Month: February 2019

1. 176. Live by Faith

Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

The promise is that we shall live by faith. Paul quotes this Gospel promise from Habakkuk several times. Martin Luther discovered the truth of Justification by Faith Alone in this promise. Both Paul and Luther contrasted Law and Faith. Justification comes from faith completely and not from the Law at all. No matter how much we know and believe this true promise, we are still tempted to think that there must be something I can do to make my salvation effective, that somehow I can influence God to work on my behalf, and I think He will answer my prayers better when I am good or at least promise to be good. This is false thinking, for the Word must be believed as it is written: I am just by faith alone, and being just I live my life by faith. My focus is on Christ 100% and not on my attempts to live a good life. The Law cannot make me a better person; only the Gospel can do that.

“Living” by faith, on the one hand, means that we have the assurance of eternal life, and we know that we will not die but live forever with God. “Living” by faith, on the other hand, means living right now on the earth by faith, not by sight, guiding our life and making choices according to what we believe and not by what we see. What we see can deceive us (though it looks true), while the Word of God speaks truth and it will never deceive us. Life according to faith will never go astray; we go astray and can get lost when we live only by what we can see and experience. True living is Life Indeed, the abundant life given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Being really alive depends upon turning to God’s Word and promises regularly. This implies turning away from my own self, my own opinions, my experiences, my own ideas, my own strength and effort. Living by faith may be the most difficult spiritual thing to do; in fact, it is impossible for humans to live that way; thus the Lord must live for us. It is even more difficult in our day when science discovers more and more answers to life’s problems. Our God is not a “God of the gaps,” meaning that we turn to God for the things we don’t understand; it means that if we understand it we control it and don’t need God for those things. But the truth is that we need God for everything in life, both for the things that we know and the things that we don’t know. Living by faith fills every moment with God’s presence, His love and care, His wisdom and guidance, His provision and protection.God guarantees that living by faith makes life better. We must hear the Gospel again and again until it drowns out the deceptive words of the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. Only the Gospel has the power to strengthen our faith. Don’t respond to the Gospel by saying, “Oh, I know that,” but say, “Wow, I need that.” Then we will live by faith, according to the promise.

1. 175. Received the Spirit

Galatians 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

You have received the Spirit by the hearing of faith. The promise is that you have the Holy Spirit. We know this, but at times we need to be reminded that we have  received the Spirit. This is not in doubt. The question presented here is whether we have received the Spirit by works of law or hearing of faith. This is a rhetorical question, because we know the answer.

The implication of receiving the Spirit by the hearing of faith is continuing in the Spirit, living in the Spirit, and letting the Spirit actively influence our lives for good. The message for our takeaway is that it would be a really good idea to hear the Gospel by faith as often as possible. Constant hearing and reminding activates the Holy Spirit whom we have already received by the Gospel. In other words, we do not become converted by the Gospel once and than proceed to live our lives by the works of the law. The law always accuses and it cannot move us to do good works, Only the Gospel has the power to effect change in behavior. Trying to do the works of the law can only lead to misbelief and despair, or the failed efforts to keep the law will lead us to the Gospel. This is good, because the continued hearing of faith receives and continues the Spirit.

So how do we live? How do we walk? We walk by faith; we live by the Gospel. We focus on the Gospel and believing gives us the power to keep the law. We do not do the Gospel (God alone does it), but only the Gospel gives the ability to do the law.

Although we have received the Spirit once in our life we absolutely must continue to receive the Spirit every day. The Enemy does not stop attacking and deceiving us through the devil, the world, and the flesh; Consequently, we need the presence and power of the Holy Spirit living and working in our spirit every day. Therefore, we continue the hearing of faith and the receiving of the Spirit. 

1. 174. Christ lives in Me

Galatians 2:20 For I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The simple promise that Christ lives in me must be believed because we cannot see it and we definitely cannot understand it; so faith is necessary, for the promise is real and true. Christ lives in me. But the eternal question remains: Who is doing the living? Is it Christ or is it me who is doing the living? How are the two of us combined? I live, yet not I: What does that mean? The life I live on earth I live by the faith of the Son of God; What does that mean? It means that Christ lives and I livein some kind of mixed way. Who does the thinking and the deciding and, ultimately, the doing?

It is not for me, the creature and the new creature, to understand or explain it or to make the distinction. What I can know and believe is this: when I sin, I do itand not the life of Christ in me; when I do a good work, Christ is doing it, and yet I am the one doing it with my body and soul at the same time. For sins, I take the blame; for good works, Christ gets the credit, but I get the rewards. This is the promise and this is the way it works. My job is to focus on Christ and my faith in Him; this is pictured as “abiding” in the vine. My responsibility is to abide in Christ, and His responsibility is to produce fruit that remains. I maintain my faith that Christ is living in me and He is actually doing good things in me and through me and out of me. It may look like I am doing the good works, but He gets the credit while I receive the blessing. All I know is that I live by the faith of Jesus. He loved me and gave himself for me and now He is living in me. What do I do? What is my responsibility? My part is to thank and praise Him, trust and believe Him.

