02.A13. The Legal And The Christian Spirit

CHAPTER XIII. THE LEGAL AND THE CHRISTIAN SPIRIT. AS much is being said in the churches about a legal righteousness and righteousness by faith, or the legal and Christian spirit and method of righteousness, it may be important for us to stop right here for a moment, and see if we cannot obtain clear and distinct apprehensions of these two distinct and opposite spirits and methods of righteousness. At the time when Paul wrote the Epistle to the Romans, the Jew stood out before the world as the advocate and representative of the doctrine of justification by deeds of law and of legal righteousness, while the Christian stood forth as the advocate and representative of the opposite doctrine, that of justification and sanctification both by faith. The object of the apostle in this epistle (I repeat what I have stated in substance before) is to elucidate these two distinct and opposite methods of righteousness as advocated and represented by these two classes of individuals. In doing this, the apostle gives the Jew full credit for all that could be claimed in his behalf. "Israel," or the Jews, had "a zeal for God," "followed after the law of righteousness," "rested in the law," "made his boast of God," "knew His will," approved the things that are more excellent," and "had the form of knowledge and of the truth." Yet, in seeking righteousness "by deeds of law," the Jew failed in the end he sought both in the matter of justification, on the one hand, and sanctification on the other -- utterly failed in both particulars. This he did for two reasons. The fact that he, in common with all the race, had sinned, and come short of the "glory of God," -- a fact which rendered it absolutely impossible that any human being shall be justified "by the deeds of the law." The Jew also, notwithstanding his "approval of the law," and "delight in it after the inner man," and frequently renewed efforts and purposes of obedience, utterly failed to render the obedience purposed and required, because the evil propensities in man are stronger than the conscience and the will. The Christian, on the other hand, in seeking righteousness by faith, does "attain to righteousness" in both particulars, because that in Christ provisions absolutely adequate and efficacious do exist for the full justification and sanctification of all who believe in Him. To understand clearly the nature of the legal spirit, as it is in itself and as represented by the Jew in his "following after righteousness," we have only to recur to the efforts which Paul represents his countrymen as putting forth in the direction of obedience to "the law of righteousness." Representing himself as a Jew, and as he once was, the apostle thus speaks: -- "To will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do! "That which I do, I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." In examining all the above statements, we find, on the one hand, the presence of a clear apprehension, inward approval of, and even inward delight in, what the law requires. We find also purposes and efforts to render this obedience; but, in every single purpose and endeavour, a total failure "to do that which is good," -- the good to do which there is a readiness to will.

We find, on the other hand, the total absence of all recognition of the fact of self-impotence and dependence upon divine aid, or any aid whatever beyond self, to do the good -- the total absence, consequently, of faith in Christ for "grace to help" human impotency. In other words, every purpose is formed and every effort put forth in the exclusive spirit of self-sufficiency and self-dependence. This is the legal spirit in its nature, essence, and form. The language of this spirit is, "The man that doeth these things shall live by them" "I will do them, and live thereby." The language of faith, on the other hand is, "We are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God," and in Christ we do "have all-sufficiency for all things," and may consequently "abound to every good work." The legal spirit boasts of its strength, is full of good purposes, but is utterly powerless to "do that which is good." The spirit of faith, on the other hand, recognises and confesses to total self-impotence, and yet is ever girded with all-sufficient strength, because "its hope and trust is not in self, but in the living God."

I may illustrate these two opposites by a reference to my own case. In the matter of justification, my self-renunciation and dependence upon the grace of God in Christ were absolute. Here, consequently, I had "assurance of hope." In that of sanctification, on the other hand, whenever I failed in my purposes of obedience, after confession and the consciousness of forgiveness, I would say to myself "I know of but one thing to do, and that is, to renew my purpose of obedience and start anew." I record the very words I was accustomed to repeat to myself under the circumstances referred to. As a consequence, my renewed purposes were as abortive as my former ones had been, and I read my experience in Romans 7:1-25.

Whenever, and to what extent, and in what form soever, reader, you may purpose obedience, resolve to start anew in the divine life, and do this expecting thus to obey because you have purposed to do so, you will read you future experience just where I read mine, and will never find "deliverance from the body of this death." The reason is, that all such purposes and efforts are not of faith, but purely legal.

If on the other hand, "with purpose of heart you shall cleave unto the Lord," and while you do so you shall, with a distinct recognition of your total moral impotency for anything good or right, recognise in Christ an infinite fulness for all your necessities, and shall put full trust in Him, as your all-sufficient "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption," then will "your righteousness go forth as brightness, and your salvation as a lamp that shineth," and your stability in love and obedience be "as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abideth for ever." The reason is, that "the life which you now live in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God, who loved you, and gave Himself for you." Such is the distinction between the legal and Christian spirit and method of righteousness.