Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27)

I once read a writing of a Reformed minister. He wrote that God saved His people to be glorified. In other words, God let Adam sin and die so that He would save his descendants later. With this view, God actively made Adam sin and made us suffer so that we would thank Him for saving us later. God could keep Adam in the garden of Eden and forgive him. God could prevent Adam from sinning because He knew what was in his mind. But He did not. Why?

Even though many say that Adam’s fall was in God’s plan, they actually believe that Adam’s sin happened accidentally, and God inevitably had to put Adam and his descendants to death because He is just. You might have already noticed there is something not quite right. With this view, we see two contrasting characteristics of God. Is God merciful but just? Or is God merciful and just?

To His people, God is always merciful and just. Adam’s fall happened because there is something important for us to learn. Everything is written for the church’s growth and learning. The reformation in the 16^th century was ordained by God, but it had its own limits. It heavily focused on sin and punishment. I support TULIP but there is much more to understand. But I am not talking about a new theory. Irenaeus already wrote that Adam was immature. When we read the Bible, we must understand why God has made the world in the first place. Why?

I repeatedly mentioned that the purpose of all creation is the kingdom (church). And the church was planned before creation for the Son. The church is the eternal bride of Christ. We rule the world with Christ as our head.

When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:28)

Christianity is not about sin, the law, and/or punishment. It is about the change of our status. We, who are now the adopted children of God, listen to God. But we do more than what servants do because we have the mind of Christ. Obedience does not bring righteousness. Rather, God’s righteousness brings our obedience. Righteousness is not about moral perfection. It is God’s will and mercy. We are completely free from death because we are no longer like Adam in the garden of Eden, who was only a slave. We are constantly taught by God through the Word and the Spirit. When we sin, God disciplines us.

Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” (v.14)

Focusing on the law does not make anyone truly pious. We know that God disciplines us when we go astray. Therefore, we fear God as children fear their fathers. We do not turn to either legalism or antinomianism.

In John 5, the Jews accused Christ of violating the fourth commandment. Jesus simply explained that He is not like other men before the law. Considering righteousness, He is equal with the Father. The Son became a man so that we would become the children of God. Therefore, He simply did not need to gain righteousness through the works of the law. He came to free us from the righteousness that comes from the law, which is the old and conditional covenant. Regarding this, the reformers in the 17^th century took a wrong step despite warnings. They wanted to make the Protestant church a replacement of the Roman Catholic church. Christianity cannot become a religion of the majority. The Bible testifies that there are few who are saved. Most people do not understand the Bible and interpret the words of God as mere moral instructions. Those who are truly saved understand the works of God shown through the Son. We understand what the cross means to us.

The distinct feature of false believers in the church is that they do not accept the free gift of God. They reject 100% grace. They put hope in the law, but they do not keep the law. They are proud of their works, which are useless before God. True believers keep the eternal law of love. This love is not what the world defines. It is not about things in the world or mankind. It is strictly about God and His people. It is about the words of God and the gospel of Christ. False teachers do not preach 100% grace. They do not believe that the Son became a man to make us like Him. Had the Son put emphasis on the law and the righteousness that comes from the law, He would have been praised by the Jews. But He did not. He came to free them, but they rejected Him.

I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. (v. 43)

The Son is truly the Lord of the Sabbath. He gave us the true rest from our works. We are now under the new law, the law of liberty as the children of God. This law is not burdensome because God is with us.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and follow His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. (1 John 5:1-4)

Calvin and Luther were true Christians. But their knowledge had limits because of various reasons. They could not get rid of human philosophies and philosophy-based theology. It was God’s will that they remained that way so that they are not made perfect without us. All false believers follow the wrong way and will not have any excuse at the end. All true believers understand why the Son became a man and how He saved us.

Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have put your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (vv. 45-47)