I SAMUEL 14:31 – “AND THEY SMOTE THE PHILISTINES THAT DAY FROM MICHMASH TO AIJALON: AND THE PEOPLE WERE VERY FAINT.”

The diagram is:

1. (Vs. 27) There are those today who, like happy Jonathan, live and fight alongside God, and whose Faith in Him leads them so far ahead on the Celestial Road that they neither hear nor heed the senseless laws that poor men holding official office in Christendom make.

2. (Vs. 28) Unscriptural laws made by religious men tend only to make the people “faint.”

3. (Vs. 29) Saul’s laws brought disaster to the land. This disaster was the incompleteness of the victory, owing to the people being too exhausted to continue the pursuit. Once again, senseless religious laws, which have no Scriptural foundation, only tend to hinder the victory.

4. (Vs. 30) Unscriptural religious laws only hinder faith, they never help!

5. (Vs. 31) Insinuates that a much greater victory could have been brought about, were it not for Saul. As a Believer, we can be a hindrance or we can be a help.

SENSELESS RELIGIOUS LAWS

As we have stated, religious men love to make religious laws, and they love to attempt to force other people to keep those laws.

The question should be asked, under the New Covenant, are there laws that Believers should keep?

In a word, no!

There are definitely Laws under the New Covenant; however, they pertain to the Plan of God. For instance, there is the “Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2). This is the most powerful Law in the universe, and was devised by the Godhead sometime in eternity past. It is the only Law that is able to overcome, the “Law of Sin and Death,” found in the same Verse. As well, there is the “Law of God,” which is the Moral Law ensconced in the Ten Commandments (Rom. 7:22). Of course, the question begs to be asked, aren’t we as Christians supposed to keep the Moral Law?

Yes, but in reality, that’s not the question. The question is, “How is it to be kept?” I’ll deal with that momentarily!

As well, there is the “Law of my mind,” which is the Law of desire and willpower (Rom. 7:23).

The Believer doesn’t have to worry about any of these Laws, if he is faithfully functioning in the “Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.”

This Law pertains to the Holy Spirit and how He works. The short phrase “in Christ Jesus,” as Paul uses the term, or one of its many derivatives, such as “in Christ,” etc., always, and without exception, refers to Christ and what He did at the Cross, all on our behalf (Rom. 6:3-5). For this Law to work for the Believer, the Believer must ever make the Cross of Christ the Object of his Faith. Making certain that this is done and on a constant basis, to be sure, the Holy Spirit, Who works exclusively within the Finished Work of Christ, will work mightily on behalf of the Believer. This is the only way that He will work, and the only way that we can walk in Victory, and I mean Victory over the “Law of Sin and Death.”

HOW DOES THE BELIEVER KEEP THE TEN

COMMANDMENTS?

 

As is obvious, the Ten Commandments are the moral part of the Law of Moses. Jesus fully and totally kept every aspect of that Law in His earthly Life and Ministry, failing not even one time. He, as well, addressed the broken Law, which was incumbent upon every Believer who had ever been born, and did so by giving Himself in Sacrifice on the Cross, which God the Father accepted and, thereby, the debt was forever paid. Paul said this,

“Blotting out the handwriting of Ordinances that was against us (pertains to the Law of Moses, which was God’s standard of Righteousness that man could not reach), which was contrary to us (Law is against us, simply because we are unable to keep its precepts, no matter how hard we try), and took it out of the way (refers to the penalty of the Law being removed), nailing it to His Cross (the Law with its decrees was abolished in Christ’s Death, as if Crucified with Him)” (Col. 2:14).

Due to what Christ did at the Cross, in one sense, and according to this Verse, the Law is in a sense dead, at least that’s the way it is to be with the Believer. However, if the Believer in any manner, resorts to law, and I speak of laws made up by men, etc., he will find that the Law of old will have a resurrection and fast and, as well, will then finger its victim so to speak, with all of the attendant guilt. In other words, the Believer is never to function according to law, but always under Grace. As stated, if we function under law at all, despite the fact that we are Believers, there will be a resurrection of law and then law will do with us what law is supposed to do, which is to condemn.

The Believer stays clear of the law, by evidencing his Faith exclusively in Christ and what Christ has done at the Cross. That being done, the law will have no claim on the Believer, and will remain dead to the Believer (Rom. 7:1-3).

So, once again we ask the question, is not the Moral Law of God incumbent upon modern Believers?

Again we answer, yes! However, if the Believer sets out to keep that Moral Law by trying to obey Commandments, he will find once again that failure will be the result, even with all of its condemnation, because that’s the wrong way to address the problem.

Man is unable to keep the Law of God. There has never been a single human being other than Christ who has succeeded in that task. Even Believers, who are close to God, within themselves, cannot keep that Law. That’s the reason that the Holy Spirit is not happy at all when we attempt to do something that we cannot do, and at the same time, what Jesus has already done, and did it on our behalf. Considering the price that Christ has paid that all of this may be properly addressed, don’t you think it is very disconcerting to our Lord for us to attempt to contradict what He has done, and which He Alone could do?!

