Featured Articles

[Featured][twocolumns]

The Law



Faith and worksLaw and grace.  This is the age-old battle between God and man-made religion that started not when Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, but long, long before—in the Garden of Eden, in the beginning, in fact.  This is a mega-post (so grab some coffee!), but please stick through to the end, because there is a blessing herein that the receptive heart will receive.  And please share with anyone you know, religious or otherwise, who is far from God.

Was there law in Eden?  No, there was grace, but there was a caveat, a single warning: "Do not eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for in the day you eat of it, you will die."  The Garden, initially, was a place of grace where man and God had an intimate, trusting relationship like that between best friends or a father and his son.  It was familial and not based on do's and don'ts, because in an intimate, trusting relationship of love, there is simply no need for do's and don'ts.

People who love one another—in the biblical sense of agapé—will never harm the other.  The relationship with perfect love is a perfect relationship.  Does the elder son, mature and well-disciplined, need the rules and structure of the younger?  Does he need to be told to look both ways when he crosses the street and to eat his vegetables?  Does he need a strict curfew?  Does he need timeouts?  Does he need the rod?  Of course not.  The well-disciplined son is free and can be trusted because he has learned through discipline that his father is trustworthy.  This son has matured beyond the elementary rules (spiritual milk) and now walks in love for his father and so their relationship is no longer based on rules (for the child's safety), but on love.

But what about the rebellious and undisciplined son?  Regardless of his age, he needs rules and lots of them.  The rules are meant to steer him back to repentance.  But the ultimate goal of repentance—and this is what so many simply misunderstand (besides misunderstanding what biblical repentance actually means; "to change one's mind and heart, to convert")—is not to cause the son to keep all the rules, but to cause the son to return to a loving, trusting relationship, because the loving, trusting son needs no rules.  The rules were never the goal or intent, because a rule-based relationship is an imperfect relationship.  It is fundamentally broken.  Rules imply a rule-breaker and someone willing to break trust.

The rebellious son must learn that he has the freedom to rebel, but not freedom from consequence.  Perhaps he remains rebellious into adulthood and goes out like the prodigal.  His rebellion will ultimately lead to death, whether from drugs, or from violence, or from recklessness.  And this is why his father gave him rules meant for a child, because he wanted his son to finally realize he had gone his own way, and the only way back was for his son to start trusting and loving again—to return to a relationship where rules are unnecessary.

The trusting son lives in Eden, but the untrusting son lives in Nod.

God warned Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit because the fruit was poison.  But they rebelled anyway and by eating the fruit their genome was fundamentally corrupted (and that corruption was passed down to all their descendants).  But God can heal physical corruption.  He can restore sight to the blind, make the deaf hear, and cleanse the leper, with just a word.

The bigger problem was in the heart.  Their decision to eat the fruit in disregard of God's command was evidence of a faith problem.  It wasn't merely the outward action of eating the fruit, but the greater, inward problem of unbelief.  When our first parents ate the fruit they became unbelievers and unbelievers die.  It is unbelievers (not lawbreakers) who are ultimately cut off (see Heb. 3–4).  Lawbreakers can be forgiven.  Lawbreakers can be restored.  Unbelievers cannot, unless, with breath still in their lungs, they start to believe.

Let's take a look at God's original command in Genesis 2:17:

But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.

Now I want you to make two careful observations, because a number of modern translations (though not all) twist this verse and satan is the craftiest twister of all.  A number of translations replace "in the day" with "when" or "if".  That implies a direct connection between death and the fruit.  But that's not what the text says.  The Hebrew for that first underlined section is yom ("day"), which is a period of time, usually referring to 24-hours, but not just a moment.  So here is what you need to note:

1. God warned Adam that the consequence would occur during that day, not necessarily at the very moment of eating the fruit.  Why?  Because, I would argue, the death occurred when they were deceived.  They died when they stopped believing God.  Unbelievers are cut off, but believers stand firm through faith.  That is the thorough, Genesis to Revelation testimony of Scripture.

2. God indeed promised that they would die (in the Hebrew, literally "dying you die").  And their death would happen that very day.  Yet there they were after eating the fruit, running through the Garden for cover.  It doesn't seem like they actually died.  Was God's warning untrue?

Absolutely not.  They indeed died.  Their spirits died that very day.  But their bodies remained on.  The result of unbelief was spiritual death.  But the physical result of eating the fruit, the evidence of their unbelief, was a permanently corrupted genome making them and all their descendants prone to sin.  Human depravity quickly set in.

Their spirits were dead, but their now diseased bodies and souls still lived ("soul" in the Bible can take on two meanings: 1. both the whole living person, complete with physical and spiritual aspects; and 2. the consciousness/sentience of a person–the mind, will, and emotions; thus a person is composed of a body, a soul, and a spirit; c.f. 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12).

And this is where the age-old battle began.  God purposed in His heart to save, at ultimate cost to Himself, these stillborn children who had suffered spiritual death.  He would raise them from the dead, both physically and spiritually.  And the plan, though made before the foundation of the world (1 Pt. 1:18–20; Eph. 1:4), began to be revealed in Genesis 3:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.  He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

In Genesis 3:15 God reveals that Eve will have seed—a male descendant—whom will destroy the serpent who deceived her, but this male descendant will be injured in the process (as an aside, this prophecy likely extends to the next verse, as well, which you can read more about here).

God promises a Redeemer.


- - -

A Covering that Doesn't Cover


What happened right before God's initial promise of a Redeemer?  Adam and Eve's eyes were opened to evil and they ran and hid to cover the shame of their nakedness:

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
- Genesis 3:7


They sewed fig leaves to cover themselves.  This is where man-made religion began.  Through their own effort and toil they made something that they thought would make them sufficiently right with God again.  They thought their fig-leaf garments would cover their shame.  But this only demonstrated that their deadly unbelief remained.  They still didn't trust God, for if they had repented they would have gone to God as they were—naked, ashamed, and all—and asked Him to fix what they had broken.

But God, who loves sinners, intervened despite their present unbelief.  He promised a Redeemer.  He unveiled a plan.  And He sealed the plan with what may have been the second Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ; the first being God walking around in the Garden in Genesis 3:8).  God slaughtered an animal Himself:

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
- Genesis 3:21


And

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
- Revelation 13:8


Now, to be absolutely clear, the atonement happened on the cross many thousands of years later and Christ was not yet incarnate, but God signified it beforehand at the very foundation of the world with the very first animal sacrifice.

A sacrifice is something offered for another and only a sacrifice on God's part would be sufficient to really make right what Adam and Eve had done.  Their own works (the fig leaves) would simply not do.  It had to be God's work and it had to be a sacrifice.  And when they allowed God to clothe them, we see what may have been the first moment of repentance ("change of mind and heart") and belief.  They were now holding out hope for their coming Redeemer.

The story of faith and works continues in Genesis 4.  The serpent was told that the woman would have seed, but so would he.  All human descendants of Adam and Eve have either been believers (seed of the woman) or unbelievers (seed of the serpent).  And these descendants have been at enmity throughout the history of the world.

Adam's firstborn, Cain, was an unbeliever.  He hated his younger brother Abel because Abel found God's favor.  Cain offered the fruit of his own labor (Gen. 4:3), but Abel offered animal sacrifice (Gen. 4:4; perhaps a testimony of Abel's remembrance of what God did years before to clothe his parents).  Abel recognized that God wasn't interested in labor and vegetables, but in atonement and faith.  Abel believed God, and thus according to Christ, was the world's very first prophet (Lk. 11:50–51).  Through his actions, he prophesied of the need for atonement.  He foretold us all that we need to stop going our own way, in our own labors, and return to the One who made us all.  He became a template for all future prophets who would proclaim God's perfect standard of righteousness.  On some level he knew that the Redeemer would come.  He held fast through faith.


- - -

Why Was the Law Given?


