StriperAddict
Senior Member
This was for the recent post "It's a wonderful death* ! " but since it is lengthy I'll put it here. Read slowly?!
===============================================
I’ve talked to many thousands of Christians over decades of ministry and it never ceases to amaze me how many of us are convinced that God wants us, as believers, to follow the law. We are convinced that the law will keep us from sinning. But the law is not God’s rescue plan for humanity— Jesus is. The law cannot work the way so many believers think it will, and here’s why...
Why The Law Won't Save You
Reason 1: Sin gets power from the law.
The more you sincerely try to follow the law, the more you are going to sin. As shocking as this statement might seem to you, we’re going to discover that it’s absolutely biblical. Before we get to that though, it’s crucial for you to hear this: there is nothing wrong with the law. The law is holy, perfect and good. It came to us with a wonderful purpose: It kills and condemns us (II Corinthians 3:6-7, 9). It destroys the lie of the garden that we can be as God, and keeps us from the false hope that one day we just might be able to make it by ourselves. The law drives us to put our faith in Jesus (Galatians 3:24.) Glorious!
However, there is another actor in the drama of life, a villain we need to know about. Its name is “The Power of Sin” and it plays a sinister role in our lives. God Himself warned us about this villain in three crucially important verses. If we are going to find victory over sin in our walk with God, we must understand and assimilate these verses in our lives.
The first verse is 1 Corinthians 15:56, which says, “The sting of death is sin, and THE POWER OF SIN IS THE LAW” (emphasis mine). Did you see that? Sin gets its power from the law! This means that if we focus on the law as a means of sanctification, sin will become a powerful foe against us, and we will find ourselves sinning even more because of following the law. These are surprising words, no question, but they are the words of the Holy Spirit.
What kind of sins are we likely to find if we follow the law?
Drunkenness, adultery, or fornication? Probably not, because those sins are too blatantly wrong to be found in a person who exalts the law. What we’re likely to find are the more “socially acceptable” sins like pride, greed, and slander. Remember, the law breeds an environment of competition, criticism, and judgment. If we follow the law, we will function like the Pharisee in Luke 18, who spent so much time putting down the sinner, that he failed to see his own sin of pride and arrogance. That’s why following the law will never work. Doing so only fuels sin, making it function more powerfully in our lives. As Jesus said in that parable, it was the one who sought mercy from God who went home justified, and not the Pharisee who was consumed with his own self-righteousness derived from his keeping portions of the law, but neglecting those weightier things like love and mercy.
Reason 2: The law does not restrain sin.
Why do we make rules? There are laws against commit- ting murder. States and cities make speed limit laws. Why do we do that? We make laws to prevent dangerous behavior from occurring. We do that because we want to provide an environment of harmony and safety in community. This is normal practice for the world we live in. Parents make rules for their children like, “Don’t run in the house.” They do that to keep kids from running in the house with the goal that they will be safe from harm. Put simply, among humanity, we establish laws to promote good behavior.
When it comes to laws, God’s purpose is radically differ- ent. He says in Romans 5:20, “The Law came in SO THAT the transgression would INCREASE.” When did you ever hear that verse taught in church? When humanity chose to live by law by eating from the tree of good and evil (right and wrong), God knew it wouldn’t stop or curb our sinful behavior. In fact, He provided the written law, given to the nation of Israel, which they in turn were to share with the rest of humanity. He did this to provide mankind with a tangible target to aim at in their following of the law. But listen to the Spirit's words in Romans 5:20. The words “so that” indicate purpose. Do you realize what this verse is saying? The law came in with the purpose that we would sin more with the law, than without the law!
Why would God do that? So that the guilt, shame, conflict, frustration, and failure we experience under the law will cause us to get sick of living under the law. In our desperation, we would cry out to God, “This just isn’t working! God, is there a better way?”
Then, to the cry of our weary hearts, God can answer, “Yes, My child! You don’t know how much I’ve longed to hear you say those words! There is a better way and that way is Jesus, My Son, Who is the way, the truth, and the life!”
