One of the great challenges of living the Christian life is how to be in the world living for God and not of the world (Jn 17:11, 14). This requires wisdom to be discerning and more powerful than the flesh, the world system, and the devil to accomplish it (cf. 1 Jn 4:4). In other words, living the Life is impossible apart from the Holy Spirit. We must be spiritually regenerated and controlled by the Spirit (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16).
This is not only fundamental, but it requires an act of the will through faith. God is not going to run ramrod over
our life; He gave us intellect, emotions, and a will to make faith choices. We
are either going to follow His lead or not. This is not a one-time decision as
in salvation; this is an everyday choice to say no to sin or yes to God. You
know this as you go through the daily routines of life of making endless yes
and no decisions from all colors, shapes, and sizes of unending situations.
Since we never arrive spiritually where all of our decisions automatically default to saying “yes” to God. The verb filled (Gk, pleroo, “to fill up” or literally flooded or overflowing) with the Spirit (Eph 5:18) is in the present imperative, meaning we are not only commanded to be controlled by the Spirit, analogous to being drunk or controlled by the wine or more literally drunk or filled or controlled by the Holy Spirit, but the present tense of the verb indicates this is habitual, on-going, continual, repeatedly, not coming to an end: “Be constantly being (the voice is passive) with the Spirit.” This is a moment-by-moment expectation from Yahweh for us to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. This same present imperative is found in Gal 5:16, walk in the Spirit This is a reflection of obedience to His will in holiness, having absolutely nothing to do with speaking in an unknown tongue!
The passive voice in Eph 5:18 indicates
that the subject of the verb (filled) is the recipient (not the source) of
the action denoted by the verb. In Gal 5:16, the active voice is expressed
revealing that the subject of the verb (walk) is performing the action or
causing the happening denoted by the verb. The power behind the walk is being
filled. We have to obey by faith the command (imperative mood) of each verse.
Apart from obedience to God’s authority (the Command-giver), nothing happens.
We are powerless and our conduct (walk) is non-pleasing to God.
When we walk in the Spirit, there is a strong negation of performing the evil impulses of our fallen nature because we are enabled or empowered by the Holy Spirit to desire and do the will of God. This is brought about by the cooperation of our will with the will of God and being controlled to say no to sin and yes to holiness.
What is conspicuously absent in our
manner of life is carrying out the desires of the flesh or sinful nature. This
would be a testament to being filled with the Spirit and walking in the Spirit.
We are controlled by the Spirit, and our lifestyle reveals a lifestyle in accordance
with the teaching of Scripture. The verbs are meaningless if we are calling the
shots in our life. The question remains, “Who is in control, the Spirit or the self?” No one can make the claim to be
filled with the Spirit or walking in the Spirit and violating Scripture.
There is no end to all the generated manmade “rules of righteousness” on not being of the world; the list-makers are numerous. Sometimes there are situations where there are no manmade rules or any passage of Scripture directly relating to a situation to give us guidance if it is of the world or no other than what we know is not of the world. Instead of providing a list to check off to determine if it’s a red light or green light, the wisest thing would be “when in doubt don’t, and do what you know.”
There may not be a verse of Scripture directly related to our situation, but the Holy Spirit may be intervening; after all, He is our Guide (Jn 16:13, 1 Cor 2:10-13; 1 Jn 2:27). We do not need any additional truth because the Holy Spirit is within our hearts, and the Word of God is in our hands and hopefully Scripture is being stored in our heart tank (Rom 12:2). The Spirit and the Word guide us into all truth through the Scriptures. Neglecting the Scriptures is running independent of the Holy Spirit or ignoring the promptings and guidance of the Holy Spirit who is always aligned to the truth of Scripture.
False teachers often use biblical
references wrongly to justify their false teachings! We must have a Berean attitude
at all times (Acts 17:11). This doesn’t mean we avoid the teachings of gifted
and qualified believers who have the spiritual gift of teaching (cf. Eph 4:11).
Indeed, we have the Word of God available to us all, but God would not have
given the spiritual gift of teaching to members of the body of Christ to be
simply ignored because we all have access to Scripture!
The question arises should we rely
exclusively on the Word and the Holy Spirit and avoid the teaching of man
altogether? Proverbially speaking, we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the
bathwater, yes? God would not have given the spiritual gift of teaching to
believers if that was the case (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:28; cf. Eph 4:1-12; 1 Cor
14:12; Mt 28:19-20).
There is a wealth of sound teachings
available, but I am of the opinion the Word of God should be the main diet.
There is always the danger of straying from the truth by solely relying on
teaching, preaching, and commentaries (I love my godly sources) rather than
being pure and asking for illumination (cf. Col 2:8; Mk 7:9, 13). Ultimately,
the responsibility to learn the truth, love the truth, and live the truth
resides with each believer in accordance with Scripture. We cannot blame it on
another.
The standards of right living ought to be based on the nature of Christ rather than the do-nots (intolerance, legalism) and doughnuts (excessive tolerance, libertinism). Not of the world is defined by Jesus as I am not of the world (Jn 17:14). If a fellowship is not based on the character of Christ, then I am confident that such a fellowship is either based on legalism or looseness. Its fellowship is nothing more than a pack of wolves cloaked in sheep clothing; where the “owooo is hiding behind the “baahh.”
