In the movie, “The Matrix,” the lead character Neo is faced with a choice. He is told that he can choose to take the blue pill and he will wake up in his bed and can believe whatever he wants. Or he can take the red pill and he can stay in “Wonderland” and find out just how deep the rabbit hole goes. Sometimes I feel a little like Neo. I feel as if I have taken the “red pill” because the longer I have been a Christian, the more I find out just how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Specifically the more I study the Cross, the more I find out just how much was accomplished at Calvary. Commonly it is taught that our sins were crucified on the cross. And while this is true, that is not all that was accomplished. Isaiah says, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isa 53:5, NIV) From this passage alone we see that God had more than just our sins in mind when Jesus was on the cross. Yes, he was pierced for our transgressions—another word for sins. But he was also crushed for our iniquities. Iniquities is a term the Bible uses to cover those sins that continually entice us. We might think of this in terms of addictions. If you’ve ever seen a family where the grandfather, father and son were all alcoholics, you were looking at iniquities. Jesus was crushed so we could be set free from these as well as from our sins. Then Isaiah says his punishment brought us peace. So again we have more than forgiveness of sins. We have peace—with God, with others, with ourselves. And it is by his wounds we are healed. So healing was also purchased for us with the blood of Christ.
So we see that simply saying, “Christ died for our sins,” is actually not a complete statement. And to limit the cross of Christ to this alone is to do an injustice to the blood of Christ. This “rabbit hole” goes much deeper than we even realize. Perhaps this is why Paul said, “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” (Eph. 3:17b-18, NIV)
And there is still more to this. Paul says in Colossians, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Col. 2:13-14, NIV)
Notice what he says is nailed to the cross. Paul says God canceled the “written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” So now we’ve added something else that was crucified on the cross. In addition to our sins, the entire Law itself was crucified. That system of “Do this/Don’t do that” was taken away. Removed. Cancelled. It no longer exists. God did this because the law was opposed to us. The Law stirs up sin within us. (see Romans 7) Paul says that it is because the law said, “Do not covet” that sin rose up and produced in him every covetous desire. And because of this, Paul says the law brings wrath. (Rom. 4:15) So what happens if you take away that law? Sin has nothing to build on to produce sinful desires. So we don’t have a desire to sin because there is no law. If there is no law, there is no transgression of law. So there is no sin. This is how our sin was removed from us.
Here’s a practical example of this: On my drive to work every day I go through a section of road that has a school zone. There is a law stating I can only go 20 miles per hour during times when the light is flashing. If I go more than 20 mph when the light is flashing, I break the law. But a few months ago, there was a change made in the road. In the process they removed the school zone completely. So now there is no school zone. So it is now impossible for me to violate the school zone speed limit because it no longer exists. This is what Paul means when he says the written code (The Law) with its regulations, was taken away, nailed to the cross. The Law has been removed so now there is no law to break, hence there is no sin on our account.
The message is: There are no rules. There is no system of rules and law to govern our behavior. God found fault with that system so he took it away and in its place gave us a better covenant, founded on better promises. (see Heb. 8:6-8)
This is essentially the message of the book of Galatians. Paul is saying to them, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 5:1, NIV) What is it to be burdened by a yoke of slavery? It is to be bound to keeping the Law. For as he goes on to say that if you keep one part of the law, you are obligated to obey the whole law. (see Gal. 5:3) And if you are seeking to be justified by keeping the law, you have been alienated from Christ and have fallen away from grace. (Gal. 5:4) Read all of Galatians with this in mind and you will see this is the message of the book.
The obvious question at this point is, “So with no law, does that mean we can just do whatever we want?” Paul addresses this in Romans. He asks, “What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Rom. 6:1-2, NIV) He goes on to say that since we died with Christ, the body of sin has been done away with. So we should count ourselves dead to sin, but alive to Christ. (read all of Romans 6 to get the full message) As Paul says in Galatians, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use you freedom to indulge the sinful nature.” (Gal. 5:13, NIV)
Now, instead of following a system of rules, Paul urges us to live by the Spirit. In doing so we won’t gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Gal. 5:16) And he says that if we are led by the Spirit, we are not under law, thus we are not under wrath, because the law brings wrath. (Gal. 5:18; Rom. 4:15) This is the better covenant built on better promises. Instead of following law that brings wrath, we are to be led by the Spirit. This is better because “those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14, NIV) And this is ultimately the goal of Christianity—to become a son of God with Jesus as the firstborn among many brothers. (see Rom. 8:29) Because when we follow after the Spirit of God, we don’t have to be concerned with unrighteousness because the Spirit desires what is contrary to the sinful nature. (Gal. 5:17) And the fruit of following the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And Paul says that “against such things there is no law.” (Gal. 5:22-23)
There are no rules. The only thing we need to be concerned with is, “Follow the leading of the Spirit.” Obviously the Spirit would never lead us to lie, steal, commit adultery, etc. so we don’t have to worry about any of that. We don’t have to come up with rules to govern our behavior. There are no rules anyway. Remember, the rules have been nailed to the cross.
Just simply follow the Spirit as a son of God. In this way you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature and the fruit of following the Spirit will be evidenced in your life. And you will live in the full freedom that Christ’s death purchased for you.
