So far, we have been looking at the important doctrine of "rightly dividing" from the standpoint of making the same distinctions in God's Word that He makes. We found that the three most basic distinctions God has placed in the Bible are between the Heavenly and Earthly Purposes, the Mystery and Prophecy Programs, and the Body of Christ and Israel Peoples.
We apply theses distinctions to our study of the Bible by asking: Does this passage have to do with God's heavenly purpose, which had been kept secret since the world began regarding the Body of Christ? Or does it have to do with His earthly purpose, which had been spoken of since the world began regarding the nation Israel? Making these simple but necessary distinctions, we allow the Bible to open up and become a living force that sweeps away confusion and supposed contradictions.
But there is another side to the "rightly dividing" coin. The side we have been stressing says, "let no one bring together what God has divided apart." The other side says, "Let no one divide apart what God has joined together." God has not only divided apart, He has also joined many things together. "Rightly dividing" respects both.
Look at Genesis 1. God has been dividing a lot of things apart in His creation of the universe, the heaven from the earth, the light from the darkness, the day from the night, the waters from the waters, plants from plants, animals from man, and so on. But in the midst of all this dividing apart, we find God joining things together. The day and the night were joined to form one day. The waters were joined together to form the sea. A man and a woman were joined together to form "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). As important as it is to divide apart what God has divided apart, it is just as important to leave together what God has joined together.
Romans 6 explains that the believer has been joined together with the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to the different ways this is so. Believers were identified with Christ, buried together with Christ (v. 3), planted together with Christ (v. 5), crucified together with Christ (v. 6), and live together with Christ (v. 8). Let no man divide apart what God has joined together, or as John Wesley said of the believer: "Never think of yourself apart from Christ."
God joins us together with Christ based on something else He has joined together. Look at Romans 4:16 which begins in this way: "Therefore, it is of faith, that it might be by grace..." Grace and faith are always joined together in God's Word. They are inseparable. Someone has said: GRACE IS ALL THAT GOD IS FREE TO DO FOR YOU AND ME BECAUSE OF WHAT HIS SON DID ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY.
And faith is:
THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING. IT IS THE SETTING ASIDE OF ALL OUR OWN WORKS, MERIT, EFFORT AND PERFORMANCE TO RELY SOLELY ON THE WORK, MERIT, EFFORT, PERFORMANCE OF JESUS CHRIST.
Do you see how the two work together perfectly? Grace is God blessing us on the basis of the work Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. And faith is the setting aside of our own works and ways of approaching God so that we can rely solely on His work and way, that of Christ and the cross. The two go hand-in-hand. God has joined them together. Therefore, let no man divide them apart.
Now let's go one step further. Paul says in Romans 4:4-5: "Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Our works are not just ignored; they are forbidden! If we approach God on the basis of our own works, even the works of the Law, then we are not approaching Him on the basis of His Son's work. The Grace/faith unity is completely distinct from the works/Law unity. Add one work of the Law and the grace/faith unity is destroyed. It is like adding one drop of cyanide to baby's milk. The whole thing is ruined.
Today God is calling out to a lost world, to you and to me, on the basis of the grace/faith union. "Come, let Me make you a partaker in My plan and purpose, not on the basis of your own works, but on the basis of my Son's work on the cross where He took onto Himself all your sin, dying for sinners that they might receive righteousness and life as a free gift. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved."
"Rightly divide" God's Word. God joined together Grace and Faith, so should we. God joined together Works and Law, so should we. God divided them apart from each other (Grace/faith system is separate and distinct from Law/works system) so should we. These two systems are incompatible ways of approaching God. Choose the former and be instantly and eternally saved.
What God has joined together let no man divide apart. What God has divided apart, let no man join together.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
We apply theses distinctions to our study of the Bible by asking: Does this passage have to do with God's heavenly purpose, which had been kept secret since the world began regarding the Body of Christ? Or does it have to do with His earthly purpose, which had been spoken of since the world began regarding the nation Israel? Making these simple but necessary distinctions, we allow the Bible to open up and become a living force that sweeps away confusion and supposed contradictions.
But there is another side to the "rightly dividing" coin. The side we have been stressing says, "let no one bring together what God has divided apart." The other side says, "Let no one divide apart what God has joined together." God has not only divided apart, He has also joined many things together. "Rightly dividing" respects both.
Look at Genesis 1. God has been dividing a lot of things apart in His creation of the universe, the heaven from the earth, the light from the darkness, the day from the night, the waters from the waters, plants from plants, animals from man, and so on. But in the midst of all this dividing apart, we find God joining things together. The day and the night were joined to form one day. The waters were joined together to form the sea. A man and a woman were joined together to form "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). As important as it is to divide apart what God has divided apart, it is just as important to leave together what God has joined together.
Romans 6 explains that the believer has been joined together with the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to the different ways this is so. Believers were identified with Christ, buried together with Christ (v. 3), planted together with Christ (v. 5), crucified together with Christ (v. 6), and live together with Christ (v. 8). Let no man divide apart what God has joined together, or as John Wesley said of the believer: "Never think of yourself apart from Christ."
God joins us together with Christ based on something else He has joined together. Look at Romans 4:16 which begins in this way: "Therefore, it is of faith, that it might be by grace..." Grace and faith are always joined together in God's Word. They are inseparable. Someone has said: GRACE IS ALL THAT GOD IS FREE TO DO FOR YOU AND ME BECAUSE OF WHAT HIS SON DID ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY.
And faith is:
THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING. IT IS THE SETTING ASIDE OF ALL OUR OWN WORKS, MERIT, EFFORT AND PERFORMANCE TO RELY SOLELY ON THE WORK, MERIT, EFFORT, PERFORMANCE OF JESUS CHRIST.
Do you see how the two work together perfectly? Grace is God blessing us on the basis of the work Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. And faith is the setting aside of our own works and ways of approaching God so that we can rely solely on His work and way, that of Christ and the cross. The two go hand-in-hand. God has joined them together. Therefore, let no man divide them apart.
Now let's go one step further. Paul says in Romans 4:4-5: "Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Our works are not just ignored; they are forbidden! If we approach God on the basis of our own works, even the works of the Law, then we are not approaching Him on the basis of His Son's work. The Grace/faith unity is completely distinct from the works/Law unity. Add one work of the Law and the grace/faith unity is destroyed. It is like adding one drop of cyanide to baby's milk. The whole thing is ruined.
Today God is calling out to a lost world, to you and to me, on the basis of the grace/faith union. "Come, let Me make you a partaker in My plan and purpose, not on the basis of your own works, but on the basis of my Son's work on the cross where He took onto Himself all your sin, dying for sinners that they might receive righteousness and life as a free gift. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved."
"Rightly divide" God's Word. God joined together Grace and Faith, so should we. God joined together Works and Law, so should we. God divided them apart from each other (Grace/faith system is separate and distinct from Law/works system) so should we. These two systems are incompatible ways of approaching God. Choose the former and be instantly and eternally saved.
What God has joined together let no man divide apart. What God has divided apart, let no man join together.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)