How the 4th Spirtual Law Applies to Church

We Christians are very familiar with a tract called "The Four Spiritual Laws". For years it has been used as an evangelism tool to communicate the gospel to non-believers.

"The Four Spiritual Laws" under law #4, uses two circles to represent two types of lives.

• The first is the, the 'Self-Directed' Life - Where 'Self' is on the throne calling the shots. Interests are 'Self Directed' resulting in discord and frustration.
  
  
• The second is the, the 'Christ-Directed' Life - Where 'Christ' is on the throne calling the shots. 'Self' is yielding to 'Christ' resulting in harmony with God's plan.
  

This is easily understandable model. But, did you know that these circles can also be applied to churches? Below, I've adapted the circles to apply to two types of churches.

• The Man Centered Church
  
• The Christ Centered Church
  

As you read this, ask yourself these questions...

1. Which Circle Best Describes Your Church?
2. Which Circle Would You Like to Have Represent Your Church?

Man Centered Church	Christ Centered Church
Jesus is our example	Jesus is our savior
Emphasis of preaching is on what man does to please God	Emphasis of preaching is on what Christ did to please God for us
Gospel message is only preached to 'non-believers' for evangelistic purposes.	Gospel message is preached to both believers and non-believers week after week in order to comfort sinners and provide assurance of God's mercy and grace
Self-Righteousness	Christ's Righteousness
Law	Law AND Gospel: The Law to condemn sins the gospel to offer forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ
Works	Faith
Doesn't matter what you believe as long as your deeds are 'God Pleasing'	Faith and belief are central and good works don't count unless you believe and trust that Christ died for you
Self-Help	Jesus did it all for you
Must obey God's law in order to be a true Christian	Salvation is 100% gift and obedience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit
Jesus' death on the cross just gets things started. The rest is up to you.	Jesus' death on the cross accomplishes everything.
Burden: Difficult & Heavy	Burden: Easy & Lite
Result: Pharisees	Result: Christians

Comments

[nondenominational skeptic]

BB5, I don’t know if my comments will help but I will try although I risk incurring BBT’s wrath (Big Bad Tim).

I don’t so much want to refute anything you said, but rather fill in some of the gaps (as I perceive them). These debates tend to elevate to such a lofty theological plane that grass-root reality is obscured.

The 1 John 3:9 passage that you referred to, is better understood in the ESV translation. The second half of the verse in the Greek says ου δυναται αμαρτανειν (ou dunate hamartanein) that literally means “he can not KEEP ON sinning”. The verb hamartanein is in the ‘continuous present tense’. The KJV translated the FIRST part of the verse LITERALLY as "doth not commit sin", but the ESV has interpreted it more intuitively with the words “No one born of God MAKES A PRACTICE OF sinning”. I take that to mean make a point of sinning which would be more of a DELIBERATE and ONGOING practice. John’s justification as to why this cannot be so is a long list of “because” reasons. Because…we were born of God…his seed remains in us…we abide in Him…we have known Him…we are His children…we have passed from death to life…Christ destroyed the works of the devil…He appeared to take away our sins…when He appears we shall be like Him. All of these are mentioned in the same chapter.

John also offers some context in what type of sin he is referring to. In verse 4 he uses the words “practising lawlessness” (breaking the law or having disregard for the law) and in verse 10 he says that those who DO NOT “practise righteousness” (justice) are NOT of God.

Hebrews 12:1 says that sin “easily entangles us”, (we sin daily in thought, deed or word), which is why John comforts us by saying “for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20) But that is not the same as being CONTROLLED by our sinful nature and its addictions, passions and impulses. It’s what Paul refers to in Romans 8 by “being in the flesh”.

So let’s transfer the concepts of being in the flesh, practising lawlessness and practising injustice, into everyday reality and see what they possibly mean.

