O foolish [Christians], who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been openly set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received you the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? (Galatians 3:1-3 KJ2000)
A prophetess recently received a word from God that we are now “in the end game.” This phrase specifically speaks about the ending moves of the classic strategy game called chess. God has made it clear through this prophetess and others with prophetic gifting that he intends to establish his kingdom soon. Part of this prophetic word concerns examining ourselves to be sure that we are currently living lives of obedience and faith to God. Another word tells us to rest in God right now until he does a new greater work in us which will empower us to build the kingdom with him.
If we do not know and understand God well we may become fearful and anxious, instead of restful, during this time. On the other hand we could also “rest” carnally and fall into gross sin. As in all things relating to God and his Word we must walk the narrow path, which means we must keep our balance and not fall off of it. We may become fearful and anxious because we perceive, and rightly so, that we are still not good enough in God’s sight. Every one of us, if honest with himself, can point to something in his life that is not perfect. I can beat myself up, I can try to keep myself from everything that might not be the best for me, but ultimately I still cannot be good enough to satisfy the perfection of God. And so Paul says, “O foolish Christians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been openly set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received you the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?”
So, given the imminence of the change of time, the literal coming of God’s kingdom, do we now expect to perfect ourselves by the flesh before that instant gets here? I don’t think so. But, neither do I believe that I have a license to go out and sin so that grace may abound unto me. I cannot obey the written word in perfection by the power of my flesh, but I can obey God according to the faith that he gives me. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God,” says the Scripture. I can pray that God will open my ears to hear and my eyes to see his truth. I can pray that he then gives me faith to obey the truth he shows me.
I will close this post by quoting certain passages from the book of Romans as interpreted by J. B. Phillips. This morning the Holy Spirit quietly whispered the title of today’s post to me, and I knew this was a Scripture I had read somewhere. I could only find one translation, the New International Version, which rendered Roman 1:5 and 16:26 this way, and I have not read that version for over fourteen years. But as I searched for this verse I also found J. B. Phillips’ translation. I find his insight amazing and very helpful in understanding this whole idea.
Romans 1:3-6
The Gospel is centred in God’s Son, a descendant of David by human genealogy and patently marked out as the Son of God by the power of that Spirit of holiness which raised him to life again from the dead. He is our Lord, Jesus Christ, from whom we received grace and our commission in his name to forward obedience to the faith in all nations. And of this great number you at Rome are also called to belong to him.
Romans 4:13-14
[ The promise, from the beginning, was made to faith ] The ancient promise made to Abraham and his descendants, that they should eventually possess the world, was given not because of any achievements made through obedience to the Law, but because of the righteousness which had its root in faith. For if, after all, they who pin their faith to keeping the Law were to inherit God’s world, it would make nonsense of faith in God himself, and destroy the whole point of the promise.
Romans 16:25-27
Now to him who is able to set you on your feet as his own sons—according to my Gospel, according to the preaching of Jesus Christ himself, and in accordance with the disclosing of that secret purpose which, after long ages of silence, has now been made known (in full agreement with the writings of the prophets long ago), by the command of the everlasting God to all the Gentiles, that they might turn to him in the obedience of faith—to him, I say, the only God who is wise, be glory for ever through Jesus Christ! PAUL
Galatians 2:15-21
And then I went on to explain that we, who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, know that a man is justified not by performing what the Law commands but by faith in Jesus Christ. We ourselves are justified by our faith and not by our obedience to the Law, for we have recognised that no one can achieve justification by doing the “works of the Law”. Now if, as we seek the real truth about justification, we find we are as much sinners as the Gentiles, does that mean that Christ makes us sinners? Of course not! But if I attempt to build again the whole structure of justification by the Law then I do, in earnest, make myself a sinner. For under the Law I “died”, and now I am dead to the Law’s demands so that I may live for God. As far as the Law is concerned I may consider that I died on the cross with Christ. And my present life is not that of the old “I”, but the living Christ within me. The bodily life I now live, I live believing in the Son of God, who loved me and sacrificed himself for me. Consequently I refuse to stultify the grace of God by reverting to the Law. For if righteousness were possible under the Law then Christ died for nothing!
Therefore I choose the obedience that comes by faith and by reliance upon the Holy Spirit of God rather than the obedience that derives from the power of my flesh. But, make no mistake, I choose obedience, not disobedience and rebellion to the commands of God!
