Galatians Discussion

Hi, I will repeat what I said in the other thread where you quoted me as saying this.

Yes, I was asking these things as questions seeking help for what I perceived to be an apparent contradiction in holy scripture.

What did I say afterwards in the same post?

Lets clear this up then. Once a person becomes a christian and are justified by faith in Christ, does their continued justification hinge on obeying the law?

https://christianchat.com/threads/the-wet-paint-principle-freedom-from-sin.201727/post-4744987

You only have to give a yes or no answer, not send me a link to anywhere else.

Just trying to avoid repeated posts, as those can be annoying.

I sent you to the place where I answered the same question in the other thread.

Let me explain once more. A born again believer has to know in their heart they are always secure with God under a righteousness of faith in Christ. I have repeatedly told you, those who actually believe it live far more Godly lives than those who keep stressing law keeping. If you understood the foundation upon which the new covenant stands you would not keep stressing law keeping for it is no longer an external law, but an internal law written in the mind and placed on the heart of born again believers. It is in their most inward parts, and so they know it, and in their hearts want to follow it, for that is where the law has been placed

Let me explain once more. A born again believer has to know in their heart they are always secure with God under a righteousness of faith in Christ. I have repeatedly told you, those who actually believe it live far more Godly lives than those who keep stressing law keeping. If you understood the foundation upon which the new covenant stands you would not keep stressing law keeping for it is no longer an external law, but an internal law written in the mind and placed on the heart of born again believers. It is in their most inward parts, and so they know it, and in their hearts want to follow it, for that is where the law has been placed

They need to realise the law was given as a tutor to lead people to christ.

not as a guide for christian living. That was never its purpose.

James 1:22-25 might tell you otherwise.

If scripture tells us not to be guided by the law as Christ explained the law to us, then scripture does not agree with scripture. God never tells us that God is wrong. Got does not argue with God.

Here are just a few of the many scriptures telling us to do our best to keep the law:

Proverbs 4:4
Then he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
Keep my commandments and live;

Matthew 19:17
And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Romans 7:12
So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Christ changed the letter of the law written in stone with earthly commandments to guide people to the law. This is often called the law of Moses. The law as Christ gave it to us ("but I tell you") is the true law.

Its NOT WRONG, but what God is telling us is that we can not attain Life Eternal by keeping the Law, because just one violation f that Moral Code means we are guilty of violating God's Laws, thus we are stained with Sin which means we can not ever, ever, ever enter into the Presence of God in Heaven, thus we can ONLY PLEASE God by trusting in His righteousness, thus He can forgive us that which we have no right to be forgiven for, all because we understand His Loving Tender Mercies are indeed our only saving grace.

Gal. 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.

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. 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(THE LAW came 430 years AFTER the Promise to Abraham, THE LAW was never the Covenant, THE PROMISE was), that it should make the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

19 Wherefore then serveth the law?( What purpose was THE LAW for? ) It was added because of transgressions (Sin), till the seed(Jesus) should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 (1)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

(1) The above simply means that the Galatians should STOP trying to be Justified via the Law of the Jews, in other words Paul was sayin STOP trying to get to Heaven by being like the Jews who kept the Law to obtain thete supposed Righteousness !! Who has Bewitched you that starting out in the Faith you have now moved unto the Flesh (trying to Justify yourselves via WORKS of the Law !! )

Therefore at the very end, Paul is not saying we are ALL ONE and the same, or that the Church has taken the place of the Jews, he is simply telling the Galatians, HEY, you do not have to become Jewish to make it to Heaven, all you have to do is BELIEVE God is your Righteousness, like Abraham did, which happened 430 years BEFORE the Law even came unto the Jews !!

We are all one in Christ by FAITH ALONE, be we Jews or Gentiles, Male or Females, Slaves or Freemen !! You don't have to try to act Jewish my brother Galatians, STOP IT !! We know this is what he meant, there are of course Jews and Gentiles AND Males and Females, he was making a point, stop trying to be Jewish in order to gain Heaven by keeping their Laws which even they couldn't keep, because NO MAN can keep all of the Laws, we must receive a pardon by God through Faith alone, because of God's Mercy. We are not worthy to gain heaven. Amen.

If we read Galatians but keep Christ's words as most important, then we know it is through Christ not law we are saved, but that does nothing to keep us from reflecting Christ in our life and we learn from Christ we can't do that through rebellion to law. So we use the law to guide us in reflecting Christ and the idea that it is earning our salvation we give to Paul to go on about, we don't.

If we put Christ first in our life, we learn that the letter of the law, the law in stone has been changed to the law of the spirit, so such as circumcision of the flesh because circumcision of the heart. We are Christ's, not Paul's. Paul is only explaining Christ.

