Doing What We Ought

In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace [be] on them, and mercy. (KJV Galatians 6)

For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. (NAS)

It seems so natural, comfortable and “faith” building – to trust in keeping a set of rules. After all, if we follow the rules don’t we then feel more secure in our salvation? Most of us have certain rules we have been encouraged to embrace to be Christians in good standing. Here are some I’ve heard advocated: “Pray and read your Bible every day”, “Don’t raise your hands to worship God in public”, “Raise your hands to praise God”, “You must use special wording for a baptism to be valid”, “You must be baptized by a priest or someone authorized by the church”, “You must not speak in tongues.”, “If you are truly saved, you will speak in tongues.”, “Take communion from a single cup”, “Have an individual cup for each person”, “A woman must keep silent during Bible Class”, “Pray before every meal”, “Don’t pray in public”, “Don’t pray before a meal” and on into an infinity of rules. But, wait a minute. God through Jesus has nailed the rule book to the cross.

Anytime we begin to depend on our ability to keep rules as a sign of righteous living, correct worship, or genuine salvation, we are forgetting that we are to go beyond learning rules or new tricks. Just as it impossible to teach a dog enough tricks and rules for him to be mistaken for a child, so it impossible for us to be a child of God by trying to look like or act like one. The only way for us to be a child of God is to be a new creation quickened and led by the indwelling Holy Spirit (see Romans 8:1-16).

We should examine the foundation of our faith. Is our foundation resting on rules and regulations? This is like building on sand and our faith will not stand a big storm. Jesus said we must hear and do what He taught. But, there’s a catch here. The catch is that it is impossible to do what He taught unless we have His nature, His Spirit and His power. In other words, we must be a son of God just as He is. The only way to be a son of God is to acknowledge that we are sinners, accept that Jesus has paid the price for our Sin, and be baptized with the Holy Spirit. No supposed baptism is real unless the Old Man is really buried and a New Man (a son of God) is raised to new life in Jesus. So, having received Jesus’ Spirit into our inner man, let’s leave behind the worries and burdens of rules and regulations and walk in the joy and freedom of God’s Spirit. By His Spirit, we are freed and empowered to love fully and thus do what we ought.

May God, our Father, grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
• to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;
• so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith;
• and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
• may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
• that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God. (Ephesians)