Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 112
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life Ministries
International
Littleton, Colorado
Notice: this email is part of a
BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”. Why a blog? So that many can receive the weekly thoughts
I express on Michael’s writings in an easy manner
There is so much truth in this day’s writing. It will be difficult to say one thing is more
important than another…or, that one thing is more often dealt with than
another. One issue surfaces very quickly: the problem addressed doesn’t play
favorites…it will enslave an unbelieving believer as quickly as it will an
unbeliever.
But,
read on and find some observations by Michael that lead to deliverance from
this dilemma, and or bondage…
DAY 257
The
Battle of Romans 7
For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law.
--Romans 3:28
What does this
passage mean to you? Many
are beating themselves up over their sin, so much so that I assume they live
under the Law. It is obvious that they believe they are justified by behavior.
Abraham understood the secret: without faith, the Law cannot be birthed. Without first believing in God,
Abraham would never have received the commands of God. I would not
listen to any of the commands of the Hindu gods simply because I do not believe
they exist. Law without
faith gives birth to sin. For example, if I believe in the love of God,
knowing full well that all He tells me is for my good, I will easily and
readily keep the command to bless those who curse me. It is simple. However, if I do not believe in the love
of God, I will read the command to bless those who curse, realize that I do not
do that, never believe that it is for my good, and find a way around the
command, saying, “I do not have to love them! Why should I? They have gone too
far.” The Law that was to bless me (if birthed in faith, in the love of
God) now becomes the thing by which I am condemned; the Law, without faith, will always give birth to
sin. It is easy to see how Abraham was walking in the greater way of
faith; even without the Law he was justified. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as
righteousness. Sweeter words were never spoken.
I determined long ago to spend my time in the love of
God and not in the Law. As I have discovered the love of God, the command has
been found to be easy. In fact, I refuse to listen to the Law
unless it is in the context of faith in Him and His love. The Law is good if
birthed in faith, and moving deeply into the faith of Jesus brings a higher
life than living in the Law, for faith in Jesus will lead to an expression of exactly Jesus.
Amazing! Without the Law,
sin is dead (Romans 7:8). Sin counts on man’s boastful pride that leads
to attempting to keep the Law without faith. This accounts for why there is so
much immorality in legalistic churches, where the emphasis is on performance,
and little or nothing is said of faith.
A dating couple comes
to the office stating they have been sleeping together and are under great
condemnation. Is the solution to have them stop? If they stop because of the command without believing in
the Love of God that gave the command, they will continue to struggle and “slip
up.” If they see the Love of God in the command and believe in Him who gives
the command, the struggle will cease. If a child is told that by working
he will obtain a bicycle, and the child believes the parent, the work will be a
great joy. But what if the child does not believe the parent? Will the work be
done grudgingly or with joy? If the child were never given the promise, he would
not be working grudgingly, which is sin. In the end, that child would be better
off had he never heard the promise.
The problem is
simple: the Law was given to
men of faith, and men of unbelief have attempted to keep it--which they cannot
do, for Law is birthed in faith—and the result is sin and condemnation. In this light Romans 7 becomes
quite clear; the battle described is not the battle of the old man against the
new man, or a battle that exists before conversion or after conversion. It
is describing an absolute
battle between faith and Law, a battle that includes the unbeliever (going to hell) and the unbelieving believer
(going to heaven). At any time, either the unbeliever or the unbelieving
believer can perceive in his mind the Law of God and want to keep it, for he
knows that it is good. Yet because
of lack of belief in God, the person is divided, his entire being cannot keep
the Law, and the end result is sin and condemnation. Do not think that the way out
is recommitment, harder work, rededication, vows, knowledge, or strength; the
way out is faith in Jesus. “So then it does not depend on the man who
wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy” (Romans 9:16). The
Gentiles have pursued the promise by faith and gotten it, but the Jews sought
by Law and lost it. “For with the heart man believes, resulting in
righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans
10:10).
Where do you begin in your struggle? Stop fighting the
Law and start confessing Jesus with your mouth each day.
Before you go to sleep, do not let your thoughts end at the Law you have not
kept. Instead, let your thoughts end at Jesus, in whom you believe. This brings
us to the final hiccup! Security
only comes in faith, regardless of whether you are a Calvinist or an Armenian.
These two camps become one under the Law, because to attempt to find security
in works will only bring about insecurity. Read Romans 7 and think of it differently; Paul is
talking about living in the Law and how impossible it is to live so. The Law
reveals what you did not know was sin, and then it does not give you the power
to obey. After the knowledge, you find yourself doing the very thing you
do not want to do. This passage applies to all that live by the Law.
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
I
love Michael’s first words…”many are beating themselves up over their sin, so
much so that I assume they live under the Law.
It is obvious that they believe they are justified by behavior.” Wow! I
see the same in those who want to say, “I thought (Bubba) got saved, but he
hasn’t quit drinking (or, smoking, cussing, cheating, etc.).” Really?!?!?!?!? Then Michael’s next observation says it all:
“It is obvious that they believe they are justified by behavior.” What else could we ascertain???
But,
Michael gives us several things to take away from all this:
1.
(Michael tells us one of his
focuses) “I determined long ago to spend
my time in
the love of God and not the Law.”
2. Faith in Jesus will lead to an expression of
exactly Jesus.
3. If they see the Love of God in
the command and believe in Him who gives the
command, the struggle will
cease.
4. Romans 7 is not about a battle
of the old man against the new man, but between
faith and Law.
5. Stop fighting the Law and
start confessing Jesus with your mouth each day.
6. Sadly, all those trying to
keep the Law have not come to grips with the truth that
no matter what the Law
reveals as sin…it does not give you the power to obey.
7. Only Jesus gives that power
through faith in Him to keep the Law through us.
So, Michael gives us adequate scriptural and practical insight to leave
any focus on the Law and keep our eyes
on Jesus and the love of God. Everything
else is a walk of unbelief.
To access ALL past weekly
blogs, go to Living
Life With a Capital “C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com
Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
leemccm@gmail.com
P. O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches, Tx 75963 936-559-5696
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