The Law is not Faith

Philippians 3 - - The Spiritual Mind  or  Things Can Rob Joy

Phil 3:2-7   "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."

In these verses, Paul's warnings to the Philippian church are about some very interesting things that can rob joy and he uses some interesting words.  Paul, who was a Jew, warns these Christians to beware of dogs.  The Jews of his day referred to Gentiles as dogs in the most derogatory way.  Think of Hitler referring to the Jews as dogs also.  Paul has MY attention, but who exactly is Paul warning about here?

Judaizers taught that it was essential to be circumcised as a part of salvation.  They were clinging to the ritualism of Judaism instead of making the shift to salvation and grace. Salvation plus anything is not pure salvation any more.  If you have a glass of milk and you pour in some water, you no longer have milk or water!  Paul was very serious about his warnings.  He did not want the Philippian church to be swayed into diluting salvation by re-adding parts of the Old Testament Law to the finished work of atonement by Christ on the cross.  He called these fellow Jews "dogs" because they were causing division and changing salvation.  When he calls these Judaizers part of the "concision" he is actually calling them "mutilators."  What they were teaching no longer has any bearing  on our faith.  They were giving people false confidence in their works.

We must remember who Paul was as we examine this teaching of leaving the Law and following grace.  Do not forget that he was a living legend in his time.  He was educated to the highest level available in Jewish Law.  He had devoted his life to enforcing the traditions of Judaism.  He was an amazing authority on what the Law said and how it was lived and he was an enforcer of that Law.

When Christ died on the cross and rose again the "church" was established and God's instructions were to stop the sacrifices and rituals that had been put in place for the Children of Israel.  Christ had taught the apostles how they would live by a new perspective of faith.  The saints of the Old Testament had been watching for Messiah to come, which is forward-facing.  The Children of Israel had been given the Law to follow when they left Egypt and needed structure and rules to govern themselves.  The Law brings a curse.  The believer is delivered from that curse through Christ, Who was made a curse for us.  The crucifixion brought Him under the curse of the Law as explained in Deuteronomy 21:23 "He that is hanged (on a tree) is accursed of God."  When Christ paid the highest penalty possible in His death, He became the complete sacrifice.  A lamb or bullock offered in sacrifice was a symbol of the person who had committed sin.  When an actual, sinless human died in our place for our sin there is no higher fulfillment of the Law!  His resurrection proved His power over death and testified to His deity.

Once the Law had been fulfilled like that, it no longer had any power or authority.  Galatians 3:22-29 explains "But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.  but before faith came, we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.  Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

It is impossible for any of us to keep every single part of the Law.  Galatians 3:10-11 says "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident for, The just shall live by faith."

It was hard for the Jews to accept this new backward-facing faith of trusting in the crucifixion and resurrection which were events of the past now.  And Paul understood the appeal of hanging onto the traditions and rules that allowed these early Christians to measure their obedience.  But of anyone, he was the one and only person whose resume, shall we say, qualified him to explain the restraints of the Law and the liberty of faith and grace.  

His warning is relevant to today.  We often find a measure of satisfaction in checking off our mental list of  "Christian" things to do.  We consider ourselves right with God if we are doing this and this and this.  There are commandments that we are to follow but what makes us right with God is our relationship with Him.  I am not happily married to my husband because I live in the same house and have children together or because I claim his name.  I am a happily married wife because I love my husband and I make choices to honor and please him.  We do things together that we both enjoy and we have the same purpose of serving our Lord.  It's not a list of things I do, but a relationship that I choose and nurture.  My faith is a choice that I make.  I chose long ago to forsake trying to behave according to the Law, and to instead live a life that is in Christ and trusting His sacrificial death to pay for my sins. Trying to live my life by a physical standard will rob me of the joy of a real relationship with God.

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