"And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (Ezek. 36:27, NIV).
"Whoever has my commands and obeys them he is the one who loves me" (John 14:21).
"The law is given to convince us we don't keep it."--Dr. D. James Kennedy
"No man can justify himself before God by a perfect performance of the Law's demands--indeed it is the straight-edge of the Law that shows us how crooked we are" (Romans 3:20, Phillips).
"... [T]hrough the law we become conscious of our sin" (Rom. 3:20, NIV).
"[F]or by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20, NKJV).
Real theologians can distinguish law and gospel, works and faith, law and grace like the Judaizers didn't, faith and repentance (cf. Acts 20:21; 26:20; there is no genuine repentance without saving faith: we are saved by believing repentance or penitent faith), merit and grace (like the Romanists don't, cf. Eph. 2:8-9; the Reformers taught sola gratia or grace alone), fact and feeling (the divine order should be "fact, faith, feeling"), faith and faithfulness (the same Hebrew word, ethics or practice of faith must be fruit). They know that you cannot divorce certain doctrines: faith and works, faith and faithfulness, assurance of salvation from the eternal security of the believer, or perseverance with the preservation power of God. Law lays down what man must do; gospel proclaims what Christ has done.
It is by the law that we have a consciousness and knowledge of sin--it condemns but does not exculpate--it adjudicates and brings guilt (points the finger), but no freedom of conscience. The evangelist must learn to get the person lost before getting him saved, and making him aware of his own sin, not sins (for that is the problem when people get hung up on some certain sin that offends them and doesn't realize the problem is the whole sin nature itself). The Law has a purpose: "So then the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good" (Romans 7:12, NIV; cf. 2 Tim. 3:16).
We must also realize how bad we are to be made fit for salvation, Jesus didn't come to seek nor save the righteous, we come as sinners! The sinner is enslaved to his old sin nature and has no power over it, and what is separating him from God is the fact that he doesn't believe in Christ, and for this reason he is in sin and God can have no dealings with sin in His presence. We find out how depraved we are by trying to be good on our own and end up in failure. We are not born free as free spirits, but into slavery and servitude to sin and our sin nature and must be set free by the regenerating work of the Spirit.
The spirit of the law is good and we follow that, but the letter of the law kills and we cannot obtain the standards nor become perfect, but we must obey the law better than the Pharisees, who were hypocrites. Perfection is still the standard, but the direction is the test! We are constantly being shaped into Christ's image as icons of Him on earth. The old nature knows no law, the new nature needs no law! We will do by nature what is required because we have the Spirit, for one who doesn't have the Spirit of Christ is none of His. We are not under the law, but we are not lawless, we must rebuke the so-called antinomians who think that they can presume on God's patience and goodness and live unrighteous lives with impunity--God disciplines His own and holds them accountable.
We are never to become legalists and major on the minors nor overemphasize some minor sin while ignoring major flaws in our character,. Remember, the legalist sees sins (plural), not sin (singular or the sin nature). The problem we have is our sin nature which can be changed as we are made into Christ's likeness and grow in grace. Regeneration, as God's work of grace, changes us from the inside out; we don't just sign an AA pledge or turn over a new leaf of trying to be a better person. The miracle is that God changes us and makes us new creatures in Christ.
The only way to avoid the two errors of Antinomianism and legalism is by studying the Bible and growing in Christ--being illumined by the Spirit. Two other errors are emphasizing what God can do for you like He's a genie or good-luck charm versus thinking we can do something for God independently of just surrendering to His will and being used by God for His glory--we are to enjoy God in this life as well as in glory. To obey is better than sacrifice or following the letter of the Law. We can do nothing apart from Christ's power working in us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22; Phil. 2:13).
God just wants us to know Him, for this is the essence of faith and eternal life (cf. John 17:3; John 5:24). "I desired ... the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings" (Hos. 6:6, NIV). We are to avoid both extremes: exalting law above grace, with adherence to the letter of the Law while excluding its Spirit; and moral liberty run amok or thinking our works don't count for anything.
