Adding Nothing to the Cross we Trust in Jesus!

Some messages are timeless. My father (also my spiritual father), Roy Walden, Sr., went to heaven after decades of faithful ministry as a pastor in many churches across the mid-west and deep south. His doctrine and message was clear, profound, and anointed. The following message on “Grace vs. Law” is a liberating, informative, and inspiring word to help you walk with God. In this post, we want to address possibly one of the most controversial subjects in the Church world. Certainly, we see the controversy between Peter and Paul dealing with diverse standards of holiness, religious thinking, culture, and background among God’s people. I believe this subject has possibly been one of the greatest sources of conflict, certainly to the humanistic values of today. It has also been a great source of condemnation to the serious seeker of Christ, his life, and his approval of their life. Elsewhere in Romans 14, Paul deals in depth with some of these issues, and we want to bring in a number of other scriptures. Why? Wrong thinking in this area brings much strife among God’s people. It jeopardizes the spirituality and the eternity of many weak believers on both sides of the spectrum of choosing between what some call “Greasy Grace” or “Uptight legalism.” 

We are dealing with the matter of grace, law, and what the believer’s viewpoint should be regarding their lifestyle and the people they mingle with who call themselves Christians. What is the difference between grace and law? Law, or religious legalism, arises from man’s futile effort for self-justification. Evangelist A.A. Allen, in the 1950s, declared that “some people are more spiritual than God Himself!” They take the realities of God’s word and add to them demands and expectations that only engender religious pride and strife and ultimately drive people away from Christ with the sad observation, “If that’s a Christian, I want nothing to do with Jesus…” 

Is it the cross plus, or is it just the cross? Reading in chapter 14 of the Book of Romans, beginning at verse 1: 

He, who is weak in the faith, receive ye, but not doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things, another who is weak eateth herbs. But let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not, and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth, for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? 

 To his own master he standeth or falleth, yea, he shall be holden up, for God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above another, another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day regardeth it unto the Lord. And he that regardeth not the day, but to the Lord, he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks. And he that eateth not to the Lord, he eateth not and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 

 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord’s. To this end, Christ both died and rose and revived, that he might be the Lord of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother, or why dost thou set it not thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then, every one of us shall give an account of himself to God. 

 Look at Rom. 14:13; let us not, therefore, judge one another anymore. 

Let us not, therefore judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself. But to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably? Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy of the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved to men. Let us, therefore, follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat, destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for that man who eateth with offense. It is good neither to eat flesh nor drink wine nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weak. Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. 

 Happy is he that condemneth not himself in the thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eats because he eateth not in faith. And whatsoever is not of faith is sin. 

In Romans chapter 3, verse 20, Paul wrote: Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. Did you notice what he said? For by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

There are many uptight Christians, self-appointed sheriff’s Deputies over the character and Christianity of others that still cannot accept the fact of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Somehow, they seem to think that there must be something else that man must do to obtain salvation. And I’ve watched this philosophy drive men and women and religious leaders to all kinds of extremes. And I suppose that this subject that we’re dealing with, between the difference between law and grace, or is it the cross plus something else, I think that this thought has divided the body of Christ and ripped apart more relationships than any other belief system or any other subject that has been dealt with. But our text says, By the deeds of the law, no flesh is justified or pardoned by God. God does not accept the righteousness of man and does not accept the works of man for redemption. There is only one thing we find written in the book that God accepts for the redemptive purpose of redeeming humankind out of sin. 

 It’s found in Hebrews 9:22, where we read: “Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.”  The dogmatic and the legalistic approach to the gospel is an out-and-out affront. It’s an insult to the work of grace and the vicarious death of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is man defying God, saying that we will save ourselves, and we see all kinds of religious activities. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, We find that it’s the cross, not the “cross plus,” by which men might be saved. Paul wrote, For he made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that he might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

 Look at Romans 10:1-4: I want to go over this and bring it to your attention that we might answer some of the conflicts you might face or are facing in your own life. See, it’s the devil that wants to bring condemnation. And if he can get us to believe that there is something yet beyond the cross, beyond the blood of Jesus Christ, that we must do to obtain salvation, then he puts us in legalistic bondage. 

 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God and their own forms of righteousness. They’re involved in all kinds of good works. But it’s not according to the knowledge of God, or not according to knowledge, revealed knowledge. Verse three says, For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. And Paul brings it all into focus in this fourth verse. 