Man-made religion and any mixing of works into the salvation equation is to rebuild what Christ tore down through the shedding of His own blood.  So let's cut to the chase: why was the Law of Moses given?  God's word tells us:

Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the Law.  For the Law merely brings awareness of sin.
- Romans 3:20


Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.
- Romans 5:20


Why then was the Law given?  It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred.  It was administered through angels by a mediator.
- Galatians 3:19


So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.  Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
- Galatians 3:24–25


Many people caught up in the Roman Catholic, Hebrew-Roots, and Christian-cult systems fundamentally misunderstand these simple precepts.  Oh, that they would be given eyes to see!  Please LORD, let them see!  Why was the Law given?  It all boils down to this: 1. To condemn us, and 2. To point us to Christ.  The Law was never given to bring us life, make us holy, or restore us to God.  The Law is holy and its commandments holy, righteous, and good (Rom. 7:12) and we, like Paul, uphold its unchanging and holy standard (Rom. 3:31), but we are no longer under it (Rom. 6:14; 7:4–6; 8:2; Gal. 5:18), because we are under grace.  We believe, as Abel did, that our own produce is unacceptable.  What is acceptable is the sacrifice.  And the sacrifice we've been given is Christ—the redeeming seed promised to both Eve (Gen. 3:15) and Abraham (Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7).

Why would God want to condemn us by exposing our exceeding sinfulness?  Because we stood condemned already through unbelief.  And He used the Law to show us our need.  Those who think they are justified in any sense by the Law misunderstand the Law and how stringent it actually is.  It isn't something to be kept partially, but fully.  It condemns you and everyone under it.  If you think you keep it then you have deceived yourself and are a liar.

Through faith we know that any imperfection in us, any sin, any iniquity, is atoned for in His blood.  And through faith in Him we are restored to God.  Though the Law is holy, righteous, and good, we no longer have need of it because a greater law has come, which is the law of Christ.

- - -

A Warning


Hear me, all of you who give lip service to Christ and the forgiveness of sins, but your self-righteous works (and many open declarations attacking grace) testify to the world that you don't believe in either.  You are indeed under the Law and will be condemned by it unless you repent.  It's to you that this was written:

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.  Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know Him who said, 'It is Mine to avenge; I will repay,' and again, 'The Lord will judge His people.'  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
- Hebrews 10:26–31


Outside of James 2, no passage of Scripture is more severely twisted by our common adversary.  The deliberate sin spoken of in Hebrews 10 is shrinking back from God in unbelief, which is to reject the only available sacrifice for sins, and to embrace or mix in the Law thinking that the Law makes you right with God.  Only Christ can make you right with God.  He is the One greater than Moses (Heb. 3:3), the One greater than the Law (Mk. 2:27–28), the One whose covenant is far superior to the covenant made on Sinai (Heb. 8:6; Gal. 4:21–31).

Now I want you to read everything else in Hebrews 10 and you'll never see those above six verses the same way again.

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.  Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered?  For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.  But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.  It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said:

'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
   but a body You prepared for Me;
with burnt offerings and sin offerings
   You were not pleased.'
Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about Me in the scroll—
   I have come to do Your will, My God.'

First He said, 'Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor were You pleased with them'—though they were offered in accordance with the law.  Then He said, 'Here I am, I have come to do Your will.'  He sets aside the first to establish the second.  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.  But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool.  For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says:

'This is the covenant I will make with them
   after that time, says the Lord.
I will put My laws in their hearts,
   and I will write them on their minds.'

Then He adds:

'Their sins and lawless acts
   I will remember no more.'

And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a Great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

[VV. 26–31: Don't continue the sin of shrinking back in unbelief like your ancestors.  Don't choose something other than Christ's sacrifice.  His is the only sacrifice for sins.]

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering.  Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.  You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.  So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.  For,

'In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.'

And,

'But my righteous one will live by faith.  And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.'

But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

Am I telling you to break the Law?  By no means.  Again, we uphold the holy standard of the Law.  But we are not made righteous by it.  Our righteousness comes from Christ through faith.  We are not under the Law (Torah).  The law we are under is the law of love, because we are sons and daughters who have returned to the Father's house.  We acknowledge our need for Him and freely choose to love Him and to be loved by Him.  And so our works are not for salvation, but as free will offerings to the One who died for us while we were yet sinners.  We love because He first loved us, and all the commandments are summed up in this:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.

We do not love to be saved, we love because we are saved.  Just as Adam and Eve had one commandment in the Garden—not to eat the forbidden fruit—and their disobedience of unbelief brought death, so now all men and women everywhere have one necessary commandment, as well:

Then they asked Him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?'

Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.'
- John 6:28–29


Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the Name of God’s one and only Son.
- John 3:18


You can either believe in Him who died for your sins, or you can believe in yourself and the fruits you offer to God, but you cannot believe in both.  Walking the fence of faith and works is what makes you lukewarm (Rev. 3:14–22), fallen from grace (Gal. 5:4; Rom. 11:6), and in need of being washed in the Lamb's blood during the Tribulation (Rev. 7:13–14).  Don't make the simple mistake of rejecting God's gift.

Because of Christ's atoning sacrifice we are now free, having been liberated from the Law and its many requirements, and now are faced with just one choice, just as Adam and Eve once were.  The choice is Christ and Him crucified or something else.

Will you make the right choice?  Will you be restored to God, returning to Him as a son into the arms of a loving father, or will you shrink back in unbelief, believing falsely that He is a hard master who owes you your due?

He doesn't owe you anything, yet has offered you everything.  Take the gift.  Return to the Father.  You can be like Abel and Jacob, or you can be like Cain and Esau.  But you must decide.

But He was pierced for our transgressions,
   He was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on Him,
   and by His wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
   each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on Him
   the iniquity of us all.
- Isaiah 53:5–6


I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist.  Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.
- Isaiah 44:22



- - -

Dividing Faith, Law, and Works


By making it through all of this, my hope and desperate prayer is that God is illuminating your spirit.  Thank you for taking the time to read through this lengthy discourse and I pray you will now see it through to the end.  This section was prepared by a brother in our community and the credit goes to him for the diligent time spent to make it.  This is a detailed summary of what the New Testament says about the Law (with some Old Testament background):


Leviticus:
  • All the commandments must be kept [Lev. 26:14–15; see also Numbers 15:39–40, Deut. 5:29–30].

Deuteronomy:
  • The Law cannot be added to or broken up (Deut. 4:2; 12:32) [meaning there is no "moral law, civil law, and ceremonial law," there is only "the Law," which is made up of 613 Commandments].
  • 42 verses in Deuteronomy indicate that Israel’s blessing depended on them keeping all the commandments perfectly.

Matthew:
  • Under the Law, hatred or reviling is murder and lust is adultery (Mt. 5:21–28).
  • "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" is part of the Law (Mt. 22:36–37, Lk. 10:26–27, Deut. 6:5).

Acts:
  • The Jews did not keep the Law (Acts 7:51–53).
  • The Law is a yoke that the Jews couldn’t carry (Acts 15:10).

