ChristiansUnite Forums

wopik,

Now you are talking.. no need to stop at verse 21, thou;

22  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

When the law accomplish what was intended for it to accomplish, the law is no longer over them that have been given the promise to them that believe.

Amen,

Petro

The Mosaic Law was given to bring men to Christ,

Only when a man comes to the realization that it is impossible to keep it perfectly, will anyone begin to understand, that the Law was never given for the purpose of being made right with God once and forever, since the Word itself makles it clear;

By the keeping of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight for the law is the knowledge of sin.  (Rom 3:20)

So, if no one can be saved by keeping the law, in the first place, then how can a person be SAVED?

And, if no one cannot be saved by Keeping the Law, how is it, some would teach, you must keep it to continue being saved?

Doesn't make sense, does it?

Petro

Yes, but God gave the laws to Israel, knowing full well they - as humans - would occassionally fall short in obedience.  

How is not eating pork or skunk  - in the OT or NT - bringing us closer to Christ?  How are the dietary laws our "schoolmaster"?

wopik,

Yes, but the first covenant has been abolished, tha the second one may be made, with Israel (not the nation, but the offspring of Abraham).

Gods plan will not be frusterated, the promise is not to the natural seed, but the spiritual seed.

Rom 9
 6  Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7  Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9  For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
10  And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12  It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14  What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22  What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24  Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25  As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26  And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
27  Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

The promise made to Abraham, was made to his seed, not seeds; (Gal 3:16)


Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, Rom 4:16


Blessings,
Petro

Romans 3:20.  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
 21.  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
 23.  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
 24.  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
 25.  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
 26.  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
 27.  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
 28.  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
 29.  Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
 30.  Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
 31. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

What is this law of Faith?

How and what law is established through faith if the law is not voided through it?

The law of God as given to Moses has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ on the cross, however Paul and James speak of law
concerning Christ, faith in Christ, and liberty.

There is the law of Christ, the law of faith, and the perfect law of liberty.


Galatians 6:1.  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
 2.  Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

 James 1:23.  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
 24.  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
 25.  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.


Has Christ fulfilled the old law under the old covenent, only to bring in new laws under grace?

Just some questions I have on these laws I see mentioned in the New Testament. It seems that God has law, just not the ones that were a shadow of things to come and the schoolmaster to Christ.

Any thoughts?

Good post!  I've always relayed it that the Law pointed to a Savior Who would come, while the Gospel poinst to a Savior Who did come.

WOW!!!

Romans 3: 21.  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
 22.  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
 23.  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
 24.  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
 25.  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
 26.  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
 27.  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
 28.  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
 29.  Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
 30.  Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
 31.  Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

“Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, [Ye must] be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no [such] commandment:”  Acts 15:24

   The Ten Commandments are the very heart of the Old Covenant between God and Israel.  In many of today’s churches the Ten Commandments play an important role.  Many of the churches in the area in which I live start their services each week by reciting the Ten Commandments.  Many professing Christians will use the Ten Commandments as the ultimate guide and rule for their life.  In our society conflicts concerning the Ten Commandments are often in the national news.  Almost every year we hear of a court case concerning the display of the Ten Commandments in public places such as schools or court buildings.
   With the emphasis that many churches place on the Ten Commandments as well as all the fuss in society concerning them, one would think that Ten Commandments would be very well understood especially by religious people.  In fact just the opposite is true.  If religious people really understood the law of Moses (in which the Ten Commandments are the very heart) they would be horrified by what they have done with them.
   If a person was to claim that the Ten Commandments never applied to the gentiles and that they applied only to the Jews from Moses to the cross many would label this person as a heretic. If the person went on to say that the Ten Commandments was a ministry of death and condemnation and was not given for a righteous man many would say that this person is not only a heretic, but a lunatic as well.  If this person went on and said the Law of Moses was made void and made obsolete by Jesus because it had a major fault in it and that those who tried to live by it were cursed, then this person better be prepared to be stoned.  Yet, the Word of God teaches these things and more about the Ten Commandments and the Law of Moses.

Below are a few very important truths concerning the Mosaic law from God’s Word that well greatly help the truth seekers.

