THE LAW AND CHRIST
The Bible teaches us the law in a negative sense and Christ in a positive sense. If we do not know the law negatively and Christ positively, we do not know the Bible. Religious people care for the law. Anyone who does not have the revelation and the vision of the excellency of Christ will become involved with the law. When people are indifferent toward God, they may not care about morality. But once they begin to care for Him, they will also care for morality and try to live a good life. Immediately, they will become involved with the law. When people are careless, they do not care for God, for morality, or for their behavior. They care only for their pleasure, doing whatever pleases them. Thus, they are lawless. But if such a person turns, repents, and cares for God, he will also care for morality and behavior. In this way he will come under the law and make up his mind to do good. He will study the Bible to learn how to please God and to benefit others. In other words, he will study the Bible to find out about the law. He will also be eager to receive instruction from those who can teach him to improve his behavior. This kind of religion helps society and the government, for the government certainly desires to have good citizens. Therefore, a religion that teaches people to behave, to be good, and to be peaceful will be welcomed by society.
Many Christians today care more for the law than for Christ. Even learning to pray, to be holy, and to speak in tounges may be matters of the law. The same is true regarding instruction in being a good wife or husband. In the human mentality there is nothing but the law. There is no room, capacity, or ground for Christ. Very few people ever ask me how they can experience Christ in order to be a good husband or wife. It seems that Christians never relate Christ to being a good wife or husband. Most seem to leave Christ far away in the heavens and devote their attention to the law.
All the Judaizers, including Saul of Tarsus, were for the law. They seemed to say, "We Hebrews have the law of God, but the Gentile dogs do not have it." The law was the unique heritage of the Jews, and they gloried and boasted in it. When the Lord Jesus came, He offended the Judaizers because He changed the dispensation of the law to the dispensation of Christ, or of grace. The Judaizers seemed to say, "Are you trying to get rid of our law? We are for the law, and we shall rise up against You. Furthermore, we shall persecute anyone who follows You. According to the righteousness of the law, we are blameless."
(The Experience of Christ, Chapter 12, by Witness Lee)
