Archive for the ‘Law’ Category
One Verse That Can Show The Difference Between Being Under The Law And Under Grace,.
Pro 3:5 – 6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and He will direct your paths.
These verses, taken from the Old Testament, can easily show the difference between the Jews living under the Law and the Christians living under Grace.
The Law was a works based system of willing obedience to the Law and all of the promises, blessings and curses that it entailed. Needless to say it was a failure.
In the above scripture, having God direct your life, stated in the last clause, was based on all that was commanded to do by the Hebrews in the beginning. It was a work based command of obedience. In other words, if man did what was commanded of him then God would direct his life. Here man works and God responds with blessings or curses. Because of sin in man, he could not always do what God commanded of him. He failed.”’
What if these scriptures were written in the New Testament to the Christians under Grace. Now living under Grace is a faith based system dependent on God’s will, the person and works of Jesus in His perfect obedience to the Father and the application by the Holy Spirit the results of what Jesus accomplished to the saved; everything Israel could not do on their own.
This might be one way it could be written.
“I trust in the Lord with all my heart and I do not look to my own understanding and in all my ways I acknowledge God, for He directs all my ways as He wills and has blessed me greatly.”
Here God works His will in man and man responds accordingly. Just the opposite of man under Law.
Under the Law, based on the will of man to be obedient, man always fails. Under Grace, based on the will of God, God never fails. In the “faith based” system of being under Grace God works in man both to will and to do of His good pleasure. So what God has willed for man to do man obeys willingly.
How about you. Is your life a works based system trusting in your will of obedience (grudgingly or not) to the Law or a faith based system of being under Grace trusting in the will of God in what He is doing in your life?
One scripture with a view of it under the Law and one view of the same scripture under Grace. Which one describes you?
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Children Of The Promise: Are You One?
Romans 9:8 KJV
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 as the seed.
The first thing we must understand is this, who are the children of the flesh.
In Romans chapter 9 Paul brags about his kinsmen, his fellow Israelites, then makes a remarkable comment. Read this;
Romans 9:2-7 KJV
That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. [3] For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: [4] Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; [5] Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. [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.
They are not all Israel which are of Israel. Nor because they are of the seed of Abraham. In other words, the Jewish people, according to Paul in his writings, are not the children of God. Why is that?
Read this:
Romans 9:31-32 KJV
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;
You see, Judaism, under the Law, is a works based system dependent on man’s willingness to be obedient to the Law. Israel failed and, well, read this for yourself:
Hebrews 8:7-9 KJV
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. [8] For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: [9] Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
However, God does promise that even though the number of Jews be many, not all will be lost. Read this:
Romans 9:22-27 KJV
What if God, willing to shew 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:
To truly understand these verses you need to read all of Romans 9 for yourself.
Now we know why in verse “8” above why God said that the Israelites, children of the flesh are not the children of God. The children of promise are God’s children. So who are the children of the promise?
To find out read these three verses.
Romans 9:6-8 KJV
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.
Why Issac? Remember, God promised a son to Abraham and Issac was the fulfillment of that promise.
From Galatians we read this:
Galatians 4:21-23,28 KJV
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. [28] Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Paul was speaking to his brethren, disciples of Jesus, and said, “We”, brethren, are the children of the promise. They that have been born-again by the Grace of God are the children of the promise. That is you, I and everyone else, Jew and Gentile, born-again are God’s children of promise.
So, are you a child of promise? I pray that you are, living by the faith of Jesus and not by the works of the Law. For only the justified, made righteous by the works of Jesus on our behalf having done for us what we could never do – live in obedience to the Law – imputing His righteousness to the children of promise. Even us, disciples of Jesus.
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The True Freedom Given To All Christians
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1
Freedom that you cannot earn and can never be taken away, on account of the person and work of someone else, is a Freedom only Christians can experience. The question is, “Have you truly been set free?”
So, first we need to know from what have we been set free, and how did it happen? Quite simply, it took a sacrifice on the part of Jesus to accomplish this feat. We have been set free from the curse of having to be obedient to the law because of what Christ has done for us.