John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

Luke 16:16 “The law and the prophets [were] until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.”

These two verses let us know the beginning and the end of the Mosaic law which was from Moses to the cross of Jesus Christ where He fulfilled the law.

John 1:17 tells us that the law came by Moses. This teaches two important points about the law of Moses. 1, as stated above it had a beginning and 2, that before Moses many generation existed without the law of Moses. This does not mean that people from Adam to Moses were not accountable to God for their sin. Romans 5:13 says “(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  14  Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.”

God gave mankind many commandments before Moses came along with the Mosaic law. The first command God gave to mankind in which mankind broke was not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen 1:16). There are many commands God gave to man before Moses Gen. 9 records a few:

Gen. 9:1 “And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.  2  And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth [upon] the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.  3  Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.  4  But flesh with the life thereof, [which is] the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.  5  And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.  6  Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.  7  And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.”


Here God commands mankind to be fruitful and multiply, not to eat flesh with the blood still in it and not to shed another mans blood. God also allows mankind here to eat any animal whether clean or unclean unlike the Mosaic Law which forbids the eating of unclean animals. So we clearly see that even without the Mosaic law mankind was responsible before God concerning his sin. God defined certain sins and set limits upon mankind many generation before Moses, God also judged sin as seen in Romans 5:13-14 many generations before the Mosaic law was given. In Exodus 19 God is going to make a covenant with a certain group of people. This covenant as one can read is the Ten Commandment which follow in Exodus 20. A covenant is a legally binding contract between two or more parties. In this case the text of Exodus 19 is clear that the covenant (contract)  is between God and the children of Israel that were delivered from Eygpt.

Ex. 19:1 “In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they [into] the wilderness of Sinai.  2  For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come [to] the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.  3  And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;  4  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and [how] I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.  5  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine:  6  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.  7  And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.  8  And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.”

There are two very important observations that a careful student of God’s Word will notice in these verses.

1. The Ten Commandment was a covenant that God made ONLY with the children of Israel.

Verse 1 “children of Israel”, verse 2 “Israel”, and in verse 3 “the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;”

It is clear that God is making this covenant with only one group of people, Israel. No gentile nations or people are even mentioned or hinted at in this passage. God is singling one nation out of the entire world and making a covenant with then exclusively. Deuteronomy 5 even claims that the covenant of the Ten Commandments was not even made with the forefathers of Israel but to them alone.

Duet. 5:1 “And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.  2  The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.  3  The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, [even] us, who [are] all of us here alive this day.  4  The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,  5  (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,”

2. The result of the covenant that God made the with Israel was that they would be a peculiar people distinct and separate from all other people.

Ex. 19:5 says “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people:” The result of this covenant was to make Israel a “peculiar treasure unto me above all people.” This is important to grasp because it too means that the Ten Commandments were given ONLY to the children of Israel. If the Ten Commandments were given to the gentile nations and people as well then verse 5 would not be true. The covenant God made with Israel made them distinct and separate from all other nations and people in the world which would not be the case if this covenant was for all people.
Continued

Continued
Today, there are many who want to place Christians under the Ten Commandments which was a Covenant that God made with the children of Israel from Moses to the cross only. In doing so they tempt God and subvert the souls of those who listen to them (Acts 15:1,5,10,24). In effect they become enemies of the cross of Christ and rob the liberty (which is the freedom to serve Christ) a child of God has in Christ. A child of God would do well not to listen to their deceptive lies and instead obey from the heart Galatians 4 and throw out the bondwoman.

Gal. 4:21 “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?  22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.  23  But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise.  24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.  25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.  26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.  27  For it is written, Rejoice, [thou] barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.  28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.  29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him [that was born] after the Spirit, even so [it is] now.  30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.  31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.  5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Galatians 1:6 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  7  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  8  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  9  As we said before, so say I now again, If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Some time after the Galatian Church was started and was well on its way to maturity something horrible happened to it. In fact something so dreadful as to cause the apostle Paul to question the profession of the people there (Gala. 4:11,19). The problem Paul was facing head on was that the people were turning from the true gospel to a false gospel. Paul is amazed that this happen so quickly to the people of the Galatian Church.  How did something so horrible happen to a Church that started out so well? We find the answer in verse 7 “but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” As one reads the book of Galatians they will discover that trouble makers entered in and started teaching that Christians must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. This very same problem was dealt with by the apostles, elders and brethren of the Church of Jerusalem in Acts 15 (Acts 15:1,5). In Acts 15 the apostles, elders and brethren said that those who taught that a Christian must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses were tempting God and putting a yoke around the neck of the disciples that neither they nor their fathers could bare.

