Are you "under" law or do
you operate "out of" grace? Ask yourself this question - What
is my motivation for doing something good? Really, take a moment to think
about this question......
At the core, is my motivation rooted
in the past or is it looking to the future? Does it come from a place of giving
or an overflowing of something we already have or is it seeking something?
Are my "good" deeds ultimately a giving or a getting, are they
conditional or unconditional?
As an example, let's look at what we
all might see as the highest of possible "good" deeds, loving someone.
What's my reason for "loving" someone? Typical love, on
the surface, has the appearance of doing something for someone else, without
serving our self-interest. Love's ultimate desire is that the recipient
might be the beneficiary through my actions right?
In the early years of my
relationship with my wife, it's clear to see that I didn't know what true and
unconditional love was. So what was my basis for my love toward her?
If I'm honest, I loved her simply because she made me feel good about
myself. She was beautiful and funny! The way that she
"looked" and the things that she "did", made me feel good!
So as part of the conditional love game, I learned to do things for her
to demonstrate my "love" toward her so that she'd stick around and
make me feel good with her fun personality and good looks! Well I know
this sounds crass but truth be told, we did have strong chemistry and a great
time together but the underlying truth of what I've shared was true. My
love toward her was selfishly motivated. My actions toward her were
rooted in how she made me feel in return.
Unfortunately, we live in a world
characterized by this dilemma. Conditional based relationships are the
norm. If I do this then "X" might happen in return. A
slightly different way, if you don't do this for me, then I won't do that for
you. I would characterize this default human condition as "living
under law". And to be clear, I don't necessarily mean law in the
sense of biblical law but perhaps the law of man (his default mode of
operation). When I look out at humanity, I see very little difference
between unbelievers bound in their performance towards each other as I see in
believers working to put God in their debt. Both groups of people are
"under" what they feel they must do to "earn" what they
don't have (knowingly or unknowingly). Both are ultimately seeking to do
"good" for reasons that are self-serving by definitions of
"good" that they created.
The diagram below highlights the
mechanics of being "under law". The word "salvation"
could just as easily be replaced with nearly anything that the "me"
is lacking or needing. Let's take salvation for example. If a
person believes that salvation is either missing or incomplete, they will be
motivated to achieve it by whatever means they "believe" will attain
it. In this case, the person is consumed with trying to do
"good" things in order that they may either "earn" or
"keep" their salvation. Their motivation is rooted in what is
lacking (past) and their efforts (future) are targeted to try and secure
themselves now (present).
Do you see the viscous cycle one can get stuck in? It places the emphasis of everything they do upon themselves. The "me" becomes inwardly focused losing the ability to look up and look out at the relationships around them.
What does this look like in other
areas? If I do really good on this test, people will think I'm smart, if
I exercise a lot, people will think I'm good looking, if I drive a nice car,
people will think I have money, if I wear expensive clothes, people will think
I'm important, if I help someone, people will think I'm nice, if I make people
laugh, they will think I'm funny and on and on. At core are the feelings
of inadequacy, emptiness and low self-worth.
Because of this default condition of
being under law, there is this deep sense within that tells us we must earn
everything and if it can't be earned, it's cheap and cheap doesn't ascribe
value to me. The net result - I must try harder. Do you see the bondage
in this? Let's switch gears and see things from a whole new prospective!
Now let me contrast for a moment my initial, conditional, love for my wife, with that of my love toward my unborn child. For 9 months, this child was in our presence in one aspect but in another, was a world away. I couldn't see her, talk with her, play with her, she could only be imagined. But yet I developed a strong love for her and it was NOT based on anything she had done or would do. It wasn't based on looks, behavior, talent or anything that we typically ascribe value to. It was a genuine, unconditional love. Unexplainably, my love toward her was based on who's she was,... for she was mine! Perhaps, this was the first time I gained a glimpse and understanding of the behind the scenes working of unconditional love (at least from the opposite perspective). What I mean is the understanding of love completely disconnected from performance. The raw unconditionality of agape love.
As great as this love that we have
towards our children might be, it's but a drop in the bucket in comparison to
the love that our Creator has for us. The truth is that we are selfish by
default and that selfishness interferes with the foundational agape love we
have towards our children. By comparison, God's love is holy, perfect,
and completely void of any selfish aspects. God's love would go to any
length to prove itself to us. Even to the point of completely sacrificing
Himself, which He did in the likeness our own flesh that we might see and
believe in this powerful demonstration of His love for us.
