what is the believer

8/13/2019 What is the Believer

1/17

WHAT IS THE BELIEVERS

RULE OF LIFE?What Part and Place

does the Law have in Sanctification?

Is the Key to Living the Christian Life Found at Mount Sinai or at Mount

Calvary?

What is the believers rule of life? By what rule should I live? How is the Christian life to belived? What rule should I follow and what should be my focus? How should I walk as abeliever? What is the key to living the Christian life? What must I do to live a life that ispleasing to God? How can I live a holy life? How can I walk down Gods chosen path forme the path of holiness and sanctification? !For this is the will of God, even yoursanctification! "# $hess% &'()%

$hese are important *uestions and they have been answered in at least two different ways%+ome insist that the believers rule of life is the ,-W% When they say !,-W! they arethinking especially of Gods moral law as set forth in the $en Commandments% How am I tolive? $heir answer would be this' !I am to live by Gods law% I am to live by the $enCommandments% $his is my rule of life% $he key to living the Christian life and the key towalking in holiness is to strive to obey Gods holy law especially the $en Commandmentswhich the ,ord .esus summed up in two great commandments' to love God with all yourheart and to love your neighbor as yourself%! Compare /atthew 00'(12&3%

$his all sounds good but the problem is simply this' $he more we try to keep Gods holylaw the more we fail% 4ven as regenerate believers we cannot of ourselves measure up toGods perfect standard of righteousness% $he problem is not with the law because !the lawis holy and the commandment holy and 5ust and good! "6omans 7'#0)% $he problem iswith the believer' !8or I know that in me "that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing' for towill is present with me9 but how to perform that which is good I find not! "6omans 7'#:)%

$his is similar to the problem the Israelites had when they first were given Gods holy law%$heir response to the commandments was as follows' !-ll that the ,;6< hath spoken wewill do%! $hey were sincere in their desire to obey but as we know they failed miserably tokeep Gods commandments% $hey did not understand their own weakness'

$his oral response of the people is commended by the ,;6< in e their own spiritual and moral weakness and the infinite perfection of thedivine law which they so easily were engaging themselves to obey% +ee Gods lament in


2/17

Where does a person need to go to find Gods rule for living the Christian life? $hose of alegal persuasion would point the person to /ount +inai the place where /oses receivedthe law from God% $hey would say !/ount +inai is where you need to go% /ount +inai iswhere you will find the key to living the Christian life%!

$his is a popular view among Bible believers% $his is one of the ma5or thrusts of what is

called 6eformed $heology% @8ootnote A022+ee the document entitled Problems withReformed Theology 6eformed covenant theologians say that believers are under thelaw as a rule of life% $o help you and guide you in living the Christian life they will send youdirectly to /ount +inai%

It is to their credit that they do not do this when it comes to 5ustification% When it comes tohow a person is saved and how a person is 5ustified they will send you to /ount Calvarywhere the +aviour died for hell2deserving sinners% $hey will rightly point you to .esus Christand Him crucified as the sinners only hopeD /ount +inai can never save a person it canonly condemn him% !By the law is the knowledge of sin! "6omans ('03) and /ount +inaiserves a very useful purpose in showing a person his sin and showing him that he iscondemned before a holy God% $he law can never save' !Enowing that a man is not

justified by the works of the law but by the faith of .esus Christ even we have believedin .esus Christ that we might be 5ustified by the faith of Christ and not by the works ofthe law' for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified! "Galatians 0'#1)% $he lawcan never 5ustify% It can only show a person how F.F+$ and F6IGH$4;F+ he really is%$he law is Gods /I66;6 that shows a person his true condition% +ee$he urpose of the,-W%

THE REFORMED POSITION

When it comes to 5ustification those in the 6eformed tradition would say !es the key tosalvation is to go to /ount Calvary% Christ and Him crucified is the sinners only plea%!When it comes to the process of sanctification and how a believer can live a set apart andholy life it is then that they will send a person back to /ount +inai% $his is illustrated in thefollowing three *uotes given by well known 6eformed theologians'

