Most everyone is familiar with
the children's story about Snow White. One of the characters has a mirror
which she looks into every day, asking it who the fairest in
the land is. Of course, the mirror answers
that she is the most beautiful one of all in the land. Until
one day, to her surprise and horror, the mirror replies that
there is one who is fairer than she. She can no longer take any
delight in beholding her image in that mirror until she has
destroyed the beautiful Snow White. We can see in the actions
and reactions of the evil queen an illustration of the carnal
man who in his natural religiosity looks at the reflection of himself
in the mirror of his own self-righteousness and finds many things which are
pleasing to him. His base desire is to compare
himself to others as a measure and standard of his righteousness
and acceptance with the Lord. Rather than mourning his imperfections,
he makes excuses for them and expects that he can make improvements,
which will ultimately negate his shortcomings. While natural
religion requires that he admit to some faults, yet he considers
that his faults are no worse than many, and in many cases
far fewer than great numbers of others. His ultimate hatred
of the Lord's standard of righteousness is demonstrated as he by nature
despises the notion that the Lord requires absolute perfection. Surely he reasons his righteousness
must count for something and be somewhat acceptable in the
Lord's sight if for no other reason than simply that he is
a human which he imagines is the most noble creature endued
with natural goodness. The Lord used the Jews, especially
the Sadducees and Pharisees, to manifest the natural hatred
of mankind for that One whom He has sent into the world as
a perfect man. In the beginning of His earthly
ministry, many of these leaders sought Him out and marveled at
His wisdom. Yet soon they perceived His unassailable
character to be a real threat to their power. When it was revealed
unto them how far short of Christ's perfections they came, they hated
him, and set about to destroy him according to the ordained
purpose of God. Natural men are content with
their righteousness relative to others. Paul says that the
children of God, with open faith, now can plainly see that all
of their righteousness is found in Christ. This is the liberty
which is given to them, which does not come as a result of
their efforts or the fulfillment of certain duties and requirements,
but is given to them according to the promise which is discovered
in the gospel. It is commonly received among
the multitudes of those that preach a mixture of law and grace
that men must endeavor to change their own lives in one fashion
or another. They make the blessings which
come to the sons of God to be dependent upon their own obedience
and acts of faith. This is obviously manifested
in the message of the health and wealth preachers, but is
more subtly taught by those who would opine that the law is the
believer's rule of life. The sons of God must look to
Him who fulfilled the law in His jot and tittle, and has now
rendered them by that same law to be perfectly just before Him,
and completely accepted in the Beloved. The law and grace mixers
say they believe this to be true, but that such must not be overemphasized,
or that we must not ignore man's responsibility, lest we encourage
men to sin. How foolish such a notion is!
Paul addresses this very argument. What shall we say then? Shall
we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid! How shall
we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? There is
only one thing that can make the sons of God hate sin and
desire righteousness in their inward parts, and that one thing
is the free grace of God. The work of the Spirit in the
sons of God leads them to liberty and not to bondage. Thus, the
only way that the sons of God are encouraged to walk in the
freedom which Christ has given them is as they are enabled to
behold His image in that mirror. For indeed, the glory of God
surrounds that view, and they are changed thereby. Therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are
passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at 4the4 at windstream.net.