Beloved Enemy
The law, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, is a beloved enemy that brings believers down into defeat, making them realize their need for God's grace.
Miles J. Stanford delves into the concept of the law in Christianity, emphasizing that the law, when wielded by the Holy Spirit, serves as a challenging adversary rather than a helpful ally. He highlights the danger of believers trying to justify themselves through legalistic practices, leading to condemnation and a sense of defeat. Stanford stresses the importance of understanding that through Jesus Christ, believers are redeemed from the curse of the law, and no longer need to rely on their own efforts for sanctification.
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"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree" (Galatians 3:13).
The legal Christian considers the law to be his best friend who will enable him to live righteously. But in reality the law, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, is his beloved enemy. The Spirit's purpose is to bring the well-meaning believer down into defeat, wretched and ready to realize, "I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord" (Romans 7:25).
"It is perhaps the most alarming symptom of decay to be seen amongst evangelical believers today, that so many have accepted (at any rate mentally) the fact that they cannot be justified before God except by the sacrifice for sin once made for all upon Calvary, proceed to build a new legal code by which to live, and seek to be sanctified by their own efforts and endeavors.
"The more conscientious, when faced with the failure of this scheme of things, become the victims of the condemnation of the 'accuser of the brethren'; and take their place among the great company of Christian men and women who are constantly beset with doubts and fears, and who, often in spite of intense activity in the cause of the Gospel, are living in the conscious bitterness of defeat. " -J.C.M.
"The law cannot be broken or divided. It stands as a unit. To undertake any part of it is to be committed to it all. Nothing can be more unreasonable or more unscriptural than to borrow some portions from the law system, either that of Moses or of the millennial kingdom, and, at the same time, reject other portions. He who will choose the law must, to be consistent, do the whole law (Romans 10:5), and if he should break it at one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10)." -L.S.C.
"The law was our schoolmaster. . . . But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (Galatians 3:24, 25).
Sermon Outline
- The Law as a Beloved Enemy
- The Law's Purpose
- The Law's Method
- The Law's Result
Key Quotes
“It is perhaps the most alarming symptom of decay to be seen amongst evangelical believers today, that so many have accepted (at any rate mentally) the fact that they cannot be justified before God except by the sacrifice for sin once made for all upon Calvary, proceed to build a new legal code by which to live, and seek to be sanctified by their own efforts and endeavors.” — Miles J. Stanford
“The law cannot be broken or divided. It stands as a unit. To undertake any part of it is to be committed to it all.” — Miles J. Stanford
“The law was our schoolmaster. . . . But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” — Miles J. Stanford
Application Points
- We must recognize the law's purpose is not to enable us to live righteously, but to bring us to defeat, making us realize our need for God's grace.
- We cannot choose which parts of the law to follow, as it stands as a unit, and choosing one part means committing to all of it.
- We must not try to follow the law through our own efforts, but instead, rely on faith in God's sacrifice for sin.