Romans 8:1-4 KJV
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. [3] 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: [4] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
In other-words, as it is in the following scripture:
Deuteronomy 8:2 KJV
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
And what happened? We see the answer in Hebrews:
Hebrews 8:9 KJV
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
Israel showed that no one could obey the law perfectly and that someone needed to do for them what they could not do for themselves; they needed a Savior.
In short the law became a curse to us because we cannot fully be obedient to the law on account of our sinfulness, so Jesus came and fulled the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf.
As we read in Galatians:
Galatians 3: 10-13 KJV
[10] For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. [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. [12] And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. [13] Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
That is why we need to…
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1
Now that is what true freedom is to all Christians. How about you, have you been set free from the curse of trying to be obedient to the law? Prayerfully, instead you are living the life of faith in Jesus for being obedient for you!,
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Dear Christian Do You Not Hear The Cry From Many As A Result Of Your Wish?
Sometimes God grants our wish for something because it pleases Him to see our joy. Then there are times when God grants our wish that makes us think it would have been better had God said, “No”.
In the Old Testament there came a time when Samuel the prophet became old and the Elders of Israel came to him. They said he was growing old and they wanted a King to rule over them. God heard them and He told Samuel to tell Israel they shall have their King. Also tell them what will happen to them because of their request to have a king instead of trusting in God. For they have rejected Me.
1 Samuel 8: [10] And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king. [11] And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. [12] And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. [13] And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. [14] And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. [15] And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. [16] And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. [17] He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. [18] And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen for yourselves; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
Their response?… [19] Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
And the Israelites, because of their choices, suffered greatly, just as told them by Samuel what God said would happen.
Today, a number of Christian’s are following the same path. They have chosen a man from whom they believe they can have their way in getting what they want. Instead of looking to God. Yet they know not what the consequences might be because of the choices they have made.
God says to them from Romans 1:16-22,28 KJV
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. [17] For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. [18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; [19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. [20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: [21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. [22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, [28] And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which ought not to be done;
Yes, God does raise up Kings (leaders), but when Christians want a man to rule over them, instead of trusting in God and bowing before His will, like Israel, will we also suffer the consequences of their choices, will the innocent also suffer because of their disobedience in rejecting God?
It is sad how one singular vote could contribute to bringing such pain, worry and heartache to millions of people around the world, let alone the U. S. I fear for us because of their disobedience in the choices they have made. For all choices have consequences.
Does anyone feel regret? God help us all.
What Is The Rest Given By Jesus?
Matthew 11:28 KJV… Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Right away the first thing that would come to mind is physical rest. Everyday people come home physically or mentally tired needing to rest from the days work. However, this is not the kind of rest that Jesus is offering.
In the verse that follows the main verse, above, states exactly the kind of rest about which Jesus is talking. Here is that verse:
Matthew 11:29 KJV… 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.
Rest for our souls, spiritual rest, but from what? You must remember to whom Jesus is talking. These are the Israelites who have been living under the Law which is a works obedience based religion. These are people who are trusting in their own righteousness to make themselves deserving of entering Heaven upon their death.
Under the Law with the various rules, regulations, and blessing and curse promises, the Jews worked daily at their obedience hoping their righteousness was good enough to get them to heaven. However, they continued to fail to be obedient to the Law and to God, and they would become quit weary in their daily life of working to be obedient. They just could not do it and would feel the burdens of their failure.
Jesus knew this and came to offer a rest that would take this heavy yoke of a burden from off of them and offered a better path to Heaven; through Him.
The call Jesus gave was to come to Him and trust in Him for their salvation even though they knew not what He would do. How could this Jesus have a way designed to provide rest for their soul?
It was not until after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus that the “rest” that Jesus offered would come to life. Just stop working at being obedient to the Law and rest in Jesus. That was it. Just like we read in Hebrews.
Hebrews 4:10 KJV… For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Even today, everyone who is not a disciple of Jesus still live under the yoke of the Law, still trying to achieve your own righteousness, and you, too, will fail. The offer of “rest” that Jesus made to the Jews, He offers to you as well. Here is how you can enter into the “rest” offered by Jesus.