Oh, my friend, do you realize the incredible thing God has done? People chose the wrong way, the wrong tree. In the garden we chose the tree of law, the tree of performing, which ultimately leads to death. Incredibly, God uses that choice to drive us back to Jesus, the better way, the tree of life we should have chosen in the first place. Do you realize what that means? Man choosing law was the ultimate opportunity for God to prove to us that all things work together for good, to those that love Him (Romans 8:28.) God took what we chose, the tree of law, and used it against us, to drive us to the choice we should have made - Jesus: The Tree of Life! God is so awesome in His working in our lives, He even took the worst event in history and used it to achieve the greatest event in history, our redemption in Christ - through the law which drove us to Jesus. Wow!
Reason 3: Sin’s favorite tool is the law.
This brings us to the third reason the law will never work. Let’s examine Romans 7:8, “But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind.” Sin is so sinful, it actually uses the law to cause us to sin even more. Our problem is not with the law but with the power of sin. Let me illustrate this idea.
“Keep off the grass.” What do you want to do? Suddenly, the grass looks so inviting. “Wet paint. Do not touch.” I can hear some of you right now saying, “Oh yeah? Watch me!” These are trivial, playful examples, but they demonstrate clearly the power of sin at work in all our lives. As soon as we’re told to NOT do something, the power of sin stirs up the want to do that exact something. This process is precisely why most diets fail. The law of diet says, “Do not eat the cookie.” What are you going to do? Eat the cookie, right? No, the power of sin will compel you to eat half the bag. This is how sin works! It uses the law to stir up even more sin.
What we should say, is as those who walk in the grace and freedom of Christ is, “I am free to eat cookies, but how many do I WANT to eat?” The New Covenant economy is not one of should, ought, or must, but want. As those with new hearts, our "want" has been changed. We want what God wants for our lives, because we have brand new spirits that are in union and harmony with God's own Spirit. WOW!
So - a quick review regarding the law.
1. Sin actually gets its power from the law.
2. The law does not restrain sin (contrary to what many believe)
3. Sin uses the law, to cause us to sin even more.
There is a better way, the way of the Lord Jesus, Who has given us His Spirit, His life, a life that fulfills the righteousness of the law when we walk by faith. Wow!
New Testament Commandments
One of the things that many people who come to grace fail to realize, is that the New Covenant did not remove the imperative mood from the New Testament. The New Testament is filled with commandments, and Jesus Himself said that if we love Him, we would keep His commandments.
So, what about the New Testament commandments? If we are free from the law, how are we to understand all those commandments directed to us as believers? That is a great question.
The New Testament is full of commands for us to follow: don’t steal, don’t gossip, don’t boast. When we look at those commands, we need to interpret them in the context of the complete teachings of the New Testament. They don’t function as laws that secure merit with God. We already have merit with God through Jesus. We need to view these commandments differently from the way we view the law. We view them through New Covenant understanding, in two ways:
First: Is to view those commands as affirmations of our new identity in Christ. When we read, “Don’t steal,” that is a reminder of our new identity in Christ. We don’t steal because we are no longer thieves. When the New Testament says, “Don’t commit adultery,” we are being reminded that we are not adulterers, but faithful spouses in Christ.
Second" Is to view those commands as promises from God. God always provides the resources to accomplish what He calls us to do. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 says this clearly: “Faithful is He Who called you, and He will do it” (paraphrased).
When we see the command to be kind, we are being reminded that God will express His kindness through us, as we trust Him to do so. When we read that we are commanded to forgive, we under- stand that God will provide the power for us to forgive as we trust Him to live His powerfully forgiving life in us, instead of us trying to follow that command in our own resources.
The commands in the New Testament are assurances that He will be the power to fulfill the principles He has called us to. He will be all He is, to all we need, in the moment of faith.
As we walk in our new identity and trust Him, He produces His righteous life through us. As others observe us walking in the Spirit, they might say something like:
“You’re a religious person, aren’t you?”