Let’s take the example of running a business as a professing Christian. I may lose my temper when talking to an unreasonable customer and say something derogatory (sin), but if I DELIBERATELY go out my way TO CHEAT customers (also sin) then I’m practicing lawlessness and unrighteousness/injustice. Likewise, I may get irate with one of my staff and “in the heat of the moment” insult them (sin), but If I DELIBERATELY cheat them on their pay, I’m practising injustice. Or borrowing money that I KNOW I can’t pay back. Without splitting hairs, both types are “deliberate” in a sense, but there is a difference between something I do spontaneously when overcome by weakness, than what I do by planning and pre-meditation. If you take the extreme case of murder, even the law distinguishes between homicide and pre-meditated murder.

If I continue year after year to NOT declare all my income on my tax returns because I want to avoid paying too much tax (tax fraud), then I’m practising lawlessness. On the other hand I may be going though a financial crisis and I got tempted to steal to get the debt collectors off my back. While I have practicED lawlessness (this time) it is not the same as practisING lawlessness (continually). Eventually I have to repent and ask God’s forgiveness in both cases but there is a distinction in practice. Peter denied Jesus in a moment of fear, but he wasn’t denying him all the time. He also acted as a hypocrite as recorded by Paul in Galatians 2, but that did not make him a serial and perpetual hypocrite.

A Christian male may yield to temptation and click onto a porn website (sin). But if he has Playboy bookmarked in his ‘favorites’ and looks at it regularly (also sin), then I would suggest he is controlled by lust and living “in the flesh”. Or he may get carried away and drink a few too many at the Christmas party, but if he is into binge drinking every weekend, then I would also suggest he is controlled by his fleshly nature. Similarly, you may “slip out” a dirty word, but if you engage in REGULAR filthy talk AFTER you have been born again, I would say you are controlled by the sinful nature. I may be tempted to lie at a moment of weakness, but that does not make me a compulsive liar.

While sin is sin, and repentance and forgiveness are THE ONLY solution, the New Testament presents the view that in our daily sinner-saint tension we WILL sin, but we have no excuse to keep on practicing lawlessness, injustice and be controlled by our sinful cravings. As a Christian I can’t possibly indulge in weekly pornfests or be a serial fornicator or fraudster, and rest in the assurance that Christ did it all for me and God will forgive me because I live a life of repentance. Trusting God for forgiveness is not the same as tempting and provoking him. You can’t tell me you live a life of sinful passions as a Christian because you just can’t help yourself. Sorry I don’t by it.

Nevertheless, we are not left to fend for ourselves and be at the mercy of our impulses and sinful desires. We have been empowered by God’s spirit to control our impulses. “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead WILL ALSO GIVE LIFE TO YOUR MORTAL BODIES THROUGH HIS SPIRIT WHO DWELLS IN YOU. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but IF BY THE SPIRIT YOU PUT TO DEATH THE DEEDS OF THE BODY, you will live.”(Rom 8:11-13)

Christ has indeed set us free from many things and made us perfect IN POSITION, but Galatians reminds us “do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh” (ch 5:13) Christ’s perfection and free forgiveness, are not a call to passivity and cruise-control faith but a call to vigilance, obedience, self denial and self discipline. In response to God’s grace we present of our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Rom 12:1). “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Cor 9:25-27 ESV) Especially when we know that the devil is on the prowl looking to trip us up (1 Peter 5:8).

God’s grace moves us to be more godly not more relaxed toward sin. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, TRAINING US TO RENOUNCE UNGODLINESS AND WORLDLY PASSIONS, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:11-13 ESV). Likewise John (in the chapter you quoted) says “And everyone who thus hopes in him PURIFIES HIMSELF as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3)

God’s mercies and benefits that were bestowed upon us, don’t make our responsibilities less but more! They also have practical ramifications in our daily lives. If all that Christ did for me does not cause any change in my nature and I continue to sin like I used to, then my faith is reduced to a “state of mind” only. We WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE for what we did while “in Christ” (2 Cor 5:10)

And finally (huge gasp), from the moment we were born again we continue to grow and mature and “grow in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:10) and in the faith. While we will NEVER be totally sinless until we die, at least we should be able to look at the trajectory of our life in Christ and say with some comfort “while I’m not where I want to be, I’m not where I used to be”. While we are perfect in position we are a work in progress in practice, and we experience transformation through the renewal of our mind (Romans 12:1). We “are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory” (2 Cor 3:18 NIV)

I hope this helped even though I have NO DOUBT I will be accused of “pietism”, but I couldn’t care less. I’ve said my piece and provided biblical reasons for my argument. I am not interested in circular debates. If you disagree with me, provide some biblical justification not just personal opinion as to why, and may God bless you anyway.

