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© 1997
Christ-life Fellowship
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Grace Is Not A Thorn-Remover
by Don Byrd
When the Apostle Paul was under the law he was a tenacious follower of the law. Not only did he conform to the law and its precepts, he attempted to force its demands on everyone else. He was so zealous concerning the law that he persecuted and destroyed those who claimed any other standard of life. He became notorious to those who believed in Christ because of his zeal for the law. He was such an extreme zealot that he caused the death of many followers of Christ. It seems as though Paul was totally and completely committed to the law and all therein. Paul became a powerful enforcer of the law upon the Jews who turned to any other means of salvation. He did not attempt to persuade them to continue in the law, he had them put to death or imprisoned if they refused.
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"And I profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers" (Gal. 1:14). It seemed as though Paul was totally committed to the law no matter what it cost him. Paul manifested a commitment toward the law that was unequalled. Being "more exceedingly zealous" set Paul apart from others under the law. Paul never seemed to lose this extremely high level of commitment. Just as he was totally committed to enforcing the law upon others, he seemed to become equally committed to preaching the gospel that was given to him by our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
When he was brought under grace there were many radical changes that took place and the "more exceedingly zealous" level of his zeal seemed to subside. In many areas he seemed to become the opposite of what he was under the law. "For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible" (II Cor. 10:10).
Three years passed and it seemed as though Paul had lost the zeal that he had under the law. Then something happened in the Arabian desert that seemed to rekindle that ferocious zeal that he previously had. While in the Arabian desert he received a revelation of Christ that seemed to bring an even higher degree of zeal. What was it that made Paul the stalwart believer that he became under grace? He was probably the most knowledgeable and persistent believer that has ever lived on earth aside from Christ Himself. It was not a higher degree of commitment Paul found, but a totally new life!
The law brought a high level of commitment but grace brought a new life. Grace and commitment do not belong together. Law brings commitment, grace brings life. Believers are prone to make a "commitment" to God and then depend on their ability to keep that commitment rather than depend totally on grace. When they fail to totally keep their commitment they think they are a failure. Not so with grace. Grace makes the believer acceptable to our Father no matter if they do fail in their commitment. Believers are not acceptable because of their commitment but because grace has put Christ in them.
Commitment is according to law but acceptance is according to grace. The degree to which the law could manifest itself was limited to the degree of commitment its subjects had. The degree of life that is manifested by grace is limited only to the degree the mind is given to Christ in him. To the degree the believer allows his mind to be given to Christ in him, to that degree Christ has expression in the believer. Manifestation of the law is contingent on the level of commitment its subjects have. Expression of Christ is not contingent on the believer's degree of commitment but on "letting" the mind of Christ be in him. Commitment belongs to law, "letting" belongs to grace.
It was not Paul's commitment that brought him the zeal he now has but it was knowing the one whose grace had made him that brought this highest level of zeal. "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (I Cor. 15:10). Paul's words are no longer "more exceedingly zealous" but his words are now "more abundantly than they all." "Yet not I" are the immortal words of those who know who they are by the grace of our Father.
Because of the abundance of revelations given to Paul he also received from God a thorn in the flesh. He sought the Lord three times to have it removed but it remained. Grace does not remove thorns, it allows them to remain! The grace of God toward Paul did not remove the thorn in his flesh but it did something else that made Paul the tenacious believer he was. When allowed, grace will remove the greatest hindrance that believers have. "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15). This verse infers that bondage and fear are removed from born-again believers! Grace is not a thorn-remover but it removed the bondage and fear that Paul had as a result of being under the law. When bondage and fear were gone, Paul was at liberty to be the believer grace allowed him to be. There was no bondage or fear in the life of the apostle Paul after the revelation of Christ in him.
Having no bondage or fear, Paul could say "Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep" (II Cor. 11:24-25). It would seem that one who had received thirty-nine stripes once would learn not to do anything that would bring this punishment again. This was a cruel and physically excruciating punishment that ripped the flesh open on its victim. It would seem that such agonizing punishment would only be needed once to teach the needed lesson. But can you envision that this happened five times to Paul!
Paul was also beaten three times with rods, a punishment comparable to thirty-nine stripes. Maybe he was a slow learner. No! No! No! What was it that gave Paul such perseverance? Grace! Grace! Grace! Grace had removed the bondage and fear! "And I will deliver them, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. 2:15).
Here stood one in whom the grace of God had done its wondrous work of bringing the liberty that is in Christ. He was free from fear which allowed him to preach Christ in fullness. Because he was free from fear there was nothing anyone could do to stop him from preaching Christ. Although he knew he was at risk of receiving thirty-nine stripes, being beaten with rods or imprisoned, he never allowed it to prevent him from preaching Christ in you the hope of glory. There was no fear or bondage! He was no longer afraid of what the law, pain, death or any other creature could do to him. When fear is gone the believer is at liberty to be who grace made him to be. Therefore Paul, with the many marks in his body, could say: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (II Tim. 4:7).
Can you imagine what believers would be like if they were no longer bound by fear? We need to allow grace to remove the spirit of bondage and fear that enslaves us. Most of the irrational things that believers do, in the name of the Lord, are done out of fear. When believers are driven by fear they are prone to do foolish and irrational things not akin to the Spirit of Christ.
Grace did not remove Paul's thorn in the flesh because it was not a hindrance that would prevent him from preaching Christ in you. But bondage and fear would have been a colossal hindrance to the gospel if allowed to remain in Paul. Thank God for His wonderful grace that removes the believer from bondage and fear of the law or any other creature.
Copyright © 1997 Christ-life Fellowship. The Bible text in this publication, except where otherwise indicated, is from the King James Version. This article appears on the site: http://www.peterwade.com/.
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