Jun
04
2012
Did The Law Die For Me?
Did the Law ever love me? Did the Law ever sacrifice itself for me? Did the Law ever die for me? On the contrary, it accuses me, it frightens me, it drives me crazy. Somebody else saved me from the Law, from sin and death unto eternal life. That Somebody is the Son of God (Who loved me and gave Himself for me). Hence, Christ is no Moses, no tyrant, no lawgiver, but the Giver of grace, the Savior, full of mercy….. Visualize Christ in these His true colors. I do not say that it is easy. Even in the present diffusion of the Gospel light, I have much trouble to see Christ as Paul portrays Him. So deeply has the diseased opinion that Christ is a lawgiver sunk into my bones. You younger men are a good deal better off than we who are old. You have never become infected with the nefarious errors on which I suckled all my youth, until at the mention of the name of Christ I shivered with fear. You, I say, who are young may learn to know Christ in all His sweetness. For Christ is Joy and Sweetness to a broken heart. Christ is a Lover of poor sinners and such a Lover that He gave Himself for us. Now if this is true, and it is true, then are we never justified by our own righteousness.
–Martin Luther
58 Comments
Susanne, Thanks for sharing about your experience. When I read of the spirit breezing over your soul it is lovely and i am jealous. I want to have that experience. I wait for it sometimes (when I am mad or upset) but if it doesn’t come then? Am I not a believer then? I don’ t know? it is all very confusing. I feel I go ten steps forward here and then suddenly, 12 steps back. Oh well. Not giving up! Clinging to His hem, even haphazardly, still…..Where else can we go? He alone has the Words of eternal life. Amen.
@ confused again
At first, let me tell you that you are indeed a believer, otherwise you wouldn’t be interested in the Lord at all. Also, it seems to me that you’ve already made your own experiences with the Lord, didn’t you? However, I think this is a really good question, to ask what’s wrong when we are waiting for the Lord, that is longing for feeling His love – holistically in a sensual and erotic way – ‘but if it doesn’t come then?’
Just trying to explain it briefly worded…
As soon as one has received the Lord, that is being baptized with the Holy Spirit by Jesus (cf. Mt 3:11, Lk 3:16), he/she is His ‘possession’. From this time onward the Lord is not only our leader, but also the owner of our spirit and soul. Moreover, He can also take possession of our bodies if He pleases, for it is written: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?” (1 Cor 6:15)…That implies that God who is both jealous and possessive won’t go sharing His Bride with unclean spirits, since “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us” (James 4:5). With this in mind, one can easily grasp why the Bible so often warns us about sexual immorality (e.g. Rom 13:13, 1 Cor 5:1, 1 Cor 5:11, 1 Cor 6:18, Gal 5:19, Eph 5:3, Col 3:5, 1 Thess 4:3, and many other Scriptures).
Right at the beginning, this is a very confusing though wonderful experience because the Lord never asks whether we ‘welcome’ His Love or not; until there’s love, enjoy it. When it’s all over, it’s over. Jesus is visiting His Bride whenever He pleases, even in very unusual circumstances.
If you are not prepared for such a moment – and I’m afraid you will never be – you might object, “Sorry, but this body is my possession. Could You please come later at a more appropriate time?” Forget it, since if you find yourself desiring desperately to feel His presence in your own body as well, that is you need Him to comfort and hold you, He often won’t let you feel what you want (or at least rarely). He is Lord!! Although I know that He is the only one that truly makes me happy…The Lord knows that I am still struggling with His ‘surprise visits’ til the present day.
I hope this helps a wee little bit…
Blessings,
Susanne
Any one out there know where this Luther quote comes from? Thanks!
Alright! I’m not a Luther expert but I’m indebted to him due to this special resource, that is the Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians (here on Gal 2:20), where Luther explained the “for me” part of the Scripture…It’s just some words about what Christ has done and really had to do for us, which serve only to remind me/us of His righteousness we need ‘under all circumstances’, since we have none on our own, and of His indeed undying love for us and its expression in His death on the cross. If I had more time, that would be the only thing which I’d like to redo, i.e. to read this commentary once again.
I just the commentary at the library. I shall begin reading it soon. I wonder, ahead of time, though, if it is not mostly written to believers? Or unbelievers? I think this distinction needs to be made. I just (re) did a word study in the NT … how many times we are called ‘sinners’ and how many times we are called ‘saints’ or ‘the beloved’. I wonder if you all can guess the answer? I truthfully found only one reference where it seems that a believer (Paul himself) is called a sinner. (1 Tim 1:15,16)
God’s inspired Word.
Going with that today.
Blessings!
A saved Saint…..
“Saints.” Yes, I think that is the key. The word literally is ‘holy ones,’ coming from the same word that we get “sanctify” and “sanctification.” The process of sanctification is not about “making ourselves more righteous,” because that is impossible, and we are as ‘positionally’ righteous or sanctified as we will ever be because that is based on Christ’s work for us. It is true that we do not have any righteousness of our own merit. Which is why it is so important to not only to revel in the righteousness that has been imputed to us, but live in a such a way that we reflect His: “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:20-21)
“Set apart as holy, ready for every good work.” That is where the walk in light of His revealed will comes in. This “burden is light,” as Jesus put it, because obedience to His commandments are now the conscious outworking of God working in us (Phil 2:12-13), and the joyful response to His Lordship and our ‘sainthood.’ Rather than basking in the result of our gracious state as the end-all, that spiritual joy continues to flow into our joyful work for Him: “Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:9-11)
“Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:9-11)
This is so true. Without obedience we are sinners who, if we earnestly repent, will be justified again due to the Lord’s faithfulness. If we refuse to obey Him…nothing feels right, it is like being caught up in the dark, being nervous, restless, and no longer feeling any joy.
I think, this must have been the very feelings of our progenitors when they had fallen into sin, since Adam and Eve knew His love they had lost as well, but maybe not to the same extent as we do through the Resurrection life of the indwelling Spirit.
And it is always the Holy Spirit who pushes us, gently, back into the light, until there are no problems at all, and we can go on walking as children of light, or in other words, as God’s sanctified and beloved sons and daughters.
matthew 5:17….in Jesus words…”I have come not to do away with the law, but i have come to fulfill the law.”
My question is….was the OT laws in Jesus when he died on the cross…or does the fulfilling of the law and Jesus death have any connections….
thanks and stay blessed in Jesus