“Oh no, I hate religion.”
“Well, you follow the Ten Commandments, don’t you?”
“No, actually, I don’t.”
“Well, do you steal? “No.”
“Do you kill?” “No.”
“Do you commit adultery?” “Heaven forbid!”
“Then you’re following the Ten Commandments.”“
No, I’m not. What you see in me is the life of Jesus being lived out through me as I trust Him. By faith, He is living in me, loving others through me, and fulfilling the righteousness of the law in my life" (Romans 8:3-4.)
This is great glory. In the New Covenant, we who walk by faith actually fulfill the righteousness of the law, by not following the law, but instead following the Spirit!" Again - WOW!
Grace Does What the Law Can’t
The law brings isolation. When you’re under the law you’re constantly evaluating yourself and others. Not only that, you’re constantly being judged and criticized by yourself and others who are also walking by the law. Grace, however, creates safety in relationships because we are no longer competing and judging behavior. Grace has put all of us on the same level playing field of securing righteousness in Christ, and in Him alone. That is why Paul said that there is no room for boasting in our lives, who have RECEIVED from God, the righteousness that is ours in Him. Our boast is in Christ alone!
Here’s a simple challenge.
If you want to test how you are doing in your walk in the grace of God in Christ, go to the people closest to you and ask them these questions, encouraging them to be honest in their answer. Ask them if they feel safe around you. Ask them if they are able to relax and be themselves when they are with you, or if they have to be on guard with what they say and do. Their answers will be a great indicator of whether you are someone who is living in grace, or just talking about grace.
Consider this: no one was ever afraid to be in Jesus’ presence—not the greatest sinner, and not even His enemies. When we walk in our true identities in Christ, filled with His love and acceptance, we will become the same safe harbor for others today, that He was to people then. This is glory...
Jesus said that if we have freely received (what grace is all about), we should also freely give.
Something to ponder---
You are loved,
Pastor Frank Friedmann
For more on this subject: Consider readying Frank's book:
"Stunned by Grace - It's Beyond Amazing"
===============================================
I’ve talked to many thousands of Christians over decades of ministry and it never ceases to amaze me how many of us are convinced that God wants us, as believers, to follow the law. We are convinced that the law will keep us from sinning. But the law is not God’s rescue plan for humanity— Jesus is. The law cannot work the way so many believers think it will, and here’s why...
Why The Law Won't Save You
Reason 1: Sin gets power from the law.
The more you sincerely try to follow the law, the more you are going to sin. As shocking as this statement might seem to you, we’re going to discover that it’s absolutely biblical. Before we get to that though, it’s crucial for you to hear this: there is nothing wrong with the law. The law is holy, perfect and good. It came to us with a wonderful purpose: It kills and condemns us (II Corinthians 3:6-7, 9). It destroys the lie of the garden that we can be as God, and keeps us from the false hope that one day we just might be able to make it by ourselves. The law drives us to put our faith in Jesus (Galatians 3:24.) Glorious!
However, there is another actor in the drama of life, a villain we need to know about. Its name is “The Power of Sin” and it plays a sinister role in our lives. God Himself warned us about this villain in three crucially important verses. If we are going to find victory over sin in our walk with God, we must understand and assimilate these verses in our lives.
The first verse is 1 Corinthians 15:56, which says, “The sting of death is sin, and THE POWER OF SIN IS THE LAW” (emphasis mine). Did you see that? Sin gets its power from the law! This means that if we focus on the law as a means of sanctification, sin will become a powerful foe against us, and we will find ourselves sinning even more because of following the law. These are surprising words, no question, but they are the words of the Holy Spirit.
What kind of sins are we likely to find if we follow the law?
