Until… Since…

“The law works fear and wrath; grace works hope and mercy.” – Martin Luther

Have you ever been lost in the dark?
Being lost in the dark can be a scary situation. It feels like a pack of unseen, shadowy villains cornering you until you suffocate. You feel trapped. It is not until light finally arrives that you feel free to move beyond the shadows and be yourself again.

You are no longer in fight or flight. When you can walk and move in the light, you walk as your true self full of freedom to be and move.

The same is true for our spiritual life. We celebrate the light Christ has brought to our shadowy sin as he breaks the darkness.

Except…

How many of us are truly living out in the light?
How many of us are still hiding in darkness?

Many of us are still living in the darkness. We watch the light come over the dark forest. We live in its thin rays that reach us, but we hardly run to the light and live in freedom.

Why?

Evangelical enslavement

We would never say we are under the Law. We would never say we follow the Mosaic Law and need it in order to be saved or reconciled to God. We would never do what the Pharisees or the Judiazers did in the New Testament. When Paul would plant a church, these group of Christian Jews would insist Christian Gentiles to follow the Law since they follow Christ. The Pharisees made the Law such a burden for people, that everything became about the Law in Jewish life; before Jesus came.

We would all agree that was wrong. We do not need Laws to save us. We live by faith in Jesus Christ! We are saved by grace! Can I get an amen?!

Stop.

Unfortunately, we are enslaved. We cannot be our true selves, we cannot walk in freedom to be like Christ.

In the Evangelical church, how many of us would be looked down on for passing out water at a Pride Parade as we reach out to a community? How many of us would be looked down on for voting Democrat when we see things are really wrong with the other party? How many of us would be looked down if we fought for the rights of others? How many of us would be ostracized if we were real about our struggles, hurts, and doubts? How many of us attend a church where we cannot say certain things, or be seen doing certain things at risk of being called a bad Christian?

Does that sound like the light and freedom Jesus called us to? Galatians 5:1 says for freedom Christ sets us free. Freedom means we walk without fear. Then, why do most of us not say or not do things out of fear?

The church, today, preaches freedom but practices enslavement. We enslave one another under our standards, laws, and images. We say, “Christ brings you freedom,” and we do not finish the sentence, ” in order to follow these rules.”

It is biblical history repeating itself.

The purpose of the law

The Law mentioned throughout the New Testament refers to the Mosaic Law or the one given to Moses that is found in the Pentateuch. It was the bedrock of Jewish life. It was the way the people lived pleasing to God.

Until Christ came, the Law ruled everything. After Christ ascended, the Law is now seen as a way to show us our need for Christ (Galatians 3:24), so we can come to him in faith.

The purpose of the Law is not to make someone feel like they would be better off dead than try to please God. The Law should not be used to bring people to Jesus. It is to show sin and the depth of sin. It is the kindness and grace of God which draws us to him, not the ever beating-down Law (Romans 2:4)

How many times have we abused the Law (even our man-made laws) to beat another Christian up or an unbeliever hoping that the weight of sin would lead them to Jesus and repentance? Christ never did that. He always used grace and kindness (and still does today).

until faith revealed

Do we see the problem we have? We burden each other with ways to please God – what music we listen to, Bible translation we read, clothing we where, things we claim about ourselves, what political party we vote for, who we associate and stand up with, what we fight for or against, etc.

We have made our own Mosaic Law! We have our own Protestant, Puritanical Precepts. We get away with it because “it is not the Mosaic Law.” But, it does the same thing in our life!

We forgot Galatians 3:19-26!

This passage talks about the Law and Christ. However, there are some important words to look for – until, now, before, since.

Until Christ the Law was our master and we had to obey it in order to have a relationship with God. It is not until the Seed (Christ) comes that we can fully receive the promise of God of being justified through faith.

When Jesus came, this faith was revealed. Everything is done on the basis of faith. Christ brings grace. Grace brings faith. Faith brings freedom.

Until Christ, we had to fulfill the Law, but, since Christ, he fulfills the Law for us (Romans 8:3-4).

Since faith revealed

Now that faith is revealed, we are no longer under the Law. We can walk in freedom as we follow the Spirit. Freedom is not just a freedom from hell and sin. It is a freedom from striving, working, and pleasing. It is a freedom to live by faith as we walk in the Spirit.

We unnecessarily burden ourselves with our own Mosaic Law and forget our freedom. Since faith was revealed, we no longer have to beat ourselves up if we are perceived as a good Christian or bad Christian based on a list of rules and standards which changes at every church you go to.

Since faith, God releases us from condemnation, gives us a spirit of adoption, casts out fear, and brings us close (Romans 8:1-2; Romans 8:15; II Timothy 1:7).

If you notice, God does not give us a Law 2.0. He gives us the law of love and the law of Christ which is all based in faith. If the law could bring us the righteousness we need to be right before God, then Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:21).

live in the since

Until Christ came, we lived under the Law. We were forced to live in fear of rules and wrath. Since Christ came, faith reveals freedom through grace.

Yet, we live our life as if we were still in the until. “Until we get to heaven, we need to do such and such to be a good Christian.” “Until I reach the next Christian level, I need to do x,y, and z.” “Until I am fully accepted in my church I need to vote, behave, or be like _______.” Most of us truly do not live in freedom, because we are burdened by our own Law 2.0.

To experience true freedom, we must live in the since.

“Since Christ, I can come to him boldly with all requests, questions, and doubts.”
“Since Christ, I can reach out and love people like he does.”
“Since Christ, I can be my true self without fear, because in faith I accept his love for me.”
“Since Christ, I know my standing before God is paid for by Christ and I live by faith.”
Since Christ, I ____________”

The Law is like being lost in the dark. It suffocates us with fear. Yet when the light of Christ enters, we can live in freedom, faith, and love. It is not a freedom to another law burden, but a freedom to walk in the Spirit.

Which one are you living in? Until Christ or Since Christ?

Think about all you can be and do since Christ. No longer are we waiting for the until.

We can live in the since!

What can I do since Christ?