[/QUOTE] Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
This is scripture. If you are a Christian its in your bible. Be a Christian. Don't go back to the Old Jewish way that is the yoke of bondage.
You want to be pleasing to God? You want to be clean and Righteous before God? You can only do that by faith in Christ. No other way.[/QUOTE]
"Old Jewish way that is the yoke of bondage" that you speak of
refers to Judaism -
surely not God's SPIRITUAL Law of love as defined by the 10 Commandments.
Judaism (both modern Judaism
and the Judaism practiced by the Pharisees and scribes of Christ’s day) is a
corruption of both God’s law and the teachings of the Old Testament. It is a corruption of God’s way of life. One such corruption is that Judaism adopted a system of pagan penance. Another major corruption came about after the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, when the Jewish religious leaders came to deeply realize that God had sent the Israelites into captivity
due to their flagrant
breaking of God’s laws. The realization of this fact, led the current religious leaders into the
misguided solution of trying to “insulate and protect” the law of God---by building a “fence”
around the actual law---so that it would never be broken again. In their misguided zeal, they added more than 600
man-made laws, commandments, rules, regulations and oral law
to the laws of God (and, in particular, to
the Law of Moses).
Among these more than 600
“fence laws
” were some 65 do’s and don’ts concerning Sabbath keeping. When the entire compilation of the law of Judaism was made in the 3rd century A.D. (in a book called the
Misnah) this book was 800 pages long! What’s more, the Talmud (an authoritative commentary
on the law) came to 12 printed
volumes!
BELIEF - FAITH - LAW - OBEDIENCE - JUSTIFICATION - GRACE - REPENTANCE
It all fits together! We cannot discuss one without discussing the others and expect to understand.
Isaiah 28:10 For
precept must be upon precept,
precept upon precept, Line
upon line, line
upon line, Here a little, there a little.”
Many people sincerely believe that all one has to do is “believe on Jesus” to be saved. Jesus says this to those who believe but do not do the things He says:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven...’” (Matthew 7:21–23).
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)?
“But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17).
The law does not justify us. It teaches us the reason we need justification. It teaches us what sin is (1 John 3:4). Once we have sinned by breaking that law, it is through faith in the sacrifice of Christ that justification—forgiveness of past sins—takes place. The law defines sin. Faith in Christ’s sacrifice brings about justification.
This is summarized in
Galatians 2:15–18: “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and
not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Paul also said, “for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the
doers of the law will be justified” (by Christ) (Romans 2:13). We are justified to God
by Christ having paid the penalty for our past sins, but the Bible teaches that we should become diligent in keeping the commandments and (strive to) sin no more.
(James 2:19) James says “You believe that there is one God. You do well.
Even the demons believe—and tremble!” . “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that
faith without works is dead?” (v. 20). Then, using the example of Abraham offering up his son Isaac, he says: “Do you see that
faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” (v. 22).
And to whom did He swear that they
would not enter His rest,
but to those who did not obey?” (Hebrews 3:14–18). Then Paul sums up this passage by saying:
“So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief” (v. 19). He connects Belief with Obedience
Hebrews 11 is known as the “faith chapter” because it records example after example of men and women who exercised faith in the face of trials and stress. “But
without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him” (v. 6).
aul never contradicted Jesus by teaching commandment breaking.
Paul, in a letter to uncircumcised Gentile Christians said
, "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcised is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters" (
1 Corinthians 7:19). Even the Apostle to the Gentiles taught commandment keeping!
If we truly love God, we will begin keeping His commandments,
"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (
1 John 5:3).
God's Grace
Grace is a “gift from God.” But, is this grace a
permanent state, such that “once saved, always saved”?
An often-misunderstood verse in Scripture.
Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (KJV). The phrase “are ye saved” uses a
present-progressive verb. A “present-progressive” verb describes an ongoing action. Any good Bible concordance will verify that the
KJV correctly renders the tense of the original Greek verb. The most precise translation of
Ephesians 2:8,we
“are being” saved through faith.
To sum up, Christians
have been saved from our past sins by the blood of Christ (justification); we are now “being saved” through faith (
Matthew 24:13), and we “shall be saved by His life” (
Romans 5:10).
Repentance
Many preach and teach - "Just believe, and you will be saved!" BUT God tells us to repent of sin and be baptized - is THAT "salvation by works"?
What is repentance? The Greek word translated
"repent" is metanoeo, which means to "think differently." Repent of what? SIN - But what is sin? "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." (
1 John 3:4). The
King James Version puts it plainly—
"sin is the transgression of the law."
When we repent of sin, we are deeply sorry for having transgressed God's law. (
Romans 8:7). After repentance, we want to be in harmony with God's law of love—the Ten Commandments. Repentance brings a deep change in our thinking, and a commitment to live by every word of God.
As Jesus said: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4).
On the day of Pentecost in 31ad, in the first inspired sermon of the New Testament Church,
the Apostle Peter spoke in Jerusalem to several thousand people, after which they became convicted for their part in killing the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Thousands asked Peter and the other Apostles:
"Men and brethren, what shall we do?"(
Acts 2:37).
Here was Peter's opportunity to tell them that they did not need to do anything more than "believe." Did he tell them so? No! What did he actually say?
"Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 2:38). Peter proclaimed wonderful news—that they could be forgiven of their sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For this to occur, he insisted on two points—that they repent (of breaking God's Spiritual Law - The 10 Commandments), and that they be baptized.
A Defense Of God's Spiritual Law
"Christians Are Required to Keep God's Law!"
https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/85fa28aa-ec90-48bc-a7af-7d84aafb3da7
Videos
"Did Paul Do Away With the Law?"
Will You Follow Christ or Paul?
Who Says?
The effects of God's Law "done away with" in society.
BILLIONS WEREN’T EXPECTING THIS AFTER DEATH
What happens to faithful, repentant Christians? What happens to those who lived bad lives during this life? What happens to those who Don't keep God's law?