Not many will admit that they hate correction; but we know a few of those who fit the description of fence posts.  It matters not how clear the word is and how rich the anointing might be, they continue falling headlong into the ditch of delusions.  With one faction, there are those who remain in their religious-steeped mind-sets, while in the extremities of the other camp, they spiral downward into absolute Independentism.  This takes them to where there is no king in their land.  Either way, religiously righteous or totally independent, they do that which is right in their own eyes, and the end thereof are the ways of death.

The religious right are great advocates of the law.  They are legalists no matter how you measure it.  You may disagree, and if so, take note of how they, and you, vote in elections.  The candidates who vow the toughest laws to be imposed upon law breakers are endorsed by the religious right.  That is being a legalist, and so it goes with most churches.  If others do not believe or do as they believe and do, the nonconformists are often condemned to hell forever.  It’s the same spirit in both worlds, that of right-wing politics and church legalism, and neither have any relationship to the Kingdom of God whatsoever.  Truthfully, there is not one wit of difference between the legalism of the world’s political and judicial system and the church system.  Regardless of which laws are broken — those imposed by the State or the laws imposed by the Church  — they who break such laws are counted as vermin and are not worth the effort to help or salvage.  The solution to the problem is simply to build more prisons or widen the borders of hell to house the ill-reputes.  “Wipe the slate clean, and rid ourselves of the disgusting rejects” is echoed in their words and actions.  Do you see any difference between the right wing conservativists and the  religious right?  I don’t.

The opposite side of the scales is a worldly faction who are known as left wing liberals.  Many of them accept anything as being right, there are no wrongs. They may not indulge in certain activities themselves; but they think nothing of people who practice base immorality, homosexuality, bisexuality, adultery, promiscuity, or lying, cheating, stealing, ad infinitum.  They say, “It is the people’s choice, a selected life-style, or they are born that way, and as long as their actions don’t affect me, let them do whatever is right in their own eyes.”

Such is common in the world, and it is becoming just as common in the church.  Therefore, I believe it would be accurate to call “believers” who have the same liberal philosophy the religious left.  They are very similar, saying, “You’re O.K. I’m O.K.”  And if the pendulum swings too far to the left, they are very adept at having no moral laws at all — they become lawless.  You will see them breaking from any restraint whatsoever. Like an untrained colt when he finds the corral gate has been left open, they will bolt.  The lawless teachers open the gates wide for them to run free-spirited before they can be trained and disciplined to pull the King’s chariot.

If offense is taken by me saying they are lawless, take note of how they cast their votes in the Kingdom of God.  The ministers who declare that the law is dead, that no one, especially believers, are under the law, will receive their vote of confidence.  These men and women will be followed to the ends of the earth by the lawless, which, of course, leads to death.  They are not like the religious right who are quick to condemn others to hell forever.  However, they will cut their objectors off as quick as a Rabi cuts off and discards the foreskin of an eight day old baby boy.  I know it to be so, for I have felt like that foreskin, especially since writing this particular series.  It’s been a long time since I have stirred up enough anger for The Pathfinder to be called “double-minded garbage” by a certain “New Creation” minister in Massillon, Ohio. I don’t particularly enjoy receiving letters with such a caustic spirit; but this one served as a confirmation that what I have been writing has not been futile.  A tender, carnal chord was hit, which was good.  I was beginning to think that I was perhaps coddling the lawless too much, but now, maybe not.

But please, do not misunderstand me.  I know about the law being dead, and we being dead to it.  Paul speaks of it as a husband to Israel, and as long as that husband was alive, she was bound to him.  He made it clear: ^4...my brethren, ye...are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.  ⁵For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. ⁶But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.  ⁷What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law...” Rom. 7:4 -7.

However, I am also aware that Paul wrote this about the law:  ^“12Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”  Rom. 7:12.  ^“14For we know that the law is spiritual...” Rom. 7:14.  ⁶...The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 2 Cor. 3:6.  “⁷...the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones...” 2 Cor. 3:7.  “⁶But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” Rom. 7:6.