!$he Christian must never say farewell to the law% $hank God we are no longerunder it as a way of salvation9 but we are to keep it we are to honor it we are topractice it in our daily life%! J


3/17

What are these men actually saying? ,loyd2.ones says that we are not under the law as away of salvation but he implies that we are under it as a means of sanctification% $he idea isthis' !We dont need the law for salvation but we need it for daily living%! He says we mustnever say farewell to the law% @ote that aul says that the believer has become dead tothe law by the body of Christ "6om% 7'&) and that the believer has been delivered orreleased from the law having died to that by which he was once bound "6om% 7'1)

whereas ,loyd2.ones says that we must never say farewell to the law%

-rthur ink in the above *uote reveals his own misunderstanding of dispensational truth%We recogni>e that the ,ord .esus was under the law because He lived in the dispensationof the /osaic law which did not end until His own death at Calvary% He was !made of awoman made under the law! "Gal% &'&)% Because the ,ord .esus was under the law doesnot mean that Christians living in the present dispensation of grace are under the law%Indeed aul declares the very opposite' !8or sin shall not have dominion over you' for yeare not under the law, but under grace! "6omans 1'#&)% ink also insists that the way aChristian can be kept from sinning is by loving fearing and obeying the law% He thus bringsthe believer to /ount +inai% aul in 6omans chapter 1 does not do this% Instead aul bringsthe believer to /ount Calvary and sets forth the glorious fact of our identification with Christ

in His death unto sin and in His resurrection unto life%

.%C% 6yle says that we are to make every effort to obey the law !as a rule of life%! $o himthe law has a !spiritual use! as a means of sanctification% $he West&inster Confession ofFaithagrees' !-lthough true believers be not under the law as a covenant of works to bethereby 5ustified or condemned9 yet it is of great use to them%%%as a rule of life! "ChapterMIM +ection NI)%

,% Berkhof says that 6eformed men stand strong in the conviction that believers are stillunder the law as a rule of life% $hus according to Berkhof /t% +inai provides the key tosanctification and holy living%

@8ootnote A=22We are not saying that 6eformed men neverpoint believers to /ountCalvary when it comes to holy living and sanctification% $he cross is prominent in much oftheir teaching on sanctification and for this we are thankful% When it comes to sanctificationas well as 5ustification let us 5oin aul in saying !8or I determined not to know any thingamong you save .esus Christ and him crucified! "# Cor% 0'0)%

8or more information on 6eformed $heology see roblems with 6eformed $heology%

THE DISPENSTIONL POSITIONIn contrast to 6eformed theology is


4/17

I learn in the law that God abhorred stealing but it is not because I am under thelaw that I do not steal% -ll the Word of God is mine and written for my instruction9yet for all that I am not under law but a Christian who has died with Christ on theCross and am not in the flesh to which the law applied% I have died to the law bythe body of Christ "6omans 7'&)% J .;H


5/17

should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter! "6omans7'&1)% J -6; C% G-4B4,4I @8ootnote A##22G)EELEIN3S CONCISECO##EN!)R0 ON !"E W"OLE ILE p%37%

Believers today are not under law either as a means of 5ustification or as a rule oflaw but are 5ustified by grace and are called upon to walk in grace% rimarily here

@in 6omans 7'#&20= we have a believing .ew struggling to obtain holiness by usingthe law as a rule of life and resolutely attempting to compel his old nature to besub5ect to it% In Christendom now the average Gentile believer goes through thesame eperience9 for legality is commonly taught almost everywhere% $hereforewhen one is converted it is but natural to reason that now @that one has been bornof God it is only a matter of determination and persistent endeavor to sub5ectoneself to the law and one will achieve a life of holiness% -nd God Himself permitsthe test to be made in order that His people may learn eperimentally that the fleshin the believer is no better than the flesh in an unbeliever% When he ceases fromself2effort he finds deliverance through the +pirit by occupation with the risen Christ%J H%-% I6;+I


