Making
Up the Rules
Because he made up the rules, my eldest son always won the games
he played with his brothers. And so was
illustrated life's basic rule: He who
makes the rules, wins.
Unbelieving science does this.
It does not claim to have absolute truth: it is just a little game that
pretends to say nothing about God. Any
idea of creation is rejected out of hand because it cannot be evaluated under
the "rules of science." It's
a cozy little game that any tyrant would be proud of. If something is inconvenient, just define it out of existence.
We do well in the game that is governed by our own rules, but
under the rules of reality, we all stand condemned. Those who boast in rules and pretend superiority to "mere
Christians" should consider carefully the nature of the law. It can do nothing more than bring forth a
fleshly religion made after a "carnal commandment" (Heb. 7:16).
True Christianity does not stand in the power of a carnal
commandment. The Christian's
relationship to God is not defined by rules, but by his relationship to
Christ. We are warned not to be spoiled
by the traditions of men and the rudiments of the world, for in Christ dwells
"all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
And ye are complete in him" (Col. 2:8-10).
In attempting to find God's blessing by the law, we end in
self-righteous arrogance, for no one truly keeps the law. We resort to subterfuges like "I mean
well," "At least I am trying,"
or "I love God in my heart," as if we could settle a million dollar
debt with a five-dollar bill.
Remember Huck Finn? With
Jim he decided to give up something for Lent.
After much soul-searching, they decided to give up watermelon and
persimmons. As Huck put it,
"Watermelon is out of season, and persimmons ain't never any good."
All of this has a show of wisdom and wears well before men and may
gain us a reputation for zeal and holiness, especially if we are
"politically correct" in our choices, or if watermelons are out of
season.
Christianity stands in the power of the endless life of Jesus
Christ (Heb. 7:16), who lives forever.
The relationship is personal and living, not in the deadness of the
letter. When a man is connected by
faith to the living Christ, new life flows to him, and the law is put into his
mind and into his heart (Heb. 8:10).
What is written in the heart is not the letter, for the letter kills,
but love for Jesus Christ who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption (I Cor. 1:30).
He now lives by faith, even the faith of the Son of God, who loved him
and gave himself for him. He is finally
free, for he knows and loves the Lawgiver, the Judge, and the Purifier, who now
stands revealed as his Heavenly Father, His God, who loves Him and forgives him
all his sins. Because God is his
Forgiving Father, no one shall ever be able to lay anything to his charge. Amen and Amen!!
----------------------
Pastor C. W.
Powell
Trinity
Covenant Church
Colorado
Springs, Co.