Facebook has some good stuff once in a while. I am “friends” with Francois Du Toit, a Bible scholar who lives in South Africa. He posts daily “Thoughts for (date).” Today’s full posting was very good. He has given me permission to re-post it here. You may see more of what he does and hear some of his teachings at www.mirrorreflection.net Enjoy!
“The law of faith reveals how the obedience of Christ cancelled out the effect of the disobedience of Adam. Rom.5:18 The conclusion is clear: it took just one offence to condemn mankind; one act of righteousness declares the same mankind innocent. 5:19 The disobedience of the one man exhibits humanity as sinners, the obedience of another man exhibits humanity as righteous.
“The immediate implication of Christ’s obedience releases an authority to us whereby we may destroy every stronghold and arrest every thought that keeps us enslaved to an inferior opinion or identity. (See 2Cor.10:3-5 where the King James Bible has the correct translation, ‘the obedience of Christ’, instead of the obedience to Christ like most other translations wrongfully suggest. This makes an enormous difference: to obey Christ keeps man restricted to the same limitations and frustrations he experienced under the law; his own inconsistency and inability bring about the inevitable sense of guilt and failure; whereas the obedience of Christ links man to the limitless success of Christ’s achievement on humanity’s behalf; He performed in our stead!) No contradiction to the implication of His obedience is tolerated. The moment of faith is like the effect of light dispelling darkness, effortlessly! Darkness does not erase the truth, it only hides from view that which already is, while light reveals.
“Are your actions and reactions law-inspired or faith-inspired? Many sincere Christians as well as their leaders do not know the difference. They would teach commitment, discipline and obedience with great enthusiasm and miss the point! Legalism only results in suspicion, disappointment, guilt, condemnation, distance and death! Paul defines his ministry and mission in Rom.1:5, “We have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of His Name in all the nations including yourselves.” He sees every nation included in the revelation of grace. In Eph.3:9 he puts it this way, “to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly realm. This was according to the eternal purpose, which He realised in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What God was able to communicate in Christ, is now made visible in man to be communicated in spirit realm. The mystery is ”Christ in you” Col.1:25-27. Law-inspired behaviour reduces the impact of your life to the natural realm, while faith realities has an immediate impact in spirit realm.
“The Greek word for obedience, upo+akoo, literally means to be under the influence of hearing. Paul understands that hearing inspires faith. Rom.10:17. In Acts 14:1 Luke says, “Paul preached in such a way that many believed.” Any action inspired by guilt, inferiority or vanity, results in more of the same, guilt, inferiority and vanity.”
Mannaword 