Paul's Passing Thoughts

In part one we see how the word “grace” describes a vast state of being resulting from becoming God’s offspring. Why this series? To present salvation as a whole new state of being rather than a simplistic canned legal declaration; to adorn the gospel by comparing it to the under law condition. In reality, for any Protestant or former Protestant who pays attention, the church adds few converts on a regular basis. Why? Because Protestantism offers no real change of life, but rather salvation by social club membership.

What is the law, and what does it mean to be under it? First, let’s clarify the point that “under grace” does not mean that we are not under a law, but more on that later. Let’s first define what we mean by, “law.”

Simply stated, “law” is God’s written revelation to mankind. It is the Bible. This is what the Bible claims about itself in several passages. The Bible is God’s philosophical statement to mankind. Philosophy is the study of state of being, how we know what our state of being is, how we communicate state of being, and how we apply the knowledge of our state of being to life; metaphysics, epistemology, politics, ethics. The Bible is God’s full-orbed counsel to mankind.

“Law” is not merely the Ten Commandments or the Mosaic law, it is the whole Bible. Man does not live by the Ten Commandments or the Mosaic law alone, “but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). “All” Scripture is required to fully equip God’s offspring for “every” good work (2Tim 3:16,17).

One law, two purposes; one purpose for those under law, and another purpose for those under grace. We may call this the Spirit’s two uses of the law. The same law imparts knowledge of mature life and love to the believer (John 17:17), and the same law convicts the world of sin and the judgment to come (John 16:8). But herein is something we want to understand about God: even in condemnation, God uses the condemnation as a vessel for salvation. The law, even in its condemnation posture, is a vessel of mercy.

The Old and New Covenants

The Bible is divided into two primary covenants (Old and New Testaments). These two covenants are God’s unfolding plan to offer salvation to all persons born into the world. The old covenant is “passing away” (Heb 8:13), but was not replaced by the new covenant though it is a “better” (Heb 8:6) covenant.

The old covenant serves three purposes: first, a law that when obeyed showed love towards God and one’s neighbor resulting in life blessings (Due 6:1-9, 7:6-9, 29:29, 30:11-18). This has never changed and holds true for the new covenant as well. This is sanctification.

Second, it was a will written in blood. If you were an Old Testament believer, you were written into the will:

Hebrews 9:15 – Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Imputation

The true biblical definition of “imputation” is the imputation of sin to the old covenant. All sin is imputed to the old covenant. This is the third purpose of the old covenant; imputation. Therefore, “sin” is defined by that which violates the law:

1John 3:4 – Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (KJV).

So, the three purposes of the old covenant are; love/sanctification, a will promising eternal life, and imputation.

What then is the new covenant? It ended sin for the believer because when Christ died he executed the promises of the old covenant will; all sin imputed to the old covenant is ended, and not only that, sin no longer exists because its ability to exist depends on the old covenant.

2Corinthians 3:4 – Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

All people born into the world are “under law” or under the “ministry of condemnation.” When we believe on Christ, the law’s condemnation is ended for them (Rom 8:1). They are deemed “perfect” and “holy.” Does this mean we no longer sin as Christians? Yes it does. Those who sin are still under law because sin can only exist where there is the law’s condemnation.

Romans 3:19 – Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

4:15 – For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

5:13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.

7:6 – But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

10:4 – For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

1Timothy 1:9 – understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers,

Galatians 2:19 – For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.

Colossians 2:13 – And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Therefore, it can be said that we are “perfect” and do not sin. One who is perfect and holy is no longer under the law’s indictment. The new birth, or being “born of God” changes our hearts and makes our motive that of love. Indeed, we do not love perfectly because the “spirit is willing but the flesh is weak,” but righteousness is not defined by perfect law-keeping (that’s NOT a “righteousness apart from the law”); rather, the new birth:

1John 3:1 – Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us (KJV).

