How does God improve spiritual performance?
Jan 15, 2010
Case for Grace - part sixteen in a study of the book of Romans
Mike Gaudet
How does God improve spiritual performance?
Car mechanics know cars. They can figure out why a car is performing poorly. They know how to improve the car’s performance.
God knows people. When we are “not firing on all cylinders” spiritually, He knows why. He also knows how to improve our spiritual performance.
“For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.” Romans 7:5-8
The translation “when we were controlled by the sinful nature” is unfortunate and misleading. The phrase is more accurately translated, “when we were in the flesh.” This translation suggests that our root problem is mortal, not moral.
We have a mortal problem.
We are spirit beings temporarily housed in mortal bodies. This is not an ideal living arrangement! Like an engine that isn’t designed for its chassis, we “spirit beings” are not designed for mortal bodies . . . at least not permanently.
We are immortal beings temporarily confined to mortal bodies. Being temporarily housed in “flesh and blood” causes us to be pulled apart by competing sets of desires. Mortal desires and immortal desires vie for control.
Our mortal bodies generate mortal desires. We rightly provide for and protect ourselves physically. Our immortal spirits generate immortal desires. We rightly provide for and protect ourselves spiritually. The problem is that the roads to physical welfare and spiritual welfare head in different directions. No wonder we get lost and confused. We are being pulled in opposite directions!
This is the cause of our spiritual problems.
While we live in this world, we cannot remove the tension created by this temporary living arrangement. We can, however, reduce the gravitational pull of sin in our lives. Our “sinful passions” are “aroused by the law.” The strength of sin grows when under the influence of law. “For apart from law, sin is dead.” Law gives life to sin.
God changed our relationship with law when He sent His Son into our world. Because of Jesus Christ, “we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”
God no longer posts the “written code” so that we keep the commandments . . . or else. This is law-based. When we try to obey God’s law in order to earn His love and acceptance, the influence of sin in our lives increases.
There is a story about a woman who married a very demanding man. He gave her a list of 10 things that she needed to do for him . . . or else. She came to resent that list. When her husband passed away, she remarried a man who was far different. He placed no conditions on His love and acceptance. One day while she was cleaning, she came across the list. Memories of her first marriage and the bondage she felt resurfaced. She felt the anxiety that came from having to keep his laws in order to keep his love. She relaxed as she reflected on the freedom and love of her present marriage. As she scanned the list, she was surprised to discover that she was doing every single item on the list and more for her present husband . . . but doing it out of the freedom of love rather than the duty of law made all the difference.
God is not our “Father-in-law.”
God is our “Father-in-love.”
That is the “good news.”