The Principle of How God Works
Summary: There are three principles by which God works: the principle of faith, the principle of process, and the principle of the Old and New Covenants.
Call to action: As the church, by His grace, we need to learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in carrying out these three principles.
Within the Christian world there is considerable confusion regarding how God works in the context of the Old Testament (OT) and in the context of the New Testament (NT). What principles govern the way God works in the OT and in the NT? Does God still desire that His laws in the OT be applied to believers in the NT context? Were the saints in the OT justified by faith or by works of obedience to the Law? Do certain regulations of the Mosaic Law still apply to NT believers, such as the law of tithing, firstfruits (money), the celebration of Passover, or other regulations related to the OT?
We will begin our discussion by examining a Greek term used in 1 Timothy 1:4, namely OIKONOMIA. We will quote the ILT (Indonesian Literal Translation) to see how this term is rendered: “nor give heed to myths and endless genealogies, which produce disputes rather than the stewardship (oikonomia) of Elohim that is in faith” (I Timothy 1:4). In several English translations, ‘oikonomia’ is also translated as management, dispensation, economy, or administration.
The Greek term OIKONOMIA is derived from the root words OIKOS and NOMOS. Oikos means house or household, while nomos refers to the distribution of rules or laws. Thus, when combined, these roots convey the meaning of a way of managing a household—an administration, a dispensation, or a management. In other words, Elohim manages His household or governs His people in a particular way, and the manner or principle of His working is found in faith.
Scholars have attempted to divide Elohim’s administration of His people into several ages. Some divide it into seven ages, while others divide it into only four. I divide it into seven ages: the age of Adam, the age of Noah, the age of Abraham, the age of Moses, the age of the overcomers, the age of the Kingdom (the thousand years), and the age of the new heaven and new earth. In this writing, however, we will focus only on two ages, namely the OT age and the NT age, in accordance with our title.
What is the principle by which God works in the OT age and in the NT age? From the verse above we see that Elohim administers His people according to the principle of faith, because the ‘oikonomia’ of Elohim exists in faith. By understanding this principle of faith, we can understand that whatever Elohim does in every age, He always leads His people to believe in Him. God works and governs both OT believers and NT believers so that they may believe in Him. The saints of the OT age and the saints of the NT age are all justified by faith. All are formed and processed by God so that they may believe and possess faith in Him.
What, then, about His laws? Since ‘oikonomia’ also means the distribution of laws, in governing His people God dispenses His laws in each age in a particular way. The law in the OT context is what is called the Mosaic Law, whereas the law in the NT context is the law of the Spirit who gives life (Romans 8:2; 1 Corinthians 15:45).
God gives or dispenses His laws so that His people may express their faith by carrying out the laws applicable in each age. In the OT context, those who believed expressed their faith by observing the Mosaic Law. In the NT context, those who believe express their faith by living according to the law of the Spirit who gives life, or by living their daily lives under the leading of the Spirit.
If someone does not understand the principle of Elohim’s working, he tends to mix the laws of the OT context into the NT context. Thus we see confusion in the Christian world caused by introducing regulations, laws, or even celebrations from the OT context into the NT context. We see how God’s people in the NT context are required to pay tithes, firstfruits (money), celebrate Passover, regularly attend meetings in certain buildings, perform specific rituals, adhere to certain creeds, and so forth.
We have seen that Elohim administers His people according to the principle of faith, because the ‘oikonomia’ of Elohim exists in faith. Therefore, the principle by which God works is the principle of faith. By understanding this principle of faith, we can understand that whatever Elohim does in every age, He always leads His people to believe in Him. God works and governs both OT believers and NT believers so that they may believe in Him. The saints of the OT age and the saints of the NT age are all justified by faith. All are formed and processed by God so that they may believe and possess faith in Him.
The second principle concerning how God works that we will now discuss is the ‘principle of processing’. In the Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language), the term ‘process’ means a sequence of changes in the development of something, and ‘processing’ is the act of processing. It is God who performs this act of processing, because the principle of God’s working is not “abracadabra.” He is not an “instant Elohim,” but a “process Elohim.” Thus, processing is God’s action of carrying out change upon change in order to reach a certain development or goal.
Let us look at an example of how God makes humanity into His likeness and image. In Genesis 1:26–27 (ILT) it is written: “And Elohim said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule … over all the earth…’ (v. 26). And Elohim is creating man according to His image… (v. 27)”. In verse 26 we see Elohim’s plan to create humanity according to His image and likeness. In verse 27 we see the process that Elohim carries out, because the Hebrew term translated ‘create’ is in the present progressive form, not the past tense. Thus, the term ‘create’ in English should be rendered as ‘is creating’, not ‘created’.
