Page 52 - Laying Down the Law

children. The body of Christ is composed of the immature and ruled over by spiritual
children.

Isaiah 3:12
Childish leaders oppress my people, and women rule over them. O my people,
your leaders mislead you; they send you down the wrong road.
[New Living Translation]

Is it not revealing that the Law of Moses was delivered to “the CHILDREN of
Israel”? The phrase “children of Israel” occurs more than 630 times in Scripture. Only
in Christ are we able to move past spiritual childhood and on toward maturity as sons.

Ephesians 4:11-15
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists,
and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work
of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the
unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man,
to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of
Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children..., we are to grow
up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.

Consider what is expressed in the following words of the apostle Paul:

Galatians 4:1-7
Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a
slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the
time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in
bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had
come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem
those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And
because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts,
crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and
if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

When we were spiritual children the Law was our guardian and tutor. We were
heirs at that time, but treated no different than a slave. Not having the spirit and
character of our Father formed in us, we were under an external master that told us
what to do, and what not to do.
When the time arrived, Yahweh sent forth His Son that He might become the
firstborn among many brethren. Christ has sent forth His Spirit into our hearts that
we might walk with God as sons. We have been redeemed from under the Law that
we might walk in newness of the Spirit.