 | Blogs > Noah235 > PLOUGHMAN'S LUNCH > LAW & SIN: The Final Word...Possibly! |
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The discussions on these blogs concerning (a) whether we are bound to the Law or not (b) whether we are free to sin or not, are frankly starting to concern me. People seem to look at a blog entry that I or someone else has posted, and immediately draw conclusions about what I believe that are simply not true and not at all detectable in what has been written. So, to make it clear where I stand, here is MY final word (possibly!) on both issues: LAW The Law is a simple statement of what is right and what is wrong. "You shall not steal", for example, makes the point that stealing is a sin. So it was wrong to steal in Old Testament times and it is wrong to steal now. I don't think anybody would argue that point. The point at issue seems to be: Do we have to observe the law in order to be saved? The answer to this question is emphatically: NO, NO, A THOUSAND TIMES NO!!!!!!!!! Consider the following: 1. Breaking just ONE part of the law means we have broken ALL of it (James 2 v 10) 2. Entertaining thoughts of breaking the law is as bad as actually breaking it (Matthew 5 v 22, 28. ) 3. There is nobody (apart from Jesus - see Hebrews 4 v 15) who has fully observed the law and is therefore without sin (Romans 3 v 23) 4. Even if we could fully observe the law it wouldn't make us right with God (Romans 3 v 20, Galatians 3 v 11, Hebrews 10 v 1) 5. The purpose of the law was to make us aware of our sin and thus lead us to Christ (Romans 3 v 20, 7 v 7, Galatians 3 v 24) Now here are some scriptures that emphatically make the point that we are NO LONGER UNDER THE LAW: Romans 6 v 14: "You are not under law, but under grace" Galatians 3 v 25: "Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law" Ephesians 2 v 15: "[Christ abolished] in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations" Galatians 5 v 18: "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law" Now let's look at what is REALLY going on here in these discussions. Acts 15 v 1 tells us: "Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: 'Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved'. This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them". (Sound familiar?) Paul's response to the Galatians who were obviously taking notice of these people was simply to say this: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5 v 1). Those who try to tell us that we need to be circumcised in order to be saved, or observe the Sabbath, or tithe, or whatever, are trying to burden us with a yoke of slavery that Christ has delivered us from. Like Paul, therefore, we should be determined to stand firm and not let that yoke fall upon us. Jesus said "My yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11 v 29) They are also trying to bring fear upon us in the sense that we should fear being thrown into the fires of hell should we fail to observe whatever it is we are being told to observe. Well "Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4 v 18. ) To those who would accuse me of deluding myself, or say that I am guilty of "easyism", I would respond that of course we need to balance the above message with, for example: Galatians 5 v 13: "Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature" Romans 6 v 1: "Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase? BY NO MEANS!" And Jesus told the woman caught in adultery "Neither do I condemn you" but he also said "Go now and leave your life of sin". OK, I've said enough for now. A second post on "SIN" will follow shortly! "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" 2 Timothy 2 v 15 |
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5/28/2008 4:54 am |
Good thoughts, Noah! I will look forward to the next installment! Thanks for this!
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5/28/2008 5:59 am |
and YES James says if you break one you are breaking them all. WHY on earth people would form the conclusion though from that that he is saying, SO GO ON AHEAD, BREAK THEM ALL, BECAUSE IT DOESNT MATTER!" is beyond me! What he is actually saying is dont break ANY of them! Jn:14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments. --Jesus.
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 5/28/2008 6:01 am |
Hi Peter,  Great post! You make the point so well! Even though we are free, by the blood of the Lamb, the commandments are still the laws God implemented to be instruction of how we are to live our lives. I believe and try to live by the 10 Commandments, they're God's standard. Thank you for separating legalism from the reality of God's Word. God bless you!  NOTHING that happens, happens for NOTHING What Does Jesus Want For Christmas? We've Set The Date And You're All Invited! We Need Some "Blogger's Etiquette" Around Here!!! Does God REALLY Promise Not To Allow More Than We Can Bear? New Members at BigChurch, WATCH OUT!!!
