Category Archives: Law

Bible, Following, Guilty, Law, Obedience, Scripture

CAN I GET A LITTLE HELP OVER HERE?

WE ALL NEED LAW GUIDES

ROMANS 2:14

“For when Gentiles who do not have the Law instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having the Law, are a law to themselves,”

No matter what state in the U.S. or country in the world you go to, there are laws that must be followed. When I travel out of the U.S., I am careful to follow the laws of the country I am visiting. I do not want to end up in jail somewhere for committing a crime I was not aware of. That’s why I stick close to those who know the laws of their country. They can keep me on the straight and narrow.

Paul continues his discussion of the futility of trying to gain justification through any law, whether that be a pagan law or the Jewish law. In today’s verse, he turns to the Gentiles who all had their unique laws which they followed. Albert Barnes gives this explanation of this verse, as well as the preceding and following verses. “The main point in the argument is, that if people are justified by the Law, their obedience must be entire and perfect; that this is not to be external only, or to consist in hearing or in acknowledging the justice of the Law; and that the Gentiles had an opportunity of illustrating this principle as well as the Jews, since they also had a law among themselves.”

APPLICATION

The word translated as “instinctively” is physis which means “the underlying constitution or make-up of someone (something).” That got me thinking. Shouldn’t we obey God’s law that way? Shouldn’t our obedience be natural? As followers of Christ, we should be constantly watching and imitating the One we are following. Just as He constantly obeys His Father, we should constantly obey Him.

Are you following God that way? Maybe you need a little help. Just like me when I visit another country, you may need someone to keep you out of trouble. In the ministry I’m a part of, we teach men the necessity of having allies to help them walk the path of purity and holiness. We need “law guides.” I am not saying we are under the law, but I am saying we need help keeping God’s commands.

The one mistake we make, especially as men, is trying to do it alone. We think we can handle it. We don’t want people in our business. But we need people. We need a family of believers who will call us and check on us. We need men who will pick us up and get us back on our feet (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). We need each other. Get yourself a “law guide,” an ally or someone who can hold you accountable and love you through the tough times.

Father, I know I can’t do this on my own. Thank You for people You have put in my life.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Freedom, Grace, Law, Lawlessness, Scripture

LAW LESS

ROMANS 2:12

“For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;”

There are some laws on the books in the U.S. that are just plain stupid. For instance, it’s against the law in Tennessee to tie yourself to a moving car (duh!). You also cannot lasso a fish in Tennessee. And my favorite – it is against the law in Memphis, TN to carry ice cream in your back pocket. Laws are meant to keep us safe and orderly, but some laws are just plain relics of the past.

To Paul, who knew the law well, it was a hopeless endeavor. All the laws “on the books” in Jewish life could not bring salvation. If you didn’t keep the law, you were doomed. If you tried to keep it but broke even one of them, you were doomed. It’s no wonder that Paul taught grace so much. He knew the old way was not working and never would.

APPLICATION

Either way you slice it, without obedience we are doomed. Those without any knowledge of God’s law are still held accountable for their sins. We see all through Scripture that God shows Himself in all of creation. The Gentiles Paul is addressing will be judged and damned based on their false god worship and blatant disregard for God’s commands and His Son.

The Jews will also be held accountable for rejecting the Messiah Who came to fulfill their law. Paul’s heart is still aching for them to come to Jesus, but he knows their attempts to please God in the law will fall short of salvation. Paul tried and failed as a Pharisee to keep the entire law. Perhaps that is why he reacted so violently against the early believers who followed Jesus. Maybe he was jealous of the freedom they achieved through Christ.

Are you ready? Are you holding to God’s commandments which are fulfilled through Jesus? He is the only way. In John 14:6 Jesus says, “‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” Stop trying to please God by “doing” things. Just “be” in Christ. He will give you all the power you need to please the Father in your obedient walk with Him.

