Chariot August 2007 - Norm Wakefield  

    Norm will be speaking at a father/son retreat near Leesburg, VA. This retreat is open to anyone interested in coming. The dates are Sept. 14-15, Friday evening and Saturday morning. Please contact Andrew Voell here for further information. If your church in the Leesburg area would like to have Norm as a guest speaker for Sept. 16, please contact him at 830-980-5606 or at info@spiritofelijah.com.

In Search of Happiness - Part 2     

    What did you discover last month as you and your family began to discuss your search for happiness? It's true, isn't it? We do long to be happy and we'll do almost anything to secure it. In this article, I'd like for us to consider the weakest source of power for securing personal happiness–the flesh. When someone is under the spirit of the Law, he or she naturally looks to themselves for the power to perform, control, or cope with life. Sometimes we might call this power source "shear willpower." The "just buckle down and do it"¼. or "control it with your own power"–that type of a spirit.  

The formula of the spirit of law

    From the time we were children, we've tried to control the world and the people in it in order to secure our own happiness. The character of the spirit of law is to say something like this, "If you will do such and such, then you will be happy"; or "If you don't do such and such, you will suffer." The main idea is that we feel we have a responsibility; we have to do this or that and if we do, then God will reward us. The converse is also believed: we must not do this or that or God will punish us. Such are the dynamics of the spirit of law.

The power source of the spirit of law

    In relationship with God, the natural man without the Holy Spirit attempts to do what God requires in his own willpower. Remember that God first established His relationship with Adam according to law. In Genesis 2: 16-17 we read about the law God gave to Adam.

    And the Lord God commanded the man saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely. But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat; for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die."

    From the beginning of the history of mankind, God put Adam and all of us under law. But that doesn't mean Adam had to be influenced by the spirit of law. In fact, the law is spiritual. It will reveal whether God has given the Holy Spirit to the individual to do the work of the law with power and glory to God. However, Adam had not been given the Holy Spirit and naturally, he (and Eve) looked to the flesh to perform and keep that law.

    In Deuteronomy 5:27 notice what the people of Israel told Moses. "Go near and hear all that the Lord our God says. Then speak to us all that the Lord our God will speak to you and we will hear and do it." Do you understand what they were saying? God did, as His reply to them is recorded in verse 29. "Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!" The errant assumption of the men of Israel was that God expected them to fulfill His laws in their own strength. God saw the problem: the flesh was willing, but the heart was enslaved by sin, thus rendering the flesh incapable of pleasing Him.

    The rich young ruler, who asked Jesus how he could obtain eternal life, provides another example of a man under the spirit of law. Jesus listed some of the Ten Commandments as conditions necessary for him to obtain eternal happiness. The young man replied, "All of these things I have kept. What am I still lacking?" Jesus discerned the influence of the spirit of law in this aspiring but deluded disciple, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor and you shall have treasure in heaven, then come follow me." When the young man heard this statement, he went away grieved for he was one who owned much property. The man did not understand the weakness of his own flesh until Jesus gave him another law. Typically, that's how the natural man goes searching for happiness – his own strength, the spirit of law.

The purpose of the law

    Are we to then think that giving laws are bad? Not at all! In fact, we discover in Romans 7:12 that the law is good. "The Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good." The Law is good for these four reasons. It serves four necessary functions in our lives.

Law defines sin: "Now we know that whatever the Law says it speaks to those who are under the Law that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God. Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight. For through the Law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:19)." Just as God gives us laws to define sin, we must give laws to our children so they will know what is permissible and what is not.

Law exposes the power of sin: "For we know the Law is spiritual but I am of flesh sold into bondage to sin (Romans 7:15)." The law reveals what spirit you are of. If you are under the spirit of law, you will try to do it in the flesh only to find out that you can't do it. In that way, the law is spiritual. It exposes who can obey (who has the Holy Spirit) and who cannot obey. For instance, when parents tell a child to be thoughtful of others, that law will aggravate selfishness. Inside of the natural man is a deep-seated power that rages against the law, "I don't want anybody to tell me what to do." So the law proves what God says when He condemns us. We're born in sin, we hate God's law, and we hate God himself. We need to see this about ourselves. We'll never come to Christ until we come face to face with our sin and powerlessness. One man put it this way, "The most liberating truth that ever came to me was when I realized I was a sinner, and that I could not keep God's law in my own strength. Because up to then I'd been trying awfully hard, and I'd failed."

Law protects: "But before faith came we were kept in custody under the Law. Being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed (Galatians 3:23a)." God gave Israel the Law to protect them. Prohibiting actions that would destroy them was an expression of His love. In Paul's day, the tutor led the child to the teacher. Until someone has the power of the Holy Spirit, the Law protects.