Drunkenness, adultery, or fornication? Probably not, because those sins are too blatantly wrong to be found in a person who exalts the law. What we’re likely to find are the more “socially acceptable” sins like pride, greed, and slander. Remember, the law breeds an environment of competition, criticism, and judgment. If we follow the law, we will function like the Pharisee in Luke 18, who spent so much time putting down the sinner, that he failed to see his own sin of pride and arrogance. That’s why following the law will never work. Doing so only fuels sin, making it function more powerfully in our lives. As Jesus said in that parable, it was the one who sought mercy from God who went home justified, and not the Pharisee who was consumed with his own self-righteousness derived from his keeping portions of the law, but neglecting those weightier things like love and mercy.
Reason 2: The law does not restrain sin.
Why do we make rules? There are laws against commit- ting murder. States and cities make speed limit laws. Why do we do that? We make laws to prevent dangerous behavior from occurring. We do that because we want to provide an environment of harmony and safety in community. This is normal practice for the world we live in. Parents make rules for their children like, “Don’t run in the house.” They do that to keep kids from running in the house with the goal that they will be safe from harm. Put simply, among humanity, we establish laws to promote good behavior.
When it comes to laws, God’s purpose is radically differ- ent. He says in Romans 5:20, “The Law came in SO THAT the transgression would INCREASE.” When did you ever hear that verse taught in church? When humanity chose to live by law by eating from the tree of good and evil (right and wrong), God knew it wouldn’t stop or curb our sinful behavior. In fact, He provided the written law, given to the nation of Israel, which they in turn were to share with the rest of humanity. He did this to provide mankind with a tangible target to aim at in their following of the law. But listen to the Spirit's words in Romans 5:20. The words “so that” indicate purpose. Do you realize what this verse is saying? The law came in with the purpose that we would sin more with the law, than without the law!
Why would God do that? So that the guilt, shame, conflict, frustration, and failure we experience under the law will cause us to get sick of living under the law. In our desperation, we would cry out to God, “This just isn’t working! God, is there a better way?”
Then, to the cry of our weary hearts, God can answer, “Yes, My child! You don’t know how much I’ve longed to hear you say those words! There is a better way and that way is Jesus, My Son, Who is the way, the truth, and the life!”
Oh, my friend, do you realize the incredible thing God has done? People chose the wrong way, the wrong tree. In the garden we chose the tree of law, the tree of performing, which ultimately leads to death. Incredibly, God uses that choice to drive us back to Jesus, the better way, the tree of life we should have chosen in the first place. Do you realize what that means? Man choosing law was the ultimate opportunity for God to prove to us that all things work together for good, to those that love Him (Romans 8:28.) God took what we chose, the tree of law, and used it against us, to drive us to the choice we should have made - Jesus: The Tree of Life! God is so awesome in His working in our lives, He even took the worst event in history and used it to achieve the greatest event in history, our redemption in Christ - through the law which drove us to Jesus. Wow!
Reason 3: Sin’s favorite tool is the law.
This brings us to the third reason the law will never work. Let’s examine Romans 7:8, “But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind.” Sin is so sinful, it actually uses the law to cause us to sin even more. Our problem is not with the law but with the power of sin. Let me illustrate this idea.
“Keep off the grass.” What do you want to do? Suddenly, the grass looks so inviting. “Wet paint. Do not touch.” I can hear some of you right now saying, “Oh yeah? Watch me!” These are trivial, playful examples, but they demonstrate clearly the power of sin at work in all our lives. As soon as we’re told to NOT do something, the power of sin stirs up the want to do that exact something. This process is precisely why most diets fail. The law of diet says, “Do not eat the cookie.” What are you going to do? Eat the cookie, right? No, the power of sin will compel you to eat half the bag. This is how sin works! It uses the law to stir up even more sin.
What we should say, is as those who walk in the grace and freedom of Christ is, “I am free to eat cookies, but how many do I WANT to eat?” The New Covenant economy is not one of should, ought, or must, but want. As those with new hearts, our "want" has been changed. We want what God wants for our lives, because we have brand new spirits that are in union and harmony with God's own Spirit. WOW!
So - a quick review regarding the law.