This is where passages like Hebrews chapter 11 confuse us; while reading the praise heaped upon the subjects of that passage for being righteous people of faith, we are perplexed by this because of their documented failures in loving God and others perfectly. Actually, far from perfection. But it is the seed of God that we are born of in these “earthen vessels” that make us perfect, not the legal demands of the law. There is no law to accuse us. In reality, the idea that we are perfect and holy probably means that we are given a new birth by Perfection and Holiness, and this, in fact, makes us perfect/holy:

John 3:3 – Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

The weakness of our mortality does not make us evil or “sinners.” Being weaker than God does not exclude holiness. It can be said that our truthful intentions, desires, and motives resulting from the new birth are characteristics of our holiness, not perfect law-keeping although a desire to obey the law perfectly is present because that would be perfect love. It’s a direction, not perfection as defined by the world.

In case we have trouble getting past this truth, the Bible has an interesting additional angle in explaining it. In the same way that one under law breaks the law at all points (James 2:10), one under grace fulfills the whole law by love.

Matthew 22:36 – “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Galatians 5:14 – For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Romans 13:8 – Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

The New Birth: Passing from One Law to Another

The key to understanding all of this is Romans 8:1ff.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

God does not condemn nor ridicule His children for their weakness. His focus is their desire to please Him. The new birth transforms God’s children and transports them from one jurisdiction of the law to another purpose for the law. This is the Spirit’s two uses of the law. In His “ministry of death,” He uses the law to goad the unbeliever into seeing sin as set against the righteous demands of the law. The new birth puts the believer to death with Christ who He (the Spirit) raised from the dead according to “the promise,” and recreates a new person in Christ who is under the Spirit’s second use of the law…to sanctify. Remember as well, that ALL sin under the Spirit’s first purpose of the law is imputed to that law, and when that person is baptized spiritually in the death part, all sin is ended with that law. When the same person is resurrected as a new person, being baptized in Christ’s resurrection as well, the same person is under the Spirit’s second use of the law; sanctification. Hence, to be “under grace” does not mean that we are no longer under any law, but rather the Spirit’s second use of the law:

Romans 7:1 – Or do you not know, brothers, for I am speaking to those who know the law, that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

In the next part, sin will be introduced, and sin’s use of the law. So, we have the Spirit’s two uses of the law, and sin’s use of the law. As we unpack these biblical truths, fuller understanding of how law and grace are experienced will come more into focus.

paul

Originally published November 17, 2014

A few weeks ago my family sat down together and watched Fiddler on the Roof.  It is a rather long movie for young children to sit through (there were several “potty breaks”), but the little ones enjoyed the songs, and the older ones gained an appreciation for the historical context.  One scene in particular depicts a traditional Jewish wedding.  Please take a moment and watch the brief clip below:

Traditionally, Jewish weddings were arranged between the fathers of the proposed couple.  Keep in mind, there are many details here that I am leaving out because I am trying to be brief.  After the parents have come to an agreement to the marriage, the couple is considered “espoused”.  This is a formal legal contract into which the couple has entered, and for all intents and purposes, the couple is considered “married” even though the marriage has not yet been consummated.  This espousal period can last for up to a year.  During this time, the man returns home to make preparations for his bride, and the bride-to-be prepares herself for becoming a wife.  Her fidelity to her bridegroom is on display during this period as well.

On the actual wedding day, the bridegroom leads a procession of his friends through the streets of the village to go and meet the bride. This usually occurs between sunset and midnight. There is much pomp and celebration that occurs along the way, and as the procession continues, people exit their homes, bringing a torch or lamp along with them to help light the way, and so the “wedding party” grows larger and larger as more and more “guests” join in celebration with the bridegroom. The bridegroom then receives his bride, and the two, along with the entire party of friends and guests return to the bridegroom’s house where the wedding ceremony occurs with a grand feast and celebration following.

One of the major tenets of Protestant/Reformed/Catholic orthodoxy is that the “church” is the “bride of Christ”.  This doctrine can be traced as far back as Augustine.  But while originally a Catholic doctrine, evangelicals and fundamentalists still cling to this teaching to this day.  You cannot go into any institutional church of any denomination where you won’t hear this taught or not find it in its “statement of faith”.  However, what they fail to conveniently mention is that the phrase “bride of Christ” is found nowhere in the Bible.  Let me repeat that – the phrase “bride of Christ” is found NOWHERE in the Bible!

