shut the door. And you begin to stand outside, knocking the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us’. Answering, he will say to you, ‘I don’t know you, from what place you are’. 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in front of you, and you taught in our streets’. 27 And he will say, ‘I am telling you, I don’t know where you are from, stand away from me all workers of injustice. 28 There will be the lamentation and the grinding of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets within the Kingdom of God, but you being thrown out. 29 They will come from the east and west, and from north and south, and will recline in the Kingdom of God. 30 And look! Those existing last who will be first, and those existing first who will be last’, (Luke 13 v 24 – 30). 

Paul comes to a conclusion. ‘Therefore on this basis brothers…’. They are his brothers on account of being fellow Jews, but more especially they are his brothers because along with Paul, they ‘are absolutely not children of the slave girl, but on the contrary, of the free woman, the free’. Paul applies the allegory and brings it to its conclusion. Paul said earlier ‘Now if you [are] of the anointed, then you are existing Abraham’s seed, heirs down from announced promise’, (Galatians 3 v 29). And again, So therefore, you are no longer existing a slave, but if a son by means of God, also an heir, allotted a share, (Galatians 4 v 7). His logic then is this, if we are heirs, ‘we are not children of the slave girl’, whose son, according to Scripture, was ‘not to be heir’ (verse 30). But we are of the free woman whose son was, according to Scripture, to be heir. We Hebrew Christians are not ‘thrown out’ like Ishmael, but accepted as sons and heirs in God’s household on the basis of God’s announced promise.

Galatians 4 v 28, 29 - The children and heirs of God’s announced promise

 ‘But you brothers are down from Isaac, are children of announced promise. 29 But just as at that time the one having been procreated down from flesh persecuted the down from Breath, [Pneuma], in this manner also at this present time. 30 But what is Scripture saying? ‘Throw out the slave girl and her son, because the son of the slave girl will absolutely not inherit in company with the son of the free’. 31 Therefore on this account brothers, we are absolutely not children of the slave girl, but on the contrary, of the free’, (Galatians 4 v 28, 29).

‘But you brothers are down from Isaac’. Paul continues the allegory that he introduced in verse 23. He is not talking about physical descent from Abraham and Isaac, but about a line of ‘children of promise’, as he confirms in the next phrase – you ‘are children of announced promise’. Remember, Paul is speaking to and about Jews, and the contrast is between -

Jews existing under the Sinai Covenant and its written codes of law, and

 

Jews existing under the announced promise of God, by means of entrustment

The allegory describes -

Jews under the Sinai Covenant in terms of Abraham, Hagar and Ishmael

Jews under the announced promise in terms of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac

Scripture describes the animosity between Ishmael, born of the flesh, and Isaac who was brought forth as a result of the announced promise, down from the Breath. The particular reference made by Paul is doubtless to Genesis 21 v 9 where Ishmael treated Isaac with ‘outright scornful laughing’, jeering and deriding him. Jewish commentators pretty much also agree that Ishmael took his bow and shot an arrow at Isaac, with an intention to kill him, though he pretended it was but in play. The incident is recorded in the non-canonical Book of Jasher. ‘And Ishmael the son of Abraham was grown up in those days; he was fourteen years old when Sarah bare Isaac to Abraham. 12 And God was with Ishmael the son of Abraham, and he grew up, and he learned to use the bow and became an archer. 13 And when Isaac was five years old he was sitting with Ishmael at the door of the tent. 14 And Ishmael came to Isaac and seated himself opposite to him, and he took the bow and drew it and put the arrow in it, and intended to slay Isaac. 15 And Sarah saw the act which Ishmael desired to do to her son Isaac, and it grieved her exceedingly on account of her son, and she sent for Abraham and said to him, ‘Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for her son shall not be heir with my son, for thus did he seek to do unto him this day’.’, (Book of Jasher 21 v 11 – 15). Other commentators suggest that there was also contention about the inheritance, which Sarah’s words to Abraham seem to confirm. Ishmael claimed the birthright, despising Isaac as the younger son, and insisting on his right to the inheritance. He mocked the promise of God with respect to Isaac and threatened what he intended to do to Isaac should Isaac claim it.  Mocking has been always reckoned as a form of persecution.

