Believers, then, are to " stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." The believing Jew stood thus delivered from the curse of the law, accounted righteous before God, by the faith of Jesus Christ: no longer a bond slave, but now a son, an heir of God. The believing Gentiles are brought into the same blessed relationship of children of God. And because sons, God had sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Both were to stand in this happy liberty, where all was of God, on the principle of promise. Now, to go back to seek righteousness by the law, was to be entangled again in bondage. Paul assured them, " that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." Does not this, then, show the fearful danger of seeking to mingle Christ and law together? And yet what is more commonly done? We have seen man fully tested under law for fifteen centuries, and found only guilty, whilst the law demanded perfect obedience; man a debtor to do the whole law, yet none righteous, no, not one. The scripture hath concluded all under sin.
Nothing, then, but pure grace, the free favor of God in Jesus Christ, could suit and meet man’s condition. How fully the claims of law, of God, and the deepest needs of man, have been met by Christ. Is it not so, beloved reader, in your case? Have you not in vain sought righteousness by trying to meet the holy claims of God? Now if God takes you up on this ground, and asks, What about those sins, can you answer Him for one in a thousand? No; if you try to wash yourself in snow water; if you try to be clear by ordinances, let the light of God shine into your conscience, and you are like a man coming out of a dirty ditch. The more you compare yourself by the holy law of God, the more you bow down your head in shame.
Now look at Christ. Look back, and see that full, infinite atonement for your sins. Look in the sepulcher—it is empty. Look up above the highest heavens; He is there, raised from among the dead for your justification. God hath raised Him from the dead. It is quite true you could not acquire righteousness by the law, but Christ Jesus of God 66 is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Cor. 1:3030But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30).) Oh, weigh these words; they are God's words. It is of God that Christ Jesus is made unto us all we need, and all that God could bestow upon us in Christ. Have you found that you cannot make your peace with God by works of law? He has made peace by the blood of the cross. And mark, what He has done is as eternal as it is perfect—eternal life, eternal salvation, eternal redemption. And, believer, all is yours.
But, mere professor, beware! Are you still seeking righteousness by works of law? Then hearken: " Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." The proclamation of grace is this: " Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." Have you, as a lost sinner, believed this message from God? Then plainly your sins are forgiven, you are justified. And as clearly, if you are still seeking to be justified by the law of Moses, you do not believe God, and thus Christ shall profit you nothing.
And mark further, if you are justified, accounted righteous before God, by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, then, as to practical righteousness, it is not through the law you wait for the hope of righteousness, but " we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith"—the coming glory.
This brings us now to the two distinct principles of righteousness of walk—the walk of the justified. The one principle, so strongly denounced here, would place the believer “under the law,” as is said, as the rule of life, or walk. The other, according to this scripture, declares, " But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." Now this is a most serious question, as every true Christian earnestly desires a righteous, holy walk before God and man—not that he may become a child of God, justified from all things, but because he is one.
Now, what will avail, what will really serve us for a holy walk? Will the law help us? No; " For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love." If, then, we take the law as the rule of life, it cannot help us, as, in that case, we take the responsibility of keeping it perfectly. We fail, and it must curse us. If, on the other hand, we say we are not under it, and therefore at liberty to sin, surely that will not help us; and the flesh may take even such license. What will avail, then, for a holy walk? " Faith which worketh by love." But the law is not of faith, but on the principle of, " Do this." Just here the apostle thinks of the Galatians, and in the depths of his hearts love, he says, " Ye did run well; who did hinder you, that ye should not obey the truth?" How deeply he felt this! What would he feel now? This persuasion to put themselves under law was not of God, who had called them in grace. And how those words are fulfilled now. " A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." Is not this leaven the established religion of Christendom? Yea, the whole lump! He would they were even cut off which troubled the Galatians. He looks up to the Lord, and has confidence. And now he returns to the subject, and warns them against license. "Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this -Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." To love one's neighbor is the very opposite of all lust or self-seeking.
Here, then, are the two antagonistic principles as to walk—the Spirit and the flesh. " This I say, then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." The flesh is still there, and nothing can be more contrary the one to the other. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot [or, should not] do the things that ye would." They had received the Spirit, not by the works of law, but by the hearing of faith. They were now to walk in the Spirit. It was thus faith would work by love. The Spirit would set Christ before them. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit. It is not the flesh under law, but God the Spirit dwelling in us, bringing forth fruits that no law can condemn. The apostle does not fully develop this great truth here, as in Romans. He is chiefly occupied with their serious danger of getting under law, hence he says, " But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
And mark, this is not now in reference to justification, but of walk. The whole question here is walk. That teaching, then, which would lead the believer under law as a rule of life, or for walk, is not of the Spirit of God, and therefore can only be of Satan. This is very solemn, and accounts for the vehemence of the apostle. It is to go back from Christ and from the Spirit to Judaism. The works of the flesh are manifest; a sad list of them is given. What a picture of the human heart, of yours, and of the writer's! And " they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” And how is all this to be overcome—by being under the law? No, by walking in the Spirit; and then the fruit of the Spirit is also given. Yes, these are not the fruits of improved flesh, the old " I” but fruits of the Spirit—" love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." There is no law against these, surely, for they are of the Spirit.
They that are Christ's have not put the flesh under law to be tested again, but crucified it, accepted the judgment of the cross upon it, as utterly and irremediably corrupt. They do no longer reckon the old " I" to live. They have the new life, and " If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” This deep sense of grace will avoid all vain-glory, and provoking one another, and envying ones another. We are then exhorted to seek the restoration of one, should he fall, considering ourselves, lest we fall also.
There is also another principle of great moment, and that forbids all carelessness. " Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." To the Christian, then, how great the privilege and the power -to walk in the Spirit, to sow to the Spirit. " As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto all, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Precious privileges! These Judaizing teachers only wished to make a fair show in the flesh, in seeking to constrain believers to be circumcised. They did not keep the law themselves, but they delighted in persons being converted to their religion. To give up their ancient religion, and accept the cross of Christ, then, and always, brought persecution.
" But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." The cross had fully revealed what man is. There needed no further test. It had proved what the whole world was. But it had also revealed what God is, and God is love. That cross was the end of all man's religion. It was the end of the law. But such as cling to man's religion must, and do, persecute those who have found accomplished righteousness and eternal redemption by that work on the cross. It is the greatest foolishness to the world, and especially man's religious world, to have found all I need in that One crucified between two thieves. But so it is. Surely it is well to be baptized, it is well to break bread, it is well to do the will of the Lord: u but God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Let us behold the Lamb of God, and glory alone in Him. " For in Christ Jesus," again he repeats, "neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision"—but now mark another and important statement—" but a new creature." This is what the Christian is. " Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new, and all things are of God," &c. (2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17).) " Created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:1010For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10). The divine nature, as born of God, cannot practice sin. (1 John 3:99Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:9).) The flesh is not now under law, but set aside by the cross. There is no good in it under law, or not under law; neither availeth anything, " but a new creature." "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God."
Thus the question for walk is this: Are we walking by the rule of the law, the flesh still being tested; or by the rule of the new creation? If the latter, it is by the power of the Holy Ghost, and according to the gospel of Christ, the cross having utterly condemned all that is of the flesh. Thus we can truly say, " God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."
C. S.