Christ’s Law Obedience

[netchaplain]

By “the righteousness of the law” is meant “the righteous requirement of the law” (Rom 8:4); and the righteous requirement of the law states that “the soul that sins, it shall die” (Eze 18:4, 20; originally Gen 2:17). To rightly obey the law would require an antecedent righteousness (Christ only) because obedience to it does not make one righteous but shows one is already righteous, nor can righteousness come by the law (Gal 2:21) but only by faith in Christ. This makes His righteousness ours for we cannot effect our own due to the old man’s presence, thus requiring total dependence on His righteousness “imputed” to us (Rom 4:11; 1Cor 1:30). The righteousness of the Lord Jesus being present upon His conception and incarnation is the righteousness imputed to believers, not that which might be assumed from the law.

The phrase “fulfilled in us” designs the intention concerning non-accountability to the eternal judgement from the sin nature, it being expiated for us, which is manifested in the fact that since Christ did not disobey the law, by rights He was not required to die, but since no man could ever effect righteousness (all righteousness originates from God) of his own essence, “it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Heb 2:17).

The fruit of Christ’s work?—the ever-present “desire to do God’s good pleasure” (Phl 2:13), which cannot be hindered by the “abundance of sin” (sin nature), because of the “abundance of grace” (Rom 5:20). Hence, the “desire” for God is always more prominent in the believer than anything else.

“He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.” (NLT)

- NC

 

[Jim Parker]

JTLYK:
The Greek word translated as "righteousness" (DIKAIOSUNE) is a translation of the Hebraic word "Tsedaqa" which refers to the energy by which God saves.

The application of a judicial understanding of the pagan Greek, DIKAIOSUNE, has had an unfortunate effect on the understanding of the atonement and the position of man before God by rendering it a judicial transaction. The clearest presentation of that unfortunate effect is found in the tract of Anselm of Canterbury, "Cur Deus Homo", which asserts that, because Adam's sin was an infinite offense against God, it was necessary that an infinitely valuable sacrifice be made to assuage his offended honor and to satisfy the demands of justice. That places God in a subordinate position to necessity and renders God's greatest act of love toward mankind a mere satisfaction of God's demand that sufficiently valuable blood be spilt to assuage his need for vengeance.

To the best of my understanding, that Roman Catholic teaching, based on the writings of Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Anselm, has been embraced by every Protestant denomination.

See "Cur Deus Homo" at: https://archive.org/stream/curdeushomo00anse/curdeushomo00anse_djvu.txt

just FYI

iakov the fool

 

[netchaplain]

because Adam's sin was an infinite offense against God, it was necessary that an infinitely valuable sacrifice be made

Hi JP - It's my understanding that the purpose of God's plan was to teach man of Himself, esp. of His holiness, by allowing man to choose sin, and through experiencing it can learn the contrast between it and His desire for us, which is to choose Him.

Blessings!

 

[Jim Parker]

Hi JP - It's my understanding that the purpose of God's plan was to teach man of Himself, esp. of His holiness, by allowing man to choose sin, and through experiencing it can learn the contrast between it and His desire for us, which is to choose Him.

Blessings!

Dieter Bonhoeffer put it well when he said that it was not man's purpose to know good and evil but, rather, to know God. (I don't remember which of Bonhoeffer's books that was in. I think it was Ethics.) Man learns of God's holiness and, just as important to man, God's love by abiding in the presence of God.

The notion that God was infinitely offended by man's sin begs the question; "Didn't God already know what man would do and what the consequences would be and what He would do to save man from those consequences?"

Man's adventure into "the knowledge of good and evil", aside from bringing every evil under the sun upon our own heads, has developed into the farcical "wisdom" of today in which we assert that a person can be a "woman trapped in a male body" and should, therefore, he should be allowed to use the ladies rest room at WalMart.

The free will and intellect with which God endowed man gives man the ability to choose God, Who has an infinite love for man, or to try to be a god in his own right. The first leads to eternal life being "one flesh" with Christ as the bride of Christ, His body, the Church, and the second leads to greed and separation from life and all living things as the "self-made god" attempts to secure eternal life by his own machinations.

Man can choose God's love, which leads to being intimated united to God in Christ, or he can go it alone which leads to eternal exclusion from all relationships and from all love except love of self.

iakov the fool

 

[netchaplain]

Dieter Bonhoeffer put it well when he said that it was not man's purpose to know good and evil but, rather, to know God.

I believe what occurred in the Garden with man's choice to sin was not something God could say that it wasn't suppose to happen, which would be to deny His foreknowledge of it. It must be realized that everything which occurs from the beginning of time has been known by God since eternity past, thus before He created, He knew how He was going to use everything for His "according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself" (Eph 1:9).

The notion that God was infinitely offended by man's sin begs the question; "Didn't God already know what man would do and what the consequences would be and what He would do to save man from those consequences?"

Yes, to the latter, as shown above. Concerning "offense," I do not see how God could be offended (a law can be offended) considering He knew it would be expected.

Blessings!

 

[iLOVE]

Majority of Christians are living under the "Law of Sin and Death." Very few Christians live in "The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus."

