Internal -vs- External
Galatians 5. In the first two chapters Paul vindicated his apostleship and message. Then in chapters 3-4 (our reading over the weekend), Paul logically defended the doctrine of justificati0n by faith. Finally in chapters 5-6, he shows that Christian liberty does not mean a license to do as one pleases, but rather Paul shows us that a Christian should live by the power of the Holy Spirit and thus bear spiritual fruit.
The legalist's argument went something like this: "If you take grace instead of the law, then people will just sin more because they've got grace to fall back on." Paul will sharply disagree and argue that the Christian is freed from the external control of the law to the internal control by the Holy Spirit.
Max Anders tells the story of growing up on a farm. He explained how much fun it was to let the yearling calves out of the barn after a long winter. These calves had been born the summer before, so a pen and a barn was the only world they knew. After the harsh Indiana winter, they would open the gates that had separated the calves from the outside world. The calves were free to go into the field. However, the calves didn't know what to do with their new found freedom. They would buck and jump but would not leave the pen. They would run right up to where the gate used to be and then slam on the brakes. They would do this over and over. But eventually they would creep forward until they were out.
And oh how like these calves were the legalist in Paul's day, and in our day too!Legalist prefer the limitations and security of the "do and don't list", rather than the frightening world of walking by faith. Christians hanging around the barn of the law amazed Paul as much as those calves in the barn amazed Max Anders. Why would they want to stay in a barn of legalism when there was a field of grace to gallop in? That is the question Paul asked of the Galatian church. Having been freed from the slavery of the law, under Paul's initial visit, why would they now want to lose their freedom and go back into the bondage of the law? That is the question I ask of you. Why do you want to stay in the barn of legalism when Christ has opened the gate to freedom to "walk in the Spirit [so that] you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." 5:16? Thus you shall bear spiritual fruit -5:22-25. Dear Christian you are free in the power of the Holy Spirit to produce fruit of the Spirit. The control is now internal, not external.
The legalist's argument went something like this: "If you take grace instead of the law, then people will just sin more because they've got grace to fall back on." Paul will sharply disagree and argue that the Christian is freed from the external control of the law to the internal control by the Holy Spirit.
Max Anders tells the story of growing up on a farm. He explained how much fun it was to let the yearling calves out of the barn after a long winter. These calves had been born the summer before, so a pen and a barn was the only world they knew. After the harsh Indiana winter, they would open the gates that had separated the calves from the outside world. The calves were free to go into the field. However, the calves didn't know what to do with their new found freedom. They would buck and jump but would not leave the pen. They would run right up to where the gate used to be and then slam on the brakes. They would do this over and over. But eventually they would creep forward until they were out.
And oh how like these calves were the legalist in Paul's day, and in our day too!Legalist prefer the limitations and security of the "do and don't list", rather than the frightening world of walking by faith. Christians hanging around the barn of the law amazed Paul as much as those calves in the barn amazed Max Anders. Why would they want to stay in a barn of legalism when there was a field of grace to gallop in? That is the question Paul asked of the Galatian church. Having been freed from the slavery of the law, under Paul's initial visit, why would they now want to lose their freedom and go back into the bondage of the law? That is the question I ask of you. Why do you want to stay in the barn of legalism when Christ has opened the gate to freedom to "walk in the Spirit [so that] you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." 5:16? Thus you shall bear spiritual fruit -5:22-25. Dear Christian you are free in the power of the Holy Spirit to produce fruit of the Spirit. The control is now internal, not external.
posted by Royce Hendry at
5:41 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home