We are not to become somewhat Jewish before or after salvation, and not to despise the Law either, for it serves its purpose. For as many as are seeking justification by the Law or who rely on it are cursed! (Cf. Gal. 3:10) The Jews had the so-called yoke or burden of the Law to submit to, but Jesus promised an easy yoke (cf. Matt. 11:29), which is knowing His will and following it, and we are privileged to know because all believers are priests and we don't need the Urim and Thummim to enlighten us for we have the Spirit as our Counselor! "Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother" (Mark 3:35, NIV).
Christ didn't give us the Law to keep, but to break, it was never meant to be the way of salvation but to show us our need for it. We don't break God's law when we sin--it breaks us--we break God's heart! In the final analysis, we realize that other religions say, "Do!" and Christianity says, "Done!" There is no limit to God's grace, for "where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (cf. Rom. 5:20). As John Bunyan pertinently wrote: Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. No one is too sinful to be saved and shouldn't be written off as untouchable by grace! We are bad, but not too bad to be saved. The law is good if used righteously and is not sin, though it foments what it prohibits or forbids, instilling in us all the more desire to disobey, but sin could not be reckoned without the law and not fulfilled in Christ either, who lived for us as well as died for us. In sharing the gospel or witnessing, we must be sure to present the bad news of their sin along with the good news of salvation through faith in Christ all by grace alone!
The Christian actually lives under a higher standard than the Law of Moses, the law of love, and realizes that love is the fulfillment of the Law, for the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (i.e., all that we have!), and likewise the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus added another commandment to love one another even as He loved us! He who loves has fulfilled the Law (cf. Eph. 2:15). Christ by no means abolished or abrogated the Law of Moses, but kept them perfect for us, and the law we are obliged to be the mere law of love. Caveat: Rome adds works to faith, merit to grace, the authority of the tradition to Scripture, and the church to Christ's glory and power. It is indeed our privilege to know His will and with this comes responsibility as the flipside (cf. Acts 22:14). Soli Deo Gloria!
"Whoever has my commands and obeys them he is the one who loves me" (John 14:21).
"The law is given to convince us we don't keep it."--Dr. D. James Kennedy
"No man can justify himself before God by a perfect performance of the Law's demands--indeed it is the straight-edge of the Law that shows us how crooked we are" (Romans 3:20, Phillips).
"... [T]hrough the law we become conscious of our sin" (Rom. 3:20, NIV).
"[F]or by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20, NKJV).
Real theologians can distinguish law and gospel, works and faith, law and grace like the Judaizers didn't, faith and repentance (cf. Acts 20:21; 26:20; there is no genuine repentance without saving faith: we are saved by believing repentance or penitent faith), merit and grace (like the Romanists don't, cf. Eph. 2:8-9; the Reformers taught sola gratia or grace alone), fact and feeling (the divine order should be "fact, faith, feeling"), faith and faithfulness (the same Hebrew word, ethics or practice of faith must be fruit). They know that you cannot divorce certain doctrines: faith and works, faith and faithfulness, assurance of salvation from the eternal security of the believer, or perseverance with the preservation power of God. Law lays down what man must do; gospel proclaims what Christ has done.
It is by the law that we have a consciousness and knowledge of sin--it condemns but does not exculpate--it adjudicates and brings guilt (points the finger), but no freedom of conscience. The evangelist must learn to get the person lost before getting him saved, and making him aware of his own sin, not sins (for that is the problem when people get hung up on some certain sin that offends them and doesn't realize the problem is the whole sin nature itself). The Law has a purpose: "So then the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good" (Romans 7:12, NIV; cf. 2 Tim. 3:16).
We must also realize how bad we are to be made fit for salvation, Jesus didn't come to seek nor save the righteous, we come as sinners! The sinner is enslaved to his old sin nature and has no power over it, and what is separating him from God is the fact that he doesn't believe in Christ, and for this reason he is in sin and God can have no dealings with sin in His presence. We find out how depraved we are by trying to be good on our own and end up in failure. We are not born free as free spirits, but into slavery and servitude to sin and our sin nature and must be set free by the regenerating work of the Spirit.
