I recently attended a middle school football game. As I walked through the crowd I observed the diversity – black, brown, and white. The football teams reflected the same diversity. I watched as two little girls played together – one white, one black. It was evident that this was their first meeting. They looked each other in the face, touched each others’ hair, and hugged. This is my community.
As I observed the interaction among many diverse people I realized that this was made possible by the law, specifically the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v Board of Education that made the segregation of public schools illegal. Even so, the law was resisted. I was in the 5th grade when our schools were integrated (1970). I remember the anger and tension as our parents discussed the “crisis.” It was the force of law, not grace or love that brought the United States’ diverse population together. Sadly the segregation of the 1950’s prevails in most of our churches.
This provoked me to reflect on the relationship between the Law and grace. Paul wrote that God’s redemptive plan consist of promise, Law, and faith (Galatians 3:15-29). The promise is God’s covenant with Abraham, a covenant that Abraham received by faith (Romans 4:13). Later, the Law was added because of the transgression of the people. The Law is not contrary to the promise. Rather, the Law served as tutor to the people of God, guiding to justification by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:24). The Law is not contrary to faith, but leads to faith. The goal of promise, Law, and faith is life – life that reflects God’s righteousness and purposes. Paul declared, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Romans 8:2).
Paul makes a distinction between those who are children of God by Law and those who have been adopted into the family of God by faith. Those who are under the law are “slaves;” those who have been justified by faith are “sons” (Galatians 4:4-7). The distinction is that of relationship and inheritance. Paul is not contrasting Law and faith; he is speaking of the continuity in Law and faith. The Law as tutor points to faith. The slaves are redeemed, adopted, and filled with the Spirit. There has been a transformation – from death to life; from slave to son; from dispossessed to heir. “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6).
The promise of Abraham and the Law of Moses are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Law teaches about faith and righteousness, but the Law can not give life. The Law can not enforce a community of love. Throughout history there has been a glaring contradiction between our Judeo-Christian values and institutionalized racism. The law has succeeded in bringing us together in our schools, businesses, and public events. The law creates and enforces civil rights, but the law cannot transform relationships. The promise of the Gospel is that
…in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, … thus establishing peace, …and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross… (Ephesians 2:13-16).
Because of the transgression of humanity, we resist reconciliation. We tend to prefer enmity over love. The violence of the cross testifies to human depravity. But through the self-sacrificial love of God the cross became the instrument of reconciliation.
As long as we resist grace we need the Law (Matthew 5:18; Romans 3:31; 1 Timothy 1:8-9). We need the Law to teach us about the righteousness of faith. We need the Law to remind us of the consequences of sin. We need the law to enforce justice and promote righteousness. But the Law cannot legislate reconciliation; the Law cannot deliver us from enmity to love; from death to life. It is only in Christ, who is the enfleshed Torah, that enmity is abolished, humanity is reconciled, and peace is established. “The fruit of the Spirit is love…”
Listen to Love Your Neighbor
