Spiritual Creatures
Spiritual Creatures; not Law Keepers or Freedom Seekers
Creature • a person or organization considered to be under the complete control of another : the village teacher was expected to be the creature of his employer.
Paul, made a new creature by the grace of God, was the perfect one to write about the significance of that grace and it’s implications to those who would receive it. I think his writings in his letter to the Galatians has huge implications to all those who seek a relationship with God, especially to those who are being shaped by the institutional religious groups of our time.
Paul’s desire for the Galatians mirrors Jesus’ teachings. That is, that sinful man’s redemption to a state of being in a relationship with God is due to God’s own actions toward man in the sacrifice of His only son, Jesus. Jesus, made it clear that this redemption created a new creature, being “born again” and becoming a servant or slave to the desires of the master. Paul wanted the Galatians to remember this call and understand the difference between the fruits of the created spiritual being vs. the old nature’s desires.
Of course, this text in Galatians 4 and 5 is a specific answer to the circumcision issue that was plaguing his readers. However, the point Paul makes is much broader in scope. It not only gives direction to those who might be labeled as “law keepers”, but also to those who could be called “freedom seekers.” Paul points out both those sides miss the point of being a new spiritual creature. In Galatians 5:6, Paul states that “ For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.” And again in Galatians 6:15, “ For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”
It’s plain that Paul was showing the Galatians that being circumcised was not part of the new creature that God desired as it represented a way to redemption that was not part of God’s grace. It’s also plain that uncircumcision, represented as freedom from the law, should not be looked upon as being something that puts you into that relationship. Galatians 5:13-14. “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another.” Freedom seekers who think that their freedom is their savior actually revert to a life in the flesh just like those “law keepers” that Paul is exposing. He knows it’s a temptation for those claiming freedom to elevate that freedom to a level that causes them to forget Jesus and his teaching and concentrate rather on their own desires.
And Jesus’ teaching was this: Galatians 5:14 “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “ Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
The “law of Christ” is not a new concept or one hard to find. The disciples had heard Jesus offer his only command as Jesus was teaching them shortly before his arrest. It’s recorded in John 13: 34 - 35 “ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Again in John 15: 12 - 14 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Jesus’ command to love one another is the “law of Christ.” He makes it plain in John’s writings that loving others is the way the world knows that we love Jesus. And so, it’s the nature of the new creature that Paul is teaching in Galatians. The old creature, whether the product of “law keeping” or “freedom seeking” (circumcised or uncircumcised) has a nature that is against the spiritual nature of the new creature. Galatians 5: 19-21 “ Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:22-24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with it’s passions and desires.”
The works of the flesh are contrary to Jesus’ command to love one another. Paul’s desire for the Galatians was for them to remember Jesus’ command. I like the way the Jewish New Testament puts it in Galatians 5:6 “When we are united with the Messiah Yeshua, neither being circumcised nor being uncircumcised matters; what matters is trusting faithfulness expressing itself through love.” Your love for one another is the expression of your faith in Jesus. Not whether you keep the law or keep your freedom. It’s “trusting faithfulness expressing itself through love.” You can’t just say you love. Love must be manifested or expressed by action. Love is an action of faith and is therefore the proof of faith according to James’ writing. Without love, faith is just a word.
Today, those on both sides, the “law keepers” and the “freedom seekers” miss this point. The “law keepers” are proud of their knowledge of the scriptures and their adherence to the “right” way of doing things. The “freedom seekers” are proud of their freedom to create their own cultural contrivances with no regard to others. Both sides fit the pattern of the fleshly nature as described by Paul. Neither side reflects the sacrifice manifested by Jesus and the call of the Spirit for unity created by that sacrificial love.
Also, they both miss the good news of Jesus. He came to take away the old covenant’s need for physical worship as he became the sacrifice that washed away the sins of the world. Today, these factions, missing this fundamental point, create physical worship that they think is acceptable to God not realizing that God neither desires or requires physical worship. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that God seeks those who worship in spirit because under this new covenant with man, God would send his own Spirit to reside in man which removed the need for man to use a worship mechanism to be in God’s presence. We are now the temple of God and have no need to conjure His presence with physical worship. Rather, because God lives in us, we are “free to serve” others as Jesus commands. A spiritual creature communes with God through the Spirit that resides in him. He doesn’t need external physical mechanisms to accomplish this. This communion is a gift of God bought by the sacrifice of Jesus.
It’s the creation of their physical worship models that have become the battleground of their fleshly desires. They fight and divide over these issues as if they were important to God. One side reflecting the “laws” and the other protecting their “freedom.” As Jesus reminded the Pharisees of Isaiah’s words in Mark 7:7 “ This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.” It’s not that they weren’t worshipping “right” but that they weren’t loving like God loves. God had warned of this many times in the old covenant so it wasn’t something new to the Jews.
If we are to be God’s new spiritual creatures, we must be completely controlled by and reflect in our lives the very essence of God as demonstrated and commanded by His son, Jesus. And so, my wish is like Paul’s in Galatians 6:14 “But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified.”
Creature • a person or organization considered to be under the complete control of another : the village teacher was expected to be the creature of his employer.