Acts 15:10 “Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”

They also said that those who taught that a Christian must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses were subverting souls and that they themselves never gave such a command which means that those who taught this did so on their own authority.

Acts 15:23 “And they wrote [letters] by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren [send] greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:  24  Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, [Ye must] be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no [such] commandment:”

Notice Acts 15:24 teaches it was those who taught that a Christian must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses who were the troublemakers. Galatians 1:7 teaches the same. In fact Paul teaches in Galatians 1 that those who taught that a Christian must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses were teaching a false gospel. Preaching a false gospel is a serious sin, in fact Paul said “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.“ These are strong words that should strike fear into the hearts of those who teach this false gospel. Yet, even with such a strong curse to anyone foolish enough to teach this false gospel, the Church today has it’s own troublemakers teaching the very same old age false gospel found in Galatians 1.

Gala. 2:1 “Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with [me] also.  2  And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.  3  But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:  4  And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:  5  To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”

Titus was living proof that a person could be a Child of God without having to keep the law of Moses. The Word of God says that Titus went with Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem and was not compelled to be circumcised. Yet, those who would subvert the souls of those who listen to them, teach that one must be circumcised according to the law of Moses in order to be saved. Titus was living proof to the contrary. Notice carefully what Paul has to say about those who teach that Christians must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. In verse 4 he calls them false brethren which mean that they were not even saved themselves. This is ironic for the very fact that these unsaved subverter of souls were trying to teach others how to be saved. We remember the Words of Jesus as he confronted the Pharisees over this type of hypocrisy in Matthew 23:

Matt. 23:13 “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.  14  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.  15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”

These false brethren were spying on the liberty of the real Christians and trying to bring them under bondage to the mosaic law. Paul was earnestly contending for the faith when confronting these subverter of souls, so much so, that he would not give place to them for even a moment. Like Jesus, Paul had sharp rebukes for these lost religious people and fought earnestly against their false Gospel of works. Today we have these same subverters of souls in our mist who teach that Christians must keep the law of Moses. They like the troublemakers of the past can’t stand the true liberty a child of God has in Christ Jesus and insist that they be put under the bondage of the Mosaic law. They are enemies of the cross and pervert the true Gospel of God and like the Pharisees of old makes their converts twofold more the child of hell than themselves. Thank God for the true Gospel of Jesus Christ which truly sets a soul free.

 Gal. 2:21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

Law and Grace cannot be mixed. The apostle Paul made this clear in verse above. The Greek word for frustrate in the above verse means to do away with, to set aside, to disregard, nullify, to make void, to reject, refuse. Those who think that they are establishing righteousness by the deeds of the law have frustrated the grace of God. No wonder Paul announced such a severe judgement on those who taught that Christians must keep the law of Moses (Galatians 1:6). They were leading people to damnation rather than salvation. In doing so they became enemies of the cross as Paul shows in the last part of the verse “for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” The cross of Jesus Christ is the single most significant event in history and those who teach righteousness by the deeds of the law turn this grand event into nothing. This is the exact thing that happen to Israel as a whole. They rejected the righteousness that Jesus gained for those who believe on Him and instead set out to establish their own righteousness by the deeds of the law.
Continued

Continued
Rom. 9:30 “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.  31  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.  32  Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;  33  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

The horrible consequences of trying to be righteous by the works of the law is that those who try to do so will remain lost and without salvation as Paul goes on to explain:

Rom. 10:1 “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.  2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  3  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.  4  For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.  5  For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.  6  But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down [from above]:)  7  Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)  8  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;  9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Paul acknowledges that Israel had a zeal for God, the problem though was that it was not according to knowledge. In others words they were religious but lost. They rejected the righteousness that God offered them through Jesus and foolishly thought that they could attain righteousness by the deeds of the law. In doing so they demonstrated their unbelief. Their only hope of salvation would be to repent of their own efforts of righteousness by the deeds of the law and accept the righteousness of God which one freely receives through the cross of Jesus.