We then see the act of processing that God carried out with Adam and Eve by making the Garden of Eden and placing them in it to cultivate and keep it. Elohim designed the Garden of Eden to process humanity by creating two trees and also the serpent, which is a symbol of the devil. Many people assume that Adam and Eve were already in the likeness and image of Elohim, whereas in
fact Adam and Eve were still in a state of innocence—neither evil nor holy—because Adam had not yet partaken of the tree of life, which symbolizes Christ, nor did Adam yet know good and evil. Adam and Eve had also not yet multiplied to fill the earth and subdue it. Adam and Eve were still in process, and that process began in the Garden of Eden, where they were to cultivate and rule it.
What about the fall of Adam? Many people also do not understand that Adam’s fall was part of God’s process. Romans 8:20 states that all creation was subjected to futility (the realm of death, as the wages of sin), not by its own will, but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope. God was not “surprised” by Adam’s fall; in fact, the Lamb of Elohim was slain before the foundation of the world (“the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” – Revelation 13:8, Young’s Literal Translation). Thus, God is sovereign over all things. God is the cause of all things. God designed all of this, including Adam’s fall.
If we all understood this principle of God’s processing, then there would actually be no such thing as “the fall of Adam” as something that ruined all creation. Adam did not fall. Adam and all his descendants are being processed by God. And God’s process will certainly succeed. Adam and all his descendants will surely become in His likeness and image, because God’s plan to make humanity (all humanity) in His likeness and image CANNOT FAIL. God simply has stages in His process. First, the firstfruits—those whom He has chosen—then in turn all creation, so that the Father may become ALL in ALL.
We have discussed that our God is a God of process. The principle of God’s working is the principle of processing. This processing refers to God’s action of carrying out change upon change in order to reach a certain development or goal. We will now discuss faith as it is processed by God until it reaches its full development.
Romans 1:17 states: “For in it the righteousness of Elohim is being revealed from faith to faith, as it has been written, ‘And the righteous one shall live by faith’” (ILT). The phrase ‘from faith to faith’ comes from the Greek expression ‘ek pistis eis pistis’. The preposition ‘ek’ means ‘from’ or ‘out of’, while ‘eis’ means ‘to’ or ‘into’, pointing toward a goal. Marvin Vincent, in Word Studies in the New Testament, states that the idea behind the expression ‘from faith to faith’ is progress in faith itself (Vol. 3, p. 14). In other words, faith is a progressive principle.
If so, how can faith be progressive or grow? The Epistle of James provides the explanation. James 2:22 says: “You see that faith was working together with his works, and by the works the faith was perfected.” This means that works that arise from faith, in turn, cause the existing faith to develop. Then, the developed faith produces works, which in turn perfect the existing faith. Thus a cycle occurs: faith produces works, and works perfect faith; perfected faith produces works again. In this way, faith grows until it reaches its fullness.
This process of the growth of faith is in God’s hands. That is, God Himself performs this process for His chosen people, and therefore this process will certainly succeed. The faith of God’s chosen people will continuously grow until it reaches perfection. God cannot fail in doing this, because our God is indeed a God of process. He who has begun this process will continue it until it is completed.
The faith we are discussing applies in both the OT and NT contexts, because we have discussed the stewardship of Elohim that exists in faith, whereby both the saints in the OT context and the saints in the NT context are justified by faith. Romans 3:20 also affirms: “For by works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight…” (ILT).
So far, we have discussed the principles of how God works: the principle of faith and the principle of processing. In order to further understand God’s working principles in the OT and NT contexts, we need to understand the difference in principle between the Mosaic Law (OT) and the law of the Spirit (NT), or the law of the Spirit who gives life.
The Mosaic Law was given by Yahweh to the nation of Israel as part of a covenant known as the Old Covenant. The content of the Old Covenant is recorded in Exodus 19–20, when Yahweh made His covenant with the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai through Moses. I refer to the pattern of the Old Covenant as the IF–THEN pattern, meaning: “…IF you will indeed obey My voice… THEN you shall be My treasured possession… a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…” (Exodus 19:5–6).