[Tim the Cyanide-Gargling Faith Gladiator]

I agree pretty much entirely with what's been said. A few comments follow:

The distinction between Law and Gospel is fundamental to understanding the Bible. The passages from 1 John 3 are not alone; the Bible is rife with similar messages. Collectively, this is the Law. The Law makes demands upon us. It tells us what we must do. It lays out the measuring stick. Now, sometimes we are left to measure ourselves. Other times, the Law states outright that we have fallen short. Thus, the purpose of the Law is to drive us to the Gospel. The Gospel, of course, is the solution. The Gospel tells us that Christ has done it all, for us.

Now, the issue turns on whether Christians battle against sin or have gained victory over sin. Do Christians need to repent just as unbelievers do, or not? Do we apply the Law and Gospel to Christians just as we do to unbelievers? Notice that pietists treat unbelievers properly. Pietists condemn unbelievers with the Law and call them to trust in Christ alone. Very good. However, once converted, this ends. As Robert said, once you've repented, you won't do it again.

Thus, when the pietist hears the Law, when he reads that Christians cannot go on sinning, he responds in one of two ways. He may say, "Yes, I am a true Christian." Or he may say, "I need to try harder." Notice carefully that he does not respond as unbelievers do. Because he has gained victory over sin, he does not see that the Law is meant to show him his failings and thus drive him, in repentance, to Christ. Rather, the pietist sees the Law as a list of requirements for being a Christian.

Here is the problem, then. It is commonly known that unbelievers view the Law as a list of requirements for salvation: keep the Law, and you'll be saved. (I.e., good people go to heaven.) Now, when an unbeliever teaches this, we have no trouble calling it is a denial of the Gospel; the whole point of the Gospel is that we can't keep the Law. However, having been converted, pietists teach that true Christians are able to keep the Law, because they have gained victory over sin. As Robert says, the chosen are kept from sinning. Thus the Law reverts to being a list of requirements for salvation. And because Christians remain sinners, this makes pietism a denial of the Gospel. Indeed, assuming that Christians can keep the Law is just as bad as assuming that unbelievers can keep the Law. (I will point out that if Christians did become sinless, then the pietists would be right, but then it becomes meaningless to talk about the Law as a "requirement," because Christians would naturally keep the Law anyway.)

Of course it's not precisely that simple. The fact remains that Christians have a new nature, and this nature is opposed to sin. So Christians do keep the Law, after all. Gah! Contradictions! But not really. See, here's the trick. We don't preach to the new nature. We preach to the flesh--specifically, we preach for the purpose of killing the flesh. See, the new nature doesn't need to be preached at. It doesn't need to be told to stop sinning. It doesn't need to be told to obey. The new nature is perfect. The trouble is we are still stuck with the old nature. So although we have a new nature, we employ the Law as if we didn't. We employ the Law to combat the flesh, and the Gospel to raise up the new man.

In God's eyes we don't go on sinning because He sees us through Christ - even whilst in our lives we ARE sinning. Is that right?

Yes. This is a good point. We are saved precisely because sees Christ when He looks at us. We are not saved because of the new nature that Holy Spirit has created within us. Of course, the two go together. But I don't think Saint John is making this distinction here; I think he is straight up preaching the Law.

I have always understood [1 John 3:9] to mean living in a continual practice of sin. eg partaking in orgies/drunkenness on a daily basis, with no regret.

But that isn't what John said, is it? Sin is sin. The Law is the Law. Don't sugar coat it. An occasional glance at porn is just as damning as indulging the habit.

Isn't this behind the teaching of 1 Cor 5 where Paul asks the corinthians to expel the immoral brother who is living with his stepmother so that he may be brought to repentance? There is obviously a line of behaviour that christians are not to engage in, otherwise why would this particular man be picked on rather than everyone else?

