Allan Svensson
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 Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject: God's Law and God's Gospel |
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God's Law and God's Gospel
Some people think that we Christians must keep the Sabbath, and
it is urgent that they receive instruction about the justification
through faith. They do not understand that Jesus has redeemed us
from the Law. It is not through the Law that we are saved, but
through God's promise to Abraham. Genesis 12:7, 15:5-6,
17:1-7, 22:11-18. This promise is credited also us who have
Abraham's faith. Rom. 4:16-25. Gal. 3: 16.
This promise is 430 years older than the Law. "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. For if the inheritance be
of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by
promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of
transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise
was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator."
Gal. 3:17-19. The Law was intended to be valid until the Seed
(Jesus) should come.
When Jesus died by the cross for our sins, then he redeemed us at
the same time from the law, and abolished the law's regulations.
Eph. 2:13-14. "Christ that 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: That the blessing of Abraham might come
on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the
promise of the Spirit through faith." Gal. 3:13-14.
"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness
of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them
that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God ... Rom. 3:21-26.
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one
that believeth." Rom. 10:4. The Law was intended to be valid
until Jesus Christ should come, and when we have received
Jesus Christ as our Saviour, then we are redeemed from the
Law. We are not under the Law, but under grace. Rom. 6:14.
For those who do not believe in Jesus, the Law be valid right
up to they meet him as the Judge. Accordingly, the Law be
valid for us until we meet Jesus, either as the Saviour or as
the Judge.
"Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the prophets:
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you,
Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise
pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matt. 5:17-18.
But those who won't believe in Jesus and do not receive him as
the Saviour, for them the Law be valid right until the last day, then
they meet him as the Judge. Then the heaven and the earth have
disappeared. "And I saw a great white throne, and he that sat on
it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there
was found no place for them." Rev. 20:11-15.
Many people think that if they will believe in God and be saved,
then almost everything is forbidden, but it is just on the contrary.
It is for the ungodly that the Law is valid. The ungodly are in duty
bound to fulfil what the Law demands. Jesus says, "But I say unto
you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give
account thereof in the day of judgment." Matt. 12:36.
"Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but
for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for
unholy and profane, for murderers ..." 1 Tim. 1:9-10. "Now we
know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who
are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the
world may become guilty before God." Rom. 3:19. If people
comprehend the Bible as an exacting law book, it is because
they are under the law.
"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in
the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live
peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,
but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance
is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." says the Lord.
Rom. 12:17-19.
Those who do not want to turn to Jesus and believe in him, they
have rejected God's grace and come to get full revenge for their
deeds. "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all
judgment unto the Son." John 5:22. We don't need to repay
those who are against us. Lord Jesus does it for us. "Seeing it is
a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that
trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and
that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thess. 1:6-8.
We who believe in Jesus are not under the Law, but under the
grace. Rom. 6:14. "But if ye be led of the Spirit, you are not
under the law." Gal. 5:18. "And you, being dead in your sins and
the uncircumcision of your flesh, that he quickened together with
him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary
to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross; And having
spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly,
triumphing over them in it." Col. 2:13-14. "But now we are
delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that
we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the
letter." Rom. 7:6.
Yet, it is written in Rom. 2:13, "For not the hearers of the law are
just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Jesus
says in Matt. 7:21, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven." How to explain that?
Please, read Rom. 8:3-4. "For what the law was powerless to do
in that it was weakened by our sinful nature, God did by sending
his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And
so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous
requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not
live according to our sinful nature but according to the Spirit."
When we serve Jesus in the new way of the Spirit, then we fulfil
the Law, though we are not under the Law, but under the grace.
We do what the Law demands, yet, the deeds we then do are not
"law-deeds", but "faith-deeds", such deeds that we do by faith.
Without such deeds the faith is dead. James 2:14, 26.
None be saved by works of the law, Gal. 2:16, and none be saved
without works of faith. Matt. 7:21-23.
Jesus says in John 14:15, "If you love me, keep my commandments."
And in John 15:10, "If you keep my commandments, you shall
abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments
and abide in his love." "For this is the love of God, that we keep
his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."
1 John 5:3. Here it is not question of "law-deeds", but we obey
Jesus because we love him and acknowledge him as our Lord.
Allan Svensson
Do you want to read the continuation of this article
or if you have any questions
Please, visit my Web Site
KJV, "the best English Bible", but not perfect
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/PREPARE.HTM
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/CONTENTS.HTM
(Article 15)
Why was the Pentecostal Revival stopped?
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/CRISIS.HTM#stopped
God is the Love
But God's love does not hinder us to study God's word
http://www.algonet.se/~allan-sv/LOVE.HTM |
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