Romans:
  • The Law brings knowledge of sin but cannot justify (Rom. 3:20).
  • The promise to Abraham was by faith, not the Law (Rom. 4:13–14).
  • The Law brings wrath (Rom. 4:15).
  • Sin is not counted when there is no Law (Rom. 5:13).
  • The Law increases sin (Rom. 5:20).
  • Faith places one under grace, not under the Law (Rom. 6:14).
  • Christians have become dead to the Law by the body of Christ (Rom. 7:1–4).
  • When the Jews were seeking to be justified by the law, the sin aroused by it produced death (Rom. 7:5).
  • We have been delivered from the Law (Rom. 7:6).
  • The Law is holy but cannot make you holy (Rom. 7:7–12).
  • The Law is not sin; but it shows us what sin is and arouses it in us (Rom. 7:7).
  • Apart from the Law sin was dead; but under the Law, sinful desire is produced (Rom. 7:8).
  • When there is no Law, there is life; when there is Law, sin revives and results in death [i.e., misery, "lack of real life…the power of doing right, of confidence in God and the hope of future blessedness" according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon] (Rom. 7:9).
  • The Law is appointed for life but only brings death due to our sin (Rom. 7:10).
  • The Law produces death, making one exceedingly sinful (Rom. 7:13).
  • Attempting to be righteous by Law is equated with the flesh and the carnal mind; and is contrasted with the Spirit which is of faith in Christ’s imputed righteousness, which is received by that faith (Rom. 8:1–13).
  • The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2).
  • The Law is weak through the flesh (Rom. 8:3).
  • The Law is not fulfilled through the flesh; but through the Spirit (Rom. 8:4).
  • Those in the flesh [unbelievers] focus on the flesh [and by implication, attempt to be righteous by their own efforts] those in the Spirit [believers] focus on the Spirit [and are righteous through faith] (Rom. 8:5).
  • The flesh [and by implication, the attempt to be made righteous by the Law] is carnally minded, and results in death [i.e. misery]; but life and peace comes through faith [i.e. trusting in Christ] (Rom. 8:6).
  • The carnal mind is opposed to God, and cannot meet the high standards of the Law (Rom. 8:7).
  • Christians are not indebted to live according to the flesh [i.e. by the works of the Law] (Rom. 8:12).
  • Living according to the flesh’s work results in death (Rom. 8:13).
  • The concept illustrated in verses 1–13 is that an attempt to be righteous by the Law is an attempt to be made righteous by one’s own performance, and is motivated by a mind centered on the flesh (first birth, born from Adam) and it’s works in this world, doomed to fail, and only by the Spirit, given at the moment of faith in Christ’s finished work (second birth, born of the Spirit), is one righteous; having joy and peace.
  • Israel attempted to establish their own righteousness through the Law; faith in Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness (Rom. 10:1–4).

1 Corinthians:
  • The strength of sin is the Law (1 Cor. 15:56).

2 Corinthians:
  • The Law written on stones (10 Commandments, i.e. "the moral law") is a ministry of death (2 Cor. 3:7).
  • Those commandments are a ministry of condemnation (2 Cor. 3:9).
  • The Law has no glory at all in comparison to the New Covenant (2 Cor. 3:10).
  • The Law is passing away (2 Cor. 3:11).
  • Attempting to be righteous by the Law produced a veil over the hearts of the Jews that is taken away in Christ (2 Cor. 3:13–15).

Galatians:
  • Placing the burden of the Law onto people turns you away from God, and perverts the genuine Gospel into a false one; and Paul wishes that those who preach a perversion of the Gospel be accursed [disliked, scorned, spurned] (Gal. 1:6–9).
  • The Law does not justify (make one innocent) (Gal. 2:16).
  • Christians are dead to the Law (Gal. 2:19).
  • If righteousness came through the Law Christ died for no reason (Gal. 2:21).
  • Going back to the Law is not believing the truth (Gal. 3:1).
  • Living according to the Law is attempting to be perfected through the flesh (Gal. 3:2–3).
  • The Law curses all who practice it and fail to do it perfectly (Gal. 3:10).
  • The Law is not of faith (Gal. 3:12) [see also Romans 14:23, "that which is not of faith is sin"; these verses imply that attempting to be righteous by works of the Law is sin].
  • Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:13).
  • The Law had nothing to do with the promise of God to Abraham to be a father of the Seed of many people, i.e. Christ (Gal. 3:18) [see Gen. 15:5].
  • The Law functioned in God’s purpose as an Instructor from Moses to John the Baptist in order to preserve the Jews until Christ (Gal. 3:16–23).
  • The Law is not against the promise of the Savior; because if a law could give [eternal] life - which it can't - then the Law could make someone righteous before God [and Christ would be unnecessary] (Gal. 3:21).
  • The Law was an instructor, to bring us to Christ, but after Christ, there is no longer an instructor (Gal. 3:24–25).
  • The Law (first covenant) gave birth to bondage (Gal. 4:24).
  • We are not children of the Law (Gal. 4:31).
  • Do not be yoked by the bondage that is the Law (Gal. 5:1).
  • Following one part of the Law puts you in debt to follow the entire Law (Gal. 5:3).
  • Christ is of no effect to those who try to be saved by the Law (Gal. 5:4).
  • In 5:9, "A little leaven leavens the entire lump"–leaven represents the sin of pride, which infects the entire lump of dough when introduced - the implication of this analogy in this context is that inserting a requirement the Law to be justified is an act of pride which taints the Gospel.

Ephesians:
  • Christ has abolished the Law, making peace with God for us (Eph. 2:15).

Philippians:
  • Paul associates the law to the flesh and considers what it gained him as "skybalon" which is a vulgar Greek word equivalent to "crap" (Phil. 3:4–8).

Colossians:
  • The Law was against us, and was erased at the cross (Col. 2:14).

1 Timothy:
  • The Law is good if used correctly–but it's correct use is not for the righteous [believers] but for the unrighteous [nonbelievers] (1 Tim. 1:8–9) [see also Matthew 5:21–28].

Hebrews:
  • The Law and Commandments were "fleshy" (Heb. 7:16).
  • The Law was weak and made nothing perfect (Heb. 7:18–19).
  • The Law was faulty and needed a better Covenant (Heb. 8:7–8).
  • The Law is obsolete, old, and ready to vanish (Heb. 8:13).
  • The rituals by the OT priests were done because the way into the holy place [i.e. Christ] wasn’t opened yet (Heb. 9:8).
  • The OT sacrifices could not help the conscience of the worshiper (Heb. 9:9).
  • The OT sacrifices were only imposed "until the time of reformation" [i.e., the cross] (Heb. 9:10).
  • The Law is only a shadow of Christ and could never make someone perfect (Heb. 10:1).

James:
  • If you try to be righteous by the Law, and fail at one part, you are guilty of breaking all of it (Jas. 2:10) [see also Ezekiel 33:13].

1 John:
  • Sin is transgression of the Law (1 Jn. 3:4) [Note: it thus stands to reason from this verse that the phrase "turn from sin" used in a Gospel presentation as a prerequisite for salvation and as a necessary result of salvation is mistaken (see here).  "Turn from sin" is a phrase that carries the implication that living according to the Law must be done for salvation–note also that this phrase is not the literal definition of the Greek word for "repent," which is "metanoia," and literally means "change of opinion."  God "repents" (metanoia) several times in older translations of the English Old Testament and in the Greek translation that Christ and His disciples used (Ex. 32:12, Deut. 32:36, Ps. 90:13; 110:4; 135:14; Jer 4:28; 18:8; 26:3, 26:13; 42:10; and Eze 24:14), thus the English meaning of "repent" has likely changed, as well].


- - -

Conclusion


In the beginning there was grace, paradise, trust and intimacy with God, and a rule-less life governed by love.  There was just one thing to maintain and that was faith in God evidenced by obeying His single commandment.  And there was the Tree of Life and God walking among us.

And then our first parents broke faith.  Their spirits were cut off through unbelief and their bodies became permanently corrupted by the forbidden fruit.  And God had to put a plan of salvation in place that would come at ultimate cost to Himself—the death of His own Son signified from the foundation of the world by prophecy (Gen. 3:15) and the sacrifice of an animal to clothe our first parents' shame (Gen. 3:21; Rev. 13:8).

The plan progressed further when God promised to Abraham the same Seed that was promised in Genesis 3:15.  Abraham's faith in God's promise was counted as righteousness without works of the Law, and outside of the Law's demands.

And then several centuries later, God established the holy, but inferior covenant of Law, with the Israelites and all of those who would be joined to them.  This covenant of death was given for the express purpose of condemning all under sin.  It was established to show that 1. No one is righteous, not even one, and 2. All have wandered and must return to God.  It foreshadowed the greater reality yet to come in Christ (Heb. 10:1).