Law and Grace cannot be mixed. Living by law will bring damnation and death, living by Grace will bring life and a clear conscience before God. Those who teach righteousness through law keep subverting the souls of those who foolishly listen to them, those who teach salvation by the grace of God bring the words of life to those who listen to them.

Gal. 3:1 “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?  2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?  4  Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if [it be] yet in vain.  5  He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, [doeth he it] by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Those who teach and hold that Christian must keep the law of Moses would do well to pay attention to the apostle Paul in the above verses. Paul is so amazed that those who were on the right path to begin with are now far removed from the true gospel and have instead embraced a false gospel of law keeping. How can this be? Paul calls the Galatians who think that they have to keep the law of Moses foolish (verse 1,3). Paul goes on to demonstrate their foolishness by asking a couple of rhetorical question. Any one who teaches that Christians must keep the law of Moses would do well to answer these questions as well. Paul first ask:

“This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

This is a rhetorical question and the obvious answer is that anyone who is saved was saved by grace through faith and not by their own attempts at keeping the law of Moses as Eph. 2:8-10 declares. Paul then builds upon this question by asking another rhetorical question:

“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? “

In other words are you so foolish in acknowledging that you were saved by faith to think that your sanctification  will now be made perfect by your fleshly attempts at keeping the law of Moses? Paul is teaching the Galatians by rhetorical questions that not only are they saved by faith but that their perfection is of faith as well. Our salvation is though faith and our Christian walk is by faith, not by the deeds of the law as false teaches would have you believe.

Gal. 3:11 “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”

Law and Grace cannot be mixed.

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I think you are on the right tract. We obey righteousness because we are under the law of Christ, not as incorrectly claimed by some that we are under the law of Moses. The law of Christ is far superior to the law of Moses just as Christ is far superior to Moses. Some say that if you teach that the Ten Commandments are done away with as 2 Cor. 3:11 says then you are teaching that a save person can sin at will. Even the apostle Paul had to defend himself from this accusation as well. It was wicked men who subverted the souls of those who followed them that made such baseless accusations.

Rom. 6:1 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

Because Paul taught that one is saved by grace through faith rather than law keeping his enemies accused him of teaching that a Christian had a free license to sin. Paul gave the death blow to that argument in verse 1 of Romans 6. He went on to say:

Rom. 6:15 “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.  16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  18  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

Can God’s Word get any clearer that we are not under law but under grace (verse 15)? And can God’s Word get any clearer that because were are under grace and not the law that this is not a license for free sinning? True Christians do not practice sin because they follow the law of Christ, not because they follow the law of Moses.


Quote from asaph “I am under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus! This includes His commandments; they are not a burden. You are not a burden to me either but a blessing from God.”

You are correct that the commands are not a burden Matthew 11 makes this abundantly clear:

Matt. 11:28 “Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  30  For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.”
Continued

Continued
Yet the opposite is true for the law of Moses as Acts 15 declares so clearly:

Acts 15:5 “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command [them] to keep the law of Moses.”

Acts 15:10 “Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”

Peter says that the law of Moses was an unbearable burden that neither they or their fathers were able to bear. If the apostles themselves could not bear the law of Moses what chance do we have? Peter said that those who taught that Christian have to keep the law of Moses were tempting God, a very serious sin. Those who teach that Christians have to keep the law of Moses are siding with the Pharisees of verse 6 and those who temp God (verse 10) and those who subvert souls (verse 24):

Acts 15:23 “And they wrote [letters] by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren [send] greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:  24  Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, [Ye must] be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no [such] commandment:”

Notice that verse 24 for says it was the troublemakers who taught that Christians must keep the law of Moses and that they themselves never gave such a commandment.

