In Galatians Paul constantly puts circumcision with law:
the side of the present evil age Jesus saves us from;
the side bound by flesh, slavery, and imprisonment.
Contrary to this he pits crucifixion:
The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified
the world to us and we to it (in Him we died).
It is either the elementary principles of this world/age,
or the cross and new creation through the Spirit by faith-
those two, nothing else will do!
He trusts they will adopt his view.
Circumcision or Christ, the law or the gospel;
what large letters from the apostle!
What then regulates the saint’s behavior?
Are we antinomian? Never!
The new creation hallmark is keeping in step
with the Spirit who leads away from the flesh,
without being entangled by a yoke again:
either side yields works unfit for heaven.
By the power of the Spirit in Christ’s resurrection life
we keep the commandments of God in the law of Christ.
Hagar’s sons boast in and circumcise the flesh,
while Sarah’s sons boast in Christ and crucify the flesh!
That’s the difference.
Under law or under grace
according to Paul.
Either by works or by faith
according to Paul.
They are called the circumcision,
but they are just the mutilation.
We are the circumcision
according to Paul.
Nothing is harder than Paul and the law.
Though at first we see a paradox,
we know there is no contradiction,
even when putting together this syllogism:
‘Whatever is not of faith is sin,’
‘the law is not of faith,’
-“now wait, are you ready?”-
‘is the law sin? May it never be.’
Well, he doesn’t say it all in one,
but we can work with what we’re given.
Law has multiple angles, not fragments
(as in moral, civil, ceremonial segments).
We are free from all but bound by Christ.
Slaves of His righteousness and resurrection life.
The grace of God that brings salvation
teaches us- the gospel is our sanctification!
Plus, we see Christ in all the Scripture
(or we miss Him and miss the picture)
and apply it directly to us as Christians
-we can do this because we are in Him,
having reached the eschatological realities therein
in an already-not yet, stagger-step fashion-
we are taught, reproved, corrected, and trained
after being brought to Scripture’s goal of faith.
So the stone Law to us yields water and honey
as we see Christ, not theonomy.
It typifies the Lord Jesus, leaves us speechless;
with unveiled faces glory meets us!
Transforming us into His image and likeness,
renewed knowledge, holiness, righteousness.
We see Christ directly and His wisdom directs the
elect from one degree of glory to the next
step in redemption history
of God’s unfolding mystery-
what the Law promised but couldn’t perform for me:
conformity to Christ, being raised in glory!
Christ is the goal of law
according to Paul.
The law condemns us all
according to Paul.
Christ is our righteousness,
Christ is our life.
The gospel is our law
according to Paul.
~my Master’s greatest debtor