The Law remains holy and righteous and just, but it has served its purpose.  Christ did not abolish it, but He fulfilled all of its demands on our behalf so that we, who could never fulfill its demands (either before faith or after), could be saved and be free—returning to the familial relationship of father and son, and so that we could obtain the perfect righteousness that is not our own.  This is imputed righteousness (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:5–6; 10:4; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9).  We who are being sanctified have already been made perfect forever (Heb. 10:14).

The reason Scripture so sternly warns against trusting in anything other than Christ for salvation (Heb. 10) or mixing law and grace (Rom. 11:6; Gal. 5:4), is not because God hates works and doing good, but because trusting in the Law (or anything other than Christ) is plain evidence that a person is an unbeliever.  And unbelievers are cut off, because spiritual life comes through faith alone.  Christ Himself is the source of life for all men and women.  To believe in anything other than Him is to reject the Life—whether that be believing in pagan gods or no gods, or, believing in oneself and one's works.  Without faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb. 11:6), and everything not from faith is sin (Rom. 14:23).  Many of those who claim allegiance to the Name of Christ have rebuilt what He has already torn down through their works-based systems.  They are unbelievers and many are deceived and are not part of the family of God.

Grace is not permission to sin or encouragement to sin, it is forgiveness of all sin, and restoration to God.  Sin is always wrong and that's why the cross was necessary.  The antinomians who reject the Law or even the very concept of sin are also unbelievers because they necessarily reject the need for atonement and thus reject the cross (whether or not they pay homage to it with their words).  It's vitally important to recognize that liberal theology (universalism, pseudo-universalism, antinomianism, and demythologization) can be just as deadly as legalism, because both sides are ultimately rejecting Christ and the gospel.  See more about this here.

We have now come full circle.  When you trust on Christ for salvation you have returned to your Father and you are free.  Your life is no longer governed by do's and don'ts, but by love and the Spirit.  You have returned to a relationship with God like what Adam and Eve had before the Fall.  And you are promised the things given to them, but only much more so: eternal life, paradise, intimacy with God, freedom, inheritance, spiritual blessing, and access to the Tree of Life.


Living under the Law or mixing law and grace is to remain under the elementary principles of the world.  It is to live in the middle of the Bible, before the cross, rather than at the end in paradise.  It is to disbelieve God's promises and to rely on the inferior covenant in lieu of the greater and final covenant that has come—the New Covenant made in God's own blood.

Today is the day to choose the Life that is freely offered to you, because the door to the Ark is quickly closing.


Post A Comment

87 comments:

  1. STANDING OVATION. Thank you, Gary. So timely and desperately needed.
    Now to go back and read it again...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're a fast reader! 🙂🙂

      Delete
    2. Pure gold:

      "We believe, as Abel did, that our own produce is unacceptable. What is acceptable is the sacrifice. And the sacrifice we've been given is Christ—the redeeming seed promised to both Eve (Gen. 3:15) and Abraham (Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7)."

      "We are not under the Law (Torah). The law we are under is the law of love, because we are sons and daughters who have returned to the Father's house. We acknowledge our need for Him and freely choose to love Him and to be loved by Him. And so our works are not for salvation, but as free will offerings to the One who died for us while we were yet sinners."


      "ou can either believe in Him who died for your sins, or you can believe in yourself and the fruits you offer to God, but you cannot believe in both. Walking the fence of faith and works is what makes you lukewarm (Rev. 3:14–22), fallen from grace (Gal. 5:4; Rom. 11:6), and in need of being washed in the Lamb's blood during the Tribulation (Rev. 7:13–14)."

      "The Law remains holy and righteous and just, but it has served its purpose. Christ did not abolish it, but He fulfilled all of its demands on our behalf so that we, who could never fulfill its demands (either before faith or after), could be saved and be free—returning to the familial relationship of father and son, and so that we could obtain the perfect righteousness that is not our own. "

      I can't thank you enough for putting this together, brother. Just today I watched yet another sophisticated message from a seductive Torah follower who gravely twists the word of God. He used what seems to be the pet verse of the TO community: 2 Pet. 3:15-16, regarding "untaught and unstable" people who twist Paul's words along with the rest of the Scriptures.

      However, those who have the Holy Spirit are not untaught. The Holy Spirit is our teacher. And what you've shared here so thoroughly, Gary, is fruit of the teachings of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for faithfully serving Him.

      Delete
    3. Yep, they are the untaught and unstable who twist Paul's extremely clear words. What incredible irony!

      Delete
    4. YEP! You are spot on H. 2 Pet 3:16 is their go-to verse as a quick easy way of trying to annul the overall message of Paul concerning the law. (The truth is, deep down, they don't really like Paul or his message.) Which is why I liked the long list that Gary included above showing what is taught concerning the law in all of the NT books. It is a clear consistent message that cannot be swept away just by quoting 2 Pet 3:16! And besides, straight after saying what he did, Peter tells us to GROW IN GRACE. To HIM ALONE be GLORY:

      2Pe 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

      Anyway, probably preaching to the choir... hoping off the virtual soap box now and going to the beach! : )

      Delete
    5. I have barely begun to read and gone through two K-cups worth of coffee brother.

      BULLS-EYE!


      PR

      Delete
    6. Yes! The ones Peter is referring to, the "untaught" and "unstable," are those who resist the Holy Spirit, who is our Teacher (1 John 2:27).

      Delete
    7. Man, apparently this article has some people pretty upset on FB. I wonder why. I wager that it's because the HRM standard of righteousness doesn't meet God's much, much higher standard of righteousness.

      Mt. 21:31:

      "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you."

      ------------

      2 Cor. 10:4-18:

      "4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 WE DESTROY ARGUMENTS AND EVERY LOFTY OPINION RAISED AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

      7 Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we. 8 For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. 9 I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” 11 Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. 12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. BUT WHEN THEY MEASURE THEMSELVES BY ONE ANOTHER AND COMPARE THEMSELVES WITH ONE ANOTHER, THEY ARE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING.

      13 But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that WE MAY PREACH THE GOSPEL in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another's area of influence. 17 “LET THE ONE WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” 18 FOR IT IS NOT THE ONE WHO COMMENDS HIMSELF WHO IS APPROVED, BUT THE ONE WHOM THE LORD COMMENDS."

      Delete
  2. Gary - do you sleep? How do you turn out another long excellent detailed study so quickly!?! :)

    Very very timely! As you said it is the age old battle (so always timely in that regard) but it is one that is increasing and will continue to do so, in these last days. Personally, I have been saddened by the resurgence and move back towards the Hebrew Roots / Torah observant movements. It was the biggest issue of the first century church - looks like it will be the biggest issue of the last.

    I watched a couple of vids recently by 'Parable of the Vineyard'. Again, just felt sad to see the direction and constant Torah observant emphasis (not to mention the reinterpretation of Galatians and other passages that comes with it!) It is actually a bit scary seeing genuine guys like this (especially those who have a lot of followers) move back to emphasizing laws, days, weeks and months.

    Why choose shadow over substance?
    Why choose ritual over reality?
    Why choose do over done?

    Heb 11:6 'without faith it is impossible to please God'
    Rom 14:23 'whatever is not from faith is sin'
    Gal 3:12 'The law is not based on faith'

    So thank you for your unwavering stance on the gospel and for keeping Jesus Christ, His grace and and His work, central. It is the truth and it is appreciated!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Gary - do you sleep?"

      Ha! Well, not too much lately (:

      "Why choose shadow over substance?
      Why choose ritual over reality?
      Why choose do over done?"

      I love that. I'll need to use it!

      Delete
  3. Bravo, Gary! The illustration of the mature, well-disciplined child not needing rules because he acts out of love for the parent describes what I've tried to explain to non-believers who are unable to accept the Bible as anything but a laundry list of rules that one must obey in order to be saved. That mindset comes with it the notion that our Heavenly Father is only interested in smacking us when we step out of line, which, of course, is far from the truth understood by those people who have a relationship with Him. Again, thank you very much.