This is a conditional covenant: if Israel obeyed His voice, then Israel would become Yahweh’s treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. Because this Old Covenant was conditional, Yahweh gave His laws, known as the Mosaic Law, to be obeyed. Naturally, the pattern of the Mosaic Law is also an IF–THEN pattern. This does not mean that the saints in the OT context were justified by keeping the Law. The principle of faith applies in all ages or dispensations, as Hebrews 11 explains from the time of Abel throughout the OT era. The saints of the OT age were still justified before Yahweh by faith. However, the saints of the OT age had to express their faith by observing the Mosaic Law.
This is different from the New Testament pattern, which is bound by El Elyon to His chosen people through the mediation of Jesus Christ. The New Testament pattern, including the pattern of the Law of the Spirit, is different from the IF–THEN pattern found in the Old Testament and the Mosaic Law. Why is this so? Because the IF–THEN pattern in the Old Testament and the Law has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ, when He said, “… I did not come to abolish (the Law and the Prophets) but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).
The Law of the Spirit in the New Testament context is the Law of Moses written into the inner being of believers by the work of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 8:10 affirms, “… I will put My laws (the Law) into their minds and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (NKJV/LAI). It is God Himself who works to place and write the Law into the inner being of believers. Therefore, the pattern of the Law of the Spirit is not an IF–THEN pattern, but an ALREADY–THEREFORE pattern. On the cross Jesus cried out, “IT IS FINISHED,” which means that the entire Old Testament and the Law have been fulfilled. All the demands of the Law have been fulfilled. Thus, the New Testament offers the ALREADY–THEREFORE pattern to everyone who is willing to believe the gospel.
The New Testament follows the ALREADY–THEREFORE pattern. The proclamation is roughly like this: “Your sins have already been forgiven; therefore, sin no more.” “You are the light of the world; therefore, live as children of light.” “You have already been blessed; therefore, share God’s blessing according to your willingness and His leading.” And so on, and so on. If there are preachers in Christianity—indeed, the majority—who preach an IF–THEN pattern, they are the scribes and Pharisees of our time, who seek to please God and be justified by God through performing God’s laws. “Give your tithe, then you will be blessed.” “If you do not attend church because you were offended by the pastor’s words, then you bring curses and judgment upon yourself.” Such voices are the voices of the Pharisees and scribes of this age.
Having distinguished the Old Testament pattern—IF–THEN—from the New Testament pattern—ALREADY–THEREFORE—we will now look at the differences and also the relationship between the law of the Old Testament (the Law) and the law of the New Testament (the Spirit who gives life).
Let us read several New Testament passages that speak about the law related to New Covenant believers. Romans 8:2 states, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death” (ILT). The expression ‘the law of the Spirit of life’ in Greek is ‘nomos ho pneuma ho zoe’, where ‘zoe’ is the kind of life lived by Elohim Himself; in other words, ‘zoe’ is the life of Elohim, distinguished from human life (‘psuche’) and a lower or common life (‘bios’). Thus, the law of the Spirit of life is the law of the Spirit of the life of Christ.
Next, let us examine 1 Corinthians 15:45: “… the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit” (ILT). The phrase ‘life-giving’ comes from the Greek ‘zoopoieo’, meaning to make what is dead alive, or to give life by imparting the life of Christ. The last Adam here is Jesus Christ, and through His death as the last Adam and His resurrection, He came as the life-giving Spirit by imparting His life. That is why in John 10:10 Jesus said, “… I came that they may have life (‘zoe’) …”
Furthermore, let us look at 2 Corinthians 3:6: “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” The entire context of this chapter speaks about the ministry of the New Covenant in contrast to the ministry of the Old Covenant, which brings death. Why? Because the law of the Spirit gives life, whereas the Law of Moses leads to death.
Does this mean, then, that the Law of Moses (Old Testament context) is completely separate from the law of the Spirit (New Testament context)? Absolutely not, because the law of the Spirit is the Law of Moses written by the Holy Spirit into the inner being of New Covenant believers. Hebrews 8:10 says, “… I will put My laws into their minds and write them on their hearts …” Therefore, the law of the Spirit (NT) is the Law (OT) written into the inner being of believers. The law of the Spirit is not a law unrelated to the Law of Moses, for Jesus came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the Law, and by His resurrection He poured out His Spirit to impart life and to fulfill the Law within the inner being of believers.
We, as New Covenant people, follow the law of the Spirit, follow the leading of the Spirit, and worship in Spirit and truth—not by violating or ignoring the Law, but by following the Spirit and living by the law of the Spirit, WE HAVE ALREADY FULFILLED THE LAW IN CHRIST. For Colossians 2:17 says of the Law, “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance is Christ.” We who live IN CHRIST HAVE ALREADY FULFILLED THE LAW, because the fulfillment or reality of the Law is Christ. Therefore, we do not have to perform “one iota” (like a comma in Hebrew) of the Law—not because we violate it, but because in Christ all of it has been fulfilled. As long as we live by the law of the Spirit, we are already fulfilling the Law.
Religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees of our time, who teach the laws of tithing, firstfruits (money), Passover celebrations, various liturgies, and insist that worship must be in this building or that building—do not understand at all what Jesus said on the cross: ‘tetelestai’, ‘It is finished’. The entire Old Testament, as prophecy, symbol, and law, HAS BEEN FULFILLED. Not only do they fail to understand this, but by teaching parts of the Law to be practiced by believers, they enslave, bind, and even bring death to God’s people.
So far, we have briefly discussed the principles by which God works: the principle of faith and the principle of processing, in relation to the Old and New Testament contexts. Now we will discuss another principle, namely the principle of ‘better’. This principle is expounded at length in the book of Hebrews. The key word in this book is ‘better’.
In this book, Jesus is compared with angels as messengers of Elohim, with Moses as an apostle, with Aaron as the high priest, and the Old Covenant is compared with the New Covenant, including their worship and laws. The result of all these comparisons is ‘better’. Thus, God’s way of working, in relation to the Old and New Testaments, is the principle of ‘better’. God never does the same thing twice. God always does something new and better than before. “I will make all things new,” as expressed in the book of Revelation. God’s way of working always produces what is new and better.
Now we will focus on the law in the Old Testament context—the Law of Moses—and the law in the New Testament context—the law of the Spirit who gives life. Let us look at the case of the golden calf in Exodus 32–34. When Moses came down from the mountain after receiving the two stone tablets and saw Israel worshiping the golden calf, he became angry and threw the tablets down, breaking them. Then God commanded Moses to carve two new stone tablets and to make an ark of wood to place the new tablets in (Deuteronomy 10:1–5). This was not the Ark of the Covenant made by Bezalel and Oholiab (Exodus 35:30–35). This wooden ark was made by Moses so that the new tablets could be placed in it. Here we see God’s working principle—the principle of ‘better’. First, only two stone tablets; second, two new stone tablets and also a wooden ark to contain them.
What is the meaning of the new tablets placed inside a wooden ark made by Moses? It means that God’s law is placed into our humanity, because wood is a symbol of humanity. This aligns with Hebrews 8:10: “… I will put My laws into their minds and write them on their hearts …” We
see here that God never makes the same thing twice. He always makes something better. God’s law written into our inner being is better than God’s law written on two stone tablets.
God’s law written on stone tablets is the law in the Old Testament context, while God’s law “written” into our inner being is the law in the New Testament context. This does not mean that the Law in the Old Testament is abolished. Jesus did not abolish the Law but fulfilled it. For those of us who are in Christ, the Law has been fulfilled, and the Holy Spirit has written, is writing, and will continue to write the Law into our inner being. The Law must not be applied directly to New Covenant believers who are in Christ. The Law must first be “written” by the Holy Spirit into our inner being; then we will act according to the meaning given by the Holy Spirit.
A good example of the Law written into our inner being is found in the case of the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8. In this chapter, the scribes and Pharisees pressured Jesus—indeed, attempted to trap Him—regarding whether He would obey the Law, because according to the Law this woman should be stoned. The context here is the law of stoning. We see that Jesus wrote on the ground in response to their pressure. What was the meaning of Jesus writing on the ground? It meant: I came to fulfill the law of stoning and to write it into the inner being of believers. When the Pharisees continued to press Him, He said that whoever was without sin should cast the first stone. When no one did so, Jesus spoke to the woman about forgiveness and warned her not to sin again. Thus, the law of stoning “written” into the inner being of believers takes on the meaning of ‘do not judge, forgiveness, and a warning not to sin again’. Such is the result when the law of stoning is written into the inner being of believers.
Likewise, all other laws in the Torah must be “written” into the inner being of believers. The law of tithing, the law of firstfruits, or any other law must not be imposed on those who are in Christ. The law of tithing and firstfruits “written” into the inner being of believers is Christ Himself (those anointed by God), because we are the firstfruits of creation—the tenth of those who are called, chosen, or faithful.
Religious leaders in Christianity like to impose the Law (tithing, firstfruits-money) on God’s people. Apart from not understanding God’s working principles, their motivation is often related to the “stomach,” human glory, and other fleshly matters. May this brief writing be a blessing to God’s chosen people. Amen.