Principles of living a godly life [38] – Christians and divine law [5]

Paul has stated and illustrated the principle that the law only has authority whilst a man is alive. When a man dies the law is rendered idle. He then applies this statement to Christians, especially to Hebrew Christians – ‘those knowing law’, (Romans 7 v 1). ‘So then my brothers, you also were put to death, the law by means of the body of the Messiah penetrating into you becoming another, the having been aroused from out of the dead, in order that we begin and continue to bear the fruit of God’, (Romans 7 v 4).

OK Hold on to your hats and take a deep breath….

Paul says that Christians, including Jewish Christians who know the law, have been put to death and therefore the law is rendered idle. Earlier, Paul has said that Christians are ‘planted together with the Messiah so as to be coming forth the resemblance of His death…knowing this, that our old human appearance was crucified together with [the Messiah], in order that the body of self-forfeiture and loss is brought to an end. We are no longer serving self-forfeiture and loss’, (Romans 6 v 5, 6). 

What does Paul mean when he says that the Christian’s ‘old human appearance was crucified’? What is the Christian’s ‘old human appearance’? A polarising difference exists between Christians and unbelievers. The natural, inherited constitution of every individual is described in Scripture as the ‘old human appearance’, or as the ‘natural, sensuous earthy man’, or the ‘old and ancient self’. Within our ‘old human appearance’ we are earthy, sensuous individuals who rely on our sense of the tangible. Impulses within our physical flesh lead us to a condition in which we don’t take hold of and welcome the Breath of God. That which is of the Breath of God seems to be dull, absurd foolishness. We don’t have a natural ability to perceive, recognise or be persuaded to the point of obedience regarding the Messiah and or what is of the Breath, no matter how hard we may try. The theological principle is this: 

That which is of the Breath of God is discerned, distinguished, examined and apprehended only through the assistance of the Breath of God

We may understand the words and concepts in Scripture, but no matter how educated and intelligent we may be, we remain without persuasion when it comes to what is true to the facts with regard to God, His Messiah and the intangible unseen realm. We remain in, and prefer, darkness to light and thus we remain unbelievers, penetrating toward the judicial condemnation of God.

But once God brings forth those He has selected, they are described as being a ‘new formation’ - they are no longer who they once were. Having been effectively being brought forth, a fundamental change has taken place within them, which means that they are not the same as they we were before – ‘our old human appearance was crucified together with [the Messiah]’ (Romans 6 v 6). This happened to them and was completed in the past, when they were effectively brought forth. Thus Paul says here in Romans 7 v 4 – ‘my brothers, you also were put to death’, you Jews who know the law and whom God as brought forth by means of the Messiah – you also were put to death, your ‘old self’ was crucified together with the Messiah. 

The next phrase is more difficult to translate and I consider that many translations are misleading. Translators are forced to add words in English that are not present in the Greek text, in order to convey the interpretation that they consider Paul intended. But I have presented what the Greek text says – ‘the law by means of the body of the Messiah penetrating into you becoming another, the having been aroused from out of the dead’. All the word studies and lexicons fail to make mention of the word ‘law’ – ‘nomos’ – in this particular verse. It would seem that they are unable to determine the particular or specific meaning of the word ‘law’ in this verse. Translators and commentators add the English word ‘to’, thereby giving us the phrase - ‘you were put to death to the law’. But the word ‘to’ is not there in the original Greek. 

So what is Paul saying? I consider that Paul is saying that the law – the written codes of divine law – by means of the body of the Messiah penetrates into them becoming another. Christians are placed in union with the Messiah by means of the Breath. Their ‘old self’ is crucified, put to death together with him, because of their union with him. But the law is fulfilled or brought to completion by means of the body of the Messiah, the Lamb of God without stain or blemish, and therefore, Christians are roused up to Life with him, again because of their union with him. In this way they are judicially approved, and the law penetrates into them becoming ‘another’ – a ‘new self’. 

What does this mean? It means that those whom God has brought forth are ‘the having been aroused from out of the dead’. The rousing up from out of the dead has already begun. Christians are no longer ‘under the law’ because they have been crucified with the Messiah and their ‘old self’ has died and therefore the law has been rendered idle. But because of their union with the Messiah they are also ‘roused up from out of the dead’ to a position of divine approval, because the law has been fulfilled and completed by means of the body of the Messiah. The law, being fulfilled, penetrates into Christians becoming ‘the roused up from the dead’ at this present time because of their union within the Messiah. ‘If therefore then anyone [is] within the Messiah, [they are] a fresh, new, unused formation. The beginnings are coming near – look! Fresh, new, unused is caused to come into being’, (II Corinthians 5 v 17). This has happened in order that ‘we begin and continue to bear the fruit of God’.

….and breathe out and relax.

