Christ Alone!

- revisiting the Law of Christ debate

I can hear restless sighs and exclamations of 'oh no, not that again'! I understand. It is tedious to revive dispute long after it seems that things have settled - not least the clouds of dust raised by the to-and-fro of ongoing argument. Perhaps (I hope and pray) I have mellowed, at least in my 'passion' over the subject. But I haven't had my view altered. Not one bit.

The question in dispute was "are we as believers in any sense 'under law'?" What is this 'law of Christ' which Paul mentions in Galatians 6 vs 2?

"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load."

This is the only verse in all of the New Testament where that phrase is used (the 1 Corinthians 9 verse says something totally different, in a completely different context. Not helpful to string two verses together and elaborate them into a whole 'system'). I still contend that in the context of the whole of Galatians, with Paul's considerably strong insistence that believers should not consider themselves as living 'under law', we simply cannot make this one verse reverse (sorry!) his whole argument's direction. 

'Fulfillment Theology

Second, I argue that the word 'fulfill' here is vitally important. We know that Christ has 'fulfilled' the Mosaic law. And thus what has resulted means that that Law is obsolete - redundant. Jesus states that He upholds all of it. It is not a write-off. But it has been exceeded; superceded; transcended by a greater and more glorious principle. A new dynamic by which the believer's life in Him now operates. We no longer live by law-obedience. We live by keeping in step with the Spirit. And in this final section of Galatians, Paul argues that we mirror the sin-bearing aspects of our Saviour in helping our brothers and sisters who are struggling with 'a sin'. Not that we in any way do for them what Christ alone does - has done. - He alone died for sins; we have no need to But we have His heart, His mind, in that we set ourselves to 'seek and to save' our erring brother. We work to 'carry' his burdens, sharing the weight (but not the sinning). So, in the language Paul so ably employs, we do not 'keep' this law of Christ, we 'fulfill' it. This is the action of the loving heart which is created in the child of God. It disposes us to go far far further than any commandment could require us to. When the believer behaves in this way, in every sense he or she completes the new commandment of Jesus that we love one another 'as I have loved you'. Effectively, we are laying down our lives for them.

Illustrations

My simple mind looks for ways to see this. 

Here is a caterpillar. A crawling grub, earthbound, mono-coloured. Now consider what it will become. In a few short weeks its being is transformed. One would not easily link it with its former state. Now it is a beautiful, graceful coloured-winged marvel. Now it rides the breezes above the ground to which it was once bound. But look more closely. Examination shows that you can still make out the previous form - of the caterpillar. 

Life in the Spirit - is that in complete ignorance of the righteous requirements God commands in the lives of the former testament?  No, that former law pointed towards what would be the ultimate shape of what would come - it was a shadow. Everything the former scheme was aiming at is now achieved - and exceeded - by what God has brought about in the effusion of His own Spirit - Christ is the substance.  The believer is being transformed daily to become more like the Saviour himself.  The seed - the shape of 'law' has died. What grows from it is vibrant, sun-seeking and vigorous. It bursts into the light - and keeps going upwards. It has the power to crack concrete. But first, the seed must die.

To attempt to restrict the 'style' of the transformed life in Christ to mere law-living is precisely what Jesus himself describes when he refers to the futility of trying to contain new wine in old wineskins. To attempt it will result in disaster. We need new theology to search out and explore new covenant.

Greater Glory

 This is the same comparison Paul makes in comparing the 'glory' (revealed splendour) of the Law to the appearing of the Son in 2 Corinthians 3:

"Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!"

Here is how we are to place 'law-living' by the side of Christ-living'. The former does not have the vocabulary to define toe latter. It is all Christ, and Christ alone. To reduce living in Him to a set of rules, in the place of the freedom of the Spirit detracts from that focus. 

And that, my friends, is why I contend so passionately for the theology of the Christ-covenant.

In wide-eyed wonder ...

Have you ever visited a stunningly awesome and immense and majestic building? Perhaps with the knowledge of all the major historic and current events which it has seen, and the important figures who have walked within it's walls. And as you meander through, taking it all in, the sound of your own footfall seems so small and tentative in the light of the such great, world-changing events it has witnessed.