1. Sin actually gets its power from the law.
2. The law does not restrain sin (contrary to what many believe)
3. Sin uses the law, to cause us to sin even more.
There is a better way, the way of the Lord Jesus, Who has given us His Spirit, His life, a life that fulfills the righteousness of the law when we walk by faith. Wow!
New Testament Commandments
One of the things that many people who come to grace fail to realize, is that the New Covenant did not remove the imperative mood from the New Testament. The New Testament is filled with commandments, and Jesus Himself said that if we love Him, we would keep His commandments.
So, what about the New Testament commandments? If we are free from the law, how are we to understand all those commandments directed to us as believers? That is a great question.
The New Testament is full of commands for us to follow: don’t steal, don’t gossip, don’t boast. When we look at those commands, we need to interpret them in the context of the complete teachings of the New Testament. They don’t function as laws that secure merit with God. We already have merit with God through Jesus. We need to view these commandments differently from the way we view the law. We view them through New Covenant understanding, in two ways:
First: Is to view those commands as affirmations of our new identity in Christ. When we read, “Don’t steal,” that is a reminder of our new identity in Christ. We don’t steal because we are no longer thieves. When the New Testament says, “Don’t commit adultery,” we are being reminded that we are not adulterers, but faithful spouses in Christ.
Second" Is to view those commands as promises from God. God always provides the resources to accomplish what He calls us to do. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 says this clearly: “Faithful is He Who called you, and He will do it” (paraphrased).
When we see the command to be kind, we are being reminded that God will express His kindness through us, as we trust Him to do so. When we read that we are commanded to forgive, we under- stand that God will provide the power for us to forgive as we trust Him to live His powerfully forgiving life in us, instead of us trying to follow that command in our own resources.
The commands in the New Testament are assurances that He will be the power to fulfill the principles He has called us to. He will be all He is, to all we need, in the moment of faith.
As we walk in our new identity and trust Him, He produces His righteous life through us. As others observe us walking in the Spirit, they might say something like:
“You’re a religious person, aren’t you?”
“Oh no, I hate religion.”
“Well, you follow the Ten Commandments, don’t you?”
“No, actually, I don’t.”
“Well, do you steal? “No.”
“Do you kill?” “No.”
“Do you commit adultery?” “Heaven forbid!”
“Then you’re following the Ten Commandments.”“
No, I’m not. What you see in me is the life of Jesus being lived out through me as I trust Him. By faith, He is living in me, loving others through me, and fulfilling the righteousness of the law in my life" (Romans 8:3-4.)
This is great glory. In the New Covenant, we who walk by faith actually fulfill the righteousness of the law, by not following the law, but instead following the Spirit!" Again - WOW!
Grace Does What the Law Can’t
The law brings isolation. When you’re under the law you’re constantly evaluating yourself and others. Not only that, you’re constantly being judged and criticized by yourself and others who are also walking by the law. Grace, however, creates safety in relationships because we are no longer competing and judging behavior. Grace has put all of us on the same level playing field of securing righteousness in Christ, and in Him alone. That is why Paul said that there is no room for boasting in our lives, who have RECEIVED from God, the righteousness that is ours in Him. Our boast is in Christ alone!
Here’s a simple challenge.
If you want to test how you are doing in your walk in the grace of God in Christ, go to the people closest to you and ask them these questions, encouraging them to be honest in their answer. Ask them if they feel safe around you. Ask them if they are able to relax and be themselves when they are with you, or if they have to be on guard with what they say and do. Their answers will be a great indicator of whether you are someone who is living in grace, or just talking about grace.
Consider this: no one was ever afraid to be in Jesus’ presence—not the greatest sinner, and not even His enemies. When we walk in our true identities in Christ, filled with His love and acceptance, we will become the same safe harbor for others today, that He was to people then. This is glory...
Jesus said that if we have freely received (what grace is all about), we should also freely give.
Something to ponder---
You are loved,
Pastor Frank Friedmann
For more on this subject: Consider readying Frank's book:
"Stunned by Grace - It's Beyond Amazing"
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