Lord, I thank You for making me “Law less” in Your eyes. The law does not hold me anymore.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Gifts, Jesus, Law, Righteousness, Scripture

GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS

PHILIPPIANS 3:9

“and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,”

Sorry to have to tell you this, but you are not righteous – on your own. Neither am I, not even close. My late brother-in-law who was a pastor used to tell his congregation, “If I knew you like God knows you, I wouldn’t bother to come preach to you. And if you knew me like God knows me, you wouldn’t bother to come hear me.” In other words, our flesh is wicked. If we only knew each other’s hearts, we would be horrified.

But praise be to God, He has made a way for us to become righteous. See, Paul knew the futility of the flesh. He even says in Romans 3:10, “as it is written: ‘There is no righteous person, not even on;’” This is a thought shared in the Psalms in two places, 14:1-3 and 53:1-3. They both say there is no one who does good. Paul points us to the only, truly righteous person who ever walked this earth, Jesus Christ. He is the reason God can declare us as righteous.

APPLICATION

Righteousness is a term we see all throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew words tsedeq and tsedaqah are used to describe the moral and ethical standards expected by God. Topical Lexicon says, “These Hebrew terms provide the Old Testament background for the New Testament understanding of dikaiosyne, highlighting the continuity of God’s righteous standards and His provision for humanity’s right standing with Him through faith.”

Dikaiosyne which is the Greek word for “righteousness” is used almost 100 times in the New Testament. This is an important word for us to understand when it comes to our relationship with God. Take a look at Romans where Paul uses this word over 30 times. Righteousness does not come through keeping some set of rules or laws. It only comes from God as His gift to us having received His Son as our Savior and Lord.

Romans 5:17 calls righteousness a gift. I love that. A gift is something I do not obtain on my own merits. It is given freely by the gift giver. In this case, Jesus gave us the gift of salvation, thus ascribing to us His righteousness. He took on Himself the sins of the world in order for us to have the privilege of receiving this precious gift. We have to accept it. He won’t force it on us. Have you received this gift of righteousness through His Son?

Father, I know I am seen as righteous in Your eyes only because of what Your Son has done for me.

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Bible, Law, Power, Scripture, Sin

THROWN IN NEUTRAL

EPHESIANS 2:15

“by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace;”

Have you ever driven a manual transmission vehicle? You know, a stick shift. I grew up driving my dad’s three-on-the-column manual transmission pickup. I loved that truck and wanted to buy it from him, but he sold it to someone else. Occasionally that truck would get stuck in neutral. You’d be driving down the road and shift from first to second or from third to second and the mechanism that control the shift would get stuck in neutral. All you could do is coast to the side of the road, get out, raise the hood, yank on the mechanism to loosen it and then start off again. Vehicles in neutral won’t go anywhere. They have been made idle.

The Greek word translated as “abolished” is katargeó, which means to “idle down, rendering something inert (‘completely inoperative’); i.e. being of no effect (totally without force, completely brought down)” (HELPS Word Studies). When Christ came, He rendered the law as powerless. The source of all the hostility between the Jews and the Gentiles now had no power to cause that enmity. They were now one in Christ.

APPLICATION

Over in Romans 6:6, Paul tells us the same thing happens to our sin nature. “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;” When will we realize that sin has no power over us any longer? We can’t use the excuse that we just couldn’t help ourselves. Yes, we can.

1 Corinthians 15:26 says that death will be neutralized one day. “The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” One day there will be no more death. Christ will rule and reign in a New Kingdom here on earth. As believers in Christ, we will be right there with Him. There is no fear in physical death for a believer because we know that our life is really in the hands of the Master.

I am not saying we should sit around in neutral. No! We have work to do until He comes. There are souls to save. There is kingdom work to do. But don’t let the law, don’t let sin rule and reign over you. They are powerless. Christ has rendered both neutral. Now just shift gears with Jesus.

I am thankful that my power does not come from anywhere but You, Lord. 