6/17

$he Bible also makes it very clear that a person is not under law as a rule of life% $he lawand the works of the law "trying to keep the law) can never +-C$I8 "produce holiness)%$he law is holy "6om% 7'#0) and the law can convict us and condemn us "by revealing howunholy we are) but it cannot make us holy% 6omans chapter 1 makes it clear thatsanctification is not by the works of the law% +anctification is by faith in the crucified andrisen Christ and in the fact of our identification and union with Him% $he book of Galatians

"see especially Galatians ('02() makes it very clear that sanctification is not by the works ofthe law% +anctification is by faith in the crucified and risen Christ and in the fact of ouridentification and union with Him% $he book of Galatians "see especially Galatians ('02()makes it very clear that sanctification is not by the works of the law%

In 6omans 1'#& aul declares that the believer is not !under the law but under grace%!What did aul mean by this? Was he saying that we are not under the law with respecttojustification"the believers right standing before God in Christ) or was he saying that weare not under the law with respect to sanctification"the believers progress in holiness)?aul earlier in 6omans made it clear that a person is not .F+$I8I4< by the works of thelaw "6omans ('039 ('0:)% In 6omans chapter 1 the sub5ect is that of sanctification orholiness "see 6omans 1'#00) not 5ustification "the sub5ect of 5ustification was dealt with

previously in chapters (2=)% It is clear from 6omans 1'#& that aul is talking about beingfree from sins dominion and power and authority which is what sanctification is all about%We conclude then that aul in 6omans 1'#&2#= set forth the great truth that the believer isnot under the law as a rule of life and as a means of sanctification% $he key to living theChristian life is not /ount +inai it is /ount Calvary% $he emphasis of 6omans 1 is upon/ount Calvary "and the believers relationship to /ount Calvary in light of our identificationwith Christ and our position in Christ)% $o go back to /ount +inai is to go back to bondage%

THE %ELIE&ER(S R'LE OF LIFE

WHT SITH THE S)RIPT'RES?

What is the believers rule of life? By what rule should I live? How should I walk? How can Ilive a holy life that is set apart and dedicated to the service of .esus Christ?


7/17

save in the cross of our ,ord .esus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and Iunto the world% 8or in Christ .esus neither circumcision availeth any thing noruncircumcision but a new creature% -nd as many as walk %&R*I() T& THIS RULEpeace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God%!

What 6F,4 is aul speaking of in Galatians 1'#&2#1? It is obvious that auls focus is upon

/ount Calvary not /ount +inai' !But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross ofour Lord /esus hrist by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world!"verse #&)% His focus is upon the cross% - comparison of Galatians ='1 @!8or in .esus Christneither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision9 but faith which worketh bylove! and Galatians 1'#= @!8or in Christ .esus neither circumcision availeth any thing noruncircumcision but a new creature! is helpful in seeing what the real issue is% 8aith is theroot and love is the fruit "Gal% ='1)9 and love is the fulfilling of the law "Gal% ='#&9 6om%#('2#39 compare 6om% :'&)% ,ove is not produced as the believer tries and struggles to keepGods moral law the $en Commandments% $he more the believer tries to do this the morehe fails "6omans 7'#020=)% ,ove is produced by God the Holy +pirit as the believer walks inthe +pirit "Gal% ='#10020(9 6om% :'&)%

$hus we are to walk not according to any legal code but according to T# (-R%T.R R.L"Gal% 1'#=2#1)% We are new creatures in Christ by the grace of God andtotally apart from any works of the law "0 Cor% ='#79 4ph% 0':2#39 &'0&9 Col% ('#3)% By faithwe are to reckon on the fact that we are new creatures in .esus Christ united with Him in awondrous union partaking in His death and partaking in His resurrection life% By faith weare to reckon upon what God has already accomplished at the cross "6omans 1)% When itcomes to the believers sanctification /ount Calvary is to be the central focus not /ount+inai%

/ount +inai has never produced a new creature a new man% It can only condemn the oldman% aul boasted only in /ount Calvary' !But God forbid that I should glory @boast savein the cross of our ,ord .esus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the

world! "Gal% 1'#&)%

-nother key passage is Galatians ('#2( where aul addresses the deadly problem oflegalism' !; foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truthbefore whose eyes .esus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you? $hisonly would I learn of you 6eceived ye the +pirit by the works of the law or by the hearingof faith? -re ye so foolish? having begun in the +pirit are ye now made perfect by theflesh?!