I leave it all up to Him to work it all out together for good. I believe He is good and He is doing good things through me. Nevertheless, I live, and I enjoy His living in me. This I understand and this is as far as I can go: “The just shall live by faith.”

1. Live unto God

Galatians 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

The promise is two-fold: I am dead to the law, and I live unto God. If we could live according to the law and obey it perfectly we would be living unto God; but the law always condemns us and it can only kill. The Law cannot give life with God because we cannot keep it. But the Law kills and Moses is a minister of death. And there is no escaping the sentence of death: there is no appeal, no parole, no probation, and no pardon. The Law itself kills and the sentence is just and incontrovertible. I am dead to the law, destroyed by he very Law that was designed to birth, produce and grow life with God. But I failed, not the Law. The Law is good, if I could keep it, but it kills and I am dead to the Law.

But God Himself came into my world and kept the Law for me, paid the penalty of death for breaking the Law, and freely grants me the righteousness of God. Jesus died for me the lawbreaker; and as the penalty-bearer He makes me dead to the Law so that it has no authority over me. The Law of God did not break; the law does not bend; it holds its authority and power of death forever. But because of Christ it has no power over me. If I should die eternally then God is not true to His promise and God is a liar.

I am dead to the law so that I may live unto God; and in Christ I do live unto God: this means I shall live and not die. Life is freely mine, granted to me for free by grace because of Jesus Christ. And not only later, but also right now while I am living in the midst of death I am living: I live by faith in the Son of God every minute of every day. Because of this awesome promise of living unto God, He energizes and empowers me to enjoy His Creation, His gifts of marriage and family, the vocation to which He calls me, life in relationship with people in society and fellowship with the Church. Life with God, God’s Life, is the only life, and it is the only way to live. Unbelievers do not know it, until it should be revealed, that they are walking around as living dead people, Zombies, without Christ and the Gospel. Believers know that they were once dead in trespasses and sins, and their new life in Christ knows the difference.

1. 172. Justified by Faith

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

The promise of justification by faith in Christ is central to our whole Christian faith and life, and it is the first step in receiving and activating all the other promises of Scripture. Everything begins and everything else depends on this promise. Justification by faith rules, norms, guides and informs every article of faith and every aspect of life. 

Every day begins and ends with Gospel. The Gospel directs every decision. Every thought is brought into captivity to the Gospel. Every act and deed is surrounded with the Gospel. The Gospel forgives every sin. Every good work is motivated by the Gospel. The Gospel is the message that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. Life doesn’t actually work out that way in conscious thought, but unconsciously it can come closer to working that way when we purposely and intentionally hear the Gospel regularly.

“Justified” is to be declared righteous, or just, by God. We do not (and we cannot) do good works in order to be justified, or right with God. We do good works because we are justified already by faith. It is the good work of Christ that actually justifies, but it is the faith applied by the Holy Spirit through the preached Word of Gospel that personally appropriates justification. Faith subjectively makes it my own personal possession, although it is an “alien” righteousness. Alien means it is not native to me or inherent in me, but it is God’s righteousness applied to me. It is the alien righteousness given to me by grace that initiates the good works that I do. In Christ by faith I do the works of the law.

The declaration of justification comes first; faith follows that proclamation; and then good works follows on and flows out of faith. Another way of saying it: Jesus saves; faith receives; good works flows from faith. Changing the order will get us mixed up, confused, and left in doubt and ultimate misery. Whenever we find ourselves in such a state we can always return to the first promise: “I am justified by the faith of Jesus Christ.” We can re-orient our livesany time we need to. And we need to take hold of this promise often.

1. 171. Deliver from the World

Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.

Jesus gave Himself for our sins with the result that He would deliver us from this present evil world.Deliverance is a positive promise in that it takes us out of something evil and dangerous like slavery, prison, death and misery into another place of freedom, life and joy. He has delivered us from darkness into light. The promise is that we shall go from the worst to the best, the absolute worst to the absolute best. One part of our daily prayer is that God would “deliver us from evil.” The promise is broad enough to include any present circumstance, which may be regarded as evil. 

