DailyRhema

Daily Rhema is a teaching ministry for Christians, centered on the finished work of Christ. It posts inspiring teachings and testimonies on weekdays. These short and systematic messages are suitable for personal devotion or Bible Study.

Monday, May 05, 2008

9.58 Meditation in the word & the obedience of faith

How do we grow in the obedience of faith? How to we grow to believe more of what Christ has done for us? How do we discover more of who we are in Christ and the reality of Christ is us? The key is through the Word of God.

A lot of people still approach the Word as the law – to find out what they should do as Christians. But Christianity is not about “doing”; it is about “being”. We are “human beings” – not “human doings”. Christianity is about being in Christ. When we know who we are in Christ, we will start to walk like Christ. Life is a flow in the Spirit. But when we don’t believe our new identity in Christ, and we try to achieve it on our self-ability, life will always be a struggle.

Under the Old Covenant, the Scripture that they had was the Law. So they approached the Word as the Law – to obey the demands of the law. For example, Joshua had to meditate on the Law in order to do all that is written in it.

(Joshua 1:8)
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe TO DO according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.


But the New Covenant is the revelation of Christ. The Epistles are written to the Church to build our faith in Christ. The Epistles expound on the good news of the Gospel. The Epistles also interprets the law in the light of Christ. The approach of the Word is to produce faith in Christ.

Let us consider what Paul says in Romans. He tells us that the Word of the Gospel produces faith in the hearts of the hearers.

(Romans 10:16-17)
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.


Notice the contrast between the Old and the New. Meditation under the Old Covenant results in works of the law. Meditation on the New Covenant is to produce faith in the finished work of Christ.

When the believer puts his faith in Christ, he will start to walk according to what he believes. This is called the obedience of faith, which results in works of faith. It is different from the works of the law under the Old Covenant. When we walk in faith, we also walk in the Spirit because He is the Spirit of faith. We begin to experience the power of the Spirit.