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Accountability, Bible, Choices, Circumcision, Commands, Disciples, Following, God's Will, Heart, Holiness, Law, Scripture

FOLLOW THE RULE

GALATIANS 6:16

“And all who will follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”

Are you a rule follower? I guess I am for the most part. I have to admit, I don’t always drive the speed limit. Other than that, I guess I follow the rules of law in our country. I pay my taxes. I don’t commit any crimes. I am just so glad I don’t have to worry about following a long list of rules set down by God. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do follow His commands set forth in Scripture as best I can. But I am free in Christ.

So, what is Paul talking about here – “all who will follow this rule”? What rule? The Greek word translated as “rule” is kanon, which means a measuring rod, usually a cane or reed used as a standard of measure. Paul expected believers to keep themselves holy. That was the measuring rod. It wasn’t about keeping the law. It was about obeying God. What is God’s standard? Holiness. Paul says when we do that, we will have peace and mercy and prove ourselves as the true Israel of God.

APPLICATION

Psalm 51:16-17 gives us a clear picture of what God expects of us. “16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.” This is the “rule” Paul is referring to. God isn’t concerned with gathering a bunch of rule followers. He wants sincere followers of Christ.

Paul probably had the words of Jeremiah ringing through his mind as he talked about circumcision and rules. Jeremiah 4:4 says, “‘Circumcise yourselves to the LORD and remove the foreskins of your hearts, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,’” It wasn’t about the physical. It was all about the spiritual. Our hearts need to bear the mark of Jesus. We don’t need to bear a physical mark on our bodies.

So, let me ask you again, are you a rule follower? I pray you are. I pray you are following the rule set forth by God. Turn to His Son, Jesus, and let Him give you a new heart. If you have done that, then walk in Him. Surrender your heart to Him afresh each and every day. Amen? Amen!

Lord, I am thankful I have been considered worthy to be one of Your followers because of Jesus.

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Admonished, Battles, Bible, Circumcision, Enemies, Grace, Law, Obedience, Scripture

NO EASY WAY TO SAY THIS

GALATIANS 5:12

“I wish that those who are troubling you would even emasculate themselves.”

There are times when we are dealing with difficult people that we wish they could see themselves as we see them. We wish they could feel the hurt they are inflicting on us or others. I am not saying that is a right or godly thought. I am just speaking the truth. Most of us have felt that way before. If they could just get a dose of their own medicine. Am I right?

Well, I can’t say that I can read the mind of Paul, but it almost seems he is feeling this way in today’s verse towards those people who were trying to put the Galatians back under the law, especially the law of circumcision. Scholars debate the meaning of this verse widely. Some say it says just what you think it says, that Paul wishes those people would castrate themselves. In other words, that they would go beyond circumcision and mutilate themselves. Other scholars say the Greek words here imply that he wishes they would separate themselves from the church and go their own way. Whatever Paul meant, he wanted these Judaizers out of the life of these Galatians because they were causing trouble.

APPLICATION

Okay Carl, let’s see you apply this verse to our life. Thanks for the challenge, lol. In Book 4 of the Every Man A Warrior curriculum, we deal with Purity. In fact, book 4 is entitled Every Man A Pure Warrior. One of the skills we practice in that book is amputation. Yep, amputation. We teach men to cut off those things in their life that are leading them in an impure lifestyle. That may include cutting people out of your life who lead you astray. I like what Paul says in Philippians 3:2, “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;” Even in Philippi Paul was dealing with these people who wanted to put others up under this false teaching.

Anyone who wants to put you under the law needs to be held at arm’s length. Do not let them influence you in your spiritual journey. Remember, Paul has been preaching freedom through this entire letter to the Galatians. Don’t think those people only lived back then. We have people just like that today who are members of our churches. They have their own list of do’s and don’ts for you to adhere to.

