Legalism—Lawlessness

The letter to the Galatians is a war manual concerning these things. Outwardly, you can come a long way through the law, but what the law cannot do is catch the hidden things—the thoughts and desires.

“But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!” Gal. 2:17. The Jews didn’t want a mediator be­tween God and man. The way that religious people preach about Jesus makes Him a minister of sin who protects and covers those who want to continue to sin.

“For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.” Gal. 2:18. What did Paul destroy? He destroyed the understanding that people could be justified by the works of the law. If this had been true, it would just be a matter of patching up the old life. People realize that continu­ing to live a bad life after having been saved is a reproach for Christianity, so they are given rules and regulations. “There­fore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject your­selves to regulations—‘Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle!’” Col. 2:20-21. It is those who live in the world and walk according to the flesh who need rules and regulations. In this way they also obtain a reputation of being good Chris­tians, though they have no development.

“So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.” Rom. 7:3.

Only those who are dead are free from the law. Those who live need the law. To use an illustration, we could say that the Gentiles drove a car without brakes. The Jews had the law, and the law acted as a brake for sin. This helped them avoid many of the accidents that the Gentiles experienced. What is it that those who want to put the church under the law do not understand? They do not understand the very mystery itself—the death of Christ! “For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Gal. 2:19-20. If someone no longer lives, he is freed from the law. Under the law, he only had his own power and that is only able to deal with sin outside of the body. Our calling is to put sin to death within the body. There are many contexts and passages that say the same thing—the way goes through death to eternal life.

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Gal. 3:13-14. When we are liberated from sin, we are freed from the curse of the law, which came over those who couldn’t manage to keep it. The law must not be revoked. It is spiritual, righteous, holy and good.

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Rom. 8:3-4. Most believers live in the mystery of law­lessness. They don’t believe they can live in victory over sin, and they don’t believe in a true liberation which makes it pos­sible for the righteous requirement of the law to be fulfilled in us.

Jesus did not come for His own sake; He came for the sake of sin, to bring us eternal redemption. The law was only a part of the will of God—it could not set us free indeed from sin. Those who disregard the law and feel free to sin because they are under grace enter into false liberty.

“For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.” 2 Pet. 2:18. Instead of helping them out of sin, they speak great swelling words. People are deceived here in a sin­ister way. “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.” 2 Pet. 2:19. If sin has power over you, you are a slave. If you then want to be a guide for others, you will guide them into false liberty.

We believe that it is possible to be rescued from sin by the gospel. People need to be brought into contact with the Holy Spirit, so they can experience the power of the gospel.

“For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.” Phil. 3:18. They were not enemies of the cross on Calvary, but they were enemies of taking up their own cross daily. People want to do their own will, and at the same time, they are afraid of the consequences. As long as you have not crucified your flesh, you will be deceived. The cross has to be applied to the lusts and desires in your flesh if you want to receive faith that you will be together with Him.

“Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.” Phil. 3:19. Such people live according to the flesh. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able to subdue all things to Himself.” Phil. 3:20-21.

Preach this, so that hearts start beating through the preaching of faith! How wonderful to start believing in such a power. You cannot remain in love without humbling yourself in the situations of life. Through love you receive the hope of eternal life—tremendous forces that will also transform our bodies so we can follow our Master for all eternity.

As long as we have the gospel, we cannot preach the law to people. We preach the Lord’s death until He comes. That will keep us from becoming lawless and coming into bondage to the law. The cross is the most effective weapon against sin. If we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill (carry out) the lusts of the flesh. We look into the perfect law of liberty and are made like Christ. This is an amazing calling to which the law could never lead us.