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Part 4 - The Application of Faith
Sanctified: In the Rule of Christ
A fourth aspect of the sanctifying work of Christ is the separation of the
believer from the rule of the law to the rule of Christ (See
Part 2: Separated in the Rule of Christ). God's
law is good and sets His standard for righteousness. It is the measure
against which God judges sin. But the law can only condemn and cannot justify
a person because of the fallen nature of man. Part of the work of Christ is
the setting apart of the believer out from under the law into His rule. This
is a place of grace where God works in conforming the believer into the
image of Christ. The reckoning and abiding in the place of God's grace in
Christ is another essential in being fruitful in Christ.
The strength of sin is the law
The first letter
to the Corinthians states, "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of
sin is the law" (1 Cor. 15:56). The strength of sin is the law. This is the
law of Moses. It details what a righteous lifestyle is. One of its purposes
is to show the sinfulness of the fallen nature of man. There are many other
laws spoken of by Paul in his letter to the Romans, meaning unbreakable
principles. Some of these are the law (principle) of the unregenerate nature
(Rom. 7:21), the law of God (Rom. 7:22), the law of the mind willing to do
good (Rom. 7:23), the law of the Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2), and the law of
sin and death (Rom. 8:2). However, when Paul simply speaks of the law, he is
referring to the law of God as given to Moses. This is not just the Ten
Commandments, but also the laws that Moses listed in the Pentateuch (the
first five books of the Bible). At first it may seem strange that the
strength of sin is the law, but Paul expounds on this in the seventh chapter
of Romans.
Paul writes, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On
the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would
not have known covetousness unless the law had said, 'You shall not covet.'
But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of
evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. I was alive once without
the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the
commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin,
taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.
Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has
then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might
appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin
through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful" (Rom. 7:7-13).
This passage shows how the strength of sin is the law. Some of the phases
such as "sin, taking opportunity by the commandment," "when the commandment
came, sin revived," and "sin was producing death in me through what is good"
show how sin flourishes under the law. Yet, it is not the law that is evil,
but sin. The law is "holy and just and good." It is not the good law that
produces death, but sin that is magnified and exposed by the light of the
law. Because of the existence of sin, the law is given to make known its
presence. To try to prove to God one's righteousness by keeping the law is
only to give strength to sin. The result is failure. A righteous standing
before God based on keeping His law is an impossibility. The sinful nature
will only be strengthened.
Grace through Jesus Christ
The answer to this dilemma - for lawlessness will not produce
righteousness either - is the grace of God given through Jesus
Christ. As Lord, Jesus rules over the believer. Paul correlates the
relationship of Christ to the believer with that of a husband to a wife. He
writes, "For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the
church; and He is the Savior of the body" (Eph. 5:23). Christ is not only
head, but savior. It is through Christ that deliverance from sin is found.
Speaking of Christ as husband over the church, Paul continues: "...
Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might
sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He
might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle
or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish" (Eph.
5:25-27). The church as the bride of Christ, "holy and without blemish," is
the work of Christ. It is not the self-effort of the believer working under
the law that produces fruitfulness in Christ. The grace of God poured out
through Christ is the avenue through which God works in changing a person.
Set apart by Christ: into His rule
Paul writes, "Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the
law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another; to Him
who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God" (Rom. 7:4).
This is the place of fruitfulness. A relationship to Christ as His bride
rather than a relationship through the law is where one can "bear fruit to
God." This is another aspect of Christ as the Way. Rather than working
to attain to righteousness under the law, rest in Christ and His
transforming grace is the way to holiness. This requires both the reckoning
of this position in Christ and the abiding in His rule.
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