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Law Out, Grace In
Episode #240
With Martha Kilpatrick and hosted by John Enslow
(M) We’re here in the office with John and Jennifer, and Martha. (Martha laughs.) And I’m real excited because all the time that we’ve been talking about the booklet, I’ve still been on the issue of the law. And we’ve gotten some wonderful response from people who understood the law. And this… I’m going to have to do a ‘tape of the month’, or something on this, because I’m just getting so much revelation. But I love the podcast experience because it is that; it’s the experience of the Lord and of the Body too. And I don’t know how much is out there, usually it’s not… Some people write us that they have the same kind of Body life, and it’s so wonderful to hear. But the Lord is to be experienced in life, and if He is not inside, and moving inside everything in our lives, we really don’t know Him. So I’m, I’m excited to come in, we’ll talk about our experience of getting rid of the law, because He’s doing it still among us; the ought’s and should’s, and what did you have? Government? So, ok… This morning the Lord said, “I’m going to give you the simplest definition of the law.” And He said, “ The simplest definition of the law is effort.” (John and Jennifer respond with a laugh and ‘eeeeeee’) John made this statement that has rung our bell for several years, but he made it some time ago, and I suppose we’re still learning it, “effort is blasphemy”. And the reason it’s blasphemy, ok let’s go back to Eden. This is going to become ‘teachy’, but I want you all to jump in. When Adam and Eve ate of the tree of death, they ate of the intellect, which is I make the law, I decide what is right and wrong. If you eat of the tree of good and evil, you’re saying I know what’s right and wrong. I will decide what’s right or wrong. And the fruit of that is death.
(J) Hmhmm.
(M) Ok. The consequence of that, which Satan told them there would be no consequence. There was. And the first consequence was that the woman would suffer pain in child bearing, and the man would work with the sweat of his brow. So the curse of the fallen nature is work, very hard tedious work. I’ve got this message on how to work in the Christian life, and this is part of it, this is the development of it. So I’m excited. So, the curse, human nature’s work is cursed, basic. Do we have that?
(J) Absolutely.
(M) Ok. (Martha laughs.) It’s, I’m seeing it in my garden and I’m struggling because I’m investing labor, money, the most intense labor. Carole said, “I know what you’ve done, because I’ve done it too.” It’s enormous labor and sweat, and only to feed the bugs, and worms. And I’m coming to the place where it’s such a lesson of rest and getting rid of the law. But I want to start with this amazing verse. Roman’s eight is just, to me it’s the core of living this life, living it in the Spirit, “Those who are led of the Spirit are the sons of God.” But verse 32 of Roman’s eight says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things.” And the Amplified says, “all other things graciously.” Ok, the thing I’m seeing about the law is that it keeps you, it makes you be ‘a taker’ and not ‘a receiver’, ‘a doer’ and not ‘a believer’; the law, if you live in the law, on yourself or others or God or life, you actually block heaven’s outpouring on you.
(J) (In background.) Good night.
(M) The thing the Lord said to me this morning too is, “Ok, here’s the question of the day. Your question usually is, what do I do today, what do I have to do today, what work have I go to do Lord?” He said, “No, no, that’s not the question. The question when the law is gone and grace is your Ruler in the Spirit, the question is, Lord, what do I have to receive today? What do You, what were You going to give me today, and what am I going to receive?” That’s different than what am I going to do.
(Jennifer) Hmhmm.
(J) Hmhmm.
(M) It’s radical, it’s two different realms. It’s to ‘what am I going to do?’ is Eden, it’s the fallen nature. ‘What am I going to receive?’ is the new creation. ‘What, what do you have for me today?’ the little child says to the Father? ‘What do you have to give me today?’ because I can’t work. Now it doesn’t mean there isn’t work. One of the things we have here is, we really work, in this little church here, we do, we… (Martha laughs.) And I think that’s why we’re learning this, is because when you realize the futility of your own labors, that’s when you come to grace. Do you all? Are you just stunned you two or? (John and Martha and Jennifer laugh.)
(J) Both of our eyes are like, Oooooh.
(M) Ok, see if you don’t live by the law, and that’s how… when you make up, when you live in the tree of good and evil then you’re in human nature, you make up your laws. Some people’s law is ‘I won’t work, I will steal’. Some people’s law is ‘I won’t work, you will’. And some people’s law is ‘I will work’. But the law of the Spirit sets you free to receive, and that work is not mine to do. And I know this experientially. I know it that the Lord Jesus’ work in me is all ‘a light burden’. It’s all easy. And I told Carole yesterday, when it gets hard, tedious and effortful, you have to stop and die. Because everything we are experiencing as we’re getting rid of the law, I’m experiencing, you are too, we’re experiencing God’s enormous “giving us all other things graciously.” They just come to us. They just appear. Oh, I can give a very practical illustration. I just had the thought, I wish I could have a big plot of sweet potatoes for the whole community. And there’s no way to do it because there was no plow, no one plowing, cutting grass, and within a week it appeared. And we planted seventy-five plants together, of sweet potatoes. It came to me. And we worked very hard doing it, and still are keeping it, but it was done. That’s what, that’s what the life is supposed to be. For me it was I wanted sweet potatoes for the winter, and you know, to supply everybody’s families, and there it is. And that’s just, that’s just the one I can tell.
(Jennifer) Uhmhmm.
(M) That’s the effortlessness of being a child of God; it comes to you. And I didn’t ask for it, I just thought of it. I’m scared to think of things anymore, because the Father wants to give. Ok, let me read this again, “He who did not spare His own beloved Son, and delivered Him over for us all.” Delivered Him to what? The cross.
(J) Hmhmm.
(M) “How will He not also with Him freely give us all other things graciously.” Not begrudgingly; some of us have known a begrudging parent. But He will give graciously, heavily. He wants, He wants my day to be filled with what I receive from Him. He has the day planned for what He will give; not planned for what He will put me through and cause me to work. Ok, see, we don’t really get this thing. We’re, “the just shall live by faith.” Ok, anybody have anything to say, ya’ll still… Your mouths are open. (Martha laughs.)
(Jennifer) Sorry. (Jennifer laughs.)