Paul applies this animosity to the present situation. Just as Ishmael persecuted Isaac, so now at this present time, Jews under the Sinai Covenant with its written codes of law pursue and persecute Jews, and indeed Gentiles, who are ‘down from the Breath’.

Galatians 4 v 4 – 8 - Christians – adopted sons and heirs

 ‘But when the completion of the season had come, God sent away His son, having  come into being from out of a woman, having come into being under law, 5 in order that he buy back those under law, in order that we receive placing as a son. 6 And because you are sons, God sends forth the Breath of His Son penetrating into our hearts, our deep inner core, crying aloud and shrieking ‘Abba, Father!’. 7 So therefore, you are no longer existing a slave, but if a son by means of God, also an heir, allotted a share. 8 But indeed, at that time, absolutely not knowing God, you were the enslaved by nature, lest being gods’, (Galatians 4 v 4 - 8). 

Paul has just said that Jews existed like under-age heirs, enslaved under the orderly system of rudimentary elements and first principles of the Sinai Covenant with its written codes of law, until the time appointed by the Father. That season of under-age enslavement of Jews was completed when ‘God sent away His son’. The only-begotten Son pre-existed his ‘coming into being from out of a woman’. Indeed, the Son of God is ‘the image of the invisible God, firstborn of the whole in terms of the individual parts of what is originally formed’, (Colossians 1 v 15). ‘By means of him all came into being, and apart from him, not even one was caused to be that has come into being’, (John 1 v 3). Thus ‘God sent away His son’ from out of the heavenly realm to ‘come into being from out of a woman, having come into being under law’. God’s purpose was ‘that [His son] buy back those under law, in order that we receive placing as a son'. The details of this forms the details of the gospel or ‘good news’ of course. But Paul is not interested here in explaining the gospel in detail. He is interested to present the concept of ‘sonship’, because ‘if children, also heirs, indeed, God’s heirs, and fellow-heirs with the Messiah’, (Romans 8 v 17). 

But there is more, ‘because you are sons, God sends forth the Breath of His Son penetrating into our hearts, our deep inner core’. Over the course of his writings, Paul places two pairs of principles that are in opposition to one another - 

     Covenant Law vs God’s Promise (Galatians)

    Fleshly impulses towards death vs Breath penetrating into Life (Romans 7, 8)

The Breath of the Messiah penetrating within the Christian’s heart, including the heart or deep inner core of Hebrew Christians, is ‘crying aloud and shrieking ‘Abba, Father!’. 

Paul then reaches his conclusion in verses 7 and 8. ‘So therefore, you are no longer existing a slave, but if a son by means of God, also an heir, allotted a share. 8 But indeed, at that time, absolutely not knowing God, you were the enslaved by nature, lest being gods’ 

Paul’s conclusion is that Jews who are entrusting the Messiah are adopted sons and fellow heirs with the Messiah as a result of God fulfilling His promises through giving His only-begotten son and His Breath. Hebrew Christians are no longer enslaved to Covenant law, and no longer ‘the enslaved by nature’, by the impulses of their flesh. Why? Because of the opposing impetus and movement of the Breath of God within them in their deepest inner core. But previously, before entrusting the Messiah, Jews were enslaved, by their own human nature. Paul then adds sarcastically, ‘lest being gods’ – unless you Jews were gods with superhuman ability and strength. 

Galatians 3 v 17, 18 - Divine law does not negate God’s announced promise

 ‘Now I am saying this, the set arrangement has been confirmed in advance under God. Law, having come 430 years afterwards, is absolutely not invalidating or penetrating into to rendering the announced promise entirely idle. 18 Because if the inheritance is from out of law, [then it is] no longer from out of the announced promise. But God has shown favour to Abraham by means of an announced promise’, (Galatians 3 v 17, 18).

