Against such things there is no law.
Summary: Paul points us to a place where God wants us to be. If we are following Jesus, that is where he is leading us.
Throughout Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he points us to five things:
1. The nature of the true Gospel; the saving power of faith in Jesus Christ
2. The danger of false gospels and an example of a false gospel (i.e., the circumcision group)
3. The place and purpose of the law, especially concerning the Old Covenant and the false gospel that requires circumcision.
4. How to recognize the nature of the flesh.
5. How to recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit.
After introducing us to the “fruit of the Spirit,” that is, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, Paul makes an amazing statement:
“Against such things there is no law.”
The law defines the line between right and wrong. For those under the law, the law also prescribes the consequences for crossing the line, what we call “breaking the law.”
But …
The king is not subject to the law, and neither are his children. For them, the law still defines right and wrong, but accountability is reserved for the King.
This is illustrated in the Old Testament story of King David and his children.
When David’s son Amnon rapes Absolom’s sister, Tamar, he is breaking the law (2 Samuel 13: 1-22). There are consequences outlined in the law for people who do this kind of thing, but because David is king, his children are not subject to the law’s penalty. Later, Absolom murders his brother Amnon, and yet he is not put to death as the law requires (2 Samuel 13: 23-39, Numbers 35:31).
(In fairness to the story, we need to point out that technically, the law should have applied in both cases because it is God’s law, not David’s. However, because David was king, he had the privilege of exempting his own children.)
Likewise, when we are “born again” (John 3:3-7), we become children of God again (1 John 3:1). As God’s children, we are no longer under the authority of the law, even though the law still defines what is right and what is wrong.
When Paul writes, “Against such things there is no law,” he describes a unique legal condition. If the law is a fence that borders a field, then everything outside is “against the law.” The “fruit of the Spirit” is everything inside.
This, I believe, is the pasture David refers to in the 23rd Psalm, where he writes,
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
(Psalm 23:1-3, KJV)
In this pasture, there is no “law” because we are inside the fence. We are where our Shepherd wants us to be.
Application: Stay close to Jesus.
Food for Thought: How do metaphors like “Shepherd,” “sheep,” “pasture,” and “fence,” help us understand where God wants us to be?
As I read the meditation this morning I thought about God’s covenant with Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 15 & 17. Looking at His covenant with Abraham in the context of “Shepherd,” “sheep,” “pasture,” and “fence,” God provided all of these things for His chosen people. God led Abraham and his descendants as a shepherd would, to the promised land, and provided a means where He could dwell among them. His covenant demonstrates God’s grace to mankind, His good will toward us.
I think too, the words “Shepherd,” “sheep,” “pasture,” and “fence” help understand where God does NOT wants us to be:
Deceived, confused, vulnerable, isolated, and afflicted.
Zechariah 10:2
For the household gods gutter nonsense,
and the diviners see lies;
they tell false dreams
and give empty consolation.
Therefore the people wander like sheep;
they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.
Ezekiel 34:5
So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;
I think they help understand why we are susceptible to deception, confusion, vulnerability, isolation, and affliction.
Isaiah 53:6
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
It is joyful to think about how God has done the same for all mankind through Christ. It is joyful that Christ is the Shepherd that leads us to a promised “place” so that we can be freed from deception, confusion, vulnerability, isolation, and affliction. That when we place our faith in Him, turn from “our own way” and follow His way, we can live in the presence of His Spirit. I love how in the Bible, Christ is the Shephard, who has compassion for us. That He sees our helplessness, and provides a way where we can come into His presence, and be loved and safe.
Matthew 9:36
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Mark 6:34
34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
Hi Chris,
I like the examples you give showing how “Shepherd,” “sheep,” “pasture,” and “fence” affect us when they are present and when they are absent.
It is indeed a joy to realize that God wants all men and women to come to a safe place in Him through Jesus.
Amen!
How do metaphors like “Shepherd,” “sheep,” “pasture,” and “fence,” help us understand where God wants us to be?
Shepherd, protects and provides for his sheep:
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me…”
John 10:14, Psalm 34:7
Sheep, known for their vulnerability:
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exalt in you.
Psalm 5:11, Psalm 27:5
Pasture, source of all nourishment, a place to find rest:
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Psalm 100:3, 27:1, Nahum 1:7
Fence, protects the sheep from harm, limits their wandering:
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 10:28-30, Job 1:10
Thank you, Ron!
Nicely done! I like the way you illustrated each point. 🙂