To be or not to be!

(Romans 3:28) “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”

“To be or not to be?” Is a serious question and it covers many dimensions to our lives. We could make our way through every aspect of our lives checking the truth or false boxes off one at a time, but what would be the point? All this would achieve is an attitude of accusatorial or pardoning lifestyles. “To be guilty or not to be”? But as a dear brother recently said it would be good to take at least ten looks at the Lord Jesus to every look at ourselves. It is crucial that we make this reality our own. If not our itch keeps nagging away and the more we scratch the more it itches. The law will never be kept by the works of the law, that itch has no cure outside of Christ. I am slowly starting to comprehend what this actually means. It is Mammoth!  It can get very confusing along the way, if those teaching give out mixed messages. On the one hand we are told to abstain, and to put on the whole armour of God, which we must do daily. But we measure our maturity and at times take it somewhat further as we look to our own works for justification, proof that we are true believers. We know from scripture that a tree cannot produce both good and bad fruit from the same tree. And when that consideration begins to itch it can get very destructive if we start looking inwardly to the exclusion of the ten looks we should be taking at our glorious Saviour and His accomplishments.

It is the law then that accuses us of sin, so when we break it we think on the lines like this, I am guilty! If I was a good tree why would I fall in that area repeatedly? Surely this proves that I am not a true believer! Do we see the downward spiral as it now begins to spin out of control? Hopelessness and despair the order of the day and many are ensnared by this persisting lure. I should not behave like this, why did I do that again? What is wrong with me? Am I brain dead? “Like a dog back to his own vomit”.  

Now this may well be a truthful reflection in part to one’s life, but what pattern is clearly evident? Me, me, and me! It was impossible for those who lived under the law to pass its test without failure, and this included all from Adam to Christ. This was the reason why God sent His only begotten Son to pay the price for the sins of mankind; their inability to keep the law. He accomplished it and no one else! It has not changed now after Christ’s resurrection if we look to the law for justification. We are and will only ever be justified by His achievements. Why then do we now think we can do it without His help? It was impossible and it is still impossible! Let that begin to sink deep as it resonates once and for all as a permanent mindset. It cost Him his life back then to excuse our sin and we will forever need to be excused by His act of mercy into the future, with the worlds that are still to come, they too will know about His great feat. It will never be about what we accomplished but always about His accomplishment! Ten looks at Christ and then one look at self in retrospect, and not the other way around!

Remember the “ten lepers” all where healed but only one turn to the Lord Jesus thanking Him for His act of mercy, the other may have mentioned that He had healed them when asked by others, but it was by the by. It was not so with the Samaritan, he returned and fell at the Lord Jesus’ feet giving Him thanks and acknowledging Him as the one who had cleansed him, whilst the other who now were clean look to the priest (the law) for justification. I hope you see the difference clearly! We will never be justified by the law; “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (Romans 3:27-28)

The sooner we learn this the easier I believe it will be for all to take ten looks at the Lords accomplishment before we begin to look at ourselves for our own justification or disqualification. As a babe in Christ my life changed dramatically, I never gave much thought to the does and don’t that seem to now captivate my mind, all I knew that I had fallen in love with this great God, the Lord Jesus the One who died for my sins. My mind was engulfed with Him and not so much the law. Ten looks at Him to one look at self. Where did I begin to veer off course? Arrogance and pride no doubt playing their part!

We know that the law is good, but is was intended as a teacher to teach us that we are sinners and that because of our desperate state as sinners we needed help, we needed a Saviour, praise the name of Jesus! Now the world, all those who reject the work of Calvary still look to self-justification to be justified before a holy God. It is a futile exercise as it is impossible. Knowing this, why then do we still as Christians look for justification in what we do?

Remember it is at least ten looks at our great Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ before we take a look at ourselves. This I believe then will begin to re-kindle our first love if we have somewhat lost our way.

Signing off

Tyrone