What Paul is referring to and emphasizing here is what we call the “finished work of the Cross.” The finished work of Christ on Calvary, for the redemptive purposes of bringing men out of darkness into light and out of sin into salvation, was a finished work. You and I can add nothing to the work of the Christ of Calvary. Nothing, absolutely nothing. Verse four says, For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.

At this point, uptight believers might complain that this slant on salvation encourages laxity and carnality among God’s people. This signifies a lack of faith in the drawing, sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost. I firmly believe that the Holy Spirit is faithful to lead His people and honest hearts down the pathway of righteousness that leads to the right kind of life before God. I firmly believe that if the question has to be raised or if the question is asked, then I am convinced in my heart that the Holy Spirit has already been doing His work in your heart and has already spoken to you about what is right and what is wrong. 

 How do you know what to do when the pressures on and temptation is knocking at your door? Look at what the flesh wants to do and do the opposite, and you will be on good ground almost every time. I’ve always abided by one particular principle. If in doubt, don’t do it. That’s pretty simple. If there’s a question about it, leave it alone. Don’t touch it. And I believe the Holy Spirit, the Bible says, who is our teacher, our leader, our God, that He will guide us into all truths. You don’t need the opinions of man, my friend. You need the opinion of God. 

 You need to know what doth sayeth the Word of God. And the Holy Spirit will lead you into that truth. I want to make it very clear to you tonight that I believe in holiness. I said I believe in holiness. The Bible teaches us to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see God. I believe in the separated life. I believe in the crucified life. But I believe, I feel tonight, that too many people, too many honest folks, are looking for someone to set guidelines and perimeters for them to live by, thus removing them from the responsibility of seeking truth for themselves. 

For this cause and this reason, many have gone into error. And I could get into many particulars, which I don’t want to. I want to address this in general terms and leave it to the Holy Spirit to deal with you. But I believe because we are looking for someone to provide set codes of living, that it is called, see, we want to share the responsibilities. Man does not like to make personal choices. He does not like to have to come to decisions. He would rather someone else tell him from the pulpit what is right and wrong and what the perimeters of the Christian life ought to be. But for this reason, many have gone into error. 

Many have fallen prey to false cults, fallen into various cult practices, and have followed false prophets. From the biblical perspective, I cannot tell you, nor will I catalog what I believe or feel is right or wrong. The reason for this is very simple. Because God deals with each one of us as individuals, we’re all different. We’re all at different levels of growth and maturity in the things of God. I’ve seen many people who have gone and taken the legalistic approach from the pulpit ministry and set up moral, ethical, and religious codes for men to live by. Some are strong or capable of handling the disciplines of such a life and will measure up and go on their way. 

Unfortunately, many leaders have run roughshod over people to the breaking point of their testimony. Multitudes of good, honest people who do not have what it takes to meet the criteria say, I cannot live that kind of life. And they leave the church. And neighbor, I’ve been raised in Pentecostal/Charismatic truth. And I believe that many in these circles have populated our cities with more backsliders than all the works of the enemy against the church because we’ve laid demands upon people that they could not measure up to. And I, there again, somebody say, you’re a compromiser. You’re a soft foot in the message. No, no. I still believe it’s straight and narrow, the way into the kingdom of heaven. But there is no simple set of rules or regulations that could be equally applied to all people at the same time. 

 The key word here is that no simple set of rules or regulations could be appropriate for all people simultaneously. The key word is, at the same time. I believe what is a sin to me, sooner or later, will be a sin to you. I believe that God has dealt with you in some areas, and I still have the liberty to do it as I grow in the Lord and the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ; sooner or later, God will deal with me. Then, I will have that face-to-face confrontation with the natural man and bring him under the domination of that spiritual man. So we all, at some point, at some time, God does not deal with an unequal balance. He does not deal with injustice. But He deals according to our level to receive the conviction and the leadership of the Holy Spirit at that moment. 

 God wants us as believers to live with the peace of God in our souls. We ought to find peace in the knowledge that Jesus paid it all. I said we ought to find solace and comfort when we come to the altar of prayer and ask Jesus Christ into our hearts. We confess Him as Lord and place Him in our hearts and our lives as King of kings and Lord of lords over our lives, that we ought to find peace and great comfort in the knowledge that the sin question has been dealt with and that we’ve been set free by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. So it’s Jesus who paid it all, my friend. Now, it’s all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, but Jesus made us white as snow. 