We might also be reminded that Jesus said: “¹⁷Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Matt. 5:17.  “⁹For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” Rom. 7:9. [fulfil: pleroo From G4134; to make replete, that is, (literally) to cram (a net) level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction):  Strong’s Exh Conc]

What are we to do with these conflicting verses?  While some indicate that the law is dead and it kills, others say it is holy, it is spiritual, and it is good. Is there no balancing factor?  Yes, of course, there is, and that factor is simply whether we are taking or receiving the fruit from the tree which is in the MIDST of the Garden of God.

By now, the legalists will assume I am against the Law of God, while the liberals will say I am old order and too legalistic.  Frankly, neither is true.  But I will say that I find no fault in the law, none whatsoever.  It has been a part of our journey; furthermore, God's law will be with us always; that is, the law will be with us as being fulfilled forever in our lives.   This is not legalism.  It is a way of life!

Although the law was initially a part of our lives in revealing sin, and we exhausted ourselves by trying to obey it to the letter, that is not our end.  Obeying the law the best we can was never intended to be the process of our journey, nor was it to be our final goal.  There is much more to the law than being blessed if we march to its commanding cry, and damned if we don't.

The fact is, the law that exposes sin and works death is not a factor with the sons of God.  That phase of the law is an  historical event of their lives and should not be an issue.  A few may disagree, and if so, that is alright; but before leaving, please note: "Knowing this, that the law is NOT made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers" (1 Tim 1:9).  If you are still subject to the law, that is, if the law is your master, and you are condemned by it when you do not submit to its every letter, then the law is made for you.  Every person who is lawless needs the law.  It is as a bridle and bit for a horse.  If you are lawless, you would go straightway back to the world without it and live according to every desire of your flesh. 

The law is not for the righteous.  It resides in God’s sons by nature, and every jot and tittle of it is fulfilled as easily as breathing air.

If you feel that you have to lie, cheat, and steal to make it in life, you neither know the law nor the Lawgiver.  You are lawless, and the law is viewed as a pariah, as a foreboding evil, at best as an extinct dinosaur, as nothing more than a rack of old bones worthy only to be studied but not lived.  It is advisable to not lose sight, as mentioned before, that "¹²...the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” Rom. 7:12,  and "¹⁶All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”  2 Tim. 3:16.

The scriptures also testify of Christ our Lord, and are almost always the tools used by the Spirit to enlighten souls.  Although we esteem them highly, let us not become legalists.  We should never be blinded by them. 

The scriptures are the probably the most effective tool used by the Spirit; but we know they are not Christ.  (John 5:39). Life is not found in them, not in the letter, not when they are taken from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  They, indeed, point to the Way; but they are not the source of our salvation.  Even so, life can be received from them when they are freely given as broken Bread to us by the hand of our Lord.

Attempting to fulfill the law by subjecting oneself to its letter is an impossibility.  It can't be done.  Struggling to measure up to some religious standard of “Christ likeness,” or acting the part of a law-abiding saint does not make a person Godly.  Godliness is never the result of outward performances.  Godliness comes as the result God's holy law residing within and radiating naturally in our daily walk. The goodness of the Law will then shine like the Sun in a dark world.

It behooves us, then, to know by nature the spiritual side of the law and live, rather than the letter of it in our minds and die.  Is this too hard to grasp?

Jesus knew the scriptures and the law very well; but His quickening power and authority did not come by memorizing every jot and tittle of them, and then setting His mind like flint to do what they said.  He did not fulfill any part of them out of shear, legalistic will power.  He did not take the law and use it to mold Himself into the Son of God.  He was born with the law in His midst, in the midst of His being, in the Ark of His Covenant.  His every heartbeat was God’s Law.  He was the embodiment of the Promised Law.  Everything He did was, therefore, in the Name (the Nature and Authority) of His Father John 10:25.  He was in union with the law because He was in union with His Father.  Jesus and His Father were one in all things (John 17:11,21). They knew each other as only a father and son can know each other.  And having been born of the same Seed, we are called to this union wherein we also know each other as only a father and son can know each other.  Thereby, we are fulfilling the law!

