“For you are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14). Do you believe that grace makes you lawless? Such a teaching comes into the church in a time of degradation, when some will turn “the grace of our God into lascivious-ness” (Jude 4). When the Scripture says that we are not under law, it is referring to the law given by Moses; it is plain that we are not under that law. Do you conclude from this that God has no law toward His people today? In the new covenant the Lord says, “I will put My laws upon their hearts and upon their minds I will inscribe them” (Heb. 10:16). It may have been possible under the old covenant to disregard the two tablets of stone containing the ten commandments, but with laws that have been written on our hearts we have no way to be rid of them or to neglect them.
Which do you think is more strict-the law of Moses or the law of the New Testament? The law written on our hearts is more binding by far. In James 1:25 and 2:12 this subjective law is called “the law of liberty.” Let us answer a few questions before we consider this law further.
In the past the emphasis in the churches has been on Christ, the spirit, life, and the church. You have said that the aspect of truth has been somewhat neglected. Since Christ is the truth, how is it possible that we have neglected the truth?
We did have some measure of truth concerning Christ, the spirit, life, and the church. However, we did not stress, for example, the headship of Christ nor the constitution of the church. A good many truths in the Word we have not adequately covered; the saints were not sufficiently encouraged to study the Bible and have all these truths infused into them. Now the churches need to help the saints to get into the depths of the Word by studying and pray-reading for the understanding of the truth of all the doctrines.
In my early history with the Lord, I would sense when I sought His presence that He strengthened me and was abiding in me. In these recent years it’s been rare that I have had that sense. Should I seek such a feeling?
When you want to contact the Lord, it is easier not to wait for some sense within. If you wait, you open the door for distracting thoughts to come in and disturb you. Before you kneel to pray, or before you open the Bible, begin right away to speak. You can just say something simple, like “Lord, I praise You.” After one or two sentences you will be ushered by your speaking into the presence of God.
We Christians must be a speaking people, addressing not only God, but also angels, demons, and even the atmosphere. If we come into the meeting and just sit there without speaking, the atmosphere will be full of death. Speaking something from our spirit repels all the distractions and brings us into touch with the Lord.
I am finding it hard to turn to the Word during the day. When I remember what you said about the killing element, I don’t want to pick up the Bible for fear of being killed, so I just go off to lunch. I know if I open to the Word I’ll also get the nourishment, but I sometimes feel too weak to do so. Maybe it’s the legality of it that makes me resistant.
However busy we are, we always find time to eat. Why is this? It is because we recognize that eating is a necessity of life. We need this same realization regarding our spiritual eating. Pray for the Lord to help you read His Word every day, even two or three times a day. Where there is a will, there is a way. We just need the realization that taking in the Word is a life necessity. If we build up this habit, we shall find that our Christian life will be transformed. Coming to the meetings is good; listening to the messages is good; but the reading, studying, and eating of the Bible is a life necessity. Trust the Lord that you may be enabled to do this in a regular way.
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