Unfortunately, the Pharisees are still with us. I said, we still have the Pharisees around. They’re very much with us. Jesus spoke of them and the lawyers of that day said, they place on people burdens grievous to be borne. They won’t measure up. They’ve got things in their life that they refuse to deal with, but they’re demanding upon you and me that we have to measure up to their expectations. So they’re laying burdens upon people that are grievous to be borne. They won’t enter in themselves, and they are hindering those even that would enter in. Jesus said they still love preeminence. They love the high positions. 

 They love the accolades of the crowd. Often, these people who believe in the legalistic gospel are masters of contention, strife, and division. They may love God, but they’re sorely misguided. I’ve observed them. Most of the time, if you know of someone under legalistic bondage trying to measure up to some artificial tradition or manufactured set of religious codes and ethics and moralities, they’re the unhappiest people in the world. I’ve shared with you before how Sister Walden when we pastored in Lake Charles, La. We used to eat at the same restaurant almost every Sunday at noon. And there was this one group of people that went to this particular church with these particular beliefs, and they would come in and look like they had been at a fight rather than a worship service. 

 If I had what they believed, and it made me so miserable that I had to look like that, I’d change what I thought. Let me tell you something. Jesus sets us free. He said, it’s joy unspeakable and full of glory is what I give unto you. I give you the joy of the Lord, which is your strength. Many well-intentioned people have unquestioningly accepted the doctrines and traditions of men instead of searching the Scriptures for themselves. Notice what Luke said about the church at Berea. It’s something I tell you people all the time. 

Don’t take what I say as law. You search the Word of God. You better look into it for yourselves. I wouldn’t intentionally lead you astray for anything, but I’m a man. I want you to know that. And I can make mistakes, though I would not want to. But the responsibility does not solely lie with those behind the pulpit, whether you’re living in truth or not, neighbor. The responsibility lies with you as an individual believer. Search the Scriptures, Jesus said, for in them you think you have eternal life. You think you have eternal life. And neighbor, let me tell you something. I’m always investigating. I’m always testing what I believe. I’m always asking God for revelation and knowledge to take me beyond what I have heard and learned and to instruct me in the things of the Spirit because I want to please Him. I want to know what He says about my life. It makes no difference what my opinion I might measure up in my own eyes. 

 Indeed, a man’s ways are always right in his own eyes. But I want to know what God has to say. Looking in Acts chapter 17, verse 11, about the church of Berea. It reads, “‘These were nobler than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word’—notice what it said—’ they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures, whether those things were so or not.'” 

More leaders should address this important subject. In Titus chapter 3, Paul stated, “‘Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men.'” Is this describing our experience of the Lord? This experience, our attitude, our philosophy of life? Verse 3 says,” ‘For we also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers’ lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that, the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy. He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace.'” What, are we justified by? Works? Oh no. It says,” ‘Justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.'” This is a faithful saying. 

 These things I will affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. Verse 9,” 

‘But avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable in vain. A man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject, for in that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth being condemned of himself.'” 

Paul brings this grace-law conflict into proper focus in verse 9. He says that endless arguments about doctrine and moral questions are unprofitable. Why? As I said at the outset of this message, I don’t believe that anything, any subject, any philosophy of the religious life has divided the body of Christ more than this particular area. It fragments and divides the body of Christ, and it’s wrong. 

 He says, don’t get involved in these endless arguments. And again, the Apostle Paul writes, if you’ll turn with me please, to 1 Timothy chapter 1, reading verses 1 through 10. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope. No, he said, Jesus is your hope. Unto Timothy, my son, in the faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some, that they teach no other doctrine. Stay away from legalism. Stay away from false doctrines. 

  Verse 4 reads, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister question rather than godly edifying, which is in faith so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of the pure heart and a good conscience and of faith unfamed, from which some have swerved, having turned aside unto vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm. But we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers, murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons. And if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, that’s who the law is for.  That’s what a legalistic system is developed for. You only need laws where there are lawbreakers. The Bible says that the righteous need not a law; they’re a law unto themselves. 

