What do you see when you look in the mirror?
Usually one looks to see that the clothes fit right or that the hair is styled right. For the ladies, that the makeup is flawless. There is an inherent reason why we humans look in the mirror: it’s because we’re physically flawed and we crave to hide our imperfections. This applies to us in the spiritual sphere as well.
The Bible speaks of a spiritual mirror. It’s called the “perfect law of liberty” (Jam 1:25). The Bible says if a man looks intently into it and abides by it, he will be blessed in what he does. What is this ‘perfect law of liberty’? What does it set us free from and where can I find this law? To understand the meaning of this subject, let’s seek to study the Bible and look at God’s plan of salvation. We’ll begin with another law spoken of in Exodus.
In Exodus 20, we find the spoken words of God, the Ten Commandments, as given to the nation of ancient Israel and written with God’s own finger (Ex 31:18). Jesus said Himself He did not come to destroy the law (Mat 5:17). Therefore the Law is still valid today. The Law holds two functions. On one hand its purpose is to expose sin and the sinner (Rom 5:20, Rom 7:7) and on the other hand it reveals God’s holy and perfect character (compare Luk 18:19~1 Tim 1:8; Isa 5:16~Rom 7:12; Deut 32:4~Rom 7:12). The law shows man’s sin, or disobedience to God. Sin is so serious that God says its penalty is death (Rom 6:23). The law also shows itself to be so holy and perfect that it describes God Himself, but man could not attain to its perfection by trusting to human effort alone, no matter what we try (Rom 3:20). Here lies the spiritual dilemma: the sinner wants to fix what’s wrong, but he can’t in his power alone. Does the Bible have an answer?
“Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. When you said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek. Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!” – Psalm 27:7-9.
Through the act of disobedience, Adam and the woman hid themselves from their Creator, and the Lord hid His face from them (Gen 3:8, Isa 59:2). By deception, the arch-enemy of God, Satan, enslaved the woman and turned her into an agent of evil. She deceived Adam and he disobeyed God, thus also becoming His enemy. When we have sinned and hide ourselves from God, the Lord says, ‘seek My face.’ Looking unto Him is the only help for our hopeless condition. His face was hid for two reasons: light cannot commune with darkness (2 Cor. 6:14), and no sinner can see God’s face and live (Ex 33:20, Jhn 1:18). The punishment that Cain bore after his flagrant murder of his brother Abel was that he would be hid from God’s face (Gen 4:14). And so through the generations, the image of God in the human race has been marred. All have rejected the light of His presence (Jhn 1:4, 5). But all is not lost. God has heard humanity’s cries and answered, “Seek My face”.
The face of God shines forth with light (Psa 67:1). Because of His wonderful pity and mercy, God reveals Himself and the plan of salvation to man in His Son, Jesus Christ, the express image of the Father (2 Cr 4:6, Heb 1:3). He is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) Sin has separated man from the face of God that we have all forgotten what His true character is like. The knowledge of good and evil has “opened” our eyes (Gen. 3:7), and they are constantly distracted by the allures of the world, which is not of the Father (1 Jhn 2:16). Instead of looking to Mount Calvary, men have fancied themselves, only to see shame and forgetting in whose image they were created ( Isa 53:3; Jam 1:22-24). Man has continued the cycle of the consequences of sin, trying to cover their shame with the works of their hands, until they conform to an image formed by human hands, one that flatters and satisfies the sinful nature (Gen 3:7, 1 Pet 1:14). Our righteousness are as filthy rags (Isa 64:6). But “charity shall cover the multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8). From the foundation of the world, God had prepared a Lamb for his people (Rev 13:8). We must place our faith only in His Lamb, and in Him who is love (1 Pet 1:19-21; 1 Jhn 4:8). The Lord Jesus said “and I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.’ (John 12:32). One look at the crucified Savior, and our eyes are strangely drawn to Him. We see in the face of Jesus inexpressible love; love that shed the tears, bore the bruises, and was spat upon, all for the securing of our salvation (Luk 23:46, Mar 14:65). The face of the Son of God that once shone as the sun (Mat 17:2), now was terribly marred by the weight of humanity’s sins! (1 Pet 2:24).
