Two New Testament books deal specifically with the subject of the law: Romans and Galatians. Romans is declaratory, and Galatians is argumentative. In Romans Paul himself introduces the theme and makes certain positive declarations. In Galatians he deals with a theme that was introduced already (the Galatians had come under the influence of the Judaizers). He treats the subject of the law argumentatively in order to correct an existing condition.
In Galatians Paul makes some very strong statements regarding the seriousness of coming under the law. For example, he says, "You have been brought to nought, separated from Christ, you who are being justified by law" (5:4). The Galatians fell as easy prey to legalism, but we are no less prone to do this than they were. Many Christians fail to see their bondage to the law because they see the law only as a standard of living. If they never see the bondage of the law, they will never see the liberty that is in Christ.
The law is not just a standard; it is a fixed standard. When we were young, our gymnastic teacher raised or lowered the pole for the high jump according to our age and ability. The standard was not fixed; it was subject to adjustment. There was room for development, and allowance was made for the lack of development. The standard of the law, however, is fixed. On the one hand, it makes no concessions where there is a lack of development. On the other hand, it leaves no room for development beyond a given point. Even if someone in the Old Testament days tried to attain to the standard determined by the law, such a standard could not have been gained, because the fixity of the law precludes all possibility of advancing beyond a certain point. Because the standard of the law is set, observance of the law is bound to result in bondage. At an early stage in our Christian life we may feel that the law's standard is too high, but at a later stage we will feel that it is too low.
Our Lord said, "You have heard that it was said to the ancients....But I say to you" (Matt. 5:21-22). What is the law? It is what the Lord has said in the past. What is life? It is what the Lord says today. What is bondage to the law? It is adhering to a standard of the past. What is freedom from the law? From a negative viewpoint, it is the emancipation from any fixed standard set by the Lord's past speaking. From a positive viewpoint, it is the freedom to follow the Lord's present speaking. The guidance of the Spirit is our liberty in Christ. As soon as we fix a standard of living according to a command of the Lord in the past, we come under the bondage of the law. The leading of the Spirit is absolutely up-to-date; it is always living and always new. Any command that is not a present command of the Lord is not in life. Making His speaking of yesterday the standard for today results in bondage and death. As soon as we fix a standard of life and set rules and regulations, the liberty of the Spirit is gone. The law, being fixed, makes no provision for growth beyond a given point. The moment we accept any command of the Lord as a standard for any time other than when it was given, we restrict growth. Life in Christ is eternally progressive, and unlike the standard of law, the standard of life is always subject to alteration and adjustment.
What is the law? It is what was said to the ancients, and the ancients are not just the persons we read of in the Bible. One heard a remark such as this: "That matter was settled in Darby's day." Darby is an "ancient." The "you" and "I" of the past are "ancients." Even the "you" and the "I" of yesterday are "ancients." If I do what I did a month ago because the Lord leads me to do so today, this is life. But if I do what I did a month ago because He led me to do so a month ago, that is the law. The law can be a day old, a week old, a month old, or even centuries old; but the leading of the Spirit can never be twenty-four hours old. If we act according to what was proven to be right yesterday, we are in bondage to the law; we have lost the liberty of the Spirit. Many Christians think that liberty in Christ is the liberty to act. No! It is the liberty to grow. When we are emancipated from the fixed standard of the law, we are free to grow and our growth will not be stopped.
"It was said to the ancients....But I say to you" (Matt. 5:21-22). These words apply not only to the hearers of the sermon on the mount; they apply to us as well. They are not just a statement made during the course of an address; they are a principle for all time. "It was said to the ancients" — this is the law. "But I say to you" — this is life. Liberty in Christ means that the Lord is free to set a new standard of living at any moment, and we are free to conform to a new standard at any moment. Spiritual freedom is not freedom to do anything we like, but freedom from the past commands of the Lord to obey His present commands, even though the present commands may seem to conflict with the past commands. Freedom in Christ is emancipation from the recognized rules of right and wrong so that we are untrammeled in our ability to follow the leading of the Spirit. As soon as we settle on an accepted code of living, we come under the bondage of the law and live our life in the principle of works. It is so easy to maintain a past standard. However, the Lord has set us free to follow Him to ground that is higher than ever in the past. The Lord is adjusting the standard according to our measure of life daily; therefore, we must live daily in the freshness of the Spirit. Who are the sons of God? They are those who are led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:14). The Spirit's leading is liberty. There is no leading under the bondage of the law.
There is so much blindness among the children of God because they have a clearly defined standard of living. They are shaping their lives by the word of the Lord, but it is what He has said of old, not what He is saying today. They are blinded by their past visions. What they have seen in the past hinders them from seeing what the Lord is seeking to show them today. For instance, there are missionaries in this land who had a call to China ten years ago, and they are working in China today on the basis of that old call. They are following an old vision. They have become "ancients," and they have come under the bondage of the law. The word spoken to them years ago is dead, and conformity to its standard means death. They lack the freshness of today's life in the Spirit. Christianity is something very new and very living. Alas, we live in closer proximity to the law than we realize. Our Lord died on the cross to satisfy the fixed standard of the law so that we would be under no further obligation to fulfil its demands. If we set up a new standard of law today, we are nullifying the work of the cross and coming under the curse.
The potentialities of the life in Christ are infinite, so we dare not set up any standard of right and wrong; otherwise, we will limit our progress. Our future is far too great to allow any fixed rules for life. But it should be clearly understood that being free from the law is not for us to do as we please, but for us to be free to do whatever the Lord pleases. It is being free to do what He says today and being free to not do what He said yesterday. Being delivered from the bondage of the law means to be released from all obligation to the written law so that we can obey the indwelling law, "the law of the Spirit of life...in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:2). "It was said....But I say to you." The Lord does not give us liberty so that we can do as we please, but He frees us from the dead letter of a past speaking by the living word of a present speaking. There must be the speaking of the Lord today.