We must distinguish law and gospel ("For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came [were realized] through Jesus Christ," John 1:17, NIV), but not separate them unduly, we must never divide asunder what God has joined together (cf. Mark 10:9; Matt. 19:6). In similar fashion, you can have no assurance of salvation without joining it to the security of that salvation (if one can lose it, how can he be assured?), and you cannot divide faith and faithfulness, nor faith and works, for we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone--that kind of faith doesn't save. Saving faith is not achieved, it's received; it's not conjured up but a gift (cf. 2 Pet. 1:1; Acts 18:27)!
Likewise, the abundant life isn't something we achieve or merit, but receive as a gift with our salvation and it begins instantly. Grace is antithetical to merit, for salvation is by grace alone and we have no merit to boast of in God's presence--we cannot earn it, don't deserve it, and cannot pay it back, but are forever indebted to God. Whenever the Bible tells you to repent or commands you to act, it is law, and whenever it tells you what God does on your behalf and to save you, it's gospel. Obeying the Law out of gratitude, not necessity nor obligation, is law, but having faith that we will be rewarded by God is gospel. The Christian doesn't "have to" but "wants to" do good deeds, for you can never reduce the faith to do's and don'ts or a to-do list.
We speak of what we do for God, but actually, we do nothing for God, He just uses us as His vessels of honor and we are honored and privileged to be in His service for glorifying Him. Paul did not venture to speak of anything but what Christ did through him (cf. Rom. 15:18). All that we have done, He has accomplished through us (cf. Isa. 26:12; Amos 6:13; Hos. 14:8). God isn't looking for our achievements, but our obedience and faith, for faith alone pleases Him and is demonstrated through obedience alone (cf. Heb. 3:18-19). We don't impress God with our good works because no one can boast in His presence.
Some churches emphasize what God can do for them as if they are cashing in on God and getting something in return for worshiping Him; but we must see ourselves as His servants who are willing to do His will and obey Him in faithfulness--the Christian life costs, in this sense, but our reward is meant to be in glory; we are not meant to always have our portion, reward or comfort in this life like the wicked do
"Law and gospel go together hand in hand and complement each other and can not be divorced, but must be distinguished--not separated; we are not under the law but under grace and the day we are set free from the law is one of heaven on earth! Christ is the end of the law for them that believe (cf. Rom. 10:4; Eph. 2:15). We are not under some performance standard as if we have to measure up or we will fail God, we have a relationship with HIm and learn to depend on Him and walk in the Spirit by faith. That's why we can not compare ourselves with each other (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12), for only God knows where the goal is for us and our measure of so-called success. God doesn't call us to success, though, but to faithfulness (cf. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1979 and now canonized).
Likewise, the abundant life isn't something we achieve or merit, but receive as a gift with our salvation and it begins instantly. Grace is antithetical to merit, for salvation is by grace alone and we have no merit to boast of in God's presence--we cannot earn it, don't deserve it, and cannot pay it back, but are forever indebted to God. Whenever the Bible tells you to repent or commands you to act, it is law, and whenever it tells you what God does on your behalf and to save you, it's gospel. Obeying the Law out of gratitude, not necessity nor obligation, is law, but having faith that we will be rewarded by God is gospel. The Christian doesn't "have to" but "wants to" do good deeds, for you can never reduce the faith to do's and don'ts or a to-do list.
We speak of what we do for God, but actually, we do nothing for God, He just uses us as His vessels of honor and we are honored and privileged to be in His service for glorifying Him. Paul did not venture to speak of anything but what Christ did through him (cf. Rom. 15:18). All that we have done, He has accomplished through us (cf. Isa. 26:12; Amos 6:13; Hos. 14:8). God isn't looking for our achievements, but our obedience and faith, for faith alone pleases Him and is demonstrated through obedience alone (cf. Heb. 3:18-19). We don't impress God with our good works because no one can boast in His presence.
Some churches emphasize what God can do for them as if they are cashing in on God and getting something in return for worshiping Him; but we must see ourselves as His servants who are willing to do His will and obey Him in faithfulness--the Christian life costs, in this sense, but our reward is meant to be in glory; we are not meant to always have our portion, reward or comfort in this life like the wicked do
"Law and gospel go together hand in hand and complement each other and can not be divorced, but must be distinguished--not separated; we are not under the law but under grace and the day we are set free from the law is one of heaven on earth! Christ is the end of the law for them that believe (cf. Rom. 10:4; Eph. 2:15). We are not under some performance standard as if we have to measure up or we will fail God, we have a relationship with HIm and learn to depend on Him and walk in the Spirit by faith. That's why we can not compare ourselves with each other (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12), for only God knows where the goal is for us and our measure of so-called success. God doesn't call us to success, though, but to faithfulness (cf. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1979 and now canonized).