But “evil” should be defined by God and not by us human beings. Evil for us may be something simply uncomfortable and inconvenient. God does not promise us that everything we regard as evil is really evil and so is subject to deliverance. We must admit that we don’t really understand evil, since we are able to call evil good and good evil. God may even use what we think of as evil, like sickness, to be used for good; and what we think is good, like adultery, could be very evil. We have to admit that we don’t always know God’s ways; but we can confess that we know God will deliver us from evil. In God’s hand it will always turn out good. 

The promise in this verse is that we shall be delivered from this present evil world by the Gospel of Christ (He gave himself for our sins). This present world is called evil; but God created it good, in fact, very good. It is our own sin that plunged the world into darkness and evil and subjected it to the control of the Evil One, the Prince of this world. We need deliverance from the sinful world, the culture that is turned against God; we don’t need deliverance from the created world, but from the world system and way of thinking, which has been corrupted by the Enemies of God and all that is good: Sin, Death and the Devil. They have used the world to tempt us into sin and misbelief, shame and despair. The Enemies’ use of the world has made it evil. 

But we are delivered from this evil world by the Gospel, for God willed it so. Deliverance, freedom, and life are effected in me by repentance and faith. Now I can claim this promise of deliverance by the faith of Christ, and I can rest assured that my deliverance from everything that God considers evil will come. And what’s more, I can trust God to know the difference, that is, He knows what is really good for me and what I really need, and He grants it by grace.

1. 170. Grace, Love, Communion

2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

The Trinitarian benediction is a blessing, a prayer, and a hope, but it is also a promise that is guaranteed to us in the Gospel. Unto us is given the Love of God the Father, the Grace of the Son of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Communionof the Holy Spirit. The Triune God promises us each of these three blessings through the proclamation of the Gospel of the New Testament.

The Love of God is explained in the Gospel promise of John 3:16: “God loved the world (all the people of earth) in this way: He gave His Son.” God is love and many people may believe it, but many do not understand how God loves each person and what it practically means for them. God loves you, but how do you know? You know because He gave you His Son. He died for you to forgive your sins; He rose again to give you eternal life. When you believe in Jesus you know you will not die, but you immediately have eternal life. You see the love of Godon the Cross and in the Empty Tomb. You appropriate the love of Godby the faith granted to you by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel. The love of God initiates and carries out forgiveness, eternal life and salvation for all. This Love of God is now with us; He rules and directs our lives for good and for eternity.

The Grace of Christ is Jesus earning forgiveness, life and salvation in our place and granting it to us for free. Grace means a free gift; it is free for us, but it is not actually free: it is earned at unbelievable cost by the death and resurrection of Christ. When we believe in Christ we understand how costly it is (like a pearl of great price or a treasure hidden in a field), and we appreciate how freeit is (not earned or deserved by us). GRACE = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. The Grace of Christ is with us.

The Communion, or Fellowship, of the Holy Spirit is simply a personal, intimate relationship with God the Holy Spirit. This is really quite amazing if you think about it long enough: the transcendent God of heaven and earth deigns to reside in our hearts as our Close Friend and Good Shepherd. And since the Holy Spirit is in our human spirit He is with us all the time, wherever we are. “Fellowship,” as a translation of koinonia, implies equality: even though God and I are on completely different planes, even different worlds, He makes Himself equal with us although He is Lord and Father and Creator and God. “Communion,” as a translation of koinonia, implies a unityand oneness of the one with the other, even though each is so divergent and different from the other. This fellowship of the Holy Spirit is with us.

1. 169. The Power of God

2 Corinthians 13:4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

The promise: we will live with Christ by the power of God toward us. We will live by God’s power. Christ lives by the power of God; we also live by the same power of God. The power of God raised Jesus from the dead; the same power of God will raise us up from the dead. Because He lives, we shall live also. By faith in Christ we share in His resurrection; so with absolute certainty we will be resurrected on the Last Day. Of this there is not doubt.

We are weak in Christ, that is, we have been crucified with Christ in weakness. We died with Him. We are weak because of Sin. Sin weakens and makes us subject to Death. Our sin was laid upon Jesus; He suffered and died because of it. God laid our sin upon Him. Not only Sin but also we ourselves died with Christ when we believe in Him. We are weak in Him. 

But just as Jesus entrusted Himself unto the Father, so also we entrust ourselves to the Father. And just as Jesus lives by God’s power, so also we will live with Him by the power of God toward us. We can trust God the Father to exercise His great power toward us to make us alive; resurrection is sure.

The present reality that we live with during our earthly lives is that we will live with Christ. Right now we live by the power of God. God’s life, the spiritual life residing in our spirit, energizes and gives life to us every day. The Gospel originates and sustains this life. This life is abundant, rich and powerful. All the promises of God are founded on and come through the gospel. How vital is it to have life renewed by the power of the gospel? Receive and believe the Gospel daily for the life-giving power of God.