2 Cor. 3:6 “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.  7  But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away:  8  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?  9  For if the ministration of condemnation [be] glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.  10  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.  11  For if that which is done away [was] glorious, much more that which remaineth [is] glorious.  12  Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:  13  And not as Moses, [which] put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:  14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ.  15  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.  16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.  17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty.  18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 3 is talking specifically about the Ten Commandments (verses 7) in comparison to the New Covenant. Paul says in verse 3 that they are ministers of the New Covenant (new testament) which is not of the letter (Ten Commandments), but of the Spirit.  The Ten Commandments are not part of the gospel, the gospel and the Ten Commandments are opposed to each other so that they cannot be mixed. The Ten Commandments brought forth death and condemnation while the gospel of the New Covenant brought fort life and a clear conscience before God.

Notice verse 7 refers to the Ten Commandments as a ministry of death, not one of life, and verse nine says the Ten Commandments were a ministry of condemnation, not one that would clear a guilty conscience. I am amazed that some people insist upon putting themselves and others under a ministry of death and condemnation. Why would anyone who is sane want to be under a covenant that could only condemn and kill them in the first place? Are they under a false delusion that a ministry of death and condemnation is able to bring them life and a clear conscience before God? No wonder the apostles, elders and brethren of Jerusalem said it was the subverters of souls that taught that Christians are to keep the law of Moses Acts 15:24).

Verse 11 clearly teaches that the Ten Commandments are done away with and that the New Covenant is what remains. The so-called law keepers cannot explain verse 11. Verse 11 says that the Ten Commandments are done away with and the so-called law keepers say it is not. Who’s lying, the so-called law keepers, or God? I will give a little hint it’s not God. Verse 13 declares that the Ten Commandments are abolished, how can a Christian be subject to something that is abolished and no longer in force? The reason some people insist that the Ten Commandments are in force today is explained in this chapter as well. It’s because they are blind by a vail upon their heart in their understanding of the Old Testament (verse 15). In other words they don’t even understand the purpose of the Old Covenant and like the unbelieving Jews they think that their righteousness is by the deeds of the law (Rom.9:30-33). This vail will only be removed when they repent by turning their hearts away from the ministry of death and condemnation to the cross of Jesus Christ where they will find life and a clear conscience before God.

Like the self righteous Pharisees of old, today’s subverters of souls think that they are serving God when they teach their false gospel of works based salvation. Like the Pharisees of old, they lead souls to hell rather than heaven.

Matt. 23:13 “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.  14  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.  15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”

Strong words from our beloved Lord Himself. Those who teach that Christians must keep the law of Moses are enemies of the cross and wether they realize it or not they help promote Satan’s deadliest work of blinding mens eyes to the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 Cor. 4:3 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

It must have broken Paul’s heart to have to say these things to the Galatians (verses 11,20). They were led astray by the subverters of souls who taught that one must keep the law in order to be saved. The Galatians embraced this false gospel to the point that Paul feared his labor for them was all in vain, he even doubted that the were really saved. You cannot mix law and grace as Paul so forcefully demonstrates in his analogy using Hagar and Sarah. The extortion Paul gives is crystal clear, cast out the Mosaic law which is represented in his analogy by the bound woman. Yet many of today’s subverters of souls do just the opposite and not only cling to the law but insist that others do the same. It is no wonder why Paul had such harsh words for those who subverted the souls of others. Paul’s mission was set people free from the bondage of sin and the law and the subverters mission was to keep people in bondage to the law and sin.

Gal 4:11 “I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.”

Gal 4:20 “I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.”

Gal 4:21 “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture?

Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Pilgrim

kasey,

The OT was conditional upon obedience to the Mosaic Law (law of sin and death), given at Mt Sion, this whole system of the Levitical worship was abolished.

You and others may try and separate the 10 commandment from the other ordinances, but the fact is they all were given to Moses by the Lord upon the Mt.

While we all agree, Christians should obey Gods commandments, they are not obeyed in order to be saved, but as a witness and a testimony to the unsaved and because Christians desire to be obedient to God in living a Holy Life, we all fail everyday.

