After writing the contemplation “Living as Heirs of God” yesterday, I had a further revelation of righteousness without the law—which is the core of the Gospel. When Adam entertained the first thought of being separated from his Father, he began to make laws for himself that he believed would help him regain his Father’s love and acceptance. He developed a conscience which constantly accused him for his inability to keeps those laws. He became afraid of His father, fearing His wrath and judgment.
In truth, God never stopped loving and never judged his beloved son which He had begotten in the beginning and was “well pleased” with—as the story of the prodigal son illustrates. God begot only that which was perfect and which remained perfect in his true identity. But the sense of alienation (which was only in his mind) caused man to be overshadowed by the belief that he was material being subject to material laws and that there was a power opposed to omnipotent God that he called the devil. This son of God who had been given dominion over all creation (Genesis 1:26) now became subject to his own carnal mind (to be carnally minded is death—Romans 8:6) and the false concept of creation produced by that mind.
In short, he was under the curse of the law (the ministration of death), from which he could not extricate himself. But his loving Father did not leave his beloved son in that “lifetime” of “bondage” to the “fear of death,” in the grip of his carnal mind (the “devil” who had “the power of death”). No, He took upon Himself that same “flesh and blood” (“sinful flesh”—Romans 8:3) and took it to the death of the cross (thereby fulfilling the law) which “destroyed” that “devil” (carnal mind that produced material humanity) (Hebrews 2:14-15). He became “sin for us that we might be the righteousness of God” (2Corinthians 5:21), the righteousness that is not of works but which is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9).
I know now that my Father’s love and approval has nothing to do with my performance (what I do or don’t do). If I am judged by my performance, then Christ “died in vain” (Galatians 2:21). I actually “nullify the grace of God” (ESV) if I attempt to please God by what I do or don’t do.
For the very first time, I can truly say that I don’t feel pressure to write to use my talent or fulfill my calling. I know that my Father is pleased with me because He begot me out of Himself, not for any other reason. I don’t feel guilty if I don’t write. Now my motivation for writing is not guilt or fear, but rather love, the love that has cast out the fear that brought me so much torment (1John 4:18). I know that I will not be judged by my Father even if I write what is not true; what I write may be judged, but I won’t be (1Corinthians 3:15).
Now I write because of the love that has been shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:5), the love for my Father who has given me the ability, the desire and the revelation to write, who, indeed, does the writing through me:
1Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
I write because I am so very thankful for the revelation my Father has given me, and I wish to share that revelation with those I love, even the people I don’t know yet. I want everyone to know the righteousness, peace and joy of living in the kingdom of heaven (Romans 14:17) which is available now. I want them to know God and what their relationship is to God, that they are his beloved offspring who can never be separated from His love.
When the motivation for my actions is love, not guilt and fear, I know that I have been delivered from the curse of the law and am fulfilling the greatest of all commandments—to love God and one another.