This brings me to the point of this article: the doctrine of the “church” being the “bride of Christ” is a FALSE doctrine.  Why is that?  Because the Bible tells us who the Bride is specifically, and it is not the church!  A plain grammatical interpretation of Revelation 21 reveals exactly who the Bride is.

Revelation 21:2, 9-10

“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband…And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, ‘Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God…”

Here in plain terms, the Bride is clearly and explicitly shown to be the New Jerusalem.   The angel says, “I will show you the Bride”, and he shows John, not a body of people, but the New Jerusalem.  The remaining verses of chapter 21 go on to give in great detail a description of what this city looks like.  Notice that nothing is said about the inhabitants of the city.  The focus of the chapter is the actual city itself.  Not only does the angel tell John that this city is the Bride, but in case there was any doubt, he reinforces that fact by stating plainly that this city is the “Lamb’s wife”.   So while the Bible never uses the expression, “bride of Christ”, it does use the terms “the Bride, the Lamb’s wife”.  But that title is clearly given to the New Jerusalem and not the “church”.

Moreover, even the nation of Israel is not referred to as the “bride”.  So if the “church” is not the “bride”, and Israel is not the “bride”, there where exactly does the church and Israel fit in to all of this?  Again, scripture tells us plainly.  Elements of the Jewish wedding tradition are clearly visualized when Jesus described the “Kingdom of Heaven” in the parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22), and the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25).  Let’s begin with the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22.

Matthew 22:1-10

“And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: and the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.’ ”

It should be fairly obvious that, as Jesus points out right at the beginning, this parable is used to describe a particular aspect of the Kingdom.  In this parable, He is using the metaphor of the traditional Jewish wedding, with the wedding feast being the focus.  Of course, this would have been a familiar metaphor to His audience since they were all Jews.

The theme of this parable revolves around two particular groups of people.  The first group is made of those who already had invitations to participate in the wedding feast.  These were the King’s special invited guests.  They received their invitations first.  One would think that since these people have been given such a special invitation from the King that they would not hesitate to respond.  But notice what happens.  On the day of the feast, none of them show up.  They reject the gracious invitation.  They view it with an attitude of indifference and make all kinds of excuses why they cannot attend.  Some even killed the servants who were sent to them to tell them that everything was ready for them to attend the feast.

This first group is a description of national Israel.  This is the very nation whose God was Jehovah, but who rejected every prophet that God sent unto them to bring them unto Himself.  Stephen accused them in Acts 7:52 when he said, “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers?” accusing them of killing Jesus, their Messiah.  And for this God judged them with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.  And in His wrath, God will pour out His judgment upon national Israel during the period of the Great Tribulation.

But there is a second group mentioned in this parable.  Since the King made all these preparations, it was his desire to have the feast furnished with guests.  So he instructed his servants to go out and issue an invitation to anyone, as many as they could find.  This second group represents the nations of the world, or the Gentiles, those whom God would redeem by the blood of the Lamb out of “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” (Revelation 5:9, 14:6)  I think it is important to note that this second group would also include repentant individuals from the first group, or converted Jews.

Nevertheless, the point to take from all of this is that neither of the two groups in this parable are the bride.  They are guests, and this is important.  What we have is a body of individuals that make up the “church”, or using the correct Biblical term, the εκκλησια (“ekklaysia”), the “called out” (invited) assembly that makes up the Body of Christ.  In this parable they are not the bride, but they are clearly the guests at the wedding.

Take a look at the second parable in Matthew 25.

Matthew 25:1-13

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

Now the point to make here with this parable is not to determine who the foolish virgins represent and who the wise virgins represent.  The point is to show that all of these “virgins” represent those who would go out to join the procession of the wedding party as the bridegroom goes to meet his bride and return with her to his father’s house for the wedding feast.  Refer to the video clip at the beginning of this article and you will notice all of the people who accompany the groom on his way to pick up his bride.  As the procession goes through the streets of the village, more and more people come out of their houses carrying a candle or “lamp” and join the procession.  Notice that this happens at “midnight” or more literally, sunset, as portrayed in the video clip.  The young girls in the parable are not going to the wedding to marry the bridegroom.  The bridegroom already has a bride.  The young girls are simply guests at the wedding.

