Is Christ a Minister of Sin?

“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. One might think so, since He justifies the ungodly. We can say that Jesus keeps the one who has broken the law “under cover,”1 as it were, so that the curse does not touch him. Gal. 3:10-13.

However, if the authorities are searching for a lawbreaker, and I shelter him, yet he continues to break the law, then I am a minister or servant of sin. This is precisely how Jesus is preached! The harlot makes Him a minister of sin. People glorify Jesus as the One who covers them, yet they continue to sin, talking about “the finished work of Calvary is sufficient . . . under the blood . . . come to the foot of the cross . . . we are under grace . . . etc.” In other words they are saying, “We may be sinners but the covering is sufficient! Jesus is our righteousness.”

“Certainly not!” writes Paul. Christ is not a minister of sin! If a lawbreaker seeks refuge with me and I make a covenant with him to give him shelter and handle his case on the condition that he obeys me in everything, that is another matter altogether; because by taking him “under cover” I can help him make amends for his transgressions, so that he can begin to live a new life. In this case I am not a minister of sin. On the contrary. Had I not sheltered him, the curse would have caught up with him and he would have had to die. This would not have benefited anybody in contrast to the result that can now be achieved. Had there been nobody to help him to a new life, it would have been a glory that such a person had been done away with. However, if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 2 Cor. 3:6-10.

Before Christ there was nobody who could shelter us. But now He has redeemed us from the curse of the law, and we must remember that He is not a minister of sin. When He extends His “covering” to you, He makes a covenant with you. You must agree to obey Him in everything. Then the grace that is in Christ Jesus will cover you. It will not only cover you, but it will also teach you to live an entirely new life. Read Titus 2:11-15.

He does not save you because of your good works. You are a lawbreaker, and salvation is a gift. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works . . . .” Eph. 2:8-10. He shall have the glory for the work; it is He who “protected” us. Old things have passed away, and all things have become new. 2 Cor. 5:17.

Does this help you to distinguish between the harlot’s preaching of Jesus as a minister of sin and the apostles’ preaching of Him as a minister of righteousness? The harlot’s chief concern is that the covering may be sufficient, whereas the apostles’ chief concern is that we are obedient to Him who “covers” us. If we are obedient we don’t have to be concerned about the covering.

“For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.” Read Galatians 2:18. Paul “destroyed” the law as a means of justification. The law, with its curse, could only lead me to Christ. The Galatians had experienced this, and they rejoiced in the justification that was in Christ Jesus. But now there were some who came along and wanted to put them under the law again. They believed that they had to keep the law if there was to be any improvement in their lives.

This is precisely what the harlot does in the various denominations. There the people hear that they can come as they are and be saved by grace alone. Nevertheless, they do understand that they cannot continue to live the way they did before because then the covering would not shield them from the eyes of people, even though they believe that Jesus covers them before God. Consequently they put these new converts under the law by giving them various commandments such as: You must not drink, go dancing, play cards, steal, swear, etc. These rules and regulations vary with the different denominations. They argue about whether it is sin to smoke, go to the movies, for women to have their hair permed, and cut their hair, etc. But getting offended, vanity, love of money, anger, respect of persons, etc., is hardly ever mentioned. The question is: what can one do or what can one not do and still be considered a Christian—so that the covering might be sufficient. They are mostly concerned with what people think, and they say, “Jesus is our righteousness before God; then we are ‘under the blood’ both with respect to the past and the future, and ‘the finished work of Calvary’ is sufficient; so there is nothing at all to fear.”

What was it that those who wanted to put the Galatians under the law again did not understand? And what is it that Christianity today does not understand? It is the dying of Christ, which we are to bear about in our bodies. People are only invited to come to the foot of the cross, but Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live . . . .” Gal. 2:20.

“. . . Being conformed to His death.” Phil. 3:10. The dying of Christ, as we have stated previously, is dying to sin in the flesh. Then what about smoking, vanity, anger, getting offended, being conformed to this world, “great, greater, greatest . . . .”? When I die, what becomes of all discussion about what is sin and what is not sin? Then all the old things disappear, and a new life appears. “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.” Rom. 6:5. “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Vs. 11.

All this makes us realize that these unbiblical expressions are not as innocent as they appear on the surface. They make Christ a minister of sin, and one will never be set free from the law. Because you have not died with Christ, you will always have to be fenced in with rules and regulations: “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle.” Col. 2:20-21.