Paul clarifies what he has said in verses 14 -16 and anticipates a potential objection. He said that, ‘The announced promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed’, and the ‘seed’ is God’s Anointed, Jesus. ‘The benefit penetrating towards Abraham comes towards the Gentiles within Jesus, His Anointed. So that they receive the announced promise, the Breath, by means of faithful entrustment’ (verse 14). The potential objection is that Covenant Law, which came in later, overrides and invalidates the announced promise made to Abraham. 

Paul states that this is not the case. The set arrangement of faithful entrustment was confirmed in advance under the authority of God. The establishment of Covenant Law that was given some 430 years later, does not penetrate into rendering God’s promise idle. God promised a blessing, a divine inheritance. But if this blessing and inheritance is now from out of Covenant Law, by means of people expending energy and labour to observe its written injunctions, then this is a completely different arrangement. It would mean that the blessings and benefits of inheritance are no longer obtained from out of God’s announced promise. But the fact remains – ‘God has shown favour to Abraham by means of an announced promise’. Having established the set arrangement of an announced promise, the later establishment of Covenant Law did not and does not ignore it, negate it or add to it. God’s announced promise stands, and it is received by faithful entrustment.

Principles of living a godly life [76] – The divine plan

 ‘And those whom He predetermines, these He also summons, and whom He summons, these He also judicially approves and makes rightwise. Then, whom he judicially approves and makes rightwise, these He also honours and renders praiseworthy. 31 What then will we say to these things? Forasmuch as God is above us, who is down against us? 32 Indeed, He Who is not sparing His own Son, but surrendering him for us all, how will He not also give us all things together with him?’, (Romans 8 v 30 - 32).

As we come to the end of chapter 8, Paul steps back as it were to sum up the process of divine judicial approval and rightwiseness, which has been the main theme of his letter. As in other Scripture writings, the process of deliverance from condemnation is portrayed as being entirely down from God. When individuals are in a hopeless state and unable to deliver themselves, God, knowing some beforehand, predetermines them to be jointly formed to the image of His Son. It is God Who brings them forth – they are born again – and they become a new formation as a result of the atoning sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son, given as a free gift, coupled with the work of the set apart Breath of God and His Messiah. 

The process is this. God knows some beforehand and predetermines these to be conformed to the image of His Son. How does this happen? Those He knows beforehand and predetermines to be conformed to the image of His Son He summons, calls or invites, (by means of the good news of the Messiah and the word of the cross. Those who are summoned are, by means of the Breath, enlightened and such that they are persuaded to the point of entrusting the Messiah), and thus God accounts them judicially approved and rightwise. These He also honours and renders praiseworthy. 

All of this originates from and is brought into effect by God, and this gives Christians assurance and confident expectation. Because divine approval and deliverance from condemnation is not down to their fickle and unreliable energies and labours to be godly. Indeed, they lack ability and strength to deliver themselves because of their fleshly constitution. Nor is divine approval attained or maintained by Christians seeking to work to fully observe the written codes of divine law. Divine law is good and set apart, but it reveals our self-forfeiture and loss, and the impulses of our flesh take hold of this starting point such that our self-forfeiture is seen to increase even more. Christians are not placed under the written codes of law or the Sinai Covenant, but under the free, undeserved gift of God, and the New Covenant of the blood of the Messiah. Deliverance from condemnation, and divine approval, is given to them as a free gift from God. Christians maintain Life – responsiveness to God – by walking around moment-by-moment within their breath [pneuma] which is being moved by the Breath of God [Pneuma] dwelling in their deep inner core and effectively interceding for them. Christians are bond-slaves to their Lord who pays the price necessary to buy them back - the shedding of his own lifeblood as a substitute payment to send away their self-forfeiture.