And yet by beholding Him, we are changed. (2 Cr 3:18). It is not the beauty of Christ that changes us. There is no appearance of Him to attract our eyes (Isa 53:2). By the lust of the eyes, the human race fell. He who is perfect must condescend to break and soften the heart of sinful man (Phl 2:6-8). Through the panoramic view of our Lord’s suffering unto the most excruciating death by crucifixion, we are brought into obedience. (Heb 5:8). It is only by beholding the humiliated, crucified Christ that we can begin to actively believe (Act 4:10-12, 2 Cr 3:18). Transformation occurs as we assimilate the mind of Christ and believe (Phl 2:5, Rom 12:1-5, Jhn 6:40).
“But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.” (Isa 53:10, 11)
He made the ultimate sacrifice without measure. By beholding and taking part of the forbidden fruit hung on the tree, man was taken down into condemnation. By beholding and believing in the Savior hung on a cross, the children of God are brought up unto righteousness. (Jhn 6:40). Therefore, through our Lord Jesus Christ, the sinner is justified, liberated from the death penalty. God says “seek My face”.
Now we come back to the perfect law of liberty. The Bible says we will be judged by it (Jam 2:12) and as previously stated, we will be blessed by it. One might say, is it not Christ that sets us free from sin, not the law? I would reply with another question: which law? The Bible is clear that we are saved by grace through faith, and not of works (Eph 2:8, 9). So then that is a valid question. But what seems like a contradiction is really evidence that shows the law of liberty is perfectly symmetrical with Christ. Christ came to reveal the Spirit of the law, which is love. Christ’s two great commandments were 1) love God and 2) love man (Mat 22:37-39). Man had chosen to depart from the word of God. Sin blinded the eyes of men to truth and life. No one can do the external works of the law without the internal service of love in the heart. Jesus came to reveal the thoughts and the intents of man (Hbr 4:12). He saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Gen 6:5). Jesus came to expose the error of works without faith, and the error of faith without works. To show the true Law, one that consisted of worship in Spirit and in truth (Jhn 4:23), the Creator God fashioned Himself in the form of a man to become the Servant of men, himself the revelation of grace and truth (Jhn 1:17). It was at the Cross that the fullest revelation of this Law in action was given. Jesus Christ crucified, all good God and all loving God. He satisfied both the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed [each other] (Ps 85:10). Truth set us free from eternal death, Mercy sets us free to life everlasting. No wonder it is called the “perfect law of liberty”. It shows Love, liberates only when truth (law, faith) and mercy (love, good works) are both harmoniously in action. That which we brought upon ourselves and could not restore unto ourselves, God did it all freely from a heart of infinite love.
Let it sink in for a moment. There is nothing flattering about sin. Every time we cover ourselves in it, we experience only misery and a broken heart. It is a false hope. Jesus is our only true hope of eternal life (Jhn 3:16). Jesus invites us to come unto Him, all who are weary and heavy-laden (Mat 11:28-30). He will give you rest. He says “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Mat 11:29, 30). What is this yoke? A yoke of oxen is placed around the neck. Proverbs 6:20-21 says “My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck.” Jesus’ yoke is His great law of love. Therefore, let us humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways (2 Chr 7:14). And notice again in James 1:25 (KJV), “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein]”…the believer must continue in it. In other words, it is a life commitment, where we choose to love God everyday, because He loved us so wondrously first. We cannot of ourselves do this, to make our hearts pure, nor do any good works; it is a gift of God. Our work is to humbly claim and accept Jesus as our Savior, giving our service to Him and confessing our sins and repenting of them. It may painful and it will sting pleasure and pride, but “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Ps 51:17). God hears our cries with the tenderest pity. He will not disappoint.
“For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Cr 4:17).
my voice: my desire 