Excellent point. Here is the difference. Only you, and God, can judge your heart. Anyone can judge your actions and public confession. Thus fellowship lines must be drawn on the basis of public confession and public behavior. Nevertheless, secret and/or accidental sins are just as intolerable and damnable as public sins. It's just that the visible church can't address them directly.

I suppose I have understood the difference between not going on sinning to refer to an outward piety as it were

Simply recall that outward piety is easy to fake. (This is the "civil righteousness" referred to in the Lutheran Confessions.) But so what? Outward piety is still very important (you can't serve your neighbor without outward piety). There are two concerns. One. Don't mistake outward piety for sinlessness: both sides of the cup must be clean. Two. Don't let outward piety become an excuse for a lack of inward piety.

Does this mean that as I DO continue to sin, I don't know Jesus, I am of the devil? Or is John referring to an outward life of basic righteousness that a Christian should maintain (whilst not denying the inward struggle?).

You still sin becomes you are still part flesh. And your flesh is of the devil. Thus you must repent of your sins and trust in Christ alone. And because you trust in Christ alone, you are of Christ. Very fortunately for us, God doesn't see us as saint/sinner hybrids. He sees us as all Christ. At any rate, Christians ought to maintain both inward and outward piety.

[Tim the Cyanide-Gargling Faith Gladiator]

skeptic,

Good post.

At least we should be able to look at the trajectory of our life in Christ and say with some comfort “while I’m not where I want to be, I’m not where I used to be.”

While this isn't precisely wrong, it can be very misleading. I prefer that quote about knowledge: the more you know, the more you realize how little you know. Christian maturity consists of realizing just how sinful you really are, and just how deep is your need for Christ. Fertilizer vs. fruit. Still, it's two sides of the same coin.

[nondenominational skeptic]

BB5

Is it Martin or Martina??

(Just so I don’t entertain any ‘unwholesome’ thoughts!!)

[Martina]

Hello Everyone,

I've been out of town with family I still am.

I haven't been able to get on a computer till now.

I've been doing a little studying.

And I believe that God the Holy Spirit in 1 John is directing us to the Position that we hold in Christ because the "true continuing in SIN" is NOT BELIEVING.

Placing some human definition on accidental and deliberate sins.
There is No difference in God's sight.

Yes, in manmade laws there is a difference. But, that is my whole point. Are we now to start judging ourselves and others by our manmade laws when relating to the gospel
NO!

In 1 john verse 12 I believe. See how John goes back to Cain and Abel. Back to the ONE SIN - that keeps us in the servant position to the flesh and sin. UNBELIEF

To continue in sin is to be UNBELIEVING and nothing outside of CHRIST is good, BUT EVERYTHING in CHRIST is GOOD.

We are in CHRIST and we are good in the sight of God because of the Savior's sacrifice and Christ’s righteousness He gives us.

We must pray for the spirit of the WORD and NOT the letter.

The letter makes small tiny distinguishes between sin.
God does NOT.

So again, look at the preceding verses and see where the Spirit takes us to the murder of Abel by Cain.

NOT because of continued sin, but because of NOT BELIEVING ON THE SON OF GOD.

Tim, mentioned that the problem is that we the preaching we receive once we are saved. This is a big problem.
always, always happens, I myself have been in dispair becuase of this yah and nah preaching.
God's Word is Yah and AMEN.

No changes with God.

It almost seems at times, being believer's we would be better off if this preaching was true, to be unbeliever's because they get Grace but believer's get a so-called new law.

This is NOT right and it is dispairing for the believer the Christian. That is why it is so important to " fight the fight of Grace in the believer's life on earth. It is the ONLY good news GOSPEL and it is the ONLY hope any believer has of salvation.

We humans are so prone to look at the flesh.
We must look at the GOSPEL.

This is wonderful wonderful good news, this is the gospel, this is hope and dependence on Christ.

I hope this is good news for you all.

It is Martina a female.
Sorry, I’ve been using different computers and I didn’t notice the absence of the last letter.

His Grace is Sufficient

BB5

BB5