How can we uphold the law through faith? Romans 3:31
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I go by the belief that because we are born again, we will generally walk in a consistent, practical holiness.
But that if we blow it, righteousness is still imputed to us (Romans 4:5).
According to that verse, we stand as justified even when we blow it. We have an identity in Christ...that we are righteous...even if we should fail to live up perfectly to God's standard of righteousness.
The exhortation, therefore, is that, now that you have this unshakable identity, that you are righteous, go and live like it (1 John 3:7, Romans 5:19, Matthew 5:6).
But that if we blow it, righteousness is still imputed to us (Romans 4:5).
According to that verse, we stand as justified even when we blow it. We have an identity in Christ...that we are righteous...even if we should fail to live up perfectly to God's standard of righteousness.
The exhortation, therefore, is that, now that you have this unshakable identity, that you are righteous, go and live like it (1 John 3:7, Romans 5:19, Matthew 5:6).
Now, it is the Holy Spirit who convicts us.
"He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment..."
This might come through another so led by the Spirit.
"For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict."
The law only has authority over the living.
"Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?"
Those in Christ (dead to the law) are no longer are bound to the written code.
"But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."
In Christ, we are led by the Spirit of God.
By the Spirit, I might be led to pick up a rock. There is no law for picking up or not picking up a rock. Yet, in the kingdom of His beloved Son, not picking up the rock is a sin, because the Spirit governs the lives of those in Christ, not the old law. By following the Spirit we follow the commandments of Christ because the Spirit does not speak on His own. He only speaks what He hears. Directions from the Holy Spirit are the commandments of Christ.
"He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment..."
This might come through another so led by the Spirit.
"For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict."
The law only has authority over the living.
"Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?"
Those in Christ (dead to the law) are no longer are bound to the written code.
"But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."
In Christ, we are led by the Spirit of God.
By the Spirit, I might be led to pick up a rock. There is no law for picking up or not picking up a rock. Yet, in the kingdom of His beloved Son, not picking up the rock is a sin, because the Spirit governs the lives of those in Christ, not the old law. By following the Spirit we follow the commandments of Christ because the Spirit does not speak on His own. He only speaks what He hears. Directions from the Holy Spirit are the commandments of Christ.
That's true the old letter was nail to the cross, that was the animal sacrifice law, which Paul explains in (Gal. 3:1, 13, 16-17, 19, 24) (v.1) O FOOLISH Ga-la’-tians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? (v.13) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, CURSED IS EVERYONE THAT HANGETH ON A TREE: What law is this talking about? Let the bible speak for itself.
(v.16) Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of One, AND TO THY SEED, which is Christ. (v.17) And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
Now pay attention, the law that is being spoken of here came four hundred and thirty years after this covenant. But God’s holy commandments have been around forever even before man was created. Remember that Satan was kicked out of heaven because iniquity (sin) was found in him. And what is sin? The transgression of the law (commandments). Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. Now we have just read the biblical definition of sin, the transgression (breaking) of the law (commandments.) It doesn’t matter what you or I think sin is, it’s what God says sin is that counts. (1John 3:4)
(v.19) Wherefore then serveth the law? A question is being asked here. Then why should we serve this law? It was added because of transgression, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; the law that we are talking about here was added because of sin. But we now know that sin is the transgression of the law.
How do you add a law if sin is the transgression of the law? Because there are two sets of laws, you have God’s holy commandments which abided forever, and you had the animal sacrificial law which was added because of sin, but it was only good until the seed should come to whom the promise was made, and that seed was Jesus.
(v.24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. This animal sacrificial law was only a schoolmaster.
And this schoolmaster taught you that when you sinned in ignorance blood had to be shed (an animal sacrificed). But Christ being the ultimate sacrifice shed his precious blood once and for all, and by doing this putting an end to the animal sacrificial law. Paul says in Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. So when you quoted all the places in the Bible that do away with this animal sacrificial law, not understanding that Paul talks about two sets of law. The Royal law (Ten Commandments) and the animal sacrificial law sometimes in the same verse you bring destruction to yourselves.
The law only produced slaves. The covenant between God and Christ produces son of God. This covenant was ratified from the foundation of the earth in eternity. The law was given because of transgressions to limit death so that the One through whom reconciliation (to God) would come through the promise given to Abraham. The sons have now appeared and by that we establish the law, e.g. we prove that the law worked because He arose as the firstborn of many. We are the many; the sons within the Son.
Using an example from everyday life: many of us were contained in a crib. But we reached the point where the crib no longer suited us. Do we curse the crib? No. It served its purpose. By being alive we establish that the crib was good. Should we go back into the crib? Of course not. Even though the crib was good it no longer suits us. Doing so would be a regression and we would be limited by the confines of the crib.