In verse one aul reminds the Galatians that /ount Calvary had been the focus of the truegospel preaching which they had received' !before whose eyes /esus hrist hath beenevidently set forth, crucified among you%! $he problem was that false teachers had

come in trying to get the Galatians to focus upon /ount +inai with respect to sanctification%aul reminds them that the Christian life began when they received the +pirit not by theworks of the law but by the hearing of faith% rogress in the Christian life must come thesame way%

In Colossians 0'1 we learn that the Christian life is to C;$IF4 the same way itC;//4C4


8/17

I DIED TO THE LW I M MRRIED TO NOTHER*

$he believers relationship to the law is made very clear in 6omans 7'#21% $he believer isdelivered and released from the law H-NIG ard% He wants everything 5ustso while she takes things as they come% How could there be happiness in such ahome?

-nd then that husband is so eactingD He is always making demands upon her% -ndyet one cannot find fault with him for as a husband he has a right to epectsomething of his wife9 and besides all his demands are perfectly legitimate% $hereis nothing wrong with the man and nothing wrong with his demands9 the trouble is

that he has the wrong kind of wife to carry them out% $he two cannot get on at all9theirs are utterly incompatible natures% $hus the poor woman is in great distress%+he is fully aware that she often makes mistakes but living with such a husband itseems as though 4N46$HIG she says and does is wrongD What hope is therefor her? If only she were married to that other /an all would be well% He is no lesseacting than her husband but He also helps much% +he would fain marry Him buther husband is still alive% What can she do? +he is !bound by law to the husband!and unless he dies she cannot legitimately marry that other /an%

$he first husband is the ,aw9 the second husband is Christ9 and you are thewoman% $he law re*uires much but offers no help in the carrying out of itsre*uirements% $he ,ord .esus re*uires 5ust as much yea more but what He

re*uires from us He Himself carries out in us% $he law makes demands and leavesus helpless to fulfill them9 Christ makes demands but He Himself fulfills in us thevery demands He makes% ,ittle wonder that the woman desires to be freed from thefirst husband that she may marry that other /anD But her only hope of release isthrough the death of her first husband and he holds on to life most tenaciously%Indeed there is not the least prospect of his passing away "see /atthew ='#:)%

$he law is going to continue for all eternity% If the ,aw will never pass away thenhow can I ever be united to Christ? How can I marry a second husband if my firsthusband resolutely refuses to die? $here is only one way out% If #will notdie Ican die and if I die the marriage relationship is dissolved% -nd that is eactlyGods way of deliverance from the ,aw% $he most important point to note in this

section of 6omans 7 is the transition from verse ( to verse &% Nerses # to ( showthat the husband should die but in verse & we see that in fact it is the woman whodies% $he ,aw does not pass away but I pass away and by death I am freed from


9/17

the ,aw% @8ootnote A#=22Watchman ee !"E NOR#)L C"RIS!I)N LIFE pages#372#3 "Chapter )%

$he great fact of +FB+$I$F$I; is that hrist died for me0$he great fact ofI


10/17

#) hilippians #'0#J 8or to me to live is reading my Bible, memorizing Scripture,praying at least 15 minutes daily and itnessing at e!ery opportunity"

0) hilippians (':J I count all things but loss for the ecellency of trying to guardmy tongue, trying to o!ercome my bad #abits and trying to #a!e my dailyde!otions"

() hilippians ('#3J $hat I may do t#is and a!oid doing t#at and t#at I may$orce mysel$ to itness and a!oid e!ery appearance o$ e!il"

&) 6evelation 0'&J evertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hastleft thy daily Bible reading sc#edule and t#ou #ast bro%en t#y &e 'ear(sresolutions and t#ou #ast $ailed to %eep t#e 1) *ommandments"