Stop trusting in your own righteousness and rest in the knowledge that Jesus has done for you what you cannot do for yourself. By coming to Jesus and proclaiming Him to be Lord and by faith trust in Him for your salvation you will enter into the “rest” that is offered by Jesus. Taking off the burden of obedience to the Law and trusting in Jesus for having done for you what you cannot do for yourself will give you the “rest” you so greatly need for your soul.
You no longer need to be obedient to the Law for salvation or even to keep your salvation. For your salvation from being born-again to keeping your salvation, and never loosing it, was all done by the will of God based on all that Jesus has done for you who are saved.
How about you. Do you want to continue being under the Law with the yoke of trying to be obedient to the Law, trying to gain your own righteousness and failing, or would you rather enter into the “rest” that Jesus gives and be covered in the robe of His righteousness?
Resting in Jesus is easy. Let go of your own works of righteousness and confess that Jesus is Lord, trusting in His righteousness, and by faith believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and you will be given the rest that was promised by Jesus.
Coming to Jesus will give you wonderful comforting “rest”for your soul. Is not that what you really want anyway?
This Is The Work Of God
John 6:28-29 KJV Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Can man do this work of God? For hundreds of years the Hebrews had to try to do works of righteousness in order to prove they could obey the Law, receive Promises from God or be blessed by God, so it was quite easy for them to ask this question. They just needed to know what “they” could do.
For they said, “What shall WE do … that WE might work the works of God”?
Works of righteousness is all they were ever taught. Even after they failed at this, they still believed they could do it themselves. However, Jesus threw them a curve which they did not understand.
“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” However, they still did not understand, “John 6: 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign will you show then, that WE may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?”
Even though Jesus had said it was God’s work for them to believe they still wanted to believe on their own, so they could do God’s work In doing a work of righteousness themselves.
Throughout the New Testament God has said the following:
Ephesians 2:8, 9 KJV
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
2 Timothy 1:9 KJV
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Titus 3:5 KJV
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Even today many who call themselves a Christian believe people can still do the work of God in believing on Jesus and be saved by a work of righteousness on their part, by believing, as they do their bit in saving themselves and staying saved on their own will.
Mankind just cannot give up their “Right” to save themselves. They still want to do it, even though Jesus says, “This is the work of God.”
In the Old Testament, being under the Law, mankind was in a works based system where man did a work and God responded accordingly. However, in the New Testament, being under God’s Grace, mankind is in a faith based system where God works in man and man responds accordingly.
Our faith, given to us is a gift when we are saved by Grace (Eph. 2:8, 9), is in Christ Jesus for having done for us what we cannot do for ourselves. It is by the faith of Jesus that we are justified.
Galatians 2:16 KJV Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Mankind cannot take any credit for being saved. Salvation is all of God, and believing in Jesus is the result of God working His will in us through regeneration so that we can, and will, believe on Him in whom God has sent.
For by Grace are you saved … not of works.
Who has saved us, and called us, not according to our works.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.
Another Example of Wrongfully Interpreting A Single Verse of Scripture Out of Its Context
Philippians 2: 12 – Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Here is a prime example of how a text, taken out of context, can be interpreted to seemingly mean one thing when it proves to be something entirely different when read contextually.
For instance, most of the time this verse is used like this, “now that you accepted Jesus and are saved you must do what needs to be done in order to remained saved.” “You must work out your salvation of your own will.”
A number of Christian religions, who lean heavily on Old Testament scriptural Law, tend to teach that once one is saved by accepting Jesus as Savior need to be obedient to the Law of the Old Testament or they could loose their salvation.
You must work at being obedient to God’s Law, being careful to observe Church teachings, and obeying all that needs to be done to insure you will keep your salvation from failing. Something that the Jews nor Gentiles ever could accomplish, nor ever will. Each day can start with fear of doing something that will cause you to loose your salvation and trembling even at the hint of sinning a sin for which one could not be forgiven.
How can one ever have confidence in their faith, with this kind of teaching, and be at peace with God?
However, the fear and trembling that is mentioned in this verse is a good thing because of what is said in the next verse that is following. Here is where reading this singular verse in its context will show a different and a more pleasing, God honoring, meaning. See if you can notice the reason for the fear and trembling when this verse is read in its context.
