The Daily Christian Life – How Law Negatively Impacts Our Lives
Law has been something humans have always struggled with. Using law to justify themselves before God, make society better, or look good before others. Law at its essence is good, for it seeks to do what is righteous. Criminals are punished and the innocent are protected. However, in reality this does not work out that way. Criminal end up making laws that overlook or cover up their wickedness and the innocent are punished, there is no justice. The reason is that all humans have a corruption within them that negatively reacts to law. This is the same issue we face in our Christian life when we try to live by law.
So then indeed the law is holy, and the commandment is holy even righteous and good. – Romans 7:12
It is good, but the issue is our sin nature uses it against us.
For the sin [nature] taking opportunity through the commandment deceived me and through it (the commandment) it killed. – Romans 7:11
So, how do we overcome this and do what is right?
For sin will not rule you, for you are not under law but under grace. – Romans 6:14
God freed us from the law so that we could live in newness of spirit, not in the oldness of the letter
But now we have been rendered ineffective from the law, having died in which we were being held, so that we are slaves in newness of spirit and not to oldness of letter. – Romans 7:6
Because of this, if we obey His commandment we are free from law. He instructed us to love one another, referring to other Christians, as He has loved us. For by this others will know that we are His disciples, not by how we keep the law.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34,35
Whenever we put a negative law on ourselves it does not work out the way we expect it to. Take for example dieting. If you have ever been on a diet, you understand how difficult it can be, because diets are all about No. We cannot have certain things. What ends up happening in many cases is failure. Yes, some people are able to express self-control and maintain the diet, but it requires constant vigilance on their part. However, if we look at it with the intent of being health and determine what we were going to eat and do based upon that focus we would not have the struggle. Why, because our focus is on being, not abstaining. We want to be healthy, so what is going to get us to that goal. I can eat whatever I want, but does it help me get to my goal. Looking at change the lifestyle, not saying No.
When we deal with issues in our daily lives that conflict with our desire to live properly before God we need to come at them with an attitude of not looking at the do not, but looking at the being. I am a Saint. As one who is saved what actions in my life would manifest that? Rather than thinking about what not to do, today think about what you should be doing. Don’t use any negatives, only positive. What is the thing that I as a Christian should be doing in this situation? Now we do not want to stop there, that is, we will have desires we struggle with and need to put on the proper defenses against them that God has given us, but this is a really good place to start.
The Daily Christian Life – How We Frame Our Minds
There are a lot of things in this world the impact the way we frame our minds. From the place where we are born, to the country we live in, what job we have, and even what possesses we have. The World wants us to focus on its desires, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of biological life. Advertisement, social media, news, music are all designed to get us to frame our minds in a certain way. The reason for this is that our actions are a direct result of how we frame our minds, there is simply no way around this. One who is humble in the mind will be more reasonable as one who his prideful will be push and demand his or her way. This is why it is very import for the Christian to pay attention to what the mind is framed on.
The framing of the mind involves setting parameters or boundaries around what you perceive concerning yourself and the world around you. This is not so much what we think about all day, but the limits of what we allow our mind to consider in regards to our actions.
In Colossian, Paul writes that we are to have our minds framed on the things above.
Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of the God, frame your mind on the things above, not upon the things of the earth – Colossians 3:1, 2
Having a wrong frame of mind can lead us to wrong conclusions. Peter was rebuked by the Lord because he had wrong boundaries concerning the Christ (The Messiah).
But having turned He said to Peter, “Get behind me, advisory, you are a scandal to Me because you do not frame your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men” – Matthew 16:23
If we frame our minds of the flesh, we walk by the flesh, which produces death in our lives; however, if our mind is set on the things of the Spirit, we produce life and peace.
For the ones that are [walking] according to flesh, set their minds of the things of the flesh, but the ones [walking] according to Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh [is] death, but the mind set on the Spirit [is] life and peace. – Romans 8:5-6
Does our frame of mind line up with what God says about us?
Therefore, after being justified out from faith, we have peace towards God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast upon the hope from God’s proper opinion. – Romans 5:1-2
God says we are righteous before Him out from faith (Romans 1:17), God says we are His children (1 John 3:2), God says we are alive to Him in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:15,16; 6:17), God says we are no longer slaves to the sin nature (Romans 6:6), God says we live in the world but are not of the world (John 17:16).
Think on these things today and let them influence your actions throughout the day.
Philippians Overview Part 1
Only you live as a citizen in a worthy manner of the Gospel of the Christ, in order that whether I come and see you, or whether I depart, I will hear the things concerning you, that you stand in one spirit, one soul, while together contending in the faith of the Gospel. And do not be frightened ones in anything from the ones opposing, which to them on the one hand is proof of destruction, but on the other hand to you of salvation, and this from God, because to you it was graciously given on behalf of the Christ not only to believe in Him but also to suffer on behalf of Him, Philippians 1:27-29
No Longer Under a Tutor
As part of our salvation, we have been given a renewed mind (Romans 12:2), one that is not corrupted by our sin nature. This is a mind that can understand the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14-16). Therefore, we walk by the Spirit, not by law or the flesh (Galatians 5:16, 25). The Spirit is the one teaching us how to properly abide in Christ (1 John 2:27) and therefore live a life that shows a proper opinion of God through our actions, not words. We are not adopted children, we are legitimate children and should act as such in the midst of a corrupt and perverted generation, training our sensed to know what is proper and what is wrong so that our live are a luminary to those around us.
The Methods of Satan – Independence from God
Let us pay attention to what God wants in our lives, not the desires Satan present to us trying to get us to act independent. We can know the desirous will of God for us in any situation (Romans 12:2). Our life should not be focused on the things we have but, especially today as we draw near to the end, on fellowshipping with the saints (Hebrews 10:25). Find a good church, or group of saints, that has a pastor that cares about them. One that teaches the truth and shepherds the saints so they can grow in the grace of God and learn how to live out the salvation God has given them. That is what really matters in this life. We brought nothing in, we are taking nothing out. The only thing that is important in our lives is Christ in us.
I have been co-crucified with Christ, indeed I live, not I, but Christ lives in me and that life I now have in flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, the One loving me and delivered Himself over on my behalf – Galatians 2:20
Not Possible to be Renewed Again unto Repentance
Salvation is something that permanently impacts our lives. When we believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scripture, we are saved. This is not something that we can lose, destroy, or otherwise reject. Even when we turn our back on God, He is faithful and will not turn His on us.
For it is not inherently possible, the ones once enlightened, both tasting of the heavenly gift and having become a partner of the Holy Spirit, and both having tasted a good utterance from God and inherent ability of the coming age and after falling alongside, to be renewed unto repentance, again crucifying and publicly shaming for Himself the Son of God – Hebrews 6:4-6