This is not the first instance that scripture posits this notion of wedding guests.  Matthew 9:15, Mark 2:19, and Luke 5:34 use the term “children of the bridechamber”, referring to Jesus’ disciples – those who were called by Christ to follow Him.  That would include not only the twelve, but all those who would be saved by faith in Christ, the “ekklaysia”.  In John 3:29, John the Baptist referred to himself and any others “which standeth and heareth Him as a “friend of the bridegroom”.

So in terms of the picture of a traditional Jewish wedding, all believers, members of the Body of Christ, are referred to as “guests” and “friends of the bridegroom”, but they are NOT the bride.  They go out joyfully with the Bridegroom as He goes to receive His Bride.  But clearly from a scriptural standpoint, the wedding guests cannot be the Bride.

Now there are questions that remain.  For example, how can Christ “marry” a city?  And if the “church” is not the Bride, then what about all those New Testament passages that seem to refer to the “church” in “spousal” terms?  These are all valid questions, and I will seek to address them in part 2.

Andy

I am presently working on a couple of series and one is about the two biblical realities of mankind; under law and under grace. In part one, I have begun to describe the reality of under grace that is defined by God’s love and worldview. “Grace” is a state of being that experiences life through the mind of God. One experiences grace to the degree that they are like God. “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” (1Pet 1:16 KJV).

I usually try to avoid being distracted by trending news, but once again we see the passive response of European leaders regarding the most recent terror attack in Manchester, England. In fact, European leaders are beginning to, in essence, say the following: get used to it; it is what it is…just part of life. German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently commented that Germany is becoming Muslim and the German people need to get over it and move on.

Wow! What in the world is going on? And what does this have to do with being “under law”?  Let’s also include the church’s penchant for a lax attitude towards justice. Doesn’t it seem strange that those under law would have an aversion to justice? This is an area that I am not going to address to any degree in the series so let me take opportunity here.

As we will examine in the series, those under law are under condemnation, and under the fear of judgement and death. People primarily fear death because of God’s judgement. Sin, death, law, and judgment are closely related in the Bible. For purposes of this post, we will note that condemnation is the water in which those under law swim. This includes condemnation from induvial conscience, others, and self. Most people commit suicide because they have condemned themselves; this would seem rather evident. ALL mental illnesses are associated with fear; that’s not my opinion, that’s what the experts say when you examine the listed symptoms of every mental illness.

In the Bible, justice is associated with life-value. Traditionally, a popular and ancient notion for those under law is the idea of the total inability of man. And, supposedly, the all-wise are those that know man is unable. Furthermore, some higher power appoints those who know that they don’t know to rule over those who think they know, viz, the great unwashed. This is the issue of individualism versus collectivism; this is the issue of statism.

Does the state exist to serve the individual’s pursuit of wellbeing and happiness, or does the individual exist to serve the state because man needs to be protected from himself? Mankind’s propensity to condemn others and self feeds the latter notion.

So now the question is begged; to what degree can terrorism hurt a state? This is a question of attrition versus cost to the state. How much does it hurt the state when its children are slaughtered versus the cost to prevent the slaughter? It depends on the numbers. And, what if Germany does become, to some great degree, Muslim? Will that effect the elitist ruling class? The answer for Germany is found in Merkel’s mentality…no. The ruling elitist class care little about the variety of people they rule over just so they are ruling over people in general.

At this point we can add a biblical nugget about the very essence of sin; it possesses an ardent desire to rule over others (Gen 4:7). Why? Because that’s what sin does. It can well be argued that total inability/total depravity is just a theological/metaphysical excuse to fulfill a lust to rule over others. The condemnation playbook executes this scheme: “Since you are totally depraved and unable, you need a ruling class to take care of you and think for you, and we need to be richly rewarded for saving mankind accordingly.” This has always played well with the masses in the condemnation realm albeit with ongoing disastrous results…for the individual. By the way, this is also an unfortunate working dynamic in marriages as well.

You can also see the church through the same prism. Individuals are expendable for the sake of the institution whether children or the elderly. Be sure of this; the church’s pseudo righteous indignation towards abortion is for purposes of benefiting the church institution in some way. If you think the church really cares about individual unborn babies you are egregiously naïve. Why does the church fight against abortion? Follow the money/power.