Philippians 2:9-15 KJV – Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Did you notice verse thirteen? When one, by God’s Grace, is born again by the will of God, and not by the will of man, he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit who begins to work God’s will in him for the works God created for him (Ephesians 2: 9, 10). You will start to see yourself in a different light, with a change of thought and language and in how you will start to treat other people in a more friendly and helpful manor, and more.
These changes, at first, will seem strange and maybe even scary, not knowing what is happening to you and who or what is causing this change. Verse thirteen explains quite plainly what is happening and why. For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Some of these changes may seem wrong and upsetting at first as it may be something you do not want. That is why in verse fourteen we are told to do these things without murmurings and disputings. You may not enjoy some of these changes, but overtime they will become second nature to you.
This will happen because of God working His will in you that you wonderfully begin to see the changes that are taking place in your life, and that can be a scary thing at first. Eventually you will start to expect seeing how God is working His will in your life for your good and God’s glory.
God is at work in you in keeping you saved so that you do not have to fear loosing your salvation. It is God’s job in keeping you saved by His grace and not of your will. For no one is justified before God by man’s will, only by the faith of Jesus is anyone justified.
Again you can see how reading a scripture verse alone can be taken to mean one thing but when it is read in its context the full meaning comes to life. Never take for granted what someone says is what a single verse means until you read it in its full context.
Would not what God says be more meaningful than what man or a religion says?
For Whom Was The Law Made?
1Ti_1:9 (KJV) Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane…..
Nothing could be clearer than this one scripture verse that the Law, better known as the Ten Commandments, is for anyone who are not Christians.
Christians are no longer under the Law, but under Grace (Romans 6: 14), set free from the Law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and that Christ has redeemed them from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13).
So, if Christians are no longer required to be obedient to the Law, then what is the purpose of the Law for the those described in the above scripture of 1 Timothy 1:9? In Galatians 3:24 we read, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
The Law is not for they who belong to Christ but for everyone else who are not Christians. Either they will be taught by the Law to repent of their sins and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus or it will be their judge to show them guilty of their disobedience to God and be thrown into the Lake of fire on judgement day.
As for Christians, they no longer are required to be obedient to the Law but neither does it give them free rein to sin all they want. It is God who works in each and everyone who are His children and He disciplines them as needed.
In doing so Christians will come to have a desire to be obedient to God in the framework of “love God and love your neighbor”. Anyone who calls himself or herself a Christian and is not bothered by doing sinful acts shows them not to be true Christians in the first place.
In short, the answer to the question of “For Whom Was The Law Made?” is very simple. If you are not a Christian, a true born-again disciple of Jesus, then it was made for you.
Will you not, by the grace of God, repent of your sins and bow before Jesus to confess Him to be Lord and believe that God has raised Him from the dead and be saved from facing the wrath of God because of your own sinfulness. I guarantee that you will not enjoy the alternative.
Why Christians Live By Faith
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.
There is nothing we have done to be found worthy of salvation or anything in which we can have faith to be declared righteous before God.
When we first believed in Jesus as Lord it was due to the fact that we were first born-again, not because we were born into a Christian family, nor because we had done good works, nor because of our own will, but by the will and Grace of God. It is at this point that the righteousness of Christ was imputed to us (covering us) so that when God would look at us He would see Jesus and not our unrighteousness. As we read in Romans 3:22…
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.
Being justified, that is made righteous, is not because of any works of our own but by the righteousness of Christ. As we see in Galatians 2:16…
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
We have no righteous works of our own upon which we can have faith for salvation and be found worthy of going to Heaven. It is by faith that we believe in Jesus that He has done for us what we could not do for ourselves, and that is to become righteous before God.
We can never be justified, or be found righteous, by our works for no one is justified before God by works of the Law. Jesus came and fulfilled the Law’s requirements for becoming righteous, and it is by the faith of Jesus, not ours, that we stand righteous before God.
Christ died for sins. His perfect obedience to the Father made Jesus the only righteous person who ever lived. His righteousness is given to all who believe in Him and proclaim Him Lord so that when God looks at us He sees, not our unrighteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus.
It is for us to do nothing more than to trust in the works of Jesus the Son of God who loves us and gave His life for us, that Christians, who are made righteous by the death of Jesus, might live by faith and faith alone.
Riff's Christian Journal 