When we begin to see and understand
our default nature of being under law (chasing our own apart from Him, a
sinner) and begin to hear and understand the truth of God's unconditional love
that was physically demonstrated for us 2,000 years ago, our hearts and minds
are opened to a place of belief and belief unto faith in Jesus.
In one of my all-time favorite
verses, Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul says "For by grace you
have been saved through faith, and that not
of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone
should boast." This verse screams loud and clear that salvation is
by grace (God's grace), it's a gift that can't be earned, it's NOT the result
of our deeds, and most importantly, its past tense for you have BEEN saved.
So that there is absolutely no confusion on the matter, Paul says twice
that's it's not of yourselves and not of works completely taking us and our
performance out of the equation! The only part we play is simply having
faith. Is that not completely freeing? It's like a gnat hitting the
windshield of your car! Is there anything the gnat can do to change the
trajectory and speed of the car? Absolutely not! Lay your tireless
efforts down, quit trying because it's not about what you have done or will do!
It's instead solely based on His glory, His character, His goodness and
what He did to secure your freedom.
Freedom from what? Freedom
from being "under" the law (biblical Old Testament law), freedom from
man's law, freedom from our past beliefs and lies, freedom from the
expectations of others, freedom from performance, freedom from religion and
even the freedom to fail! Yea, I know, this just doesn't add up with what
we've heard or what you've been told. Let's examine but a tip of the good
news iceberg:
FREEDOM IN CHRIST VERSES:
John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free,
you are truly free.
2 Corinthians 3:17
For the Lord is the Spirit, and
wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Galatians 5:13-14
For you have been called to live
in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to
satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in
love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your
neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that
Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened
again by a yoke of slavery (being UNDER law).
Ephesians 3:12
In him and through faith in him we
may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Acts 13:38-39
“Therefore, my friends, I want you
to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin,
a justification you were not able to obtain under the Law of Moses.
Colossians 1:21-22
Once you were alienated from God and
were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has
reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in
his sight, without blemish and free from accusation
(accusation of not living up to the law)
Romans 8:1-4
Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus
the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the
law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was
weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that
the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live
according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Isaiah 61:1-2
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is
on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the
captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the
year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to
comfort all who mourn.
We are no longer under law, but
through faith (not performance) in Christ, have been set free. So let's
go back to that original question. What's my motivation for doing
something good? To be honest, the question itself is flawed. The
word "motivation" is misleading as it implies a moving as a result of
pressure, a temporary action resulting from emotional encouragement, a call to
action based on a future benefit. Perhaps the better question is - What
is the source of my good works?
My "good works" are
instead, Christ, through my faith and fullness in Him, overflowing out of me.
This truth is beautifully described in John chapter 15 verse 5 through
the example of the grape vine, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He
who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do
nothing. A branch cannot bear fruit (good works) on its own.
Instead, the branch is the conduit through which the fruit flows from the
vine. This can only occur if the branch is connected to the vine.
In summary, we have looked at two different sources of good works. The first source was internally manufactured and its motivation was from a place of emptiness with a goal towards getting "something". The second source was external and was produced out of an abundance or overflow in the individual. The person operating under law is seeking by their own means to fill or earn what they know is lacking and is inwardly focused. The person living out of grace is so connected to the abundant life (Jesus) that it naturally spills out of them and they are externally focused.
Now make no mistake, the accuser
tries daily to place the believer who is living out of grace back into the
bondage of being under the law. This is why Paul tells us in Romans 12:2
that we are to continually renew our minds so that we might prove for ourselves
God's good and perfect will. How do we do that? By feasting on the
goodness of His word and letting the truth of who we ALREADY are displace the
lies that have previously filled our mind.
I am eternally and unconditionally
loved, not based on anything I have done but based squarely on who He is and
what He's done to demonstrate that love! That is Grace!
Selah
Side Note:
*If you are still not convinced of
the truth of this amazing grace, take the time to read the story of the
prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32. Pay special attention to the
father's reaction to both of his sons (both of which are at opposite ends of
the human spectrum, one in despair, the other in pride). The father’s
response is completely independent from both sons behavior. This story
is provided that we might see that wherever we find ourselves in the spectrum
from pride to despair and no matter how great or horrible our performance might
be, that our heavenly father sees and loves us all the same! He awaits
both you and me with arms wide open, ready to restore us to our original
identity at His table, as His child!
Grace - the only sustainable power
to change everything...