The spirit of the law is good and we follow that, but the letter of the law kills and we cannot obtain the standards nor become perfect, but we must obey the law better than the Pharisees, who were hypocrites. Perfection is still the standard, but the direction is the test! We are constantly being shaped into Christ's image as icons of Him on earth. The old nature knows no law, the new nature needs no law! We will do by nature what is required because we have the Spirit, for one who doesn't have the Spirit of Christ is none of His. We are not under the law, but we are not lawless, we must rebuke the so-called antinomians who think that they can presume on God's patience and goodness and live unrighteous lives with impunity--God disciplines His own and holds them accountable.
We are never to become legalists and major on the minors nor overemphasize some minor sin while ignoring major flaws in our character,. Remember, the legalist sees sins (plural), not sin (singular or the sin nature). The problem we have is our sin nature which can be changed as we are made into Christ's likeness and grow in grace. Regeneration, as God's work of grace, changes us from the inside out; we don't just sign an AA pledge or turn over a new leaf of trying to be a better person. The miracle is that God changes us and makes us new creatures in Christ.
The only way to avoid the two errors of Antinomianism and legalism is by studying the Bible and growing in Christ--being illumined by the Spirit. Two other errors are emphasizing what God can do for you like He's a genie or good-luck charm versus thinking we can do something for God independently of just surrendering to His will and being used by God for His glory--we are to enjoy God in this life as well as in glory. To obey is better than sacrifice or following the letter of the Law. We can do nothing apart from Christ's power working in us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22; Phil. 2:13).
God just wants us to know Him, for this is the essence of faith and eternal life (cf. John 17:3; John 5:24). "I desired ... the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings" (Hos. 6:6, NIV). We are to avoid both extremes: exalting law above grace, with adherence to the letter of the Law while excluding its Spirit; and moral liberty run amok or thinking our works don't count for anything.
We are not to become somewhat Jewish before or after salvation, and not to despise the Law either, for it serves its purpose. For as many as are seeking justification by the Law or who rely on it are cursed! (Cf. Gal. 3:10) The Jews had the so-called yoke or burden of the Law to submit to, but Jesus promised an easy yoke (cf. Matt. 11:29), which is knowing His will and following it, and we are privileged to know because all believers are priests and we don't need the Urim and Thummim to enlighten us for we have the Spirit as our Counselor! "Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother" (Mark 3:35, NIV).
Christ didn't give us the Law to keep, but to break, it was never meant to be the way of salvation but to show us our need for it. We don't break God's law when we sin--it breaks us--we break God's heart! In the final analysis, we realize that other religions say, "Do!" and Christianity says, "Done!" There is no limit to God's grace, for "where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more" (cf. Rom. 5:20). As John Bunyan pertinently wrote: Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. No one is too sinful to be saved and shouldn't be written off as untouchable by grace! We are bad, but not too bad to be saved. The law is good if used righteously and is not sin, though it foments what it prohibits or forbids, instilling in us all the more desire to disobey, but sin could not be reckoned without the law and not fulfilled in Christ either, who lived for us as well as died for us. In sharing the gospel or witnessing, we must be sure to present the bad news of their sin along with the good news of salvation through faith in Christ all by grace alone!
The Christian actually lives under a higher standard than the Law of Moses, the law of love, and realizes that love is the fulfillment of the Law, for the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (i.e., all that we have!), and likewise the second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus added another commandment to love one another even as He loved us! He who loves has fulfilled the Law (cf. Eph. 2:15). Christ by no means abolished or abrogated the Law of Moses, but kept them perfect for us, and the law we are obliged to be the mere law of love. Caveat: Rome adds works to faith, merit to grace, the authority of the tradition to Scripture, and the church to Christ's glory and power. It is indeed our privilege to know His will and with this comes responsibility as the flipside (cf. Acts 22:14). Soli Deo Gloria!