So, what do you do? How do you live in such an environment. You saturate yourself with the Word of God. You let it direct you. All we need is Jesus. He gives us everything we need. You need not add one thing to what He requires – acceptance of His grace. Amen? Now go live free!

Lord, forgive me when I put things on myself that I think make me more spiritual. All I need is You.  

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Belief, Bible, Bread, Corruption, Law, Leaven, Scripture, Sin

A LITTLE LEAVEN

GALATIANS 5:9

“A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.”

Anyone who has been around baking knows the effects of leaven. Leaven “is a broad term that encompasses any agent used to make dough rise or create a similar effect on baked goods.” It doesn’t take much to get the action started. And it takes a little time to see the effects. That’s why bread is rolled, kneaded and then usually put in a pan, covered and set aside for the leaven to work.

Paul, using this well well-known proverb, is warning the Galatians that it doesn’t take much to corrupt. Being a former Pharisee, Paul knew the laws about leaven. He had probably instructed people on how to rid their homes of leaven during the season of Passover. Every little speck of leaven had to be removed to cleanse the home. In the same way, every little thing that diverted them from living the grace life had the ability to grow and become a bigger obstacle.

APPLICATION

In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, Paul writes, “6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let’s celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Can you see the symbolism in that passage? This is what Paul is talking about in Galatians 5:9.

Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 16:5-12 something about this. He warned them about the leaven of the Pharisees. Verse 5-6 read, “5 And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 And Jesus said to them, ‘Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” In verse 12 we see His meaning. “Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

You see, anything that takes our eyes off of loving and serving Jesus can be considered leaven, a force to corrupt. We do not need any rule or law to be secure in Christ. We just have to place our trust in Him and Him alone. If anyone tries to add anything to this, it is leaven. And a little leaven will corrupt the whole loaf. Don’t forget that.

Father, help me to keep the leaven of life out of my spiritual journey.

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Abiding, Bible, Choices, Comfort, Commands, Decisions, Following, Grace, Law, Scripture

CASTING OUT

GALATIANS 4:30

“But what does the Scripture say? ‘DRIVE OUT THE SLAVE WOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE SLAVE WOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.’”

In our recent move from Chattanooga to Knoxville, my wife and I did some “casting out.” We got rid of furniture that would not fit in our new home. We got rid of clothes that we had not worn or did not fit anymore (I will not say why, lol). And we cast out household stuff that we just did not have room for anymore. All these things didn’t  make the cut, so to speak. Downsizing meant things had to go.

Paul quotes Genesis 21:10 in today’s verse. I mentioned 21:9 yesterday in my blog. Paul continues the story of Ishmael and Isaac (Hagar and Sarah) and uses this story to point out why the old law could not coexist with the grace of Christ. There was no room for the old way in their new faith. It just did not fit. Paul was not rejecting the Jewish people. He was rejecting what those Jewish believers were trying to insert into their faith in Christ.

APPLICATION

Before you get all self-righteous and say, I would never do that, you might better check out your way of living in Jesus. Do you demand people do certain things? Do you put your church’s traditions above doing what the Word says? What does God require of us? We are told that in Micah 6:8, “He has told you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” We don’t need a bunch of rules and regulations to tell us to do that.

I noticed a bottle the other day on my desk. Can you make out the name on it? It says “Purity.” It’s a brand of eyeglass cleaner my eye doctor gives to her patients. Don’t you wish we had a spiritual eyeglass cleaner so we could see more clearly. Oh wait, we do! He’s called the Holy Spirit. If we will just listen to Him, He will tell us what to keep and what to cast out, how to live pure lives.

As you go through your spiritual closet, look for those things that just don’t fit God’s Word. Look for the old, worn out excuses you have hanging up that you continue to put on every day. Throw out those things that hold you back from living the victorious Christian life. You will be all the better for it, He promises.

O Lord, I want to have only what will draw me closer to You.

