Thursday, December 30, 2010

Life performs Law

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Rom 8:4 KJV)

The life of the Spirit within will fulfil the righteous requirements of the Law. The issue is not the Law. The Law is good, righteous. The issue is how we fulfil the Law. God's way is to commune with Him, blend our hearts with His, be nurtured by His grace, enjoy His Fatherhood.

The life of God is inherently, intrinsically, completely good. Anything else is not. It is only a sham. God is looking for His own life within us.

When James asks us to look at our lives, he mentions virtues garnered form the Law, see James Ch 2. Favouritism, judging and bearing grudges and lack of compassion and justice are all condemned by the Law, see Lev 19 esp. v15,18. There are many similarities between James Ch2 and Lev Ch19, similarities in the types of behaviour commended in each book.

Leviticus Ch 19 is from the Pentateuch, the OT books of the Law. James, of course, is from the NT, the Covenant of Faith.

God is not a God of lawlessness. The NT condemns lawlesness. Sharing in the life of God, the life of the Spirit, results in the righteous requirements of the Law being fulfilled. It is not that we strive to keep the Law. What we need to do is pursue intimacy with God. If we do, the righteous requirements of the Law will be fulfilled in us with ever increasing fidelity to the heart of God.

James is not revoking righteousness by faith or suggesting an alternative. He is asking us to realistically assess whether our faith, our fellowship with God, is alive and well. If it is, it will be bearing fruit. Our lives will be fulfilling the righteous requirements of the Law.

James is turning Romans 8v4 back on itself. If your faith is real and you are indeed walking in the Spirit, you will be seeing the righteous requirements of the Law met in your life.

If you are not, don't strive to keep the Law to earn God's favour and life. Come to Him and seek Him for answers, and for more of His life. Confess your sins and shortcomings to Him. Receive forgiveness. Ask Him for what you need. Agree with him that you need help to produce the fruit He desires in your life.

In Spirit and In Truth

Western man seems to have a remarkable ability to dissociate the rational analytical mind from the actual practice of his life; to deceive himself about his true spirituality.

Our godliness must be in deed and power, in lives and resources and treasures laid down, in real sacrifices made for the Kingdom. Otherwise our professed faith means little. It is dead, of the intellect only. A rich man can make nominal sacrifices which may look impressive, but which are not really very sacrificial and costly to the heart. In the modern age, with money and technology, he can make a 'christian' impact. It may be a clanging gong if it does not come from the depth of the spirit, from communion with the Spirit. It is possible to be born again and just live from ourselves, from a heart not rent before God. We will beget Ishmaels. We may be an obstacle and hindrance to those walking more genuinely before God. What we need is consecration, yieldedness, not resources. The resources will follow the yierldedness. They must, God has promised they will.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Knowing One Another after the Spirit

Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.   Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Cor 5:16-17 KJV)

Are we looking for Christ in one another? It is easy to find fault, to be disappointed in ourselves and others. Let us look firstly for Christ in one another. Christ will bring out the flavour of each of us! See Matt 5v13.

Let's pray that the new man comes forth in one another.

We have a new identity in Christ. We have a new name. We are the only people on Earth with a truly solid sense of identity if we learn to abide in Christ.

There is a general aspect to our new identity; those things from Scripture which apply to us all. There is also a specifric revelation of our new nature; those things which are specific to us. We need to know who we are, what we are for. Prophecy will help you, ask God for it. God will give us a revelation, because He alone knows who we really are. The world will have distorted our character to some degree or other, God knows the intended shape.

Again, we must lose our life to gain it; surrender, yield, put on the new man. The Holy Spirit will guide us.

Everyone has a distinct and special character in Christ, we are not clones. We will all be righteous though.