Sin is transgression of the Law, Lets face it, we are weak in the flesh, his is why we are exhorted to live in the Spirit.

Gal 3, makes it clear men were kept under the Law (of Moses) until Faith came, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. (vs 23)..

And when Faith came, that is to say, the Faith which is of Jesus Christ, the law was no longer mans teacher schoolmaster, that, we might be justified by faith. (vs 24)

That is why, wopik, who is learning posted this thread, entitling it;

Gal 3
21  Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
22  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

You see, it is His righteousness, not ours, that grants, to us eternal life, as Paul said at ;

Phil3
3  ................. not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

So, in short, mans salvation does not hinge on keeping any commandment, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, and this faith in Him is what imputes the righteousness of God to all believers, just as Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (Rom 4:3)

So, the law of sin and death, that is to say, the entire Law of Moses was abolished together with the Old Covenent, and this New Covenent is not by the keeping of any law, but by the Faith of Righteousness, made available thru Gods Mercy and Grace.

Blessings,

Petro

2 Cor. 3:6 “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.  7  But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away:  8  How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?  9  For if the ministration of condemnation [be] glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.  10  For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.  11  For if that which is done away [was] glorious, much more that which remaineth [is] glorious.  12  Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:  13  And not as Moses, [which] put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:  14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ.  15  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.  16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.  17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty.  18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 3 is talking specifically about the Ten Commandments (verses 7) in comparison to the New Covenant. Paul says in verse 3 that they are ministers of the New Covenant (new testament) which is not of the letter (Ten Commandments), but of the Spirit.  The Ten Commandments are not part of the gospel, the gospel and the Ten Commandments are opposed to each other so that they cannot be mixed. The Ten Commandments brought forth death and condemnation while the gospel of the New Covenant brought fort life and a clear conscience before God.

Notice verse 7 refers to the Ten Commandments as a ministry of death, not one of life, and verse nine says the Ten Commandments were a ministry of condemnation, not one that would clear a guilty conscience. I am amazed that some people insist upon putting themselves and others under a ministry of death and condemnation. Why would anyone who is sane want to be under a covenant that could only condemn and kill them in the first place? Are they under a false delusion that a ministry of death and condemnation is able to bring them life and a clear conscience before God? No wonder the apostles, elders and brethren of Jerusalem said it was the subverters of souls that taught that Christians are to keep the law of Moses Acts 15:24).

Verse 11 clearly teaches that the Ten Commandments are done away with and that the New Covenant is what remains. The so-called law keepers cannot explain verse 11. Verse 11 says that the Ten Commandments are done away with and the so-called law keepers say it is not. Who’s lying, the so-called law keepers, or God? I will give a little hint it’s not God. Verse 13 declares that the Ten Commandments are abolished, how can a Christian be subject to something that is abolished and no longer in force? The reason some people insist that the Ten Commandments are in force today is explained in this chapter as well. It’s because they are blind by a vail upon their heart in their understanding of the Old Testament (verse 15). In other words they don’t even understand the purpose of the Old Covenant and like the unbelieving Jews they think that their righteousness is by the deeds of the law (Rom.9:30-33). This vail will only be removed when they repent by turning their hearts away from the ministry of death and condemnation to the cross of Jesus Christ where they will find life and a clear conscience before God.

Like the self righteous Pharisees of old, today’s subverters of souls think that they are serving God when they teach their false gospel of works based salvation. Like the Pharisees of old, they lead souls to hell rather than heaven.

Saint Pilgrim

In the OT,

The commandments go hand in hand with the ordinances, the commandments were given to men, that they might knowthey have sinned, for wiothout the commandments men would not know they have transgressed Gods law.

Once a man, ascertained he had sinned against God,  he could refer to the ordinances to ascertain the remedy, of the broken law, since the transgression required a blood atonement.

That no man could ever be saved by keeping the law perfectly, is clear from;

Rom 3
20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Deeds of the law, above is not refering to the ordinances, but the commandments, by the commandments is the knowledge of sin, very simple.....the ordinances were the solution to the dilema of sin, since sin demand justices, the blood of the transgressor.

You may not believe this, but unfortunately what you believe or not believe won't change this great truth.

