“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Cor 4:18
I am convinced Christianity was never supposed to be a set of do’s and don’ts. It was meant to be a loving relationship with God our Father, Christ our brother and the Holy Spirit our helper. It was meant to be what Brother Lawrence calls “an habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with God.”1 We have the choice of what we decide to focus on. We decide how we will relate to God. Take a moment and ask yourself “Do I find myself trying get right before having time with God? Be honest! I think we all have that tendency. We can focus on self-righteousness (trying to keep the law in our own strength). Or we can focus on His Righteousness received through faith in Him. You see the law was given so that we would be aware of our sin and understand how far short of His righteousness we fall (Rom 5:20-21, 7:5-7, Gal 3:17-19). All sin is ultimately against Him, the Perfect One. God’s covenant with Abraham came 430 years before the law. Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness. “Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham” Gal 3:6. We are Abraham’s children (Gal 3:14). The law was only added to the covenant to make us aware of our sin. Here is the proof:
“So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Gal 3:24-29.
“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you an heir.” Gal 4:4-7.
So we were not created to study the law and focus on it (self-righteousness) but we are to have faith and focus on the Father and His righteousness. Scripture also bears this out (See Romans chapters 7 & 8). Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires and the law condemns them. Those who live by the Spirit have their minds set on God and faith justifies them with the very righteousness of God. So if we focus on the do’s and don’ts, we are missing the bigger picture of what God purchased for us. He purchased freedom from the tyranny of the law (the list of do’s and don’ts), so that we could focus on Him. His Spirit in us (Rom 8:9, John 14:17) calls out to the Father (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6). Let us focus on Him. Remember where your heart is there your treasure will be (Matt 6:21). Scripture shows us that if we focus on Him, He will make us like Him. Here are some Scriptures to help you set your focus.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” – Heb 12:1-2
“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” – Phil 3:7-9
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” – Phil 3:12-14
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” – Col
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Cor 4:18
“We live by faith, not by sight.” – 2 Cor 5:7
“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.” - 1 Cor 13:12
So the answer is not focusing in our inability to not sin or to focus in on the law (the list of do’s and don’ts) and how to keep it, but rather to focus ourselves on what He has promised us that we are and on His Nature (the thing we are trying to become like). Remember you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Consider also a person reaps what they sow. If you sow to the law you reap from the law and we know that the end of the law is death. But if we sow to the Spirit, we have eternal life (Gal 6:7-8). So, what does Scripture say about us? I challenge you take time sit down and read through these verses, study them, memorize them, and appropriate them as your new identity.
We are a new creation – 2 Cor 5:17
We are Sons (and Daughters) of God – Rom 8:15, 1 John 3:1, Eph 1:5, Gal 4:4-7, John 1:12, Luk 20:35-36
We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God – 1 Pet 2:9
We are Partakers in the divine nature – 2 Pet 1:4
We are citizens of heaven – Phil 3:20
We are seated with Christ in the Heavenly realms – Eph 2:6
We are friends of Jesus – John 15:15
We are prosperous and have a hope and a future – Jer 29:11
We are loved – Jer 31:3, John 15, Ps 103
We cannot be separated from His love – Rom 8:39
We are to experience the fullness of Christ and His love Eph 3:14ff
We are loved by the Father as much as He loves Jesus – John 17:23
We are God’s workmanship and He has good works lined up in advance for us to do – Eph 2:10
We are to do what Jesus did and greater – John 14:12
We are called to experience the fullness of God – Eph 3:19
We have been given all things that are the Father’s – John 16:14-15
If we are to become mature in Christ, we must embrace the truth God tells us about ourselves. We must acknowledge the truth about who we are now that we are adopted into His family. We have a new identity as His children. Unless we embrace that identity, we will never fully accomplish all He has setup for us to do. We must become the reigning Princes and Princesses of His kingdom and co-labor with Him for the establishment of His kingdom. We must appropriate (take as our own) all His great and precious promises through faith in Him and in His Word. Let us rise up saints and get to work about His business!
Oh Great and Mighty Father, Lover of our Souls, help us to believe in Your incredible gifts! You have given us a new identity; help us to embrace it as our own. You give us all that you have; help us to take You at Your Word. Help us to do the good works you have prepared in advanced for us to do. Help us to become the people of God You want us to be. Help us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds into the Holy Nation You have declared us to be. Help us to co-labor with you for the establishment of Your Kingdom! Amen!
Footnotes
1 Lawrence, Brother. The Practice of the Presence of God (Second Letter). From Meyers, Rick. E-Sword. Computer software. E-SWORD the Sword of the LORD with an Electronic Edge. Vers. 9.0.3. Web. <http://www.e-sword.net/>.
References
All Scriptures not specified are quoted from Life in the Spirit Study Bible (NIV). Stamps, Donald C., and John Wesley Adams. Life in the Spirit Study Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003. Print.
