…you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:14, NIV)
Among avid golfers, you will typically find two approaches to the game. One is very strict, with every rule followed in virtually every round. The other is lenient, with mulligans and gimmes and various other modifications the first group would label anathema.
But it isn’t that easy.
This tangle in golf reflects closely the difficult conversation had among those who read the Bible and wonder how new the New Covenant really is. Let’s explain.A new member at a club expressed disfavor that others were not putting out to the end. Rather than tap in their one- and two-footers (sometimes longer), they would rake them away. “These should be putted,” he said, “for everyone’s handicap to be accurate.” Two things seemed to be missing from this fellow’s understanding. First, they were typically playing match play, where you would run a putt past in order to give yourself an increased chance at halving a hole. The gimme that ensued might be four feet long, but you may have taken a more cautious approach if you were strictly playing stroke play. Second, gimmes only help to lower one’s handicap index, which prevents the sandbagging that seemed to be this man’s concern.
This tangle in golf reflects closely the difficult conversation had among those who read the Bible and wonder how new the New Covenant really is. Let’s explain. The New Covenant, which is life in Christ under grace, sets us free from the governance of the Old Covenant, or the law. That law, given by God to Moses for the people of Israel, is still closely observed by orthodox and ultra-orthodox Jews around the world. But what of those in Christ? Do we need to follow the 613 commands of the law, only the Ten Commandments, or no commands at all? Where is the line between rules and grace?
In the weeks ahead, we will explore several facets of this issue, but today we’ll begin here: The law has no power to save. Only in the righteousness of Christ are we justified before God. Our own efforts at impressing God are foolish and empty. And the Lord Jesus Christ has ordained a new righteousness, the law of love. We follow this law, with many of its applications spelled out in the gospels and the apostles’ teaching, out of appreciation for the grace purchased with Jesus’ own blood and in love-driven obedience to his instruction.
When we understand these two basics, we can begin to survey the Scriptures with right insight and grasp what we should be doing when we follow Christ.
—
Jeff Hopper
July 20, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES:
An Order to it All 2: Constrained by Rules
An Order to it All 3: The Best Option
An Order to it All 4: How Rules Help Us
An Order to it All 5: Love and Obedience
An Order to it All 6: Diverse Practices