Using an example from everyday life: many of us were contained in a crib. But we reached the point where the crib no longer suited us. Do we curse the crib? No. It served its purpose. By being alive we establish that the crib was good. Should we go back into the crib? Of course not. Even though the crib was good it no longer suits us. Doing so would be a regression and we would be limited by the confines of the crib.
The royal law is simply this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. Jesus already trumped that law with “love one another as I have loved you”.
Even so, we are to live like those judged by “the law of liberty”. This is the reality of His presence by His Spirit. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”.
Even so, we are to live like those judged by “the law of liberty”. This is the reality of His presence by His Spirit. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”.
Notice that while Romans 3:25 says that past sins will be forgiven, it does not say that present and future sins will not be forgiven.
Sins that I confess two days from now may yet be in my future to now. Will I be forgiven when I confess them?
Because they are still in the future.
So, if only past sins are forgiven, they will not be forgiven; and 1 John 1:9 is then null and void.
But they will not be in the present or future when I confess them. By that time, they will be in the past.
However, right now, they are still in the future.
So, they cannot be forgiven because they are in the present or in the future?
Sins that I confess two days from now may yet be in my future to now. Will I be forgiven when I confess them?
Because they are still in the future.
So, if only past sins are forgiven, they will not be forgiven; and 1 John 1:9 is then null and void.
But they will not be in the present or future when I confess them. By that time, they will be in the past.
However, right now, they are still in the future.
So, they cannot be forgiven because they are in the present or in the future?
Which law are you referring to that will make you a slave?
Now let's begin by taking a look at both of the laws and how they worked together. We will see there were two laws given to Moses, they were the commandments and the sacrificial law. Watch how they worked together.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: (Leviticus 4:1-2) The law in the scriptures above is the commandments.
Notice something else very important in these two scriptures. It states, "if a soul shall sin through ignorance." Notice that the scripture did not says on purpose. Why? There is no sacrifice for a sin that is committed willfully. Let's find out what was to be done if a person committed a sin against the Lord unintentionally.
Let's skip down to the 27th verse and take a look at the second law (which is the sacrificial law).
And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar. (Leviticus 4:27-30)
When the common people sinned through ignorance and it came to their knowledge, what did they have to do? They brought an offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for their sin which they had committed, then the priest would offer the animal to the Lord. Think about this for a moment. If an animal was killed for a person that committed sin, what will happen to us today if we a trespass against the Lord?
The law created a quid pro quo arrangement between the people and God: they get something for something. God kept His end of the deal but the people fell short. In such an arrangement the only thing left for people to give was their own lives. Yet, the law did not permit one to give up his life else the law could not preserve the people. In this type of situation, God, who kept his end of the deal, is owed a debt the people cannot repay. This is the hallmark of slavery and why the law could only produce slaves.
@BroTan,
If someone sins willfully after becoming a believer in Christ, is therefore the following verse made null and void?
Jhn 6:37, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
I would contend that if anyone is able and willing to come to Christ in repentance after having become a believer in Him, and willfully sinned, that they did not have the fullest knowledge of the truth. There was something lacking in their understanding that prevented them from walking in the holiness that is spoken of in Hebrews 10.
Therefore, a believer who has sinned willfully, if they are willing and able to come to Christ in repentance, will be able to do so. He will in no wise cast them out.
If someone sins willfully after becoming a believer in Christ, is therefore the following verse made null and void?
Jhn 6:37, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
I would contend that if anyone is able and willing to come to Christ in repentance after having become a believer in Him, and willfully sinned, that they did not have the fullest knowledge of the truth. There was something lacking in their understanding that prevented them from walking in the holiness that is spoken of in Hebrews 10.
Therefore, a believer who has sinned willfully, if they are willing and able to come to Christ in repentance, will be able to do so. He will in no wise cast them out.
That could be very much possible. Let's go to Matthew 9: 10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Let's go to one more place in 1 John 2: 1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
The Lord having mercy on whom he will. I can't say the Lord will have mercy on someone who willfully sin and then repent. Even Paul says in Romans 9: 14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Interesting you think like that. In the scriptures it's written in Psalm 19: 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul:
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart:
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever:
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Paul says in (Rom. 7:7,12) (v.7) What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, THOU SHALT NOT COVET.
Paul asked a question, is the law sin? He said God forbid, he said the only way that he knew what sin was, was by the law.
(v.12) Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Why in the world would a Christian want to do away with something that God said is holy.
Paul says in (Rom. 4:15) Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. If there is no law there is no sin.
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart:
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever:
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Paul says in (Rom. 7:7,12) (v.7) What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, THOU SHALT NOT COVET.
Paul asked a question, is the law sin? He said God forbid, he said the only way that he knew what sin was, was by the law.
(v.12) Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Why in the world would a Christian want to do away with something that God said is holy.
Paul says in (Rom. 4:15) Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. If there is no law there is no sin.