In Romans 14:10 Paul says, “[F]or we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” In 2 Corinthians 5:10, he says the similar:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
This is for Christians. Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be judged for what they’ve done. I thought they already received approval in Christ? After justification, doesn’t it continue to be faith alone? As I had quoted in part two, Paul also wrote Colossians 3:20:
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
The word “children” is teknon, which means offspring or descendants without regard to age. There are Greek words that mean “infant” or “little ones”: paidion, mikros, and napios. Teknon stands out even from a closely related word, teknion, which is translated, “little children” in 1 John 2:1. You could look in the best lexicon and see that teknon is not teknion. A number of different words could be used to describe this particular audience, but the word used is the one that means offspring without regard of age. In other words, the command never stops being applicable, because it isn’t an age related word, but one related to descendants.
The command is simple. “Obey your parents in all things.” Would God through the Apostle make a command that was not to be obeyed? A command is to be obeyed, and a command to obey especially should be obeyed. Should the audience, the believing offspring, assume that no command exists, because sanctification doesn’t come by works? Christians don’t have to obey, because justification is by faith alone? Christians are commanded to obey, because they are required to obey. Saving faith obeys and wants to obey. Obedience is conforming, like Romans 8:29 says will occur with the true believer in sanctification, conforming to the image of the Son. The Son did everything His Father wanted Him to do, and that is the model for the Father-Son relationship.
The fulfillment of the command to Christian offspring to obey their parents in all things “is well pleasing unto the Lord.” “Well-pleasing” is also translated “acceptable” twice in Romans 12:1, 2, then also in Romans 14:18, 2 Corinthians 5:9, and Ephesians 5:10. A few other times it’s translated “pleasing” or “well-pleasing.” The motivating factor of the command in Colossians 3:20 is to please the Lord.
The new, false, heretical view of sanctification says, “I can’t please God by works.” No, a believer can please God with his works. A believer can yield his members as instruments of righteousness and can glorify God in his body, which is God’s (Rom 6:13, 1 Cor 6:19-20). An offspring can please God by obeying his parents in all things. God expects it. He commands it.
The false teaching on sanctification says, I’m not looking for approval from God; I’ve already got it. Every believer gets approval through justification by faith, but that isn’t the only approval he seeks, even as seen in a multitude of verses, essentially the entire New Testament. He wants to please the Lord. He wants the Lord to accept His behavior. He not only wants it, but he will live it as a lifestyle.
With the new false position on sanctification, an offspring says, “I don’t want to obey in all things, but I still want acceptance or approval.” When obedience doesn’t occur, is God still well-pleased? No. A saved person is approved in Christ as a consequence of his justification. If he is approved positionally, he will strive for approval practically. This is the true, right view of sanctification. This is a professing believer who just doesn’t want to obey. Is that a Christian? John says, “No.” 1 John 2:3-4:
And hereby we do know that we know him,, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
How does all this relate to Galatians 5:1-6? I quote Galatians 5:1-6 almost every week to an unbeliever. Galatians 5 is dealing with justification by faith. It isn’t dealing with sanctification. Judaizers were saying that you had to be circumicised in addition to faith in order to be saved. It isn’t applying to sanctification. Paul is very clear about this if someone keeps reading down to verse 13:
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Love is fruit of the Spirit. Liberty is not a base of operations for the flesh. It is not a “get-out-of-jail-free card.” Grace cleans up a life, like Paul explained to Titus in Titus 2:11-12:
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
This is not a difficult issue. It becomes difficult when someone wants to justify his disobedience with false doctrine. He wants credit for being pleasing to God, when he is not obeying God’s words, sayings, and commands.
We are going through Genesis on Sunday mornings right now. Jacob was approximately 77 years old when he obeyed his parents to seek a wife in Padan-aram. His obedience was real. He actually honoured his father's command, even at that age and for that reason and the apostle Paul reminds the Ephesians that obedience to honour of parents carries a promise. The promise is real, just like the obedience must be real.
Hi James,
I see the same thing through scripture. Thanks for the example. It was edifying.