So what shall we Christians say? Well here is the conclusion – ‘Forasmuch as God is above us, who is down against us? 32 Indeed, He Who is not sparing His own Son, but surrendering him for us all, how will He not also give us all things together with him?’ The deliverance of Christians is secure and certain. Since all this is away from the free gift of God, and since God did not hold back even His only begotten Son, but surrendered him for all of us, then who can be down against us? Who can successfully rob us of our deliverance? More than this, if God has not held back His own Son, then surely He will also give us all things together with him. Christians are adopted sons in God’s household, joint-heirs, joint inheritors with the Messiah. God does not surrender His only begotten Son so as to then hold back from us the benefits that His Son has attained.

Principles of living a godly life [68] – The Christian’s daily life and standing

 ‘…if you are putting to death the actions of the body [down from] breath [pneuma] - you will live, 14 because as many as are being led by the Breath [Pneuma] of God, these are existing God’s sons. 15 Because you are not receiving a breath of slavery once more, penetrating towards fear and alarm. On the contrary, you are receiving breath [pneuma] of placement as a son, within which we are crying aloud, ‘Abba!’, ‘Father!’ 16 The Breath [Pneuma] is also bearing witness together with our breath [pneuma] that we are existing children of God - 17 and if children, also heirs, indeed, heirs of God and joint heirs with the Messiah since indeed we are sharing heavy emotion or adversity together, in order that also we share in praise and honour together’, (Romans 8 v 13 - 17).

Once again we see Paul using as well as distinguishing between the words ‘Breath’ and ‘breath’. His teaching is that only those brought forth by God within the Messiah by means of the Breath of God are made alive and responsive to God and His Messiah. They and they alone possess the Breath of God in their deep inner core. If a Christian is living their life moment-by-moment down from breath, that is, down from the current, energy and movement of their illuminated and enlightened heart and mind, then the practical result is that they are co-working with God and ‘are putting to death the actions of the body’. But Christians are engaged in a battle, in warfare. They have been ‘roused up’ in the ‘inner man’ concerning ‘spiritual’ realities and their minds and hearts are being enlightened and illuminated by the Breath to perceive and be persuaded of unseen realities. But at the same time they are weighed down and grieved by their fleshly constitution because of its inherent energies that are opposed to God. So they [ego] are seeking to put the actions, the outworking, of their fleshly impulses to death since these impulses and energies are working in opposition to God. This warfare is wearisome and grieving because Christians are in a state of adversity within themselves.

The illustrations that Paul presents elsewhere with regard to this situation are those of an athlete training and disciplining their body in order to win the race, or that of a boxer punching away these contrary actions. The Christian’s enlightened ‘I’, [ego], is exhorted to exercise enlightened self-control and illuminated self-discipline with regard to regulating their wayward fleshly behaviours, to ‘possess their vessel’, to ‘rein these fleshly impulses in’, to govern their body by enlightened self-control. But they do not always succeed. And if Christians are persistently and excessively wayward, bringing the gospel and the Messiah into disrepute, they are in danger of losing a portion of their inheritance. They are also in danger of being cut off from the fellowship – excommunicated – both in order to deliver their breath, as well as to maintain the cleanliness of the fellowship.

But as many as are being led by the Breath of God – the source of their enlightenment – they are existing as God’s sons. Because Christians are not receiving a current or movement of fear, terror and alarm within their heart and mind with regard to the settled anger and judicial condemnation of God. Even if they were born Jews or were Gentiles who had become Jewish proselytes under Sinai Covenant law, then ‘the Messiah buys us up completely from out of the curse of the Law’, (Galatians 3 v 1). Instead, Christians are receiving breath of placement as sons, such that they are crying out ‘Abba! Father’ – the expression of reconciliation.