    ReplyDelete
  4. And here is an incredible object lesson in evangelism!

    [youtube width="320" height="266" src="lVt14Ug-GOs"/]

    ReplyDelete
  5. I believe an angel has been sent through this wonderful website, I'm confusing between roman catholic, hebrews and Christian cult system. ..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "My hope is built on nothing less
      Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
      I dare not trust the sweetest frame
      But wholly lean on Jesus name"

      Some of the sweetest worship lyrics penned to paper by human hands are from Edward Mote. His inspired hymn "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" is a cornerstone of worship to me.

      In Christ Alone.

      I pray the Holy Spirit guide you Home.

      Blessings, always,


      Pastor Rich




      Delete
  6. Great work, Gary! This message is full of wisdom and shows how you have genuinely grown in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18; cf. Eph. 4:13).

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wonderfully concise exposition on the meaning/intent of the Law and Grace. The Apostle Paul mentioned Grace 91 times in his 13 Epistles and Grace is in in the KJV 170 overall.

    ReplyDelete
  8. 170 times in the KJV NT.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This was awesome and timely! Throughout the entire reading I kept thinking, I am so glad we are saved by grace and not by works! There is no way we (I) could ever keep the law in its entirety. God was trying to show people how much we need HIM and that WE could not do it on our own! Amen and Amen!

    Aimee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Sharing this from Mary Ann from another article:

      "Heard a great analogy about salvation by faith vs. works: Imagine all believers are standing side by side and are asked to jump as high as they can to try to jump to the moon. You may be able to jump 8 inches and I might manage 6 inches, but we’re both still thousands and thousands of miles from the moon (God’s righteous standard). The only One who can jump “to the moon” is Jesus and the only way we’ll get there is to hop on His back."

      Delete
    2. Me too! Love that analogy!

      Delete
  10. Whoever says "I know him " but does not keep his commandments is a liar,and the truth is not in him,but whoever keeps his word,in him truly the love of GOD is perfected.By this we know that we are in him. 1 John 2:4-5 ."For this is the love of GOD,that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not burdensome". 1 John 5:3 "And this is love,that we walk after his commandments" 2 John 1:6. ...We obey the Law of God because of & by our faith in Christ .Obedience is the fruit of salvation-not the root of salvation!Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid;yea,we establish the law. Romans 3:31. We who are Torah observant are well aware following Gods law ( works) does not make us saved or clean,holy but by being saved thru Christ we want to please him by practicing His law ..Also....Galations 4:8-20 is talking about #1.These are Gentile converts that Paul is talking to. #2.They used to serve other gods. #3.Now they know the true God. #4 Even so,they GO BACK to WEAK AND BEGGERLY ELEMENTS related to the godsthey used to serve. #5 And thus they DESIRE AGAIN to go back into BONDAGE related to the gods they used to serve. #6 What they are TURNING BACK to is observing certain days,months,and years related to the gods they used to serve....So he isn't saying the law of God & his feast days,Sabbath ( his appointed times) are burdens or BONDAGE ,Paul is talking about " sun god ways" day ,mo,ths,seasons & years being the BONDAGE ! How do greeks ,who used to worship false gods , who now worship the true God ( verse 9) ,somehow go back to worshipping Gods feast days ?How do they go back to something that they never used to know ??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Lois,

      Firstly, though you disagree, thanks for doing so in a calm even manner. "Much love to you" too! : ) I made mention of Gal 4 (days, weeks, months etc) above so I thought I'd reply to your comment there. In my opinion you are partially right with a very wrong conclusion. You wrote:

      "#1.These are Gentile converts that Paul is talking to." AGREE
      "#2.They used to serve other gods." AGREE
      "#3.Now they know the true God." AGREE
      "#4 Even so,they go back to weak and beggarly elements related to the gods they used to serve." DISAGREE- This is where you have gone off-track. There is NOWHERE in the whole of Galatians that Paul mentions or implies that they had gone back to their old gods or ways. This is not raised ANYWHERE in the entire book. Paul is consistent throughout what the issue was - they, under the influence of Judaisers, went back to the law for righteousness. They, being Gentiles, were trying to act like Jews, be perfected by the flesh by putting themselves in bondage under the law. Paul was deeply concerned for them!

      Gal 3:1-3 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? (2) This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? (3) Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

      The "weak and beggarly elements" mentioned in ch 4 can be defined as outward religious rituals. It is a slavery to both gentiles (with their idols and false gods) and to those under Judaism. Note the 'WE' in Gal 4:3 where Paul first mentions this term - the weak and beggarly elements applies to BOTH Jews under law and Gentiles under false idols. Paul had already said that the law brings this slavery (Gal 3:23-25, 4:3-5, Gal 5:1) which we needed to be redeemed from. And now the Galatians had gone from one set of rituals and bondage, one form of weak and beggarly elements, to another! And NEITHER can bring the LIFE and REALITY that is IN CHRIST! It is LIFE and REALITY that we need.

      Gal 3:21 ...if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.

      But the law cannot impart life. It can only show us our sin and hold us accountable (Rom 3:19). The law is actually the power of sin (1 Cor 15:56)

      Col 2:16-17 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. (17) These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

      When not held as a means of obtaining favour or right standing with God, Christian freedom does extend so far as to allow different opinions between believers on matters such as the Sabbath (Rom 14:5) but please note that the Sabbath, feasts days, new moons etc... they are but SHADOWS. They are not the real thing. Please don't spend your time seeking shadows! It is the REALITY (like the rest in Christ that the Sabbath pointed to, which is 'TODAY') that you, and I, need.

      God Bless.

      Delete
    2. Dear Lois, hope that helps: watch!

      https://youtu.be/5PvL-oLqb_o

      This is my true brother who is rightly applying the wisdom of God on scripture. Everyone born again in the Spirit does it alike. Nothing to add here. Blessings to you!

      Delete
  11. Yeshua also referred to the "oral laws" as the traditions of the elders that violates the Law of God (Mark 7; Matthew 23) so one must be careful not to confuse Paul's teaching of the law regarding Galatians as the Law of God but is speaking of the traditions of the elders= "oral laws"..in the 1st century mainstream New leaders practiced "oral law" Talmud.Paul later refers to this doctrine as "works of law" ..Yesua says "Think not I am come to destroy the law,or the prophets:I am not to come to destroy but to fulfil.For verily I say unto you,Till heaven and earth pass,one not or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law,till all be fulfilled.Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,and shall teach men so,he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:but whosoever shall do and teach them,the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Pretty clear,we are to honor His commandments and that is what Torah following is,we are saved thru faith in Christ and are blessed by respecting & striving to observe His law commandments ...much love to you,Lois

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops that scripture was from Matthew 5:17-19

      Delete
    2. The Law is the Law. Paul meant what he said and he said the same thing many, many times, in many different ways (as did John and Peter and James and the author of Hebrews, etc).

      The Law is holy and righteous and just and we uphold the Law's unchanging standard, but we are not, not, not under Torah. We are under grace.

      The Old Covenant is inferior to the New. John refers to Christ's unburdensome commandments (1. believe in the One God has sent - Jn. 6:28-29; and 2. love one another). John does not refer to the burdensome and impossible Torah commandments, which are to be fulfilled perfectly, not partially.

      Lois, dear friend, the Torah was explicitly given to condemn you. That was its purpose. Christ came to set you free, so that you no longer have to do the impossible.

      You are now free to love without condemnation for imperfection.

      It's no longer a master - slave relationship.

      It's a Father - daughter relationshiop.

      You are free. Believe it. And use your freedom to love others and share the good news.