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Bible, Different, Freedom, Law, Scripture

NOT LIKE THE OTHER

GALATIANS 4:25

“Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is enslaved with her children.”

When my children were small, they loved to watch Sesame Street. One of the little jingles they played along with a teaching moment was “One of these things is not like the other, One of these things is not the same…” I can still hear that tune in my head. It helped the kids recognize like images or pictures and to notice differences. A simple but needed skill.

Unlike Sesame Street, Paul is not pointing out differences in today’s verse. In fact, he is doing just the opposite. He is telling us Hagar represents Mount Sinai (the place the law was given to Moses by God) and that “corresponds to the present Jerusalem.” The Greek word for “corresponds” only occurs here and means to file in rank with, to march together. In other words, they were in lockstep, inseparable.

APPLICATION

In Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, he says this about the name “Hagar.” “…the Arabians according to Paul (who had formerly dwelt among them, Galatians 1:17) called the rocky Mount Sinai by a name similar in sound to הגר ( i.e. rock)…” Here’s a little math formula for you: Hagar = rock = Mount Sinai = Jerusalem = the Law = slavery. That is essentially what Paul is saying here and in Galatians 4:21-31.

We don’t want to be like that, do we? Romans 6:14 says, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace.” I love what the author of Hebrews (whom I personally believe was either Paul or Barnabas) says in Hebrews 10:1. “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the form of those things itself, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually every year, make those who approach perfect.”

Praise be to God! We are not like Hagar or like Mount Sinai or like Jerusalem or like the Law. One of these things is not like the other – that’s us in Christ. We are no longer bound to the things of the law. We are no longer required to keep all those rules and offer meaningless sacrifices. We are free in Jesus.

Lord, thank You for making me different than others and declaring me free in Jesus. 

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Allegory, Bible, Chains, Devil, Encouragement, Freedom, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Law, Scripture, Slaves

ALLEGORY PART 1 – HAGAR

GALATIANS 4:24

“This is speaking allegorically, for these women are two covenants: one coming from Mount Sinai giving birth to children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar.”

I have to admit that I am not a grammatical genius. If you have read many of my blogs, you have probably already figured that out. Right? So, I looked up the definition of allegory. “It is a figurative sentence or discourse, in which the principal object is described by another subject resembling it in its properties and circumstances.” – Webster. Thank you, Mr. Webster! I am sure we all understand it now.

Paul tells us plainly that he is going to be speaking “allegorically.” This Greek word is only used one time in the New Testament. It literally means to speak publicly something other than. Paul is going to be comparing the story of Hagar and Sarah, Ishmael and Isaac to our slavery to sin and our freedom in Christ. This allegory is not to imply in any way that the Old Testament story is not true. You can use an historical truth allegorically to make a point, which is what Paul has done here.

APPLICATION

Now that I have bored you to tears with the English lesson on allegories, how do we use today’s verse in our lives? Well, let’s focus on the topic of this first part of the allegory – Hagar. Who was she? She was a servant girl of Sarah’s. But she was more than a servant. She had been given to Abraham by Sarah to try to conceive a child which would satisfy God’s promise to give then a child. God never instructed them to do this. They just decided to “help God along.”

This first part of the allegory isn’t very encouraging. Hagar and Ishmael represent slavery to sin. Even after Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, she was still a servant. Nothing had changed. You and I are slaves to sin until we come to Jesus. We have no power to resist. We have no way to escape the devil’s schemes. There is no hope. We can’t “perform” our way out of sin. We have to have the chains broken.

Praise be to God we have a “chain-breaker.” He is Jesus, the Righteous One. He is the One to whom we run for freedom. Paul is so aware of this. He now sees how bound to sin he was while he was under the law, which is also represented by Hagar. Paul wants these Galatians to be free in Christ, not bound to the law. In the same way, God wants us to be free in Jesus. Are you free today?

Lord, I am thankful You gifted men like Paul to write under the inspiration of the Spirit to give us these truths.

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