The Believer keeps the Law of God, and we speak of the Moral Law, and does so perfectly, when he places his Faith exclusively in Christ and what Christ has done for us at the Cross, and keeps his Faith in that Finished Work. Then and then alone can the Moral Law be kept and it’s then kept because the Holy Spirit sees to it that the Victory is ours, and it is ours, I might hurriedly state, because of what Christ did at the Cross, and by that means alone.

Concerning this very thing, Paul also said the following.

CHRIST LIVES IN ME

“I am Crucified with Christ (as the Foundation of all Victory; Paul, here, takes us back to Rom. 6:3-5): nevertheless I live (have new life); yet not I (not by my own strength and ability), but Christ lives in me (by virtue of me dying with Him on the Cross, and being raised with Him in Newness of Life): and the life which I now live in the flesh (my daily walk before God) I live by the Faith of the Son of God (the Cross is ever the Object of my Faith), Who loved me, and gave Himself for me (which is the only way that I could be Saved)” (Gal. 2:20).

If it is to be noticed, Paul used the term several times, “The Faith of Jesus Christ,” and “by the Faith of Christ,” and “the Faith of the Son of God” (Gal. 2:16, 20).

What does the term mean?

The words “the Faith,” are used by Paul in the same sense as “the Cross,” and both are actually synonyms used to explain the entirety of the Redemption Plan of God. In other words, these two short phrases are so used, in that they stand for the entire concept of Christianity. Individuals know what you’re talking about when either phrase is used. It is not speaking of Christ having Faith, but rather, the Faith that is made possible by Christ, and what He did for us at the Cross, in which we are to register our belief system at all times, and in totality.

FRUSTRATING THE GRACE OF GOD

In essence, Paul tells us that if our Faith is in anything except Christ and the Cross (I am Crucified with Christ), then we will frustrate the Grace of God. The Apostle said,

“I do not frustrate the Grace of God (if we make anything other than the Cross of Christ the Object of our Faith, we frustrate the Grace of God, which means we stop its action, and the Holy Spirit will no longer help us): for if Righteousness come by the Law (any type of Law), then Christ is dead in vain. (If I can successfully live for the Lord by any means other than Faith in Christ and the Cross, then the Death of Christ was a waste)” (Gal. 2:21).

HOW DOES ONE FRUSTRATE THE GRACE OF GOD?

Let’s see what Grace actually is.

Grace is simply the “Goodness of God” extended to undeserving Saints. It’s the good things that God gives us that come from His Own Person, which we cannot obtain any other way except that He would freely, and does freely, give it.

We receive this Grace, and do so in an uninterrupted flow, by placing our Faith exclusively in Christ and what Christ did at the Cross. When we as Believers, who have been Saved by Grace through Faith, place our faith in something other than the Cross of Christ, this frustrates the Grace of God, which hinders or even stops its flow, which spells spiritual disaster for the Believer.

If, in fact, we as Believers could effect our Sanctification, could effect Victory, could overcome Satan, and could be what we ought to be in Christ, by any means other than the Cross, then Jesus died needlessly on that Cross. And to be sure, it should be understood, and understood in totality, He did not die needlessly on that Cross. He came to go to the Cross, and did go to the Cross, simply because what had to be done, we could not do for ourselves.

WHEN WILL THE CHURCH UNDERSTAND THAT WITHIN OURSELVES WE CANNOT DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?

Yet, whenever the Church (various preachers) comes out with a new fad, irrespective as to what it is, and I speak of that which is other than the Cross, the Church flocks to it as if it is Manna from Heaven. The truth is it is anything but.

In my lifetime I can recall any number of fads or schemes that have been popular. Some are still attempting to effect the work in our lives, but all to no avail.

When Frances and I started in Evangelistic Work back in the 1950’s, the great rage at that time was the casting of demons out of Christians. If a Christian had a problem with temper, then he had a temper demon and it needed to be cast out. If he had a problem with lust, then he had a lust demon, and it needed to be cast out. If he had problems with anything, then that meant that he had a demon concerning that particular situation and needed to go to a preacher who understood these things, with the demon spirit being expelled, and then Victory coming to the individual.

In those years of long ago, I did not understand the Cross as it regards Sanctification, but I knew that the problems Christians were having were not caused by demon possession. To be sure, demon spirits most definitely may have been involved, as they always are as it relates to sin, but the truth is, no Christian can be demon possessed. Demon oppressed, yes, but demon possessed, no!

At any rate, Christians were lining up at particular Churches to have various demons cast out of them, which was supposed to solve their problems. It didn’t then, and it doesn’t now.

Back in the early 1990’s the “Promise Keepers” came into being. This was supposed to build godly homes and godly marriages, etc. Most of the Church world fell for it, but all to no avail. Whether understood or not, these were promises which were made in the flesh, consequently, could not be kept.

And then, the “Holy Laughter” thing hit the Church in the early 1990’s. Christians were rolling around over the floor giggling hysterically for hours at a time. This was supposed to bring about great victory. It didn’t!

