This morning, our pastor, Phillip Dancy, PhD, preached on Roman 6:12-23.2 He has been preaching through the Epistle to the Romans since February 11th. This area of the epistle is on the subject of sanctification: “being made holy as God is holy.” He named the sermon, “The Gospel of Freedom.”3 Today’s sermon inspired me to write about the law of Christ which he mentioned in his sermon.
Based on what Dr. Dancy said, I believe that he and I share the same understanding regarding the law of Christ. Dr. Dancy said, “since we are free from the law, are we free to sin? Of course not! We have freedom to do what we ought to do.”4 He went on to say since we have been set free from the law we must look to God to know what we ought to do, Christ is our example as to what we ought to do. To use a 1980’s popular Christian phrase, “What would Jesus do?”5
Recently I obtained a copy of the first London Baptist Confession of Faith. Article 29 is about sanctification: “All believers are a holy and sanctified people, and that sanctification is a spiritual grace of the new covenant, and an effect of the love of God manifested in the soul, whereby the believer presseth after a heavenly and evangelical obedience to all the commands, which Christ as head and king in His new covenant hath prescribed to them.”6
These early Baptist understood that sanctification occurs by following Christ and not by following Moses. Sanctification is a God given desire to do what we ought to rather than fulfill fleshy desires. The law of Christ, therefore, is not a set of precepts for us to follow like the Ten Commandments given to Israel on mount Saini. We have been set free from the law; and therefore, have the freedom to do what we ought to do. You must be born again.7 Sanctification is a change in desire that comes from above. A justified Christian has been given the desire to be holy as God is holy. Christ Jesus is our example and great Doctor of Theology;8 therefore, follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. I pray that you have a blessed week.
In Christ alone,
Mike Peek
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1 Charles Leiter, The Law of Christ(Hannibal: Granted Ministries Press, 2012), 16
2 Phillip Dancy, Sylvania Church Sermons,https://www.sylvaniachurch.com/blog/podcast/or Join Us for Worship, Sundays: 9am Bible Study, 10:20am Corporate Worship, Address: 2801 S Southeast Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701.
3 Ibid
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Matth. Simmons, A Confession of faith of Seven Congregations or Churches of Christ in London, Which are Commonly (But Unjustly) Called Anabaptist, (Belton: Sovereign Grace Ministries, 2004), 11.
7 John 3:3.
8 Cf. John 14:7-11.
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1 Charles Leiter, The Law of Christ(Hannibal: Granted Ministries Press, 2012), 16
2 Phillip Dancy, Sylvania Church Sermons,https://www.sylvaniachurch.com/blog/podcast/or Join Us for Worship, Sundays: 9am Bible Study, 10:20am Corporate Worship, Address: 2801 S Southeast Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701.
3 Ibid
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Matth. Simmons, A Confession of faith of Seven Congregations or Churches of Christ in London, Which are Commonly (But Unjustly) Called Anabaptist, (Belton: Sovereign Grace Ministries, 2004), 11.
7 John 3:3.
8 Cf. John 14:7-11.