Sometimes my praying, my feeble effort to walk with Christ feels bit like that. The echo of my own steps being dwarfed by the cosmic nature of what I'm now included in. But then I suddenly realise where I am in Him. That this - all this - is no mere monument. This is my home.

Walking on Water - or Not!

Walking on Water
- or Not!

Mudeford Quay can be a dangerous place. Two rivers, the Stour and the Avon, combine here to flow into the sea just opposite The Needles on the Isle of Wight. The flowrate is scary fast. Cross-currents are treacherous. To navigate takes skill and local knowledge.

So on a recent visit, imagine our surprise at the scene pictured here. A boat is powering from left to right - upriver- to head towards Christchurch. And then there's this. Moving the other way is a very confident fisherman - walking. Miracle? No, sandbank. He evidently knew exactly where it was safe to place his feet.

When Jesus walked on water there was no sandbank. It was the middle of the sea, not near land at all. And his disciples, who had gone ahead of him in boats, were finding the going tough. It was 'choppy', to say the least. Severe enough for seasoned fisherman to have to work hard at the oars to make headway. And then ...

... like a mirage, Jesus approaches, walking towards the boat on the water. The disciples are petrified - who wouldn't be. They think it's a ghost. To allay their fears, Jesus calls out to them to reassure them that it is him. Small wonder that the episode ends with his disciples worshipping him and acclaiming him to be 'truly the Son of God' (Matthew 14 vs 33). That story alone would be worthy of the retelling. But in between, there is the bold account of Peter, who calls to his Lord "If it's you, tell me to come to you - walking on the water". And Jesus does. And Peter does!

Fine Faith

It all starts out so well. Peter clambers down over the side of the boat (not just a rowing boat, this) and steps out boldly towards his Master. Confident that the One who has power to walk the waves also has the authority to enable him to do the same. 

We would love to see ourselves as believers in this role, wouldn't we? Unshakeable, solid faith that trusts Jesus; trusts the promises of God without hesitation, come what may. Faith that is firm. That moves us towards doing great things for God. That displays Christ's power in us over the world, the flesh, the devil. And, at least for a while, by the grace of God, we do experience those strong times. God blesses, and we trust. In the face of trouble and trial, we hold firm, displaying to our brothers and sisters in Christ what it looks like to walk with Him. But ... and so often there is a 'but' ...

Failing Faith

... we falter! As is often observed with this story, when our eyes are off Jesus and we are more aware of the intimidation of our environment - in his case the howling wind and the size of the (gulp!) waves, we lose it. We start to sink. And once you start, you are going down. Next stop, Davey Jones' locker. Jonah - here we come. But here's the thing. God sent the large fish to save Jonah. Peter had something greater - the Son of the living God. And so do we.

The amazing thing about living for Christ is that we have to learn how to fail.

We need to get used to it. We're going to do it more than once. But it doesn't take God off-guard. See what Peter does:-

Now, his eyes are back where they belong - on the Lord. And his prayer is one we find echoed in our own hearts - "LORD, SAVE ME!!!"

The next word is the heartener - see it? IMMEDIATELY! Immediately, Jesus is there, his hand reaching for Peter to raise him - well - back to his feet. When we pray that prayer, there is no time lapse between the prayer and the provision. You are not left to your own devices in your struggle. Your Lord doesn't let you sink a bit lower 'to learn your lesson'. His hand is stretched out to you - take it, take it now. And here is the thing. That is just as much the action of faith as getting out of a boat in the midst of an ocean. Don't let the devil or anyone else say it's a sign of dismal failure. We learn just as much - perhaps more - from episodes like these as when we're on top.

Future Faith

The next bit is not recorded. But I want us to imagine it. How did they get back to the boat? Only one answer - Peter is leaning on Jesus as they walk the walk. It is doubt that started the sinking. But it is faith that brings Peter back. So learn how to fail God's way. Let it end up leaving you leaning. Trusting your Lord to uphold you and bring you through. Teaching you that success isn't about how strong your faith is. It's about how strong your Lord is.