Paul, made a new creature by the grace of God, was the perfect one to write about the significance of that grace and it’s implications to those who would receive it. I think his writings in his letter to the Galatians has huge implications to all those who seek a relationship with God, especially to those who are being shaped by the institutional religious groups of our time.
Paul’s desire for the Galatians mirrors Jesus’ teachings. That is, that sinful man’s redemption to a state of being in a relationship with God is due to God’s own actions toward man in the sacrifice of His only son, Jesus. Jesus, made it clear that this redemption created a new creature, being “born again” and becoming a servant or slave to the desires of the master. Paul wanted the Galatians to remember this call and understand the difference between the fruits of the created spiritual being vs. the old nature’s desires.
Of course, this text in Galatians 4 and 5 is a specific answer to the circumcision issue that was plaguing his readers. However, the point Paul makes is much broader in scope. It not only gives direction to those who might be labeled as “law keepers”, but also to those who could be called “freedom seekers.” Paul points out both those sides miss the point of being a new spiritual creature. In Galatians 5:6, Paul states that “ For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.” And again in Galatians 6:15, “ For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”
It’s plain that Paul was showing the Galatians that being circumcised was not part of the new creature that God desired as it represented a way to redemption that was not part of God’s grace. It’s also plain that uncircumcision, represented as freedom from the law, should not be looked upon as being something that puts you into that relationship. Galatians 5:13-14. “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another.” Freedom seekers who think that their freedom is their savior actually revert to a life in the flesh just like those “law keepers” that Paul is exposing. He knows it’s a temptation for those claiming freedom to elevate that freedom to a level that causes them to forget Jesus and his teaching and concentrate rather on their own desires.
And Jesus’ teaching was this: Galatians 5:14 “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “ Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
The “law of Christ” is not a new concept or one hard to find. The disciples had heard Jesus offer his only command as Jesus was teaching them shortly before his arrest. It’s recorded in John 13: 34 - 35 “ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Again in John 15: 12 - 14 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Jesus’ command to love one another is the “law of Christ.” He makes it plain in John’s writings that loving others is the way the world knows that we love Jesus. And so, it’s the nature of the new creature that Paul is teaching in Galatians. The old creature, whether the product of “law keeping” or “freedom seeking” (circumcised or uncircumcised) has a nature that is against the spiritual nature of the new creature. Galatians 5: 19-21 “ Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:22-24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with it’s passions and desires.”
The works of the flesh are contrary to Jesus’ command to love one another. Paul’s desire for the Galatians was for them to remember Jesus’ command. I like the way the Jewish New Testament puts it in Galatians 5:6 “When we are united with the Messiah Yeshua, neither being circumcised nor being uncircumcised matters; what matters is trusting faithfulness expressing itself through love.” Your love for one another is the expression of your faith in Jesus. Not whether you keep the law or keep your freedom. It’s “trusting faithfulness expressing itself through love.” You can’t just say you love. Love must be manifested or expressed by action. Love is an action of faith and is therefore the proof of faith according to James’ writing. Without love, faith is just a word.
Today, those on both sides, the “law keepers” and the “freedom seekers” miss this point. The “law keepers” are proud of their knowledge of the scriptures and their adherence to the “right” way of doing things. The “freedom seekers” are proud of their freedom to create their own cultural contrivances with no regard to others. Both sides fit the pattern of the fleshly nature as described by Paul. Neither side reflects the sacrifice manifested by Jesus and the call of the Spirit for unity created by that sacrificial love.
Also, they both miss the good news of Jesus. He came to take away the old covenant’s need for physical worship as he became the sacrifice that washed away the sins of the world. Today, these factions, missing this fundamental point, create physical worship that they think is acceptable to God not realizing that God neither desires or requires physical worship. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that God seeks those who worship in spirit because under this new covenant with man, God would send his own Spirit to reside in man which removed the need for man to use a worship mechanism to be in God’s presence. We are now the temple of God and have no need to conjure His presence with physical worship. Rather, because God lives in us, we are “free to serve” others as Jesus commands. A spiritual creature communes with God through the Spirit that resides in him. He doesn’t need external physical mechanisms to accomplish this. This communion is a gift of God bought by the sacrifice of Jesus.
It’s the creation of their physical worship models that have become the battleground of their fleshly desires. They fight and divide over these issues as if they were important to God. One side reflecting the “laws” and the other protecting their “freedom.” As Jesus reminded the Pharisees of Isaiah’s words in Mark 7:7 “ This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.” It’s not that they weren’t worshipping “right” but that they weren’t loving like God loves. God had warned of this many times in the old covenant so it wasn’t something new to the Jews.
If we are to be God’s new spiritual creatures, we must be completely controlled by and reflect in our lives the very essence of God as demonstrated and commanded by His son, Jesus. And so, my wish is like Paul’s in Galatians 6:14 “But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified.”
posted by Don Campbell at
9:47 AM
1 Comments:
Don, I really appreciate these thoughts. This is very well thought out. Maybe we could discuss how to reach those who are the legalists with whom we are so familiar.
bd
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Anonymous, At
7:58 PM
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