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THE THREE ERRORS

In the Epistle to the Galatians the Holy Spirit through Paul meets and answers the three great errors into which in different degrees, theological systems have fallen.

The course of this demonstration is like the resistless march of an armed host. Nothing can stand before it. The reasonings of ancient and modern legalists are scattered like the chaff of the summer threshing floor.

We have, most of us, been reared and now live under the influence of Galatianism. Protestant theology, alas, is for the most part, thoroughly Galatianized, in that neither law nor grace are given their distinct and separated places, as in the counsels of God, but are mingled together in one incoherent system. The law is no longer, as in the Divine intent, a ministration of death (2 Corinthians 3:7), of cursing (Galatians 3:10), of conviction (Romans 3:19), because we are taught that we must try to keep it, and that by Divine help we may. Nor, on the other hand, does grace bring us blessed deliverance from the dominion of sin, for we are kept under the law as a rule of life despite the plain declaration, "Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14).

THE FIRST ERROR

The Spirit first meets the contention that justification is partly by law works and partly by faith through grace (Galatians 2:5 to 3:24).

The steps are:

1. Even the Jews, who are not like the Gentiles, hopeless, "and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12), but already in covenant relations with God, even they, "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 2:15,16), have believed; "for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

2. The law has executed its sentence upon the believer (Galatians 2:19); death has freed him. Identified with Christ’s death by faith, he, in the reckoning of God, died with Christ (Romans 6:3-10; 7:4).

3. But righteousness is by faith, not by law (Galatians 2:21).

4. The Holy Spirit is given to faith, not law-works (Galatians 3:1-9).

5. "As many as are of the works of the law are under the curse" — and the reason is given: "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Galatians 3:10). The law, then, cannot "help", but can only do its great and necessary work of condemnation (Romans 3:19,20; 2 Corinthians 3:7,9; Galatians 3:19; James 2:10).

Elsewhere (Romans 5:1-5) the Spirit, by the same Apostle, sums up the results of justification by faith with every semblance of human merit carefully excluded. Grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, has brought the believer into peace with God, a standing in grace, and assured hope of glory. Tribulation can but serve to develop in him new graces. The very love that saved him through grace now fills his heart; the Holy Spirit is given him, and he joys in God. And all by grace, through faith!

THE SECOND ERROR

The Spirit next meets and refutes the second great error concerning the relations of law and grace — the notion that the believer, though assuredly justified by faith through grace wholly without law-works, is, after justification, put under law as a rule of life.

This is the current form of the Galatian error. From Luther down, Protestantism has consistently held to justification by faith through grace. Most inconsistently Protestant theology has held to the second form of Galatianism.

An entire section of the Epistle to the Romans, and two chapters of Galatians are devoted to the refutation of this error, and to the setting forth of the true rule of the believer’s life. Romans 6, 7, 8, and Galatians 4 and 5, set forth the new Gospel of the believer’s standing in grace. Romans 6:14 states the new principle: "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

The Apostle is not here speaking of the justification of a sinner, but of the deliverance of a saint from the dominion of indwelling sin. In Galatians, after showing that the law had been to the Jew like the pedagogue in a Greek or Roman household, a ruler of children in their nonage (Galatians 3:23,24) the Apostle says explicitly (ver. 25), "But after that faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (pedagogue).

No evasion is possible here. The pedagogue is the law (3:24); faith justifies; but the faith which justifies also ends the rule of the pedagogue. Modern theology says that after justification we are under the pedagogue. Here is a clear issue, an absolute contradiction between the Word of God and theology. Which do you side with?

Equally futile is the timorous gloss that this whole profound discussion in Romans and Galatians relates to the ceremonial law. No Gentile could observe the ceremonial law. Even the Jews, since the destruction of the temple, A.D. 70, have not found it possible to keep the ceremonial law except in a few particulars of diet. It is not the ceremonial law which says, "Thou shalt not covet" (comp. Romans 7:7-9). The believer is separated by death and resurrection from Mosaism (Romans 6:3-15; 7:1-6; Galatians 4:19-31). The fact remains immutable that to God he is, as to the law, an executed criminal. Justice has been completely vindicated, an it is no longer possible even to bring an accusation against him (Romans 8:33,34).

It is not possible to know Gospel liberty, or Gospel holiness, until this great fundamental truth is clearly, bravely grasped. One may be a Christian and a worthy and useful man, and be still under bondage to the law, but one can never have deliverance from the dominion of sin, nor know the true blessedness and rest of the Gospel and remain under the law. Therefore, once more, note that it is death which has broken the connection between the believer and the law. "The law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth" (Romans 7:1). "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held" (Romans 7:6). Nothing can be clearer.

But I hasten to add that there is a mere carnal and fleshly way of looking at our deliverance from the law, which is most unscriptural, and I am persuaded, most dishonoring to God. It consists in rejoicing in a supposed deliverance from the principle of Divine authority over the life — a deliverance into mere self-will and lawlessness.

The true ground of rejoicing is quite other than this. The truth is, a Christian may get on after a sort under law as a rule of life. Not apprehending that the law is anything more than an ideal, he feels a kind of pious complacency in "consenting unto the law that it is good," and more or less languidly hoping that in the future he may succeed better in keeping it than in the past. So treated, the law is wholly robbed of its terror. Like a sword carefully fastened in its scabbard, the law no longer cuts into the conscience. It is forgotten that the law offers absolutely but two alternatives exact obedience, always, in all things, or a curse. There is no third voice.

"Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Galatians 3:10; James 2:10).

The law has but one voice:

"What things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God" (Romans 3:19).

The law, in other words, never says: "Try to do better next time." Of this the antinomian legalist seems entirely unaware.

THE TRUE CHRISTIAN LIFE

And now we are ready to turn from the negative to the positive side to the secret of a holy and victorious walk under grace. We shall find the principle and the power of that walk defined in Galatians 5:16-24. The principle of the walk is briefly stated:

"Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).

The Spirit is shown in Galatians in a threefold way. First, He is received by the hearing of faith (Galatians 3:2). When the Galatians believed they received the Spirit. To what end? The legalists make little of the Spirit. Though they talk much of "power" in connection with the Spirit, it is power for service which chiefly occupies them. Of His sovereign rights, of His blessed enabling in the inner life, there is scant apprehension. But it is precisely there that the Biblical emphasis falls. In Romans, for example, the Spirit is not even mentioned until we have a justified sinner trying to keep the law, utterly defeated in that attempt by the flesh, the "law in his members," and crying out, not for help, but for deliverance (Romans 7:15-24). Then the Spirit is brought in with, Oh, what marvelous results!

"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).

Not the Apostle’s effort under the law, nor even the Spirit’s help in that effort, but the might of the indwelling Spirit alone, breaks the power of indwelling sin (Galatians 5:16-18).

You ask, and necessarily at this point, what is it to walk in the Spirit? The answer is in Galatians 5:18: "If ye be led of the Spirit." But how else may we be led of Him save by yieldedness to His sway? There is a wonderful sensitiveness in the blessed Spirit’s love. He will not act in and over our lives by way of almightiness, forcing us into conformity. That is why "yield" is the great word of Romans 6, where it is expressly said that we are not under the law, but under grace.