      Delete
  12. Amen brother, this is the truth that sets us free. Jesus' finished work is the stumbling stone and rock of offense. Grace is the Gospel and there is no other. I am honored to run alongside you brother and those of the household of Faith.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Isaiah 64:6 King James Version (KJV)

    6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

    ReplyDelete
  14. "And the truth shall set you free!" Thank you so much, Gary for taking the time and making the effort to preach and share "The GOOD NEWS!"...This is the gospel that brings us out of slavery and death to life. Keep being obedient to God's spirit. I'm sharing this with so many of my loved ones who need to know the real gospel of Jesus and run from religion and "church." I pray they hear and receive! Faith comes by hearing and how will
    they hear less one tells them? Thank you so much that I can tell them through this beautiful proclamation. God's word does not return void, so praying for all who hear. Be blessed, my brother in Christ.

    ReplyDelete
  15. All good works should be done out of love for Jesus and to please Him. If good works are done because you think it will save you, then that's self-salvation which is a lie from hell. All the good works you can do cannot do what only the precious Blood of our Savior can do, which is wash and cleanse you from your sins. Jesus is the Only Way.

    ReplyDelete
  16. We may disagree about respecting honoring Gods 10 commandments being an act of love not a burden,which is how I believe...but I don't appreciate your accusing & judging my faith and relationship in Christ.I believe He died on the cross for my salvation and His blood is for my sins so that I may live forever...I do not believe in works no more then you do...I do believe in Christ's direction along with ALL the apostles ,not just Pauls...Peter warns us Paul's gospel is hard to understand...I understand we aren't "under" the law ,but when we are truly saved we naturally want to walk in his ways which is His & our FATHERS instructions = 10 commandments NOT for favor but out of our LOVE for him...please stop judging and assuming for we ALL are greatful for HIS love and salvation and we ALL understand "works" for salvation is of the flesh & foolish....we are brothers & sisters in Christ. may we walk in peace together for we are all seeking HIS TRUTH in our own way...much love,Lois

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sister,

      I'm not sure if this was directed at me or someone else who chimed in, but I just want to be clear that I had no intent of accusing you. However, I probably came across that way in defending the gospel. For that, I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?

      I'm greatly encouraged to hear that you 1. Believe Christ died for your sins, 2. We are not under Law, 3. We do want to and should obey God out of our love for Him.


      Blessings to you in love,
      Gary

      Delete
  17. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  18. A wonderful encouraging read. It is wonderful to have confirmation on what you believe as the true path to salvation. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I wanted to reach out and thank you both for your kind and loving words.I wish you all peace joy & love in Christ name...I have enjoyed your articles for a year now & have shared them with many and I will continue so.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Gary, Phenomenal. Thank you brother. I have to say, although I am only a babe in Christ (circa a year), it is only a few weeks ago, that the penny dropped regarding salvation through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. I didn't fully understand the negative (Lukewarm side) about faith + good works for salvation, or faith and trying to cut out sin for salvation. It was such a wow moment, when the penny dropped a few weeks ago, and I realized, "wait a minute, ALL my sins have been forgiven... ALL.. that means past, present and future". that blew me away..

    I couldn't get over the Love that God had for me.. It made me further realise, that any sinner, including murderers, rapists, adulterers, liars and anyone who committed any petty or extremely serious sins, their sins would all be forgiven if they believed that Jesus's dead and resurrection paid for the whole sin debt of the world, and they too would go to heaven, if they believed that one simple truth. People don't believe that one simple truth. People complicate salvation.. (the enemy complicated salvation)

    And it is funny, a few days ago, my young daughter asked me "do bad people (people in jail) go to heaven?" and because of my catholic upbringing, and before I came to the knowledge of the truth, (even only a few weeks ago) I would have answered, "yes, bad people go to hell, and good people go to heaven"..

    But I realized; that ain't true.. Heaven will be full of sinners, and hell will be full of sinners PLUS all those self righteous, holier than thou, luke-warm NON-BELIEVERS.. and the answer I gave my daughter was: " nope, if the bad person while in jail, becomes a believer in Jesus, and believes that all their sins, have been paid for and have been forgiven, they will go to heaven, I said the only people who go to hell, are the people who didn't believe in Jesus." it is amazing.. what a good God we have.. When the LORD sets you free, you will be free indeed.

    Anyway just wanted to say thanks for posting that article. it was timely, and a further confirmation that I had stumbled on the truth recently.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beautiful Jordan!

      It's interesting when you really think about it: if bad = sinner, then *only* bad people go to Heaven.

      If bad = unforgiven, then *only* bad people go to hell.

      Our righteousness comes from Him (:

      Delete
    2. So this is Gods perfect timing again, Jordan! He waited until you could give the right answer to your precious daughter whom you are called to educate in faith and bring her up in the nurture of the LORD! (Ephesians 6:4) HALLELUJAH! :-)

      Delete
  21. A NEW TOPIC

    Sharing some finds from Fortune Magazine on the topics of Quantum computing and chipping.

    IBM Unveils Groundbreaking Quantum Computing System

    Biochipping: Beyond Human


    Disclaimer: These videos are being shared for personal education on the general state of the art of certain technologies which are, in my opinion, leading toward fulfilment of scripture. I do not endorse them in anyway nor am I affiliated with the maker(s) of the videos or those featured in the videos. Neither am I suggesting that the people and organizations featured in these videos are Satanic. They are people like the rest of us.

    I simply share these for information purposes. Coming from an engineering background, it is interesting to see what is being developed and how these projects may have Biblical significance as we see the coming of the Day.

    Put simply: Know your enemy.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hey Gary,
    Just spotted a slight typo @ this sentence:

    "Just as Adam and Even had one commandment in the Garden—not to eat the forbidden fruit..."

    (Eve had an "n" added to the end of it.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice catch! Fixed.

      Delete
    2. Well...it could be said that Eve made things even?!

      1 == Adam == odd
      2 == Eve == even

      : )

      Delete
    3. That's very funny Richard.

      Delete
  23. IBM helped the Nazis, no surprise to read what they are up to now.

    ReplyDelete
  24. A PIN-POINT

    Another sign of the times?

    The magnetic north pole is moving, causing navigation issues

    U.S. military requests update to World Magnetic Model to help navigation

    Quoting, CBC,

    "'It's moving at about 50 kilometres a year. It didn't move much between 1900 and 1980, but it's really accelerated in the past 40 years,' Ciaran Beggan, of the British Geological Survey, told Reuters."

    "The wandering pole is driven by unpredictable changes in liquid iron deep inside the Earth. An update will be released on Jan. 30, the journal Nature said, delayed from Jan. 15 because of the U.S. government shutdown."

    Thus there is indicated a direct tie between geologic, seismic and volcanic activity and the magnetic poles. I recall an instalment of NOVA on PBS these past few years that delved into the high likelihood of a polar shift in the making. It was shocking to say the least!

    More evidence and pin-points to consider as we watch for the Day.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Good info lately from SuspiciousObservers on pole shift and cyclical catastrophe models.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvjJqIXYT1w&list=PLHSoxioQtwZfY2ISsNBzJ-aOZ3APVS8br

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete

  26. When a person believes in Christ, The Father seals him with His Spirit.
    The Spirit of God comes and lives in him.


    How can a person know that the Spirit of God lives in him?


    When the Spirit of God comes into his heart,

    1. His spirit ( inward man) becomes righteous.

    2. His inner man delights in the law of God. (Romans 7: 22)

    3. He now desires to do good; he hates evil, and doesn’t want to do evil. ( Romans 7: 18,15, 19)


    The Spirit of God gives him these godly desires and urges him to do them.
    The Spirit of God makes him feel wretched when he fails. ( Romans 7: 24)
    When he confesses his sins He restores Him with the joy of salvation


    In summary we can say that

    Our good works NEVER save us.
    But when we are saved, good works are produced in us by the Holy Spirit living in us.

    ReplyDelete

  27. The things that the HOLY SPIRIT does in a believer’s heart are:

    1. Gives us Delight for the Laws of God,
    2. Gives us a desire to do good,
    3. Gives us a hatred for evil,
    4. Convicts us of our sin,
    5. Gives us a godly sorrow for our sins.
    6. Restores us with joy when we Repent.