As well, back in those years the “Buddy System” came into vogue. This referred to the claim that every Believer needed to have a close buddy, to whom they could confide, and then both of them together could claim victory over various problems, etc. All of that came from humanistic psychology.

And then somewhere in the mid 1990’s, the “Family Curse” made its debut. This was the claim that Christians were having problems simply because their great-grandfather did something terrible, and now that curse is passed down to them. Never mind that they became new creations when they were Saved, with old things passed away and all things becoming new; still, Christians were lining up and some still are, to have a preacher who is supposed to understand these things, break this curse over them, etc.

Is there such a thing as a family curse?

Yes, there is. In fact, there are all kinds of curses on the human race. However, as stated, when a person gets Saved that curse is totally and completely broken. Concerning curses, the Scripture plainly says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law (He did so on the Cross), being made a curse for us (He took the penalty of the Law, which was death): for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (Deut. 21:22-23):

“That the Blessing of Abraham (Justification by Faith) might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ (what He did at the Cross); that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith. (All sin was atoned at the Cross which lifted the sin debt from believing man, making it possible for the Holy Spirit to come into the life of the Believer and abide there forever [Gal. 3:13-14])” (Jn. 14:16-17).

And then a few decades ago, the “Confession Message” made its debut, and took the Church by storm. This simply meant that if the Christian has a problem of any kind, he should find two or three Scriptures in the Bible, memorize them, and then quote them over and over again, which causes God to move, etc.

It’s very good for all Christians to memorize Scriptures, and to quote them, which I do constantly, but when we claim that this is the avenue to victory, we are then turning such into “works,” which the Holy Spirit can never honor.

For the last several decades, almost the entirety of the Church world, at least the United States and Canada, has opted for humanistic psychology as the throughway to life and living. Regrettably, the Church has embraced this nefarious system, a system incidentally which was conceived by Satan, and has done so in totality. In truth, the list is long, with the latest craze being “The Purpose Driven Life,” and the “Government of Twelve,” etc.

All of these things we’ve named, plus scores we haven’t named, all constitute man trying to do for himself what he cannot do.

THE CROSS OF CHRIST, THE ONLY AVENUE

OF VICTORY

There is no victory outside of the Cross! There is no overcoming power outside of the Cross! There is no way out of the bondage of Law except by the Cross. Listen again to Paul,

“But this man (this Priest, Christ Jesus), after He had offered One Sacrifice for sins forever (speaks of the Cross), sat down on the Right Hand of God (refers to the great contrast with the Priests under the Levitical system, who never sat down because their work was never completed; the Work of Christ was a ‘Finished Work,’ and needed no repetition);

“From henceforth expecting till His Enemies be made His Footstool. (These enemies are Satan and all the fallen angels and demon spirits, plus all who follow Satan.)

“For by one Offering He has perfected forever them who are Sanctified. (Everything one needs is found in the Cross [Gal. 6:14].)

“Whereof the Holy Spirit also is a witness to us (a witness to the Cross): for after that He had said before (refers to the fact that the Holy Spirit has always witnessed to the veracity of the Finished Work of Christ),

“This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days (proclaims its distinctive feature as being the Sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit Who would be caused to take up His permanent Abode in the Believer, all made possible by the Cross), says the Lord, I will put My Laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them (the work of the New Covenant, which accompanies the Born-Again experience);

“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.  (He has taken them all away, and did so by the Cross.)

“Now where remission of these is (with all sins atoned, the argument is settled), there is no more Offering for sin.  (No more offering is necessary, for Christ paid it all)” (Heb. 10:12-18).

SIN IS THE PROBLEM!

Many Christians will read this, and will disavow that their problem is sin, and because they’ve been told such; however, the truth is, the problem is sin. Whatever manner and whatever way it may come, or whatever label may be placed on it, the truth is, as it regards Believers, the problem is sin, or more particularly, the sin nature, which most Believers do not understand (Rom. 6:1-14).

As we’ve already said in this Volume, the entirety of the Sixth Chapter of Romans as given by the Holy Spirit through Paul tells us how to have Victory over sin, i.e., “the sin nature.”  If the Believer doesn’t understand this Chapter, then the Believer does not understand how to walk in Victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

(Please see our Commentary on Romans, which will explain this subject to a far greater degree and, as well, our Study Guide entitled, “The Sin Nature, The Cross of Christ Series.”)

The Church has become very adept at claiming the problem as being something other than sin. So, if the definition of the problem can be changed, and it has been changed, then the solution, which alone is the Cross of Christ, can be changed. And that’s exactly what the modern church is doing.

It is disavowing that the problem is sin and, thereby, it doesn’t have to embrace the only solution for sin, which is the Cross. But, let the reader understand the following:

Whatever label you want to put on it, whatever description you might embrace, the problem is sin. And the only answer and solution to that problem, and I mean the only answer, is the Cross of Christ, and our Faith in that Finished Work.