[021417] Facebook Live Session w/ Andrew Farley

Notes from a Facebook Live Session w/ Andrew Farley

How are behavior passages in the New Testament (in Galatians, Ephesians) different from Old Testament Law? 

- to this, Dr. Farley asks, what if you don't comply? Jesus has taken any punishment to non-compliance to the Law. Now, there are earthly consequences without partiality - in other words, we are as likely to be pulled over by a cop for speeding as any other person who is speeding. Damage ensues. All sorts of things can happen to our finances, relationships, etc. 

Differentiate earthly consequences from punishment. Now, when it comes to discipline, we ought not to see this from the perspective of punishment, but discipline for discipling. This is counsel from our Father into all Truth, leading us back to Christ and reminding us of who we are in Him. We are always under this disciple of the Lord.

Again, the earthly consequences are without partiality, and punishment has already been taken by Christ. Disobedience to Law has already been taken by Christ. God has forgiven us and kept no record of wrongs, but He is dedicated to the change in our attitude, and in the change of our mindsets... and these are where the behavior passages come in. Under His discipline these passages guide us in grace, carrying us into completion. 

What about the 10 Commandments? We understand that Christ is the end of the Law, but questions still persist regarding how these Commandments were bigger than the rest of the Law... But we really must believe that we are dead under these laws also! Jesus Christ alive in us is our adherence to the Law - It's no longer us who observes obedience but Christ who obeys within us, and we can't have it any other way - we couldn't select the Laws we can follow, and do away with the rest! It's one and all, and praise God because Christ alive in us is introduces us to the truth of God's absolute standards in the Law, and the life-giving ministry of Reconciliation!

Romans 7 states that apart from Law, sin is dead... If we need freedom from sin, we don't find it in the Law... We need to run away from the words, into the Living Word! The Law is there to lead us to Christ, and to Christ alone! 

Right here, right now, we can trust in Christ - we aren't bashing the Law, in fact, we recognize the perfection of the law by saying we couldn't fulfill it, and only Christ could, and Christ did! We should remember that we are married to Christ, and we shouldn't cheat on Christ by going back to Moses. 

--

To quench the Spirit is simply not to express Him. It doesn't mean that God has wrath for us, punishing us, it doesn't even mean that He leaves us - It just means that our Father does not express Himself through sin, and so His Spirit is quenched in the moments He is not expressed. [This really spoke to me today. -JB]

Regarding grieving the Spirit, we ought to see that this is grief and not anger/criticism/frustration - this is grief coming from the fact that our Father has such a deep concern for us and wants the best for us... In the moments that we stumble (even in times when we do it to ourselves willingly) and when we hurt ourselves as an earthly consequence, we can be sure that as the Spirit is grieved, our Father is strengthening and comforting and counseling us, helping us back on our feet. 

God is not a computer full of IF statements, He is a Person, and this God loves us so! This is such good news! This is discipline - training for the future, birthed out of God's deep love for us. 

--

'Fear and Trembling'? This is actually translated to reverence and awe. There is no room for fear! Perfect love casts out all fear! Perfect love is Christ alive in us, causing us to come to the throne boldly!

'Work out your salvation?' - This is misinterpreted and misunderstood as 'Work for your salvation'. We ought to know that God worked IN our salvation, and infused/deposited Christ's literal life into our life, and now we are equipped in life for Godliness and fulfilling His purpose for us! Christ is literally alive in us, and we walk daily, allowing Christ to be expressed through us more and more and more.. 

We, therefore, bear fruit more, recognizing that we are the branches to Christ, who is the Vine. 


_________________________
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com


May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26