Heb 9, makes this point clearly;

22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25  Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (Rom 8:3)

8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

It is one thing to speak having the Spirit, it is altogether different to speak about things one does not understand, because one does not possess the Spirit.

Jesus was no mere man, He was the Only Begotten Son of the
God, who created all things, by the power of His might.

Blessngs,
Petro

Verses 1 & 2, are the ones you should have emboldebned;

1  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

The very image was Gods sacrifice He provided Himself, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.

Whats your point, the Law, never could make the comers thereunto perfect.

The Commandments were the core of the Levitical system of worship, take away the commandments and you have no reason to sacrifice anything.

And that is exactly what one has in the NT.

The Law is written in the hearts and minds of Believers, this is why there is no need to offer up blood sacrifice for the remission of sin.

Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (Heb 10:18)

Because,

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more
 (Heb 10:14-17)

Of course you would say, one must keep the law, or lose the gift, the scriptures I have given make you out to be a liar...



The commandments were abolished with the Old Covenant. this is clear;

I don't know why I am giving you scripture, since you not only do not understand it, but you reject it, but I will in the hope, that one verse will clear this up for you.


2 Cor 3
 2  Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.
4  And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
7  But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

Doctrine is taught by Gods Spirit to them that are of age, and those that are, are not half baked, believing what they desire to believe only.

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: (Isa 28:9-10)

I gave you this verse before, it seems you ignored it.

Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  (1 Cor 2:13)




imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Here they are;

Gal 3
18  For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19  Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
20  Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

The entire Law of the OT, was abolished in Christ, the Law written in the hearts of believers is Gods commandments summed up in two;

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

You see, keeping the seventh day sabbath in any of these two??

You can claim what you want, and your disagreemnet isn't with me, it is with the  Holy Spirit, Apostles and Elders, since they agreed and concluded to the question whether it was necessary to keep the Law of Moses, and be circumsiced, which was settled for ever in Holy Writ at; (Acts 15:24-29)

As I stated, the ordinances without the commandments are worthless, seeing there would be no need for blood sacrifice, just as it was, before the law came, and having come 430 years later did disannul the promise made toi the seed.


I will.........

I will, pray for you, that God will enlighten you concerning these things, so that you will not be taken headlong into this great deception, and that you will not lead others down this path of doubtful disputations, about the law, from which Christians are set free.

Blesings,

Petro





Oh, and Pilgram, Christians dont label others like you have said within your last paragraph on your last post. They merely led the Word of God speak for them, but apparently, you seem to be getting ahead of yourself :) I love it when people call me a "subverter of souls", shows how much the passage of Matthew 5:11-12 is fulfilled  ;D Cheers!

What about the words of Paul in these verses?

 Romans 3:25.  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
 26.  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
 27.  Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
 28.  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
 29.  Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
 30.  Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
 31.  Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Hi ollie,

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:31 is incorrectly used by many who try to prove that we are still under the law of Moses. This cannot be because the Scripture as many post have already shown say the Mosaic law has been abolished, done away with, made obsolete, was not made for a righteous man, made void, replaced by the New Covenant, and could never draw a person close to God. Also, in Acts 15 the apostles said they never taught that one had to keep the law of Moses which would not be the case if it still was in effect. They also said it was those who subverted souls who taught that people were to keep the Mosaic law.

The law required perfect obedience 100% of the time, the slightest infraction made you guilty of all.  To become righteous by the law you had to keep it perfectly and never break even one command. The religious Jews were self deceived in thinking that they could keep the law the way God demanded. The only one who could keep the law perfectly was Jesus. The Jews thought they could be made righteous by their attempts at keeping the law which was impossible, in doing so they rejected the method that God gave whereby to make one righteous which was through Jesus. The verses below speak of this. Notice the Jews sought to establish righteousness by law keeping rather than by faith in Jesus and were condemned because of it.

Rom 9:31 “But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32  Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33  As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Rom 10:3 “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5  For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6  But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7  Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Notice the law of faith and the law of works being contrasted.

Law of works - 5 “For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.”