    This transformation of our heart through which our old sinful desires are replaced with godly desires is called being born again, or born in the Spirit.

    ReplyDelete
  28. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

    On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’

    And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 888,
      The people who stand before God, and say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?" will be NON-BELIEVERS. They are those that tried to combine pretend faith with their good works which equals LUKEWARM. Believer's in Jesus's finished work on the cross will not come into judgement.

      John 5:24
      "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has everlasting life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."

      ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

      John 3:18 "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

      Key Take Aways:
      Whoever Believes = not condemned
      Whoever Does NOT Believe = CONDEMNED"

      Delete
    2. Jordan: "The people who stand before God, and say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?" will be NON-BELIEVERS."

      888: Really? Have you seen any atheist(non-believer)lately calling on the name of the Lord? Or driving out demons or do mighty works in His name?
      The people in question described by the Lord are those who believe they believe, but are workers of lawlessness.

      So what is lawlessness then?
      Those who do not obey the Word of God, which are the words of Jesus.
      "whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me"
      Do you believe the words of Jesus Jordan? Do you believe the Word of God?

      Jordan: "Believer's in Jesus's finished work on the cross will not come into judgement."

      888: Have you any reference of Jesus saying this?

      Delete
    3. 888 Yes I do.

      +++++++++++++++++

      John 5:24
      "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has everlasting life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."

      Key Take aways:
      Hears & believes & everlasting
      (everlasting is not temporal, it is permanent, it is forever - Praise be to God)"

      +++++++++++++++++

      Colossians 2:13-15 "He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross

      ++++++++++++++++

      Ephesians 2:8-9
      For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, Not of works, lest any man should boast.

      And your wrong. There will be many evangelist who are spreading a false gospel, believing them-self's and telling other people to believe that their good works will get them into heaven. Jesus has made it clear we are saved by Gods amazing GRACE, through our faith alone in Jesus.

      You are running out of time my friend. Dont be an internet troll. Accept Gods free gift of salvation.

      Delete
    4. Jordan,
      again I ask you, please quote me Jesus' words (the Word of God) where He says "Believer's in Jesus's finished work on the cross will not come into judgement."
      You cannot can you? For He never said such a thing.

      Colossians and Ephesians are not the words of Jesus (the Word of God), they are the words of a man.

      You are not reading the very words you are quoting "whoever hears my word" Who's word? The words of Jesus (the Word of God).

      "For I did not speak on my own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me."

      Delete
    5. 888 I'm understanding what you're trying to say now. You don't believe what Paul is saying to be true, you only believe that what Jesus said, pre-cross/pre-grace is true. This is the same trap that the Corinthian church fell into.

      In fact all of 2 Corinthians is written to the Corinthian church because it was split into 2 factions. There were those who believed Paul's gospel, the "grace of God" that Paul talks about which = the Gospel of Grace - which applies after the cross, vs those Corinthians who believed the sermon on the mount, where on earth Jesus used the law to ask men to do the impossible so that everyone would realize they cannot fulfill the law, before the cross; then Jesus Himself fulfilled the law so we could receive righteousness as a gift, it's the only to receive righteousness because you can't be good enough to earn it like a wage.

      Jesus Himself at the end of Mark - Mark 16:17-18 spoke about the church era where we would go to Gentiles ("into all the world" and away from Jews) walk in the different, post-cross, church-age era and would speak in tongues among other signs. Then in Acts Jesus commissioned Paul to preach the gospel of Grace which is different because it applies to the Gentiles.

      Jesus said we would do even greater things than He. The greater things we would do are this: preach grace, preach Paul's gospel of grace, preach that righteousness can be received as a gift only and cannot be received as a work.

      I sincerely hope you read this and not just reply by cutting and pasting a bunch of verses.

      TLDR: Jesus on earth sent to the Jews, pre-cross and pre-atonement, pointed to Paul's gospel which Jesus would give to Paul for us now, post-cross, after Jesus did the work.

      Delete
    6. @888 Jesus' own words = Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)

      Just that simple.

      Delete
    7. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

      For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

      For many are called, but few are chosen.


      Simple?

      Delete
    8. @Steve Oh
      "I'm understanding what you're trying to say now. You don't believe what Paul is saying to be true, you only believe that what Jesus said, pre-cross/pre-grace is true."

      Steve Oh, I believe what God says.
      The words of Jesus are the Word of God.
      God's Word doesn't change whether you are Jew or Gentile, yesterday, today or tomorrow.
      Jesus fulfilled everything the Father told him to say and do in His lifetime, He confirmed it on the cross "ït is finished".

      He also however, did not leave us in the dark post His resurrection, He promised us that the Helper/Holy Spirit (Spirit of Truth) will be sent to remind us of HIS WORDS (ie the Word of God) and teach us accordingly.

      "My sheep hears MY voice, and they follow ME." (emphasis mine)

      Delete

  29. A believer right from the start of his journey till the end is saved only by the merit of Christ. Only the righteousness of Christ and His shed blood gives him the right standing before God.

    We are never saved by doing good works.
    We are saved to do good works.







    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Only the righteousness of Christ and His shed blood gives him the right standing before God."

      I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

      Delete
  30. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 5. Can a believer’s good works save him?
      No, never. Only the blood of Christ can save him

      I believe you can find the real answer here...
      Matthew 25:31-46

      Delete

    2. Dear 888,

      So likewise when you have done all things which you are commanded, say, “ We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty” ( Luke 17: 10)

      From the above verse we can understand that,
      1.Christ commands us to obey all His commands
      2. But wants us to know that our good works cannot profit anything.
      It is only by the grace of God and the merit of Christ we stand justified.

      So both are essential in our walk with God.

      Delete

    3. We have a spirit and a body.


      Spirit — — — inner man or Mind

      Flesh — — — outer man or body


      When we invite Christ into our heart,

      1. Our spirit or inner man which was dead in sins was made alive. ( Ephesians 2: 1)
      2. Our spirit is made righteous. It desires to do right and hates to do evil.( Romans 7:15 -19)
      3. Our spirit delights in God’s laws. ( Romans 7:22)

      This transformation of our spirit is God’s work. This happens when we are born again.



      The Flesh or body or outer man has sinful nature in its members.


      The Inner man wants to obey God.
      The outer man or flesh with the sinful nature does wrong.


      So I want to do good, but end up doing bad.
      So the spirit and the flesh are in conflict with each other. ( Galatians 5: 17)

      Before we accepted Christ our inner man and outer man were both sinful and hence they both were in unison and there was no conflict.

      But when we accept Christ into our heart, our inner man is transformed and hence this conflict begins.

      So Paul says : I thank God (who has transformed my mind or inner man)
      with the mind I serve the law of God,
      but with the flesh the law of sin ( Romans 7: 25)


      But Paul goes on to say in Romans 8: 2
      The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

      Yes we need to believe that
      1. our old man was crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be done away with
      (Romans 6: 6)

      2. We are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you
      ( Romans 8: 9)

      3. The Spirit of God lives in us and helps us to walk in His ways.


      Our walk with God is a delightful journey with our Father.
      He heals us, restores us and forgives us when we fall.
      We can be happy in the assurance that His righteousness is always ours.













      Delete
  31. The reason the jew does not see and accept Jesus as the Christ is because they only see The Law. The Bible informs us that the tribulation will change that, praise God.