‘The Breath [Pneuma] is also bearing witness together with our breath [pneuma] that we are existing children of God’, (verse 16). Paul once again combines the use of ‘Breath’ and ‘breath’ in this single verse. The movement and current of the Breath of God and His Messiah is also carrying evidential witness together with the Christian’s breath – together with the current and movement of the Christian’s enlightened heart, mind and ego. What is the Breath of God bearing evidential witness and testimony to? The Breath of God is carrying evidential testimony that they exist as children of God, brought forth or ‘born again’ of God. There is an agreement of movement between the Breath of God and the Christian’s breath, presenting evidential testimony that they exist as children of God. This is beyond the ability of unbelievers, and it reflects the polarising difference between Christians and unbelievers.  

And ‘if children, also heirs, indeed, heirs of God and joint heirs with the Messiah since indeed we are sharing heavy emotion or adversity together’, (verse 17). The battle that Christians are engaged in as they pursue godliness means that they are ‘sharing heavy emotion or adversity together, [with the Messiah and the Breath of God], in order that they also share in praise and honour together [with the Messiah]’ – an expression of their union within the Messiah. This grief and weighing down bears no comparison to the praise and honour that Christians will participate in as they are brought to completion.

Having mentioned grief and suffering, Paul then goes on in Romans chapter 8 to look forward to the Christian’s reward and their security within the love of God in what are a very familiar and comforting set of verses for many Christians. 

Principles of living a godly life [52] – Christians and divine law [5]

 Let’s stand back for a moment to summarise what Paul is saying and to look at the implications for seeking divine approval by means of divine law. 

Paul is saying that –

 

Divine Law is good, clean, honourable and praiseworthy

By means of divine law we gain knowledge of –

No share of divine inheritance, 

Self-forfeiture, and

Divine disapproval

But a polarising distinction exists –

Divine law is related to the realm of breath and the heavenly realm, 

Whereas we exist as a physical, fleshly entity

Before God brings us forth we follow or bring to completion our fleshly impulses

Self-forfeiture takes hold of divine law and the knowledge it presents

Self-forfeiture uses the law as a starting point to increase and become apparent in every aspect and facet

After God has brought us forth as Christians we find two opposing fundamental principles within us –

 

Our illuminated mind agrees that divine law is good, clean, honourable and praiseworthy

‘I’ closely identify with delight in God’s Law with my mind

Our intention is to speak and behave in agreement with it

But

An opposing energy, impetus and movement exists within our flesh

This impetus, existing in my members, takes me captive within self-forfeiture and loss

The result is that

I speak and behave in ways that ‘I’ do not intend

I say and do the very things that ‘I’ despise

This means that

‘I’ as governor/controller am not fully and wholeheartedly doing this, 

Rather, 

It is the energy and impetus of self-forfeiture inherent within my fleshly constitution that produces the behaviour that ‘I’ do not intend

This means that IF I as a Christian turn to seeking to obey divine law in order to promote my divine approval moment-by-moment, THEN I gain knowledge and confirmation of my self-forfeiture, loss and divine disapproval. My knowledge of self-forfeiture spreads into every aspect - into my behaviour, thoughts, passions and intentions - so that my self-forfeiture increases and is clearly seen. ‘Because Law is working down settled anger’, (Romans 4 v 15a).

But Paul has not finished his explanation and reasoning yet, so before I say any more I will continue to look at what he has to say next.

Principles of living a godly life [42] – Human nature and divine law [2]

 ‘But self-forfeiture and loss, having taken hold of a starting point by means of the injunction, fully worked to fashion within me every aspect of inordinate desire’, (Romans 7 v 8a).

Paul has just said that by means of Covenant or divine law he knows what self-forfeiture and loss is. Covenant Law defines self-forfeiture and loss. Divine law sets boundaries on thoughts, emotions, intentions, speech and behaviours, revealing what God approves of and what He disapproves of. 

