Sanctification in Christ (Part 2 of 2) by Sewell Hall (Reprinted from Biblical Insights, http://www.biblical-insights.org/)
A New Basis of Righteousness
"For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not
under law but under grace" (Rom 6:14). Correctly understood,
the fact that we are under a system of salvation by grace rather
than by perfect law keeping is motivation to righteousness rather
than to licentiousness.
An escapee from death row is more dangerous than one who escapes prison facing a lesser penalty. Nothing he might do, whether robbery or kidnapping or murder, would increase the penalty he already faces. So it is with the sinner who has no promise of grace. Law only condemns; it does not provide forgiveness. Consequently, one who has broken the law and is under its condemnation may as well go ahead and sin as he pleases. He cannot make matters any worse.
One who has been forgiven by grace, however, has every reason to avoid further sin. Gratitude, if nothing else, should motivate him to live to please the one who has forgiven him. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, Jesus teaches that those who are forgiven should be moved by gratitude to forgive others. Note also Galatians 5:13: "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."
One who is under grace is still "under law to Christ" (I Cor 9:21). If there were no law we would not know how to present our members "as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Rom 6: 13), and there would be no sin to be forgiven (Rom 4:15). But we are not under a "law of sin and death" that provides no grace, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom 8:2).
"The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works" (Titus 2:11-14).
One who sins willfully has "counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace" (Heb 10:26-29); and one who fails to develop the Christian graces "has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins" (2 Pet 1:9).
A New Master
Jesus said: "No one can serve two masters; for either he
will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal
to the one and despise the other" (Matt 6:24). And again,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave
of sin" (John 8:34).
Echoing Jesus, Paul writes: "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" (v 16).
The Romans had been "slaves of sin" (v 17), free from any requirement to practice righteousness (v 20). Seeing, however, that slavery to sin leads to death, they chose to escape the slavery of sin when they "obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which [they] were delivered" (v 17). Whiteside quotes James McKnight regarding "the form of doctrine" to which they were obedient: "The original word tupos, among other things, signifies a mold into which melted metals are poured to receive the form of the mold. The apostle represents the gospel doctrine as a mold, into which the Romans were put by their baptism, in order to their being fashioned anew. And he thanks God that from the heart-that is, most willingly and sincerely-they yielded to the forming efficacy of that mold of doctrine, and were made new men, both in principle and practice." In this obedience, they became slaves of righteousness (v 18).
Now, in harmony with that choice, Paul admonishes, "Just
as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of
lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members
as slaves of righteousness for holiness" (v 19). If, when
they were slaves of sin they were "free from any requirement
to practice righteousness" (v 20), now being "slaves
of righteousness for holiness" there was no logical reason
for practicing sin. Paul asks, "For what fruit did you have
then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of
those things is death" (v 21).
We, who like the Romans have been baptized into the death of Christ
and raised to a new life, have also been made free from the law
of sin and death and have been freed from the slavery of sin.
Paul would say to us,"Having been set free from sin, and
having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness,
and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"
(vv 22-23).
Jesus had been preaching and performing miracles in Galilee before traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover. Going into the temple, Jesus found that people had moved their businesses into the temple. They were selling oxen, sheep, and doves. And the moneychangers were selling their services of changing money.
John recorded Jesus' reaction saying: "When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, 'Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!.' Then His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up'" (Jn. 2:15-17).
Why was it wrong for people to bring their businesses into the temple? Weren't they providing a service for the people to worship God? Why weren't the people satisfied with keeping their businesses outside the temple?
We are reminded of a basic principle. God instructs us concerning the things we are to do. And, He does not address all of the possible "do nots." For example, God had not commanded them to change money or sell animals for sacrifice in the temple; therefore, they were not authorized to engage in those activities inside the temple. Although it was lawful for them to engage in business and provide these services outside the temple, it was not lawful to bring their businesses into the temple.
People speak to each other in the same way that God has spoken to us in His word. For example, a parent tells his child to go and clean his room. The parent does not go through a list of forbidden activities (e.g., go outside, eat a snack, watch TV, etc.). If the child played outside instead of cleaning his room, he disobeyed the command.
Many of us have had children offer an excuse for their disobedience like: "You didn't say that I wasn't to . . ." The parent's response is usually like: "I don't have to tell you everything that you are not to do when I've told you what to do!"
Employers and governments communicate in the same way. Employers set policies without listing all of the "do nots." And governments make laws without listing all of the "do nots."
Think about the Old Testament for a minute. There are numerous
examples of people not obeying God by doing something about which
God was silent. Why did God kill Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1-3)?
Because they offered profane fire before the Lord. The Lord had
specified which fire to use, but they offered fire about which
He had said nothing. Why did Uzzah die when He touched the ark
(2 Sam. 6:1-6)? Wasn't he trying to save the ark from falling
to the ground? Although he was trying to do something good, he
died because they were transporting the ark on a cart rather than
in the way commanded by God.
Jesus was zealous for God's house. Men had defiled the temple
by transgressing God's command and bringing their businesses into
the temple.
Today, the house of God is the church (1 Tim. 3:15). And today,
there are people who have made their churches into houses of merchandise
by entering into all kinds of businesses. Some churches transact
business on their church property and some own businesses like
restaurants and software companies.
If Jesus were to come down to earth today, what do you think He
would do?
IN THE WORLD (From The Beacon)
Total divorces granted (1999) 1,163,000
Rate per 1,000 population 4.1
Current number of divorced adults (1998) 19,400,000
Median age at divorce: males: 35.6; females: 33.2
Median duration of marriage: 7.2 years
Likelihood of new marriage ending in divorce: 43%
Percentage of weddings which are remarriage for at least one partner:
43%
- via U.S. Census Bureau
Matthew 19:9 "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."
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