    So, why would the Christian claim to be saved and do the same thing? I always look at the different factions that over emphasize the law like the hebrew roots movement as very much having the same exact information and torturing the data. The Jews when Jesus walked as their savior on earth had the same exact information and some saw, yet most did not see ore refused to obey. Same data. Willful ignorance. contrived justification. For the Christian in the 21st century to have even more information and to still make this error that the Jews made 2,000 plus years ago? To put faith in the law and claim their faith is in Jesus Christ. Striking and beyond comprehension. IMHOP

    ReplyDelete
  32. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

    And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

    I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear 888,
      Is your issue then with whether the epistles of Paul and other New Testament writers are divinely inspired and given to us as God’s very words to us? If so, how can you trust that the words of Jesus recorded in the Gospels are actually the words of God, since they also were recorded by men? We can’t pick and choose parts of the New Testament to believe and reject other parts. It is either all the word of God or none of it is.
      It’s also important, I think, to remember, as others have mentioned, that while in His incarnated state, Jesus placed Himself “under the Law” in order to fulfill the Law. His listeners, while He taught on earth, were likewise still under the Law. Once Christ died, the old covenant was fulfilled and the new covenant was instituted. As Gary so beautifully expressed, we became sons and daughters of our Father, with Jesus as our perfect “older brother, if you will. God’s heart has always been to have a love relationship with His people and He sent Jesus to “bring us back home.”

      Delete
    2. Just reading through the blogs when this one caught my attention.
      The Jewish covenant was put on hold when they rejected there Messiah.
      And now the Christian covenant needs to end with the Rapture, and the Jewish covenant resumed.
      God is going to pickup where He left off only now with a modern cast.
      They need peace with there enemies and a temple rebuilt.

      Delete
  33. AN INTERESTING VIDEO

    A New State of Water Reveals a Hidden Ocean in Earth’s Mantle

    Interesting find in light of an article published a few years back on BBC about water in the earth's mantle. It has been estimated there is more water *in* the earth than on the surface in oceans, rivers, lakes and the atmosphere.

    This is interesting considering the Biblical narrative for the formation of the earth AND the destruction of life during the Great Flood. (Reference, "fountains of the deep"). Again, research is pointing toward the Biblical account.

    Blessings,

    PR

    ReplyDelete
  34. For those who come here to be with like-minded watchers on this important day, be aware Brad has posted a Watcher video on Rev12Blogspot and we'd love to have you there. Also, I found a unique little video today, recommended by Jaco, so I gave it a look. Her information I've not heard before. Although I don't agree necessarily with her final conclusion, tonight is not the night, she may be right. Here's another way to look at her info - Since Israel seeks a sign, and the Church does not require a sign WE ARE THE LAST SIGN - the Rapture. If the Last Sign is The Rapture, coupled with a Blood Moon, that'd be a heck of a sign. If I'm correct, then tonight could easily be what she believes is the last sign coupled with the Event. If so, we're in for a big night and if its not the event, we're one more sign closer to it - The video is not long at less than 28 minutes, and if you listen at 1.5 speed its easy to follow and even shorter. Click Here for Tu B'Shevat Excellent points, not complex or overly produced. Really straightforward. Blessings to All - Sherry

    ReplyDelete
  35. Thank you so much for addressing this! So many new believers are being swept away into this idea that we need to go back to the roots for abundant living. It's a tragic thing and scoffs at the face of Jesus the Messiah.

    ReplyDelete
  36. [image width="88%" height="88%" src="http://www.firstflightmedia.com/Screenshot from 2019-01-21 00:12:44.png"/]

    18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
    who alone does wonderous things.

    19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
    may the whole earth be filled with
    his glory!

    Amen and Amen!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Hi, this is great read. I have question though

    I think this site believe in eternal security of salvation. And usually those who teach that someone can lose his/her salvation is in relation with their works, their teaching is based on several verses like in revelation, etc. But this site and also many others have refuted that teaching, that the verses that they use is not about whether they also have to works but about mixing law and grace.

    Now my question, what about those who start with grace but then start return to the law? doesn't it mean that they then lose their salvation because they lost their belief in Christ alone but in Christ plus their works? So doesn't it mean that we can still lose our salvation (but this time not because we don't follow the law (work) but because we start mixing grace and law?)

    ReplyDelete
  38. Love this write up. I am teaching through Galatians against those who would require or even encourage Torah lifestyle for either salvation or sanctification. To do so is to be dissatisfied with the finished work of Christ in whom the Father is satisfied. To do so for the sake of closer intimacy with God is to say that Christ was not enough. Thank you for your clear presentation.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Gary, thanks to this article John Traczyk has done a complete reversal and is now saying he has been saved after 27 years as a Christian. Don't underestimate how momentous it is with someone as high profile and knowledgeable as John, who was dogmatic on kept by works, overcoming this and trusting solely now on the sacrifice of Jesus as his salvation. It would be be great if you could collaborate with John and tell this story, it could possibly be the trigger for so many others who are nearly there (believe but not fully trust) to come to Christ before we are removed. It really is a day to rejoice

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are all very grateful to God for John! (:

      Delete
  40. Wow! Here I am reading your article, Gary, in July 2019 and it is as timely as ever! I was just recently over at Rev12daily blogspot and we were discussing Hebrews 10--verses 24-25 specifically.

    Most folks miss the intimacy in Christ that is being encouraged in Hebrews 10. Look at this verse:

    [Heb 10:24 KJV] 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

    The word "consider" is from the Greek word katanoéō, from G2596 and G3539; to observe fully:—behold, consider, discover, perceive.

    As we wait for the Day He Comes For Us, we should be gathering together in God's love while truly considering what one another has to share. THIS IS A FORM OF WORSHIP! As we honor the "Christ in" each of us and weigh what each Brother or Sister has to say according to God's Word, we honor Christ. THAT is the type of meeting verse 25 is referring to:

    [Heb 10:25 KJV] 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

    ReplyDelete
  41. For by Grace (unmerited favor) are you saved through Faith.
    Faith is an action word. Action based upon belief sustained by confidence, in the you have enough confidence in you can sustain the action.
    God puts his spirit in you and you become a new creature created in Christ Jesus.
    Paul teaches us that the spirit and the flesh are entrenched in warfare.
    Jesus paid the price for all sins, past present and future.
    All the promises of god are yes in Christ.
    A prayer I pray every day no matter what circumstance I get into.
    "Thank you Lord for Grace, by Your stripes I was healed, and by Your blood I am made worthy
    and by Your resurrection Im Justified"

    ReplyDelete
  42. The Law of Faith

    Only those that are in Christ are going to be caught up. Romans 8 says: there's therefore now no
    condemnation to them which are in Christ. Go down about 5 verses, you find out how you get in Christ. It says that you are in Christ if His spirit is in you. How do you get His spirit in you?
    Third chapter of Revelation ended saying that. Verse 20 Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man bid me, I'll come in. You ask Him in!
    Salvation no longer requires going up and bringing Him down, or descending into deep and bringing Him up. Paul said the word's already nigh you, it's in your mouth, speak it forth. For with the heart man believeth, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
    That seals the covenant. You ask God in, and the same ability of God's spirit to penetrate a rock and take Jesus to glory, can enter this person of ours, and we literally become new creatures in Christ, Jesus, with a dual nature, that the Galatians’ letter says, contains warfare.
    The old man in us, dug in, fighting for it's rights, and the new man in Christ, Jesus, reaching to the one who is worthy. None of us will ever be delivered from sin, until the God of peace sanctifies us fully over there.
    But the message that Paul lays on the saints that are caught up - let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. God's spirit comes to give us the power to start winning the battle over the drag of our self seeking nature.
    Not everyone will be caught up - a lot of people are going to be left here. But those that are in Christ are going to be caught up! And, before the Tribulation!
    "God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent, hath He said, and shall He not do ? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?"(Num.23:19) Alleluia!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Great Excellent, your article makes me confident to the Web Site. This Web, Unsealed, is the best and must be read everyday.

    ReplyDelete


Recommended

[Top Post][grids]

World News

[Top World News][bleft]

Highlights

[Highlights][twocolumns]

Bible Study

[Bible Study][list]

Astronomy

[Astronomy][bleft]

Politics

[Political][twocolumns]

Wolf Watch

[Wolves][bsummary]

Birth Pangs

[Birth Pangs][bleft]

Archaeology

[Archaeology][twocolumns]

Science

[Top Science][list]

In-Depth Articles

[In-Depth][bleft]