The COMMANDMENTS (14)
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” — Romans 8:3-4
One more meditation must be added before we close out this series. We need first to contemplate the only One who ever fully met the requirement of the Law of God.
The Law is not discarded by the gospel, but it is fulfilled for us and in us in the person of our Savior, and faith in the Redeemer is the ground of our righteousness, not obedience to the regulations. As it is written, “For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth [Rom. 10:4].” Our hope rests not upon our works, but upon His finished work. Long before He came into the world Christ’s devotion to the Father and His will was revealed in Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” This is confirmed by the quotation of this text in Hebrews 10:7 and its specific application to the Savior. Following the incarnation His ministry confirms it. Jesus said, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work [Jn. 4:34].” Every natural appetite was subordinated to the will of the Father. Again, on the very threshold of the crucifixion, in the garden of Gethsemane He said in the hearing of His disciples, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me,” then “…he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt [Matt. 26:38-39].” Every natural instinct—in this case self-preservation—was sacrificed to the will of God. What a contrast between “the last Adam” and the first—and us!
And it is important to our study to note the relationship that prompted this dedication. It was a love relationship. “The father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into His hand [Jn. 3:35b].” “…The Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth… [Jn. 5:20a].” In wonderful contrast to the first Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ responded to the Father’s love—even when it required His death—with loving obedience.
That obedient love is the foundation of all our hope of eternal life, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us… [Titus 3:5].” We are redeemed and restored as a result, and called to love Him who first loved us, and on that ground to “keep His commandments,” not in order to be saved, but as an expression of appreciation for “so great salvation.” He said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it [Matt. 10:37].” In other words, nothing and no one should compete with our love for Christ and God. That will eventuate in our walking “not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” and so to fulfill the will of God. It was here that the ‘rich young ruler’ faltered.
We are saved by faith. Obedience does not save us, but demonstrates that we are saved and love Him who died for us and rose again. In the church today there is a great tendency to disconnect faith and love, but that will not stand the test of scripture. Love is the fulfilling of the Law (Rom. 13:10b) and “faith works by love.” “For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision (i.e. religious exercise); but faith which worketh by love [Gal 5:5-6].” Love is the dynamic of faith, and faith is the ground of our hope. “And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love [I Cor. 13:13]
“If you love Me, keep My commandments” —John 14:15
Not because we have to, but because we “delight” to!
"Pastor" Frasier
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