Letters From Grandpa #50
- LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
- 50
Dearest Grandchild,
In today’s letter I want to talk about two ways to make people be good. (1) The old way and (2) The new way.
Both ways were ordained by God and both are found in the Bible.
Paul made reference to these two ways in the book of Romans. “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” (Rom 7:6)
Note that the old way was characterized by the “written code” and the new way was characterized by the “Spirit”.
On May 2, 1960 a famous criminal named Caryl Chessman died in California’s gas chamber. Granny and I moved to California in July 1959, so this was very much on our minds at the time. While in prison, Chessman wrote these poignant words: “It seemed to me just as it usually seems to my kind, that society was simply trying to strip or rip off my shield, that it was willing to do so ruthlessly, that it didn’t care about me personally, or the amount of humiliation or degradation it might inflict in the process. I stubbornly balked at being manipulated, regulated, or being compelled to conform blindly through fear or threat of punishment, however severe. Indeed, I came to question the validity of a society that appeared more concerned with imposing its will than in inspiring respect. There seemed to me something grossly wrong with this ‘we’ll make you be good’ I was told, and I told myself nobody should, would, or could MAKE me do anything. And I proved it!” (Time Magazine Sept. 13, 1982 pp 42 - 43).
When God gave the “written code” at Mt. Sinai, He knew that it wouldn’t work. Moses himself knew it would work. Moses said to the people: “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die!” (Deut 31:26-27)
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The Law was written in stone. It came with fire, darkness, gloom and storm. It was cold rigid and inflexible.
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3,000 died when the Law was given.
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Those who sinned under the Law died without mercy.
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YET THIS OLD WAY DIDN’T WORK. NOT ONLY DID THE PEOPLE REBEL WHILE MOSES WAS ALIVE, THEY BECAME WORSE AFTER HE DIED!
It is therefore logical to ask, “If God knew the old way of a written code wouldn’t work, why then did He give it”?
Paul explained it like this: “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” (Gal 3:24-25) The King James Version translates “put in charge” as “schoolmaster”. The “schoolmaster” was a slave authorized to make a young man learn. The “schoolmaster” was free to punish the young man severely, any way he wanted to, to make the young man learn. There is an old joke about the mule trainer who said that you had to beat a mule in the head with a ball bat in order to get his attention. So, so to speak, beat us in the head with the Law to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
The old way sought to make man “conform” by punishment from without. The new way “transforms” us by the power of His Spirit from within (Rom. 12:1, 2). Remember! The old way didn’t work, but the new way does. Note also this prediction by Ezekiel written centuries before Christ. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezek 36:26-27)
For many years we didn’t have a TV in our home. We invested instead, in recordings with Christian messages and music. One poem was played by out children so many times that I absorbed it by osmosis into my mind. The message of the poem is both simple and profound.
MARY HAD A LITTLE PIG
Mary had a little pig and it was white as snow.
That is, when it had had a bath, as you of course might know. But Mary had an awful time to keep that piggy clean.
For it was just the dirtiest pig that one had ever seen.
She’d wash him, and she’d scrub him ‘till he would squirm and squeal. As if he wanted her to know it was an unfair deal.
And then in the green back yard, he’d play from morning until night. Unless, he’d happen to slip right out and lose himself from sight. Poor Mary thought and wondered much what she could ever do. And then she figured out a plan, and this she carried through She took him to a doctor, who put the pig to sleep.
And then he took his heart right out, but now of course to keep. And then he took a little lamb, and took his heart out too. And put it in the little pig, before the piggy knew.
And when the piggy did awake he had no more desire,
To wallow in the mud again, or ever in the mire.
And so you see, boys and girls, we need a new heart too. Just like the little piggy did, the old will never do.
(Author unknown)
Job made reference to the “sins of my youth” (Job. 13:26). During his youth he struggled with strong temptations that later in life were diminished. Grandpa wants you to be victorious over all these temptations even while you are young. IF YOU ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO DIRECT YOUR LIVES YOU CAN BE VICTORIOUS! WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AS YOUR GUIDE, YOU CAN LIVE A LIFE WITH NO REGRETS!
THE NEW WAY DOES WORK!
I love you,
Grandpa Boyce