WE SAID LAST week that “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2). It sounds like a contradiction—“the law of the Spirit of life”—what can be freer than “the Spirit of life” and what can be more regular and dependable than “the law”?
Is this Spirit of life in Christ Jesus as regular and dependable as an immutable law? It was E. D. Starbuck, the psychologist, who in modern times emphasized this statement of Paul’s that the spiritual life is ruled by law. He said, “There is no event in the spiritual life which does not occur in accordance with immutable laws.” He found “as great orderliness and sequence among the facts of emotion” as does the physicist in his laboratory.
This is what we would expect if the God of nature and the God of grace are the one and the same God. The God who works in nature by law and order would certainly not work in grace by whim, notion, and fancy. The laws of nature are dependable because God’s mind is dependable.
So God is not like a potentate of ancient times, out of whom you could wangle benefits if you knew how to get on his good side by flattery and proper approach. He is constant and consistent. You do not have to overcome God’s reluctance; you have to lay hold on His highest willingness. You lay hold on His highest willingness by surrender and faith and obedience. That sounds as though you get what you want by giving what you have! Precisely! You exchange your all for His all, and you find, to your surprise, that it is the best bargain this universe offers. The finite creature offers his all to the Infinite Creator and receives back all that he needs and can handle. There is no bargain like it.
O God, my Father, I bank on Thy constant consistency. I know Thou art love and Thou canst not violate Thine own nature. Thou canst not do an unloving thing. I bank on that with my very life, and I’m grateful it works. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: A man spoke to God through an echoing barn, “I want more of You,” and got back the reply, “I want more of you.”