Law leads to Christ: "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ that we may be justified by faith (Galatians 3:23b)." Since the Law is spiritual, it reveals our need for the power and work of God in our lives. When the flesh fails, as indeed it will, and we experience the guilt and pain of failure, we go on a search for happiness. Ultimately, that search can only be satisfied in the person of Jesus Christ.  

The ability of the spirit of law

    As we think about the goodness of the Law, it's helpful to remember that the weakness of the law is the flesh. Paul wrote in Romans 8:3 "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh…" We should conclude from this that when God tells us to do something, it does not imply that we have the ability to perform it, yet, the responsibility is ours. That's a very important point. This is illustrated in the three examples above: Adam, Israel, and the rich young ruler.

    Consider the implications of Acts 2:38 and Acts 16:31. We must be careful not to think God is giving a blueprint for evangelism in this passage. If we make that conclusion, we will undiscerningly apply it to every gospel presentation whether the Spirit of God is at work or not.

    "Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

    "And they said, ‘believe in the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, you and your household.'"

    What is the formula for law? "Do this and God will do this." These men were told to repent and believe and then they would be forgiven and saved. What's the purpose of law? It reveals where God's Spirit is working. Those in whom God is working will repent–for the glory of God. But if God is not working in a man's heart, he may try to repent but fail miserably–to the shame of man.

    It's not uncommon to hear the following in an altar call on a Sunday morning. "If you'll accept Jesus and pray this prayer of invitation, you'll be forgiven, and Jesus will come live in your heart." Notice the formula: If you do such and such, God will do such and such, and you'll be happy. However, anyone can in his own power give mental ascent to the Jesus facts and repeat the words of a prayer. God's Word informs us that such "believing" and "praying" cannot please Him. Why? Because it's power source isn't the Spirit of God, but the flesh.

    "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not subject itself to the Law of God for it is not even able to do so. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:5-8)."

The apostle Paul said it this way to the Corinthians.

    "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. Who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:5)."

The result of the spirit of law

    Regardless of how a man performs, the result is death! Trying to keep the letter of the Law to be happy is fruitless and murderous. If one does perform well, then pride rises, and God opposes the proud (James 4:6). If one falls into sin, then guilt smothers the soul. Either way, it's not good. Those under the spirit of law become either deceived by their better-than-average performance or feel the pain of rejection, failure, and guilt.

The root of the spirit of law

    Why is slavery to the spirit of law so destructive? Because it is rooted in idolatry, and God hates idolatry. It is on account of idolatry that God's wrath comes (Colossians 3:6). To look to myself for the power to perform is to not look to God. I become the idol. Man gets the glory, not God. Furthermore, the spirit of law produces slavery to fear, thus destroying love. Children who grow up under many laws (do's and don'ts) are controlled by fear. Regardless of how well-meaning parents are, if you don't lead your children to the Holy Spirit for power when you tell them to study, obey, display character, and avoid sin, then you put them under the spirit of law. Yes, you must give them laws and direction, but please explain to them the powerlessness of the flesh and their need for a work of God in their hearts.

Let's make application

    This should be helpful in discerning the truth and the spirit motivating a messenger. We should beware of people who emphasize outward appearance and performance–giving a list of do's and don'ts amounting to spirituality. Teaching character, homeschooling, home-churching, and having many children or legislating dress codes, women's and men's roles, nutrition, music, hair styles, tithing, finances, versions of the Bible, ad infinitum may be no different than the Pharisees of Jesus' day whom Jesus called "white-washed sepulchers." I'm not saying God doesn't have a will in these areas of life, but the point is this: if the emphasis is on the laws and not the heart and God's provision of the Holy Spirit as Lord in these areas of life, then the spirit of law is manifesting itself. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. Be on the alert! Don't believe every spirit, because not every spirit is from God. Test the spirits!

    Here's a helpful project. Over the next three months, make a chart to help you discern the three power sources. See if you can fill in the blanks below and become familiar with the spirit of law.

Power source? _________________________________________

Formula? _____________________________________________

Purpose? _____________________________________________

Results? _____________________________________________

Root?   _____________________________________________

    As a family, you might gain much from discussing the importance of law in your home, church, and society. What affect has the spirit of law had in your home and relationships with God and with each other? Personally, are you trying or have you ever tried to relate to God under the spirit of law? Share what you experienced.

    Having discernment with regard to the spirit of law is vital to leading your family. Many ministries, projects, and activities appeal to the spirit of law that naturally functions in the heart of the natural man. I hope you will begin this month equipping your family to discern the spirit of law.