The mixed covenant culture found in the church world has brought a wide variety of confusion among believers in Christ. As Gentiles who had come to faith in the early church, what were they instructed by the lovers of the law from the Jerusalem church who still believed the law was in effect? Even those elders shared that Gentiles were not to be troubled with keeping the law. What we fail to realize is there was no list of old rules given to the church from the law, because in Christ we have no relationship to that law from the former covenant because it was replaced with God's Spirit in us.
517. Dead to Religious Rules, Alive to God
As we recognize the identity of righteousness that belongs to us in Jesus Christ, we can put away our own efforts and rest in him. Before the cross, the Jewish people were in bondage to the Mosaic law as it demanded a perfection the people could not attain. Their works were based on pursuing their own righteousness because they did not understand God's righteousness. We are declared perfected, justified and sanctified. As the Apostle Paul stated, "For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God."
In this podcast we mentioned a couple of past episodes in which we talked about how sanctification is not a process, but is a part of who we are in Christ (our identity). Here they are:
506. The Gift of Sanctification
507. As Jesus Is, So Also Are We
In this podcast we mentioned a couple of past episodes in which we talked about how sanctification is not a process, but is a part of who we are in Christ (our identity). Here they are:
506. The Gift of Sanctification
507. As Jesus Is, So Also Are We
511. “Are You Saying People Can Do Whatever They Want?”
The position we have proclaimed that the ministry of the Spirit of grace has replaced the Old Covenant of death and condemnation, will frequently lead to the accusation that we are sending the message it's okay to sin. Covenant mixers instinctively assume if we have no list of rules to live by, it encourages people to run wild and that behavior doesn't matter. Since their own spiritual identity has been bound to following rules, they have a hard time understanding the freedom from law that came through Christ and the new heart and motivation of love that is found in Him. Our growth in grace will change our perspective and our desires.