=) 0 Corinthians ='J Wherefore we labour @lit1, we are ambitious that whetherpresent or absent we mayatc# our temper, %eep $olloing our strict diet,memorize !erses, get enoug# rest, and not atc# too many bad tele!isions#os"

What do these verses really say? In the above verses the emphasis is upon E;WIGand ,;NIG and ,4-+IG a PR'&( even the ,ord .esus Christ% 6ead carefullyColossians #'2#0% otice the emphasis of this great prayer' to know His will "v%) to walkwith Him "v%#3) to please Him "v%#3) to increase in my knowledge of Him "v%#3) to bestrengthened by Him "v%##) to be 5oyful in Him "v%##) to thank Him "v%#0)D

Consider again the illustration of the marriage relationship% $here are many things thehusband must do and there are many things the husband must not do% $here are duties hemust carry out responsibilities he must meet and obligations he must perform% But whydoes he do all these things? It is because he has decided to love a person22namely hiswife% $he wife does many things as well% +he prepares meals washes the dishes cleansthe floor vacuums the rugs washes the clothes etc% Why does she do all these things? Isit because her husband has given her a long list of !$H;F +H-,$s! and !$H;F +H-,$;$s!? Hopefully this is not the reason% +he is doing these things because she isresponding to the love of her husband% $he marriage relationship is based on love not law%

What then is the Christian life all about? $he Christian life is simply knowing a +ersonloving #im seeking to please #im walking with #im honoring #im obeying #imthanking#im re5oicing in #im delighting in #im trusting in#im growing in #im talkingto #im talking to others about #im abiding in #im learning of #im learning from #imsitting at #isfeet and en5oying #ispresence% ote the emphasis on #im"on a 46+;)%

-s we go through each day are we walking with a erson and en5oying Him or are wefollowing a religious ritualistic legalistic routine? If we really have that uni*ue intimatepersonal ,;N4 64,-$I;+HI with the ,ord .esus Christ then this will changeeverything we do% $his will change 6-46 because 6-46 is talking to the erson Ilove% $his will change BIB,4 +$F


11/17

LWLESSNESS?

$here are many who wrongly think that if a person is not !under the law! then he will be,-W,4++% - right relationship to .esus Christ will not result in lawlessness but ratherfruitfulness "6om% 7'&)% Indeed a right relationship to .esus Christ is the only possible

waythat the righteous re*uirements of the law will be fulfilled' !$hat the righteousness@righteous re*uirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh butafter the +pirit! "6om% :'&)% !But the fruit of the +pirit is love 5oy peace longsufferinggentleness goodness faith meekness temperance' against such there is no law! "Gal%='0020()% otice carefully that 6omans :'& does not say !by us! but !in us%! $he key tofulfilling the law is ,;N4 "6om% #(':2#3 and Gal% ='#&)% $he key to having ,;N4 is a +pirit2filled walk "Gal% ='#(20( and 6om% :'&)% In and of myself I am totally unable to fulfill Godsrighteous re*uirements' !8or I know that in me "that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing'for to will is present with me9 but how to perform that which is good I find not! "6om%7'#:)% I in and of myself utterly fail% CH6I+$ I /4 "Gal% 0'03) never failsD

ot being under the law does not mean that the believer in Christ is opposed to the #3

Commandments and is in favor of violating them% God forbidD ine of the tencommandments are repeated on the pages of the ew $estament It is never right to takeGods ame in vain or to murder or to steal or to covet% Gods moral standards neverchange% $he believer who violates any of these commands is guilty and must give accountto God% It is essential that we fulfill the righteous re*uirements of the law% But how do we dothat?