Per Plato, the real god of Western thought, “justice” is defined by societal unity around any given belief system propagated by the ruling state. This is why you hear so much ado about “unity” in the church and the bemoaning about our “divided nation.” Nevertheless, this is where America parted with history in its definition of justice; it protects the dignity and value of the individual. In this way, America was founded on Christ-like principles via the “one in 99.”

Matthew 18:12 – What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish (NIV).

Why is Europe and the church that came out of it so willing to lose a few children? Because they still have 99 to rule over and the cost of finding one is too high. This is a collectivist mentality that goes hand in hand with statism, and those under condemnation are all too often willing to accept it because of their supposed unworthiness.

“Since you are totally depraved, you need to humble yourself and let us rule over you for your own sake.”

paul

The Bible states that there are but two kinds of people in the world: lost and saved; or in other biblical words, under law and under grace.

“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

I have come to believe that most things that happen in the world flow from this reality; especially what people say and the ideas they propagate.

“Grace” is a word much tossed about without any real understanding of what it means. In Protestantism, “grace” is synonymous with “salvation.” Protestant scholars come unhinged when you launch this accusation, but their denial is disingenuous. Interpreting “grace” as salvation fits the Protestant false gospel of progressive justification.

For months, I have tried in vain to nail down a definition of “grace.” The word has many synonyms making a definitive definition impossible. It’s not like the word, “cat” that can replaced with “feline.” It’s not like the word “car” that can be replaced with “automobile.” It’s more like the word “world” which encompasses so many different meanings—such is the case with the word “grace.”

Grace is a state of being that perceives the world in the same way that God does. Grace thinks about the world with “the mind of Christ” (1Cor 2:16). The one word that best synonymizes grace is “love.” In almost every case biblically, the word “love” will fit contextually in a Bible sentence when used to replace “grace.”

“Under grace” is a reality that perceives life in a certain way; it is a state of being that is radically contrary to the former life of “under law.” Truly, “all things are new” (2Cor 5:17). Understanding this begins to open-up the Bible to clearer understanding; for example, those “under grace” are also “in Christ” (Col 1:27) and “Christ is in you” (Rom 8:10). You are one with Christ and His body. To be under grace is to also be under hope, and under peace, among many other adjectives.

“Under grace” has a defined hypostatic state of being with a defined normality or compos mentis. A right-headed Christian will be defined by, hope, peace, boldness, and confidence. This is what the born-again Christian is called to. Under grace may also be defined by its antithesis, “under law.” Under grace is everything under law isn’t and vice versa. The two are radically differentiated. Sanctification is defined by its apartness from “under law.” For those under grace, experiencing tenets of under law is the warning light on the dashboard. You are not properly putting off the old you and putting on the new in all areas of life (Eph 4:24).

Be sure of this: this is not a mere declaration; this is life itself, and life more abundantly as opposed to death. Under grace is life, and under law is death. This is perhaps the paramount demarcation between the two. Sanctification is defined by what has been left behind for that which is in front—the “high calling” (Phil 3:12-16).

Paul, in his treatise to the Ephesians, shared that he bowed his knees to the Father and prayed that we would understand this:

Ephesians 3:14 – For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Notice the emphasis on love which best defines grace, but has a vast definition all its own (see 1Cor 13). Paul’s oft greeting, “grace to you,” is a wish for others that encompasses all of the aforementioned prayer.

Hence, in the same way you must understand the particular worldview of a psychiatrist (there are approx. 200 different schools of thought in psychology) to really understand what he or she is saying or attempting to relate, you must determine if the one you are listening to is under law or under grace or at least functioning and thinking like they are under law. Keep in mind that most Protestant scholars are at least functioning and thinking like they are under law. Before you protest that Protestantism is by “faith alone” and not law, please know what the biblical definition of “under law” is.

“Under law” is to be under condemnation (Rom 8:1), and under death (Rom 8:2). Also, among the other “under(s)” that define “under law,” the one under law is “under sin” (Rom 3:9). In part two, we will define “under law.” In the process, we will bring the meaning of grace into sharper focus as well.

paul