It should not be our goal to legalistically keep the law; for men have attempted to do so for thousands of years, and they all failed. So why would we be so presumptuous as to think we could do better?  It is in us, however, to fulfill every jot and tittle of the law by the Spirit and to become the nature of God’s law.  Every law God gave to Moses came from the very root, the core, the nature of God.  God is Spirit, God is Good, and God is Holy; therefore, the law is spiritual, it is good, and it is holy.  The law came out of God, Jesus came from Him, and that is also our origin.  Due to the union with the law, not one word of it is offensive, contrary, or difficult for a son of God to fulfil.  If, however, our hearts are centered on self, it is another story.  When we attempt to fulfil any portion of the law by taking unto ourselves the fruit of knowledge, which makes one wise, it will be deadly, and we will die.

                                             Two Tablets

The Law was written on two Tablets of Stone.  Simply put, the law is received by nature from one tablet unto life, while from the other it is taken unto death.  One is the Promise of Life, the other the Sentence of Death; one is knowing Christ Jesus unto Life, the other is knowing self unto death.  One is fulfilling the law by our Lord’s nature, the other is doing the law by carnal legalism.  One is the Chief Corner Stone, the other is the rock of offense.

These two stones are as the twins, Esau and Jacob, and like those two nations warring against one another in the womb, so they war in the midst of each of us.  Ah, but praise God, the same prophecy is for us which was spoken to Rebekah — “²³And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.” Gen. 25:23.

It would be hard to deny that the point of origin with each of these emotions is found as being the same, and what a war they wage with one another!  Both are vying for the Kingdom, and they come from the same Stone, from the same Tree, if you please.  One is for Life while the other is for death.  Two Tablets of Stone, Two Trees, Two Natures, Two Nations — and life and death issue from the twain.

Ah, what a mystery; but at the same time, what a simple truth.  Stirring within is the Spirit of revelation which makes the unreasonable come alive and it becomes reasonable.  When revelation is lacking, however, our human reasoning will reverberate its groundless logic, declaring — impossible!  Even so, “²⁵There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”  Prov. 16:25.  [Seems: “paniym from H6437; the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively)... H6437 panah; a primitive root; to turn; by implication to face, that is, appear, look, etc.”  (Strong’s Exh.  Conc)].

Looking at the face value of a thing, the face of man will always turn toward that which is logical, that which is apparently right, that which is easily grasped by the human mind; but the end thereof is still death.  After several thousand years of putting that death knell into practice, one would think we could have learned by now, but not so; for the fruit of that enticing tree still hangs in our midst as brilliant and alluring as the day it was brought to Adam’s attention by the subtle serpent.

I believe one of the major factors which makes it easy for people to be deluded is when there is no king in their land (Judg. 21:25).  The lukewarm spirit that has swept over Kingdom folk has caused many to push Jesus into the future as a king who will come someday and rule.  And a sizable number have taken the position of being God themselves and claim to be kings in the earth.  By default, this dethrones Christ.  It removes Him as the ruler in their land.

Whether He is the King which will be coming, or He has been replaced by man’s deluded subtlety — as long as there is no king — they do that which is right in their own eyes.   Only those who love discipline will hear the warnings.  However, those who are hellbent on exalting themselves hate correction and are plainly stupid, according to Proverbs 12:1 (NIV).  There is no limit to that which seems right in men’s own eyes.  But I will say with all surety — if they are not in the apple of the Lord’s eye, the end of each of those journeys will end with death.  

It matters not, brethren, if we are  left wing liberals with no law, right wing conservatives with the whole law, or  lukewarm middle-wings with a little of nothing and some of everything — the fruit of our carnal tree will fail us.   The name/nature of Jesus Christ is the only fruit which will enable us to fulfill the Law and always do that which pleases our Father.  It is in that Name by which we will be clothed to manifest the One law.  No longer will we be double minded and see the law written upon two tablets; for the two shall be one!

To be continued...