I have started reading In Search of Christian Freedom by Franz. The idea of searching for Christian freedom is very important to me, and I already know that this book is going to be VERY helpful in this regard. On pages 12 and 13, I read something which has been on my mind recently regarding the removal of the Mosaic Law and its replacement with love through Jesus Christ. Franz illustrates the point:
“Consider a home where the husband is both a father and the prime wage earner. If he decided to exercise headship through a list of laws, setting out specific rules for his wife to observe, laying down the law as to just how the house should be kept, the method and days and times when she should care for all the household and family responsibilities—the cleaning, shopping, preparing of meals, caring for clothes, disciplining of the children—such a husband might have a very orderly home, with things functioning according to schedule. But he would also likely have an unhappy wife. He might have whatever satisfaction it would bring him to see that things were being done according to his code of rules, enforced by his authority. But he would never know if they were motivated by love.”
Everything would be heavily organised, but the one who is under authority may likely be unhappy due to all the oppressive rules and regulations. I thought the last sentence was poignant.
“By contrast, a husband who believes in the power of love and kindness, whose thinking is not governed by a false sense of superiority but who respects and trusts his wife, recognizes her intelligence, her ability to care for things with personal initiative, who believes that her interest in the home and family is as keen as his own, and who acts toward her in accord with this knowledge, may likewise enjoy an orderly, well-kept home, though one with a far more relaxed and happy atmosphere than the other described. He may attain this by good communication and discussion, preferring and seeking shared conclusions and decisions, rather than some mere show of arbitrary authority. When he sees a home that is neat and clean, meals well prepared, clothes cared for, or finds that his children have inculcated in them a fine respect for him, he can know that all this is done as a result of something other than a compliance with rules. He can have the genuine satisfaction and joy of knowing that it is done out of his wife’s love for him and their marriage and family.”
This illustrates the concept of Christian Freedom. God allows us to serve him out of love. If we do serve him out of love, and not by conformity to rules and atonement for sins, etc, then he will be satisfied and joyful with our wholehearted service to him.
“The external results in the two cases may appear to be the same in certain areas. But the inner results are enormously different. The key is in the difference in motivation and spirit. And that is the difference, as regards the effect on the way one lives as a Christian, between being under law and being under God’s gracious kindness through Christ Jesus.”
It appears that motivation is everything. Do we serve God because we have to or do we serve him because we want to? He prefers the latter.
“Surely God’s wisdom is manifest in this. Love and faith, the true “rules” of the Christian, can reach innermost thoughts and depths of the heart. They can touch and affect every facet of life in a way that law and rules can never accomplish. Because of not being under law, the Christian is put in the position of showing what he or she really is at heart. And that alone counts with God.”
I agree completely that replacing the old law with love shows Gods wisdom. Compliance to law does not show how righteous a man is, but showing love does. As mentioned by Franz, not only is this the case, but serving God under love is not exasperating, unlike serving him under laws. Perhaps this should serve as a lesson to any Jehovah’s Witnesses who believe that salvation is in an organisation which requires strict compliance to hundreds and hundreds of laws, regulations and principles. Is that was Jehovah wants?
Timmy xxx