 

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 godly life [35] – Christians and divine law [2]

 Why is it the case that Christians are exhorted not to live their lives responding favourably to self-forfeiture if they have been delivered away from divine condemnation by the Messiah? Paul teaches that Christians are ‘planted together with the Messiah so as to come forth the resemblance of His death’, (Romans 6 v 5). That is a deep and slightly obscure concept, but he explains it in the next verse. ‘…knowing this, that our old human appearance is crucified together with [Him], in order that the body of self-forfeiture and loss is rendered down to being idle and inactive. We are no longer devotedly enslaved to the self-forfeiture and loss’, (Romans 6 v 6). Sounds even deeper, so what does he mean? Our ‘old human appearance’, refers to what we all are within our earthy, sensuous human nature and constitution. When God’s brings forth those he has selected, this old form is crucified together with the Messiah. God brings Christians forth as a ‘new formation’ in order that their physical, fleshly body with its inherent tendencies towards self-forfeiture and loss is brought to an end and rendered idle. Their fleshly body cannot and will not enter into the heavenly realm. Paul is saying that Christians are no longer enslaved to self-forfeiture and loss.

He goes on to say, ‘Because he, [Jesus], died, he withered away the self-forfeiture and loss… in this manner you also, logically reason yourselves to indeed be dead and lifeless to self-forfeiture and loss… Nor be standing beside your members as implements of unjust self-forfeiture, but stand them beside God, from out of the dead as it were, alive, your members instruments of the judicial approval of God’, (Romans 6 v 10a, 11a, 13). It is clear that Paul is talking about living the Christian life day-by-day. He concludes his response to the first objection that Christians continue in self-forfeiture because God’s free gift super-abounds, by saying, ‘Because self-forfeiture and loss will not have authority over you, because you are absolutely not under law, but under favour’, (Romans 6 v 14). In the future, self-forfeiture and loss will not rule over Christians. Why? Because at this present time Christians are under God’s freely extended favour and are absolutely not under law. The Greek suggests the paraphrase, ‘You are now not placed under law but under a free gift’, with the idea not just of the Christian’s position or standing, but also of the transferring process. To be ‘under law’ is to be under its authority and requirement of entire obedience, and therefore to be under its curse for the slightest breach. To be ‘under law’ is to be enslaved under the inability of our fleshly constitution to keep it, the helpless slave of self-forfeiture, the law working down settled anger.

Principles of living a godly life [34] – Christians and divine law [1]

 Faced with the concept of Christians walking around within the Breath as the means of living a godly life, Christian legalists still try to direct Christians to the written codes of divine Law when it comes to living a godly life day-by-day. They react with horror and they protest loudly when faced with the slightest qualification concerning the written codes of Sinai Covenant Law. So we still need to get to grips with the position and function of the written codes of divine Law.

The Apostle Paul addresses the theme of the Christian’s attitude to the written codes of divine Law most particularly in Romans chapters 6, and 7. Chapter 7 is a difficult chapter and this means that it has been interpreted in a number of ways. So in the next series of posts I will go through this chapter verse by verse so that we can try to follow the Apostle’s logic and reasoning in the light of all that we have seen so far. But first we need the context of what he is saying.

Earlier in his letter to the Roman Christians, Paul has been teaching that everyone, without exception, misses the mark and exists under divine condemnation. He has proposed that divine approval is obtained by being persuaded of and entrusting in the Messiah, such persuasion being evidenced and brought to completion by obedient behaviour. Unlike the Sinai Covenant, this way of divine approval is not restricted to Jews. Then, in chapter 5 v 20a Paul makes an interesting statement. ‘Now law entered close beside in order that the falling away became greater in number’. This seems to state the very opposite of what Christian legalists propose. They turn Christians to divine Law to promote a godly clean life, but Paul says that the effect of law is to increase the amount of falling away and transgression, and earlier he has said that ‘Law is working down settled anger’, (Romans 4 v 15a), not godliness. We will see why this is the case in due course.

Paul says that if self-forfeiture and loss abounds, the divine gift super-abounds, and then he responds to a couple of potential objections. The first objection is this - ‘Shall we remain and persist in self-forfeiture in order that the extended free favour increase?’. His immediate response – ‘May it never be!’, (Romans 6 v 1, 2a). This objection, along with the second one presented in verse 15, defines what Paul is talking about. The general theme is divine approval, and these objections are about divine approval in the Christian’s day-to-day life. The question is framed like this – 

If divine favour super-abounds when self-forfeiture increases

Then HOW SHOULD WE LIVE OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS?

Should we self-forfeit all the more so that the free gift exceedingly increases?

‘By no means’, says Paul. The super-abounding of God’s free gift of salvation does not give Christians licence to self-forfeit or sin. Paul says that ‘We died away from self-forfeiture and no share - in what way even now will we be alive within it?’ (Romans 6 v 2b). Even now, at this present time, Christians are not summoned to be alive to and positively responsive and active within self-forfeiture.