Try that on your highway patrol when you’re doing seventy-five. I don’t think he’d accept that. We are to obey the laws of the land. But that statement is there because we do not need to establish set rules or doctrines of guidelines because honest people serving God will do honest things. Suppose your heart is toward God and not looking for an occasion to the flesh. In that case, you will not have to preach only the love of God and the commitment and dedication to the things of God, and everything else will fall into its proper place at the appropriate time. So we don’t need laws except for the lawless. You only need a legalistic approach when you’ve got people you don’t trust. But if you have confidence in Jesus, in the people, their sensitivity to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and their willingness to follow God, then you don’t need to catalog everything you think is sin. One of these days, I may do it just for your sake. 

 To clarify and clear up some of the mist, maybe you want to know what I believe. You’ll be surprised. I believe it’s a very narrow gate that leads to life everlasting. But notice what Jesus said about the law in Matthew, chapter 5. Jesus addressed this issue about the law and man’s attempt to justify himself through religious forms and disciplines. Verses 17 through 20, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill, or to fill it up.” For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law until all be fulfilled. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of the least of these commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” 

What is Jesus saying? Don’t only look to a legalistic approach to the gospel or the Christian life. He’s saying in this twentieth verse that grace, under the dispensation of grace, grace always takes us beyond the law. He said, Except your righteousness exceeds or goes beyond that of those that kept the letter of the law.  Except your righteousness goes beyond that. He said Ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Why? 

 Because we have the Holy Spirit, the revealer, the revelator of the truth of the word of God, we’re no longer children of darkness, but we’re children of light. And the Holy Spirit is the illuminating power bringing us into all truths. So then we are without excuse, Paul says. You may ask, What good was the law then? Well, look with me, if you will, over in Galatians. I told you I would give you some scriptures: Galatians chapter 3, verses 19 through 26. Wherefore then serveth the law? 

  It was added because there were transgressors. See, when we are led by the Spirit, then we won’t transgress. It was added because of transgressions till the seed should come, to whom the promise was made. And it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now, a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promise of God? God forbid. For if there had been a law that could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. This answers the question that we are trying to address tonight. Is the law then against the promise of God? 

 God forbid. For if there had been a law that could have given life or eternal life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should be afterward revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster, bringing us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster, for we are all but children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Verse eighteen, chapter five says, If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. A person led by the Spirit of God will not violate the letter or the Spirit of the law of righteousness and love. Many Christians have used this truth of being free and set free from the bondage of the law and the legalistic systems. They used this to go into all kinds of spiritual and moral excesses. 

 Paul writes in Galatians chapter five, verse thirteen, Use not this liberty for an occasion to the flesh. We keep set rules of conduct and restrictive doctrines to ease our conscience, which is what most of it is. Hello? We seek a way to ease our guilty conscience and escape the responsibility of repentance. Far easier, folks, crucify the flesh, come God’s way. Let the Holy Spirit do the work of regeneration you cannot do anyway. But we are trying to ease our conscience. We are somehow trying to purchase some degree of atonement. And if that could be done, then Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection have little or no value to you and me. 

 Now, we may not be required to live by the laws of man or observe the Mosaic laws, but there is one law that we keep. And I close with this thought. Galatians chapter five, verse fourteen: If you keep this, honey, everything else will fall into place. Paul said, For all the law, all the law, what part of it? All of it. Do you mean all the legalistic approaches, the do’s and the don’ts, the whys and the wherefores? Yeah, all these things. He said, For all the law is fulfilled in one word, Even this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. If you love your neighbor yourself, you’ll not do anything that will cause them to stumble. You will guard every word; you will watch every deed to make sure that your life is an example to that other person. 

 All the law is fulfilled in this one saying, I shall love thy neighbor as thyself. Father, we thank you tonight for the truths of your word. You said, Whom the Son shall make free, he shall be free. And your word says that salvation comes not by works of righteousness that we have done. But, oh, thank God that you said that we have been made, M-A-D-E, made the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. So it is not our righteousness; it’s his righteousness, and it is Christ in us producing that righteousness and that right kind of life. And I pray, Father, help us today to come to a correct understanding of the balance in the word of God that we need. Open up the eyes of our understanding and write upon the fleshly tablets of our heart your word that we might not sin against you or against our brother. In Jesus’ name, amen and amen.