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5/28/2008 6:27 am |
here is a condensed version of what its saying in James 2 first sentence verse 1 says it all really.. "1: My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons." DO NOT have phony empty "Faith"... If some rich man comes into your church and also a poor man and you give the rich man preferential treatment then you are in effect breaking the commandment "Love thy neighbor" and God chose the poor who are rich in faith toward God to inherit heaven, so STOP being worldly minded and love EVERYONE! Otherwise you are demonstrating that you do NOT love your brother and you are BLASPHEMING that holy name by which you are called! BUT if you FULFILL the Royal Law then YOU DO WELL. If you go around having more respect for a rich person than a person who is poor you are BREAKING the commandments. You are committing SIN and convicted, yes CONVICTED by the Law as a transgressor! DO NOT go claiming as if you keep God's law but turn around and treat someone at church with more respect than another because if you break one of the ten commandments this way you may as well have broken them ALL! Love thy neighbor! AFTER ALL, what does it profit, what GOOD does it do for a Christian, namely YOU to go around claiming you have FAITH yet dont prove that you have faith by your lousy actions toward your neighbor in this way??? If you claim you have faith in God, claim you "believe" yet dont keep the Law of God, dont love your neighbor in this way by showing preferential treatment to one person over another, then WHAT GOOD IS YOUR PROFESSION OF BEING A CHRISTIAN??? It is worthless! because Faith without works is USELESS, DEAD, WORTHLESS! Can that phony type of so-called "Faith" save you? The devils "believe" there is a God... but true genuine Christian Faith is much more than that, I will SHOW YOU my Faith by my WORKS! I wont go around transgressing parts of the law and then claiming to be a Christian and to love my neighbor! ----------------- Peter, THATS what its saying here! I hate being so emphatic but so many Christians misinterpret this passage! Now please go back, re-read and see if this isnt what is being said here? and I GUARANTEE YOU that if God is telling you to KEEP the law here in this passage, then he isnt going to tell you something DIFFERENT in any of the others! People just misinterpret things! Jn:14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments. --Jesus.
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5/28/2008 6:41 am |
Hi Peter, You might want to read the following linked post, 'cause there are a lot that misinterpret this, even if they seem to agree with what you're saying! In addition they spread a false Gospel causing any weak and easy prey to get hindered/blocked in his/her fully walk with the Lord! Being "fully" in Christ would ultimately result in fulfilling the law, since the Holy Spirit will regenerate the "old/natural man" with the "new spiritual man". The continuous/progressing walking and growing in the Spirit would ideally result in "complete submission to Him" and indeed produce a "saint"! And a saint cannot sin (read: is not able to), because the power of Jesus has conquered the "roots" of Sin. (And sin has NO right there where the Holy Spirit is!) 2 Thim. 3:1: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come... 2, 3, 4, ... v5: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. Just some thoughts!!  Here's the post: --> Hebrews 8:13... TAKEN UP AGAIN ??? ___________________ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. ( John 3:6 ) 
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5/28/2008 8:13 am |
Thanks for your comment BB. I agree that being "fully" in Christ would ultimately result in fulfilling the law, but as you say that is a continuous process and we won't get there until heaven or the second coming. In the meantime we CAN still sin because the old man is still there! (More on that on my next blog) To me it is a question of focus. If we are focusing on a list of do's and don't's then we will inevitably come under a 'yoke of slavery' from the sheer volume of laws, and are likely to feel fear at the thought we might break one (unwittingly even) and get into trouble for it. However, since the law has been written on our hearts as Christians, instead we simply need to respond to the inner voice of the Spirit to make sure we do right, and this is a 'light yoke' and one where fear has been removed because we are focused on loving God, our neighbour etc. It's like driving a car. If we are good drivers then we will find ourselves driving correctly and safely without having to refer to road signs. Although we still have to obey them, they are in a sense unnecessary because we know how to drive properly. Similarly, a Christian who is being led by the Spirit will do right without any need to refer to the written laws which are 'unnecessary' to us in the same sense. Your quotation from Timothy: "godliness..denying the power". I think the sort of legalism I am speaking against is EXACTLY what Paul was referring to, don't you? Peter "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" 2 Timothy 2 v 15
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5/28/2008 9:10 am |
i like all this well done everybody cynthia is heading in the same direction she just uses different terminology most of the time as long as We LOVE God with all our heart...obedience to HIM will result in a RESPECT for,,,yet not a bondage to,,,the LAW we arent under the LAw,,,were not above it either (ie we arent a law unto ourselves,,,that is the seat of pride) its all heading in the same direction here i feel
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5/28/2008 4:35 pm |
Succinct coverage of an issued that goes round and round in the Christian world!  But as always what we write/say and what is 'heard' can be quite different no matter how clearly and concisely it is stated.
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5/29/2008 7:13 pm |
I had to block Claudia from my blog, for her profane language. Yet she continues to try to convince us, of the importance of keeping the law. She is a prime example; of why those who want to instruct others, on how to keep the law, fall far short themselves. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 1 Cor. 2: 7
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5/30/2008 3:29 pm |
I had to block Claudia from my blog, for her profane language. Yet she continues to try to convince us, of the importance of keeping the law. She is a prime example; of why those who want to instruct others, on how to keep the law, fall far short themselves. Blessings Peter "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" 2 Timothy 2 v 15
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