Law of faith - “6  But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, .... 13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”



Romans 3:20-31 in context is talking about establishing righteousness. These verse teach that righteousness could not be established by the deeds of the law but by the law of faith. By believing on the Lord Jesus Christ one becomes righteous, by trying to be righteous by the law one becomes condemned. Prefect law keeping would establish that one was righteous, the problem was that there were none righteous by the deeds of the law. The Lord Jesus is righteous and therefore was able to keep the law perfectly. What we could not do He could and did. When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ His righteousness is imputed to us through faith. This is how through the law of faith one establishes the law of righteousness. Those who sought to establish righteousness by the deeds of the law failed, those who sought to establish righteousness by faith in Jesus succeeded. Romans 3:31 in context teaches that true righteousness is through faith in Jesus Christ not by efforts at law keeping. It does not teach that Christians are to keep the law of Moses.

Pilgrim

Hi, Pilgrim,

The law of faith is not the law as given to Moses.  However Paul mentions it as a law and I presented it in answer to the topics title question. Faith Saves. The laws that donot save are those given to Moses.

We are not under the law of Moses anymore since Jesus Christ demonstrated to us His greater love. There is however still law mentioned in the New Testament and one mentioned is faith. God has always had law since the beginning, but not always the law as given to Moses.

The laws mentioned are the "law of Christ", and the "perfect law of liberty", along with "faith".

Hi ollie,

I didn’t understand at first what you were getting at, sorry. I agree with you. There always was law but it was not always the Mosaic law. From Adam to Moses God gave commands that He expected to be followed. The first law of God mankind broke was eating of the fruit He said not to. Before the Mosaic law was given only to the Israelites, God gave many commands to Noah which all mankind were expected to obey. After the cross we have a new command which is not new which is the law of Christ.

1Jo 3:22 “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

Those who obey this command will be saved, those who do not will be dammed.

God Bless,
pilgrim

The neat thing about this is that if we do this we fulfill the law.

Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

That is because Christ did not do away with the law but came to fulfill it and teach us how to.

Matt 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Why is this possible - that we can fulfill the law and those in the Old Testament could not?

Because they were trying to fulfill the letter of the law and thus merit their salvation.

Christ taught us that God desires mercy not sacrifice, as in Matt 9:13 and Matt 12:7.  Those of the Old Testament period could have understood this if they had listened as this same message was taught in Hos 6:6.

Paul taught us the same message when he pointed out that the letter kills, but the spirit brings life in 2 Cor 3:6.

None of this would be of course be possible if it had not been for Christ's sacrifice and our acceptance of it through faith.  But through God's grace it was and so we can cooperate with this grace and be converted and become righteous through obedience as you point out.

All of them.

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

But that obedience is to the spirit of the law not the letter.

2Co 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Remember we are suppose to understand now that God wants mercy not sacrifice.

Mat 9:13  But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

So we fulfill all these laws through love.

Mat 7:12  Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.


Mat 22:37-40  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.   This is the first and great commandment.   And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Gal 5:14  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Yes but recall we are not keeping the letter of the law but the spirit and our love for our fellow man and for God fulfills these laws.

That is why Christ was not breaking the Sabbath when He did good works on the Sabbath, because God want's mercy not sacrifice.  he would rather we spent our time in heart felt service to others (as a way of serving Him in them) than in going through some ritual in a mechanistic manner just to fulfill and obligation.  There is nothing wrong with formal worship but one should not feel compelled to do it if one has some loving servie to perform at that same time.

Remember Paul said -

Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

As long as you are persuaded in your own mind that what you are doing is loving and to the glory of God then what day you worship and all the other ritualistic parts of it become secondary as they are the letter and the love is the spirit of the law.

That is true as long as one realizes that it is the spirit of the law (as taught by Christ) that we can - by following His example - fulfill by Love.  Not the letter of the law that we fulfill perfectly (which the Old Testament taught us we cannot do) in some way thinking that merits us salvation.  If it were not for Christ's sacrifice the gift of salvation would not have been offered and we could not have learned this new economy of salvation in which we love others as He loved us.  That is how we fulfill the law and become righteous after first accepting the washing by His blood, that is the process of sanctification.