If your a doer of the word. You understand what Paul said about the law. That it was a tutor to lead us to christ.

The moses demanded perfection was required otherwise your under the curse

The james said if we keep the whole law yet stumble in one are we are guilty of all

The law tells you you are guilty, it does not tell you how to keep it. You will find it in the law. The only thing the law should do is bring you to your knees

I noticed that you didn't read the passage in question.

Here it is.

Jas 1:22, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Jas 1:23, For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Jas 1:24, For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Jas 1:25, But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

.

I noticed that you didn't read the passage in question.

Here it is.

Jas 1:22, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Jas 1:23, For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Jas 1:24, For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Jas 1:25, But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Here, obviously, there is a blessing pronounced on those who keep the law.

This would indicate that we can look into the perfect law of liberty and continue in it. We can be doers of the law.

So then, the purpose of the law is not only that it is a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ.

For the believer, it is a set of wisdom principles by which we can live and be blessed in the doing of them.

I think that as long as we know that we have been justified through faith in Christ's shed blood. that we are not seeking to be justified by the law. If we were doing that, then I would agree that such people are under a curse and are required to keep the whole law perfectly from conception into eternity (Galatians 3:10, James 2:10, Matthew 5:48).

The book of Galatians tells us the law points us to Christ, and yet many people use the words of this book to point them to not following Christ. To follow Christ we must depend of Him for forgiveness of sin, and put all the words of he gospel within us and follow them. That leads us to repentance and we regard the law as something we repent of our human lusts leading us away from and want to follow the law.

If we put on the whole armor of the Lord as we read this book we will not be led to use it for rebellion against Christ's leading us to living a life that shines because it reflects Christ in our life.

According to scripture, we are not under the law (Romans 6:14) are dead to the law (Romans 7:4, Galatians 2:19) and have been delivered from the law (Romans 7:6) as concerning condemnation; if we are in Christ.

For we have been forgiven through the blood of Christ; and therefore when the Father looks down on us, He sees, not our sins, but the blood and righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ.

And therefore, in the Father's sight, the law does not any longer point the finger at us and call us sinners.

While from the perspective of the Holy Ghost, whose job it is to convict of sin and also to sanctify the believer, He has a relationship with us where He deals with us according to our sins according to the law (1 Corinthians 9:21, Romans 3:20).

As concerning obedience, we are under the law to Christ (again, 1 Corinthians 9:21).

The law is written on our hearts and minds through the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:8-10, Hebrews 10:16, Romans 8:7, Romans 8:4, 1 John 5:3, 2 John 1:6, Romans 13:8-10; Romans 5:5).

And again, we are not under the law (Romans 6:14), are dead to the law (Romans 7:4, Galatians 2:19) and are delivered from the law (Romans 7:6) as concerning condemnation;

while as concerning obedience we become obedient to the moral tenets of the law;

Not through attempting to obey a set of do's and don'ts (the letter); but through walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit (the spirit of what is written, Romans 7:6, 8:4).

As we bear the fruit of the Spirit, there is no law that will condemn us in our behaviour (Galatians 5:22-23). Thus, when we bear the fruit of the Spirit, we become law-abiding citizens of the kingdom of heaven (see Ezekiel 36:25-27).

This is a righteousness apart from the law that is nevertheless attested to be the law and the prophets (Romans 3:21) that it is indeed righteousness.

Because, this righteousness is not obtained by attempting to obey a set of do's and don'ts.

Rather, we obtain the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:14, Ephesians 1:13-14); and as we walk according to the Spirit, the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us (Romans 8:4, Galatians 5:22-23).

That being said, it is written that if anyone turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination (Proverbs 28:9).

It is indeed faithful and true that those who are of the law are under a curse (Galatians 3:10, James 2:10, Matthew 5:48). However, this is as concerning those who are attempting to be justified by the law (Galatians 5:1-4).

For those who know that they are justified by the blood of Jesus Christ and not by their obedience / works / law-keeping, it becomes a blessing to look into the perfect law of liberty and to walk according to it (James 1:22-25).

If scripture tells us not to be guided by the law as Christ explained the law to us, then scripture does not agree with scripture. God never tells us that God is wrong. Got does not argue with God.

Here are just a few of the many scriptures telling us to do our best to keep the law:

Proverbs 4:4
Then he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
Keep my commandments and live;

Matthew 19:17
And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

Romans 7:12
So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Christ changed the letter of the law written in stone with earthly commandments to guide people to the law. This is often called the law of Moses. The law as Christ gave it to us ("but I tell you") is the true law.

Lets clear this up then. Once a person becomes a christian and are justified by faith in Christ, does their continued justification hinge on obeying the law?