Law vs. Spirit: Two Ways to Live
In Sunday's message from Romans 7:1-6, The New Way, we discussed the difference between living by the law vs. living by the Spirit. Here is a summary of the comparison.
This is the Creekstone message from Jan. 29, "Substantial Healing," from Romans 6:15-23.
What if there were a decision to be made that would affect every other decision you make today? There is. Find out more from this past Sunday's message from Romans 6:12-14, "The Daily Decision."
Here is the audio and the notes for yesterday's Creekstone message. If you are a regular, then you know that what we are learning in Romans 6 is juicy red meat (or for you veggies, a massive salad). So, if you have missed a message or two, get caught up in one of two ways: (1) visit iTunes (just search "Creekstone Church") for our podcasts or (2) go to the Creekstone website. Have a great week, and I hope to see you Sunday!
In case you missed it, here is the sermon audio (including notes) from the message this past Sunday on Romans 5:20-6:4. Here we begin making a transition from understanding the grace-foundations of our justification to experiencing the grace-dynamics of our sanctification. So we are at a hinge in the letter of Romans—a hinge that will make union with Jesus all the more significant and glorious. The Christian life really is ALL of grace, from what God does for us to what he does in us.
In my study today for Sunday's message, I came across a statement in The Reformation Study Bible that I found helpful for those of us entrusted with preaching and teaching. Concerning Romans 6:1-14, the study note says, “So great was [Paul’s] emphasis on the freeness of God’s grace in the face of sin that his preaching had been accused of antinomian tendencies, or ignoring the ethical requirements of the law.” In view of that statement, if my preaching does not evoke a similar charge, I may not be preaching the true gospel of free grace. What a joy, blessing and honor it would be to have even this one thing in common with the apostle. So preachers, let's seek this accusation and be glad that we finally have begun to shine enough light on the cross that our teaching becomes well distinguished from any form of religious moralism. Yet let us also not become proud of the accusations, lest we fail to show how God's work for us in justification provides the new grace-compelled motive and Spirit-fueled power for God's work in us through sanctification. After all, saving and enabling grace are both the work of God and magnify the glory of God.
Today I had lunch with a friend who made a comment that rocked me. He said something to the effect, "The key to sanctification is learning to get used to my justification." That idea really struck me: I am called to get used to being the recipient of extravagant grace. I am called to get used to the fact that I have been fully forgiven, declared totally righteous and am dearly loved as a son. I am called to let that sink in and define me. But to be honest, it is so hard getting used to extravagant grace. I continually feel as if I need to merit God's favor or earn his approval or do pennance when I've blown it so that I can be on God's good side again. However, the cross tells me that there is nothing I can do to improve my status with God and nothing I can do to diminish it. Because of the gospel, I am on God's good side—forever. I am forgiven, righteous and loved—and all by grace. Period. Believing (i.e., getting used to that) is the calling of the gospel in my life every day. Grace. Period. Get used to it!
Francis Schaeffer, in one of my all-time favorite books, True Spirituality, says,
“I'm convinced…that this is when we begin to make our forward steps as Christians: When I know through experience that I can lay hold of Christ's blood by faith to cover my sins this morning, and then to cover my sins this afternoon, even if they're the same sins—when I know this, the preciousness of Christ's blood becomes a tremendous reality, I begin to live in the light of His presence and in the light of His work—not just in the past or in the future, but in the present.”
On Monday, Kristy and I had our monthly "marriage maintenance" phone appointment with our World Harvest mentor/gospel discipler, Stu Batstone. As I was expressing my frustration with how often I seemed to run into a wall in sanctification (2 steps forward and 3, 4, 5 or more steps back... and feeling totally unsaved), he shared an illustration that he had heard from Skip Ryan a while back about how our hearts are like continents that are comprised of various regions, all which are in need of God's transforming grace. Upon conversion, the gospel establishes a beach head on the continent and much celebration ensues among those first converted.