There are seven great Laws outlined in the New Testament, all devised and created by God. They are:
1. The Law of God (Romans 7:22)
2. The Law of Sin and Death (Romans 7:23)
3. The Law of the Mind (Romans 7:23)
4. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2)
5. The Law of Faith (Romans 3:27)
6. The Law of Christ (Gal. 6:2); and,
7. The Law of Liberty (James 1:25)

 

[netchaplain]

Majority of Christians are living under the "Law of Sin and Death."

Hi and thanks for your reply. It's my understanding that only those who are not born again are still under the law of sin and death. To be under this is to still be under "condemnation" (Rom 8:1), thus if you're a Christian (one who is born again) there can never be condemnation.

All who are born again are Christians, thus all Christians are born again.

Blessings!

 

[iLOVE]

Hi and thanks for for your reply. It's my understanding that only those who are not born again are still under the law of sin and death. To be under this is to still be under "condemnation" (Rom 8:1), thus if you're a Christian (one who is born again) there can never be condemnation.

All who are born again are Christians, thus all Christians are born again.

Blessings!

The Law Of The Spirit Of Life In Christ Jesus is the will of God's only prescribe order of victory for every born again Believer. It simply means that the Believer must maintain Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross, i.e., Finished Work.

The Holy Spirit works exclusively within the legal confines of the Finished Work, i.e., "the Cross," guarantees the help of the Holy Spirit, which guarantees Victory.

If the Believers doesn't understand or attempts to live for God by any manner other than Faith in Christ and the Cross, he is doomed to failure. This places the Believer in the law of sin and death which is sin. For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

The Law Of The Spirit Of Life In Christ Jesus gives the Believer victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Victory over the world: Galatians 6:14 ; 1 John 5:4
Victory over the flesh: Galatians 5:24
Victory over the devil: Hebrews 2:14 ; Colossians 2:15

God only awards imputed righteousness by maintaining faith exclusively in Christ and his finished work (Romans 4:5). God only recognize the blood of Jesus on the door post of our hearts. That Believer is now under the strongest law in the universe, " The Law Of The Spirit Of Life In Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2)." This law is stronger than "The Law Of Sin And Death (Romans 8:1-2)." So when you do miss the mark and sin, you still have imputed righteousness. Which means: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Sin has no dominion over you. (The Believer must confess their sins 1 John 1:9)

If we as Believers do not understand these two Laws, then the "law of sin and death" will wreak its havoc on us.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Romans 5:1 ; Hebrews 10:38 ; Hab. 2:4 NLT

Two kinds of peace
1. Justifying Peace - This is Peace with God, a legal standing. Rom. 8:7; Eph. 2:14-15
2. Sanctifying Peace - This is the Peace of God in the heart. Rom. 8:6; 14:19; 15:13; Gal. 1:3

The first is the result of a legal standing. The second is the result of the Work of the Holy Spirit. The first is static, never fluctuates, the second changes almost from hour to hour. The first, every Christian has, the second, every Christian may have.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."

Pastor Jimmy Swaggart Bible Commentary

Note: The bible doesn't teach "sinless perfection." 1 John 1:10
2 Peter 1:5-11 NIV, John 14:27 NIV, Colossians 3:15 NCV, Romans 12 NCV, James 1:7-8 NASB
There is no graduating classes in "The Law Of The Spirit Of Life In Christ Jesus" Philippians 3:13

 

[netchaplain]

If the Believers doesn't understand or attempts to live for God by any manner other than Faith in Christ and the Cross, he is doomed to failure. This places the Believer in the law of sin and death which is sin. For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

The phrase "Whatever is not from faith is sin" cannot refer to a condemning sin but sins that come due to ignorance and lack of understanding in certain doctrines of the Word of God, because no one can live and do everything in faith without interruption. I believe much of this primarily has to do with those not in the faith, who doing nothing in faith, i.e. "them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure" (Tit 1:15).

To live in faith is to do all towards and for all that is of the faith, though there will always be in all, some degree of inconsistency with doing all in faith. Otherwise it would be to conceive that one could be in the faith (born again) and eventually be out of the faith, which being an OSAS I think not sensible. Of course one's belief concerning OSAS determines the entirety of one's position of understanding concerning all Biblical doctrine that is growth related. This greatly hinders agreement in understanding concerning many Biblical teachings between believers.

 

[iLOVE]

The phrase "Whatever is not from faith is sin" cannot refer to a condemning sin but sins that come due to ignorance and lack of understanding in certain doctrines of the Word of God, because no one can live and do everything in faith without interruption. I believe much of this primarily has to do with those not in the faith, who doing nothing in faith, i.e. "them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure" (Tit 1:15).

To live in faith is to do all towards and for all that is of the faith, though there will always be in all, some degree of inconsistency with doing all in faith. Otherwise it would be to conceive that one could be in the faith (born again) and eventually be out of the faith, which being an OSAS I think not sensible. Of course one's belief concerning OSAS determines the entirety of one's position of understanding concerning all Biblical doctrine that is growth related. This greatly hinders agreement in understanding concerning many Biblical teachings between believers.

