Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
Every person born into the earth is born under law. That truth is confirmed to us in the above quoted passage of scripture. This same passage reveals to us that the Lord Jesus was also born under the law, and the reason given is so that He could redeem those who were under the law. So what does it mean to be born under law? We have already seen that because Adam was born under law that he had no access to grace, which resulted in him incurring spiritual death when he committed sin. And so we see that because we are born under law we also do not have access to grace, and just like Adam, when we commit sin we incur the same penalty that Adam did, i.e. we incur spiritual death.
Deuteronomy 1:39 “Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it.”
We have seen thus far that everyone born into the earth is born under law, but scripture also teaches us that every person born into the earth is born of God, i.e. their spirits come from God, for God is the Father of spirits (Hebrews 12:9). And so we see that all children are spiritually alive to God. As children grow up they all begin to commit sin and there are two reasons for that. Firstly, their bodies are inherited from Adam and contain the sin virus, and so their flesh influences them to commit sin. Secondly, they are corrupted by the sin that is in this world. While they are children however the sin that they commit has no effect on their spirits, i.e. their spirits remain alive to God. The reason for that is because as revealed to us in the above quoted passage of scripture, God views children as having no knowledge of good and evil. And so because they have no knowledge of good and evil God does not hold them accountable for sin. On their thirteenth birthday however things change, for from that day onward God holds them accountable for their sin because He no longer sees them as children. And so because they have been born under law and have no access to grace, any sin that they commit on that day causes their spirits to instantly die and they become separated from the life of God.
Romans 7:9 “I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.”
In the passage of scripture quoted above the apostle Paul tells us that there was a time in his life when his spirit was alive when he was without law. Paul was without law when he was still a child, before God held him accountable for his sin. Paul goes on to say that in the day that God held him accountable for sin for the first time, his spirit died. And so just like Adam, because Paul was born under law and had no access to grace, his spirit died when he committed sin. And so it is for this reason that we need to be born-again, for we were all once born of God but our spirits died on our thirteenth birthdays when we sinned and thus we need to be born-again. This truth obviously excludes those who have already given their lives to the Lord before their thirteenth birthday, for they are already born-again. It also excludes those who do not mature mentally, i.e. due to mental illness for example, for their spirits never die because, just like children, God does not hold them accountable for their sins.
Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
The apostle Peter teaches us that God in His abundant mercy has begotten us again (1 Peter 1:3). And so we see that when we are born-again, that once again our spirits are made alive unto God. This time there is a difference however, for this time we are made alive together with Christ and we have become new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), because of which we have become partakers of His grace. In the passage of scripture quoted above the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul teaches us that as believers in Christ we are not under law but under grace. So why is it important for those who are born-again to be under grace and not under law? The answer is sin, for if we remained under law then the moment we committed sin after we are born-again our spirits would die, and we cannot be born-again, again. Nevertheless because we are under grace and no longer under law, when we as believers commit sin our spirits are not affected, i.e. they do not die and they remain alive in Christ.
1 Corinthians 5:5 “deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
The question is asked; because grace keeps the spirits of believers alive when they commit sin does that mean that believers can continue in sin. The answer to that question is categorically no, because there is a limit to grace in this area (Romans 6:1-2). The above quoted passage of scripture illustrates this truth to us. Because the apostle Paul understood the truth about believers’ spirits not being affected by sin because they are under grace, he condemned this unrepentant believer to physical death. The context of this passage is that this believer was living in adultery and refused to repent of his lifestyle. And so Paul knew that even though this believer would die while living in sin that his spirit would still be saved. So why did Paul take this particular course of action? The reason is because Paul knew that grace in this area has its limits, and that if he and the elders of the church at Corinth did not intervene in this believers life then God’s grace would eventually be withdrawn and this believer would commit the sin to death, i.e. his spirit would die once again (1 John 5:16). And so rather than allowing this believer to continue in sin, Paul ended his physical life so that his eternal life would remain intact.
Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (8) For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the spirit will of the spirit reap everlasting life.”
As revealed to us in the above quoted passage of scripture God is not mocked, and those believers who abuse this area of grace and continue to live in sin will eventually reap spiritual death as the wages for their sin. In this passage the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul is warning believers, He is not speaking to unbelievers. Nevertheless for those believers who do not use grace as an opportunity for their flesh, but rather endeavor to walk a life that is pleasing to the Lord, this area of grace remains in place throughout their lives. And even if they do commit sin from time to time their spirits remain unaffected, because they are under grace and not under law.
Michael E.B. Maher
Comments