Legalism and libertinism both hold incorrect views of salvation as reflected by the proponents’ words and
lifestyles. Both degrade the quality of grace, that contains within it the
demands of God’s holiness, in salvation (what must I do to be saved, Acts
16:30) and sanctification (how should we then live, Ezek 33:10). The former
adds to it as lacking substance; some kind of work, therefore, is necessary to
achieve salvation and some artificial form of spiritual worthiness. The latter,
on the other hand, subtracts from the true standard of righteousness that grace
represents in salvation and sanctification
Legalism in progressive sanctification (maturing in the faith) is bondage, limiting freedoms in Christ, and tightening control. Libertinism is just the opposite; anything goes. Contaminating grace prevents salvation; twisting the truth creates bondage and limits spiritual growth. You will find with legalism, if you hadn’t already, it is all about external control! Isn’t self-control part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:23; cf. 1 Cor 6:12; 10:23)? Anyone who understands and knows the liberties in Christ can sniff out legalism a mile away.
Saul/Paul, formerly a rising star among
the Pharisees (Gal 1:14), was not attempting to fix a broken culture; he was
addressing Christians by his grace
statements (1 Cor 6:12-20). We must recognize what our freedoms in Christ are
and safeguard them from abuse; it becomes legalistic when our freedom in some
areas goes past the number one to including others. Legalism runs the gamut from
subtle handcuffs to blatant bondage of ball and chain.
Legalism is associated with a religious
sect in Jesus’ day called the Pharisees and Sadducees who were the leading
experts in hypocritical piety. There were around 6,000+ sanctimonious
representatives of the Pharisees, running about in Israel who purported to be
the standard of righteousness and served as the moral policeman of Israel, the
eyes and ears of the Sanhedrin, the judicial and religious authority. That is a
lot of religious watchdogs reporting back to HQ (hypocrisy quintessential)! The
Sadducees were of the same caliber but the more liberal of the two. Then you
had the scribes who were the resident experts of the Law and Jewish traditions,
and God only knows what else.
The meek and mild Jesus referred to them
as hypocrites (Mt 23:23), blind guides (Mt 23:24), full of extortion and self-indulgence (Mt 23:25), like whitewashed tombs
full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness (Mt
23:27), full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Mt
23:28), sons of those who murdered the prophets (Mt 23:31), and serpents,
brood of vipers (Mt 23:33). He was
scathingly spot on, but this is not considered being Christlike today but
insensitive, intolerant, and unloving! Read what Jesus concluded within His
rebuke (it is breathtaking and a look into the unfathomable love of God (cf.
Rom 5:8),
Mt 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and
stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children
together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not
willing!
Mt 23:38 See! Your house is left to you desolate;
Mt 23:39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, BLESSED is HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!
Collectively, the Pharisees, Sadducees,
scribes, and lawyers (interpreters and experts of the Mosaic law and the traditions of the Elders) were one big
family of HaLs (hypocrites and legalists) who were ripping the very heart and
soul right out of God’s Word (Old Testament) and doing incalculable collateral
damage to the people. Interpretations of the Law (oral traditions) were
superseding the very commandments of God in Jesus’ day (Mt 15:3; Mk 7:9). And
these were the spiritual leaders of Israel, the blind leaders of the blind (Mk
15:14)!
Let’s not think for a moment God’s love holds no caveats (Jn 5:24; 8:24). Even though God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son (Jn 3:16a), the purpose is seen in the latter part of God’s love and gift to mankind, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (Jn 3:16b). The one not condemned is the one who believes in Him (Jn 3:18a), and the one condemned already is the one who does not believe (Jn 3:18b). Those who perish (Jn 3:16b) are those who have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (Jn 3:18c). Here is the heartbreaker for those who think being religious will save them (cf. Jn 5:40).
Legalism, INC understood the Law of God
was delivered by Moses but rejected the claim that Jesus fulfilled it. So, it
comes as no surprise that Jesus got a cool reception when He confronted the
HaLs with the right interpretation of God’s Word (Jn 5:45-47). Isn’t that the
way it is now with the lost and some church members? Someone introduces the right interpretation of the Scriptures that contradicts manmade rules, then all hell breaks loose!
The secular world rejects the Word as foolishness (1 Cor 1:18). The
religious world reformats the Word of God in their spiritual blindness (2 Cor
4:4) like the Pharisees of old by deconstructing historic scriptural
interpretations and putting their own interpretational spin on it because
historically, everybody in the 1 Cor 2:14 group got it all wrong! An example of that today
is Mt 7:1 where the world claims the real interpretation of that text is to be
understood as a wholesale prohibition against all judging!
The historical context and the
grammatical construction (present active imperative) of Mt 7:1 refute such an
interpretation. The command to judge not actually means for us to stop continually judging hypocritically [like the
Pharisees]. In fact, Jesus promoted righteous
judgment (Jn 7:24), but the world, along with
gullible and ignorant believers buying into the world’s interpretation of
Scripture ignores that text. You can prove anything from Scripture if it is
taken out of its context, yes?
Personally, I have a real problem with
believers supporting the world’s misinterpretations of Scripture (1 Cor 2:14; 2 Cor
4:4)! Context is the sovereign of hermeneutics, which Bernard Ramm defines as
“the art and science of the interpretation of Scripture.” One of the telltale
signs believers have departed from wisdom is when they accept and articulate
the world’s interpretation of the Bible!
Anyway, the HaLs are offended by us
challenging their contemporary interpretations of making the text say what it
doesn’t (eisegesis)! We just have to quote the truth back to them like Jesus
did with the devil, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes, and the lawyers.
Eventually, they nailed Jesus for the truth, and we are not exempt as advocates
and proclaimers of the truth either (Jn 15:20, 21). HaLs are not our pals; they
misquote and misinterpret the Scriptures like the devil. If you believe
differently, I got some swamp-front property I have been wanting to unload for some
time now! <><
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