It is important to keep in mind that those who try to put themselves and others underlaw do not t#emsel!es %eep t#e la!$or neither they themselves who arecircumcised keep the law9 but desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in yourflesh! "Gal% 1'#()% !ow therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of thedisciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear2! "-cts #='#3)% $hose who

walk by faith according to the 4W C64-$F64 6F,4 of G6-C4 actually fulfill the law"see 6omans :'&9 #(':9 Gal% ='#&0020()% In our 5ustification we did not receive therighteousness of God by the works of the law "6om% ('0#200)9 so also in the Christian lifewe do not fulfill the righteousness of Gods law by the works of the law% $he way to fulfill thelaw is not by trying to keep the law% It is Gods working in me that counts "Heb% #('0#9 hil%('#()% It is not the production of the flesh but it is the fruit of the +pirit%

SN)TIFI)TION %- ,R)E*

$he watchword of the 6eformation was !$H4 .F+$ +H-,, ,IN4 B 8-I$H%! When itcomes to sanctification however the slogan of 6eformed $heology is this' $H4 .F+$+H-,, ,IN4 B $H4 ,-WD +ome might even say !We live by law and grace%! But as soonas you add law to grace you have destroyed grace "6om% ##'1)% $he entire area of thebelievers identification with the ,ord .esus in His death and resurrection and ascension isoften misunderstood and neglected by 6eformed men% 6eformed theologians rarely setforth the 4W C64-$F64 6F,4 in their writings% 4amine what they write% ,ittle is saidabout the great identification truths in 6omans chapter 1% ,ittle is said about the believersglorious ;+I$I; in the risen and ascended and seated Christ "0 Cor% ='#79 Col% ('#2&94ph% 0'=279 etc%)% /ore needs to be said about the importance of 64CE;IG "6om%1'##)Jcounting on Gods facts by faith%

+anctification like salvation is by grace through faith and not by the works of the law% It isbased on the finished work of Christ "6omans 1) not on mans feeble law2keeping efforts%$he Christian life is to C;$IF4 as it C;//4C4< "Col% 0'19 Gal% ('#2()% aul teachesthat those who are under the law are under the dominion of sin "6om% 1'#&)% $his isbecause the flesh cannot keep Gods holy law "6om% :'7)% Grace living is not lawless living


12/17

"$it% 0'##2#09 6om% 1'#20#=9 4ph% 0'#3)% ;nly when Gods grace is given its rightful place inthe Christian life can we appreciate the words in the hymn by hilip Bliss' !8644 86;/$H4 ,-WO; H- C;


13/17

that although the sin nature is gone some left2over remnants of sin have somehowsurvived% In his book F)I!" WOR/She speaks of !surviving sin! "p% #(=) and !theremnants of sin! "p% #(=) and !this residual fallenness! "p% #(&) and !the vestiges of sinfulflesh! "p% ##1)% !We are in short new creationsOholy and redeemed but wrapped in graveclothes of unredeemed flesh! "p%##7)% +ee our paper on /ac-rthurs one nature teachingsavailable upon re*uest%

We would fully agree with 6eformed men that the more we mature in the faith the more weshould be conscious of our own sinfulness and wretchedness "v%#:0&)% $he more we growin the ,ord the more we should come to know !the plague of "our) own heart! "# Eings:'(:) and our own depravity% -lso we should always be painfully aware of our completehelplessness and inability to do what is right in and of ourselves% We do not have the powerto perform that which is good "v%#:)% Without Christ we can do nothing ".ohn #='=) and thisshall ever be true% We should always stay in 6omans 7 in the sense of knowing oursinfulness and helplessness and our moment by moment need of a


14/17


15/17

IS THE %ELIE&ER 'NDER O%LI,TIONTO 5EEP )HRIST(S )OMMNDS?

!-nd hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep #is commandments% He that

saith I know Him and keepeth not #is commandments is a liar and the truth is not inhim! "# .ohn 0'(2&)% !If ye love /e keep /y commandments! ".ohn #&'#=)% escommandment keeping is essentialD

$he believer living under grace whose focus is on /ountCalvary mustkeep )od3scommands% ;bedience to the Word of God is essential in eachand every dispensation% $he key *uestion is this' What commands are we to obey? Whatcommandments has Christ given to believers living in this present dispensation of grace?Here are some eamples'

o !-nd now little children -BI


16/17

before Him endured the cross despising the shame and is set down at the righthand of the throne of God! "Heb% #0'#20)%

-s believers living under grace we need to have our minds bapti>ed and immersed in the4I+$,4+ becoming more and more familiar with the great G6-C42;6I4$4

what is the believer

Documents