So what happens? Knowledge of self-forfeiture and no receipt of a portion (of the divine inheritance) is gained by means of knowing divine law. But knowledge of divine law means that self-forfeiture and loss actively takes hold of a starting point and opportunity presented by means of the injunction. Talking about himself, Paul says that the knowledge of self-forfeiture conveyed by means of divine law fully worked to completion within him. Knowledge of self-forfeiture with regard to covetousness fully worked down within him to produce and accomplish an end result. Namely, this knowledge fashioned and formed all of the individual parts and aspects of covetousness, focused passion, yearning and lusting. The knowledge that Paul attained by means of divine law - that passionate, lustful desire was prohibited - also presented within him the opportunity, the opening and starting point for self-forfeiture and loss. His awareness of what self-forfeiture and loss is with regard to covetousness sprung to life and it worked within him to form self-forfeiture and loss with regard to every aspect of passionate, lustful desire that he possessed. His awareness of self-forfeiture and loss because of his covetousness increased, he saw it as being present in so many aspects of his passionate desires. But it was not the law itself that was producing this result, but rather the ‘self-forfeiture and loss’ within him. It was everywhere within him, often in subtle and unexpected ways. 

The Greek word that Paul uses is ‘hamartia’, which is almost universally translated into English as ‘sin’. In its more strict definition it is a noun derived from ‘A’ – ‘not’ or ‘no’, and ‘méros’ – ‘a part, a share of’, and it emphasises its self-originated or self-empowered nature – in other words, this loss of a share is not originated or empowered by God. Thus, in its fullest sense it is ‘self-forfeiture leading to no-share or portion of the divine inheritance’. It was this ‘self-forfeiture and loss’ that was working within Paul and producing every kind of form of covetousness, which had been defined by divine law. Passionate desire was present in him before he encountered divine law, but knowing the law constituted the initial starting point of knowing the presence and extent of self-forfeiture and loss, which worked within him to form many instances and aspects of self-forfeiture and loss in relation to his passionate desires.

At this point in his discussion, Paul is still thinking primarily of the dynamic process that takes place within ‘unbelievers’ – who are walking around day-by-day down from their flesh, because they are enslaved to their natural, earthy, ancient humanity or physical, fleshly constitution. In other words, this is the dynamic process that takes place when unbelievers encounter divine law. Paul does not introduce the present tense until verse 14. From verse 7 to 13 he uses the past tense, which means that he is referring to himself before God brought him forth. 

Principles of living a godly life [36] – Christians and divine law [3]

 Paul has said that if self-forfeiture abounds, the divine gift super-abounds. He then anticipates a couple of potential objections and I looked at the first objection in the previous two posts. He concluded that Christians ‘are absolutely not under law, but under favour’, (Romans 6 v 14). As a result of this statement Paul then anticipates the second objection. ‘What then? Are we to self-forfeit because we are not under law but under free favour?’ Once again Paul responds immediately, ‘May it never be!’, (Romans 6 v 15). Once again I want to point out that this objection is about divine approval in the Christian’s day-to-day life. The question is framed like this – 

If Christians are not under law

Then HOW SHOULD WE LIVE OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS?

Are we free to carry on self-forfeiting? 

This is the typical objection of the Christian legalist – IF we are not under law THEN surely we are free to carry on in self-forfeiture – we are being led to permissiveness – to lawlessness. 

Paul dismisses this objection and says, ‘May it never be!’ He then uses the illustration of slavery to make his point. ‘Don’t you appreciate that who you stand enslaving yourselves beside, penetrating into obedience, you are enslaved to whom you obey, whether self-forfeiture penetrating into death, or obedience penetrating into divine approval? But - gift of God - since you used to exist slaves of self-forfeiture, but you listened attentively to the point of obedience from out of your deep inner core, penetrating into that form of teaching given from close beside. But having been set free, away from self-forfeiture and loss, you are enslaved to divine approval’, (Romans 6 v 16 – 18). 

