Doctrine of the New Covenant, part 9.

Title: Doctrine of the New Covenant, part 9.  

 

Everything that is meaningful in life cannot be obtained in an instant. While it is true that salvation comes to a believer in an instant, the work done to make it a reality did not, and the realization and understanding of how profound salvation is does not come in an instant either. Things available to every person, believer or unbeliever, like a relationship, job satisfaction, gaining a skill set do not come to them with a click of a mouse. They take commitment, hard work, and most of all time, perseverance, and patience. Things like these get messy and uncomfortable at times and for them to succeed, we have to push through the mess and the awkwardness, and often while we fall, fail, and feel very confused. The Christian way of life, the most important of all thing meaningful, is no different. It take years of plugging, climbing, groping, falling, and getting back up and moving on. It takes years just to get a somewhat comfortable grip on the plan of God for you life. Why does God make it like this? Why can't we have it in an instant, like a one-dollar cheeseburger?

 

When anything comes instantly and easily to fallen man, he assumes that it is due to himself. His pride is inflamed along with his stupidity. Any value, other than that assumed to himself, is ignored.

 

Gal 4:1 Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,

 

Gal 4:2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.

 

Gal 4:3 So also we, while we were children [nepios], were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.

 

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time came [incarnation], God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

 

We are each commanded to be conformed to His image. Are we willing to submit to anything that God calls us to, as He submitted to the Law, so that we may strengthen our witness of the gospel and not hinder its voice to anyone?

 

Gal 4:5 in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

 

God redeemed both Gentile and Jew from the laws they were under and so removed the restrictions that were placed upon the infant child. All who believe in Him receive adult son placement.

 

There is no definite article before the word "law," and so it reads, "in order that He might redeem those under law." Law would not refer to only the Mosaic Law but law in general. The Gentiles also had moral laws from many sources while the Jews had the Law given to Moses by God, the best of them all by far. The Galatians, most of whom were Gentiles, were fooled by Judaizers and Paul relates to them that the Mosaic Law was a tutor for minors, and if that is true of a the law given by God, then a pagan law made by man could not be anything more.

 

"adoption as sons" - ui`oqesi,a [huiothesia]: huios (adult son) + tithemi (to place) = "in order that we might be placed as adult sons."

 

One might ask if this makes the Christian lawless. Does he not have to obey the laws of the land? Does he not have a law at all and can live how he pleases? Actually, he is under the highest law. He has been adopted, placed as an adult son in God's royal family, which places him under the law of Christ. It supersedes the Mosaic Law, but it doesn't deny the Mosaic Law's ethics.

 

For instance, proper rules in the home for children are enforced with the threat of discipline for the purpose of training the child to become a well adjusted adult who can properly incorporate into adult society. These rules enforce hard work, personal hygiene, social skills needed to form meaningful relationships, emotional maturity, self-control, patience and perseverance, manners, and respect for authority. Such disciplines and skills give the person the necessary tools to explore their natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

 

Would a child under proper rules in his home, who is forced to live under them, who then breaks those rules consistently as an adult be called a well adjusted person?

 

In the same way, if we who are under grace, meaning that God has given us freedom and treats us like adults, continue in a life of sin, would we be called well adjusted Christians?

 

Rather, we live the ethics of the Mosaic Law as adults, whereas the OT saints, at best, could only do so as well behaved children.

 

Be very careful of your own self-justification. Paul stated that where sin abounded grace increased all the more and then he warned, shall we continue in sin so that grace will increase. It is our tendency to self-justify that leads to such antinomian conclusions.

 

Rom 5:20 And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

 

Rom 5:21 that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?

 

Rom 6:2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

 

Rom 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

 

Rom 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

 

Rom 6:5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection,

 

Rom 6:6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin;

 

Rom 6:7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

 

Gal 4:5 in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

 

We are not lawless. Adult sons are under the law of Christ.

 

The law of Christ supersedes all others and so it follows all lesser laws that are good and not of sin, i.e. it obeys the legitimate authority of the state, boss, husband, teacher, coach, etc.

 

This doesn't mean I get to choose to obey the state laws I think are fair and disobey the others. There are a lot of unfair laws, but the important question is if they are asking me to sin against God? When the Jews confused this question, Christ asked for a coin and pointing out Caesar's image on its face He said, "Give unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar and give unto God that which belongs to God."

 

We are adult sons under grace rather than children under law. We have the reality of the truth in Christ and the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit so that in wisdom we can make virtuous decisions from the position of an adult son. We are treated by God as adults. The seeming paradox is that we have the wisdom of spiritual adults and the faith of children. This is not at all a paradox. It is the best of the worlds of wisdom, decision making, and trusting.

 

Gal 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

 

Because we have been made sons by God's grace, God has sent His Spirit to indwell us.

 

The Spirit is sent forth into the hearts of the adult sons. Remember, the heart is the place of decision, wisdom, emotion, motivation, will, morality, etc. The Spirit is given to the son in order to control all of the heart, while without removing the self-determination and responsibility of the adult son.