The key to all of this is our understanding that every single thing that we receive from the Lord comes to us exclusively from Christ as the source and the Cross as the Means. If our faith is in anything else, and it doesn't matter how good the other thing might be, we are actually living in a state of "spiritual Adultery"... ("another Jesus.") 2 Cor. 11:4 - Rom. 7:1-4

Study Guide: Pastor Jimmy Swaggart

 

[netchaplain]

If our faith is in anything else, and it doesn't matter how good the other thing might be, we are actually living in a state of "spiritual Adultery"... ("another Jesus.") 2 Cor. 11:4 - Rom. 7:1-4

To be suspected of "spiritual adultery" the offense would have to be committed willfully, e.g. purposefully, which would not describe one truly in the faith. As 2Cor 11:4 shows, one who "preaches another Jesus" would not be what a Christian would desire to do, but only those in opposition to Christianity.

Blessings!

 

[iLOVE]

To be suspected of "spiritual adultery" the offense would have to be committed willfully, e.g. purposefully, which would not describe one truly in the faith. As 2Cor 11:4 shows, one who "preaches another Jesus" would not be what a Christian would desire to do, but only those in opposition to Christianity.

Blessings!

Jesus said, "follow me!"

And Jesus said to them, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Matthew 16:6 NASB

 

[netchaplain]

Jesus said, "follow me!"

And Jesus said to them, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Matthew 16:6 NASB

That's a prime example of those who willfully deceived because nearly all of the false teachings were from these groups in attempts to hinder others coming to Christ.

 

[Jim Parker]

By “the righteousness of the law” is meant “the righteous requirement of the law” (Rom 8:4); and the righteous requirement of the law states that “the soul that sins, it shall die” (Eze 18:4, 20; originally Gen 2:17). To rightly obey the law would require an antecedent righteousness (Christ only) because obedience to it does not make one righteous but shows one is already righteous, nor can righteousness come by the law (Gal 2:21) but only by faith in Christ. This makes His righteousness ours for we cannot effect our own due to the old man’s presence, thus requiring total dependence on His righteousness “imputed” to us (Rom 4:11; 1Cor 1:30). The righteousness of the Lord Jesus being present upon His conception and incarnation is the righteousness imputed to believers, not that which might be assumed from the law.

The phrase “fulfilled in us” designs the intention concerning non-accountability to the eternal judgement from the sin nature, it being expiated for us, which is manifested in the fact that since Christ did not disobey the law, by rights He was not required to die, but since no man could ever effect righteousness (all righteousness originates from God) of his own essence, “it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Heb 2:17).

The fruit of Christ’s work?—the ever-present “desire to do God’s good pleasure” (Phl 2:13), which cannot be hindered by the “abundance of sin” (sin nature), because of the “abundance of grace” (Rom 5:20). Hence, the “desire” for God is always more prominent in the believer than anything else.

“He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.” (NLT)

- NC

Please define what you mean by "righteousness."

 

[netchaplain]

Please define what you mean by "righteousness."

Rightly so.

 

[JLB]

“He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.” (NLT)

So with that said, we conclude that: ...He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 1 John 3:7



JLB

 

[netchaplain]

So with that said, we conclude that: ...He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 1 John 3:7
JLB

The "just requirement of the law" was death for disobedience. If any could not keep it perfectly (and no one could) then the law was just in condemning the disobedient. This is what Christ fulfilled for us so we would avoid condemnation.

 

[JLB]

Please define what you mean by "righteousness."

Obeying God; ie doing what is right in His eye's.

Expressing the righteous life of Jesus Christ within us.

Being led by the Spirit.


JLB

 

[JLB]

The "just requirement of the law" was death for disobedience. If any could not keep it perfectly (and no one could) then the law was just in condemning the disobedient. This is what Christ fulfilled for us so we would avoid condemnation.

The righteous requirement of the law of Moses as well as the requirement law of faith are the same: Obedience.

Faith without the work of obedience is dead.

That is why Paul says faith upholds [balances] the law.

They idea of the word uphold is that of scales, and the weight that measures...

Both the law and faith have the same "weight" of balance: Obedience.

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish [uphold] the law. Romans 3:27-31

It's by obeying all the law of Moses that a person is declared righteous, or it is by obeying the Gospel a person is declared righteous.

Since the law of Moses was given to the Jews and not to the Gentiles, Paul concludes that those who obey the Gospel, uphold the measure of balance that the law of Moses requires, which is obedience.

The law of faith, and the law of Moses have the same weight of measure: Obedience.

The law is not of faith.



JLB

 

[netchaplain]

The righteous requirement of the law of Moses as well as the requirement law of faith are the same: Obedience.

Faith without the work of obedience is dead.

That is why Paul says faith upholds [balances] the law.

They idea of the word uphold is that of scales, and the weight that measures...

Both the law and faith have the same "weight" of balance: Obedience.

It's my understanding that the Law was not intended to bring righteousness but rather judgement, for being under the law only brought the curse of condemnation, thus the righteousness of Christ can come only by faith (Gal 3:10; Rom 4:13).