Paul says that he speaks in human terms because of the weakness of their flesh. Then he states it again in a slightly different and fuller way. ‘Because just as you stood beside your members enslaved to uncleanness and lawlessness penetrating into lawlessness, now, at this present time, in the same way, stand beside your members enslaved to divine approval penetrating into being set apart in the likeness of God’, (Romans 6 v 19b). The metaphorical image he presents is of a loyal servant always at a point of readiness to serve his master. Before being enlisted to serve his present master he did what he liked, when he liked. But he was enslaved to seeking pleasure, personal gain and so on, and he used his hands, feet and head to obtain and secure what he desired, penetrating into lawlessness. But now he is exhorted to have his hands, feet and head standing at attentive readiness to serve his master. That is the dynamic. The Apostle does not direct Christians to Covenant Law. He tells them to act in a way that is consistent with their calling and redemption. To be like faithful servants ready to serve their new master/owner. He exhorts them to have their hands, feet and head standing at attentive readiness to serve their Lord who has paid the price to purchase them and rescue them from condemnation.    

Paul continues to compare the Christian’s previous natural state – their old human form inherited away from their ancestors, with their new position and new formation. ‘Because when you existed slaves of self-forfeiture and loss you existed free from, or not a slave of, divine approval. Therefore what fruit did you possess at that time on the basis of that which at this present time you are ashamed of? Because the end and completion of those things is death. But now, having been liberated away from self-forfeiture and loss, and having become enslaved to God, you possess your fruit penetrating into purification in the likeness of God and the end and completion is perpetual Life. Because the payments of self-forfeiture - death, but the extended free gift of God - perpetual Life within our Lord Jesus, the Messiah’, (Romans 6 v 20 – 23). In their previous form, as they were by nature, they were not enslaved to divine approval. They were insensitive to and ignorant of God and divine law, but enslaved to the desires and the impetus of passions arising within their fleshly constitution. But what did they gain as a result? The end result of their enslavement is death –divine disapproval and loss of a share in the divine inheritance. But now, as Christians, they are free from self-forfeiture and no share or portion of the divine inheritance, and they are enslaved to God, possessing fruit that penetrates into them being purified in the likeness of God and His Messiah. They are being changed, the end result being perpetual Life within the Messiah.

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [2] What the Apostles did NOT teach

 The Apostles taught that Christians are called or summoned to engage in the process of living a godly life, a life set apart from the principles and values of the worldly arrangement. Before I look at how the Apostles encouraged Christians to put such a life into effect, it is important to note what they did not teach, because numerous errors have crept in to Christianity over the centuries. 

The Apostles did not -

Make appeals to the external commandments of divine Law, using them as a ‘spur’ to ‘goad’ Christians towards godliness and avoidance of sin. 

Encourage Christians to adopt an attitude of self-surrender, so as to ‘stop struggling and making the effort, and rather let go and let God do the work’. 

Make appeals to the feelings or emotions of Christians as a basis for their behaviour. 

Exhort Christians to seek transcendent or ecstatic experiences as a means of empowerment over sin. 

Encourage Christians to punish their own bodies in order to purge out sin.

Rather, the Apostles constantly appealed to the minds of Christians by presenting ‘spiritual’ knowledge – enlightened knowledge away from the Breath of God that in turn leads to underlying principles of speech and behaviour. ‘Outsiders’ or ‘unbelievers’ cannot, by their own ability away from their deep inner core, be persuaded of such knowledge and principles to the point of obedience. The Apostles encouraged Christians who were receiving enlightened knowledge to think this knowledge through to its logical conclusion, to use their ability to think, evaluate, comprehend and analyse. They exhorted Christians to apply this knowledge and its conclusions by means of engaging in enlightened mastery and ‘possession of their vessel’. Christians were to carry this illuminating knowledge from their hearts and minds across into their behaviour moment-by-moment, within the sphere of practical, beneficial love. The Apostles exhorted Christians to harness the wayward raw passions, desires and energies that are still inherent in their fleshly constitution, and to ‘walk around within the Breath’ and build up their allotted inheritance within the heavenly realm. They taught that when Christians persist in ungodly, worldly behaviour, they incur a degree of loss of their portion of the divine inheritance – not a loss of deliverance itself – but a loss of some of their portion of the treasure of the divine inheritance.