Mystery of the Law Resolved: The Law is Good

[RBDERRICK]

Christians argue about the law of God in a way in which the Jews never did.

Jews may have obeyed or transgressed the law, but they never argued about whether the law ought to be kept and obeyed.

But Christians actually argue about whether to keep the law of God or not, and some even go so far as to argue against keeping the law, as though doing the law were a sin against grace: they demonize the law and doing the law of God as enemies of grace and the cross of Christ.

Why is that? Because they misread how the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life, and falsely conclude keeping the letter of the law is death.

How can the letter of the law kill, when it is the same Spirit that gives life, who gave also the letter of the law in Scripture?

Not only are all letters of the law of God good, but the letters of all Scripture are good, including every single jot and tittle of the law: the letter of the law are the letters of Scripture.

So, let us dispense with arguing against keeping and doing the law, which is written by letter in His word:

For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (Rom 1)

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1)

The law of God is the word of God written plainly in Scripture for all to read and know and obey: no Christian argues against being doers of the word, so why argue against being doers of the law?

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Scripture here is speaking of the letter as opposed to the Spirit, which is the letter only without the Spirit.

Keeping the letter of the law only, without the Spirit, is death and not life in Christ Jesus.

Even as faith only is dead without works, so the letter only is dead without the Spirit.

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone.

The letter kills, when it is only obeyed as it were by law on paper only, and not by law of God written in the heart with the Spirit.

And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

We can keep the letter of the law, and yet still be judged transgressors for doing so without faith and love of God from the heart:

I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.

Keeping the law of God according to the letter in Scripture is good and not sin, but seeking to keep the letter of the law without faith through the Spirit is falling from grace, by which we do the law from the heart and walk after the Spirit in the flesh.

Even as Jesus did the law from the heart and condemned sin in the flesh though the Spirit, so can we do likewise with His power to become sons of God on earth.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

What the law could not do alone, without the Spirit, being weak with bodily obedience only, the Son can do within and through us to condemn sin from the heart and obey the law through the Spirit, even as He did in the days of His flesh.

And so we conclude doing the law is good, lest we be transgressors, but only doing the letter outwardly kills, not having the Spirit within that gives life and yields righteousness with peace.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Unlike the unbelieving Jews that were dead by letter only, Christians are to keep the letter of the law and do it well by grace through faith.

The Jews erred by seeking the righteousness of the law only, without faith, and Christians err by seeking righteousness by faith only, without the law.

Christians ought to do the righteousness of God, without leaving the letter of His law undone:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

And God forbid Christians should seek to abolish the law of Christ altogether as written, which even the unbelieving Jews never dared to do.

Law of God is not without the Spirit, and the Spirit of God is not without His law:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Making oneself do the letter of the law only kills the spirit, and making oneself spiritual without the letter of the law only kills righteousness.

 

[JLB]

Christians argue about the law of God in a way in which the Jews never did.

Jews may have obeyed or transgressed the law, but they never argued about whether the law ought to be kept and obeyed.

But Christians actually argue about whether to keep the law of God or not, and some even go so far as to argue against keeping the law, as though doing the law were a sin against grace: they demonize the law and doing the law of God as enemies of grace and the cross of Christ.

Why is that? Because they misread how the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life, and falsely conclude keeping the letter of the law is death.

How can the letter of the law kill, when it is the same Spirit that gives life, who gave also the letter of the law in Scripture?

Not only are all letters of the law of God good, but the letters of all Scripture are good, including every single jot and tittle of the law: the letter of the law are the letters of Scripture.

So, let us dispense with arguing against keeping and doing the law, which is written by letter in His word:

For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (Rom 1)

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1)

The law of God is the word of God written plainly in Scripture for all to read and know and obey: no Christian argues against being doers of the word, so why argue against being doers of the law?

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Scripture here is speaking of the letter as opposed to the Spirit, which is the letter only without the Spirit.

Keeping the letter of the law only, without the Spirit, is death and not life in Christ Jesus.

Even as faith only is dead without works, so the letter only is dead without the Spirit.

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone.

The letter kills, when it is only obeyed as it were by law on paper only, and not by law of God written in the heart with the Spirit.

And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

We can keep the letter of the law, and yet still be judged transgressors for doing so without faith and love of God from the heart:

I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.

Keeping the law of God according to the letter in Scripture is good and not sin, but seeking to keep the letter of the law without faith through the Spirit is falling from grace, by which we do the law from the heart and walk after the Spirit in the flesh.

Even as Jesus did the law from the heart and condemned sin in the flesh though the Spirit, so can we do likewise with His power to become sons of God on earth.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

What the law could not do alone, without the Spirit, being weak with bodily obedience only, the Son can do within and through us to condemn sin from the heart and obey the law through the Spirit, even as He did in the days of His flesh.

And so we conclude doing the law is good, lest we be transgressors, but only doing the letter outwardly kills, not having the Spirit within that gives life and yields righteousness with peace.

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Unlike the unbelieving Jews that were dead by letter only, Christians are to keep the letter of the law and do it well by grace through faith.

The Jews erred by seeking the righteousness of the law only, without faith, and Christians err by seeking righteousness by faith only, without the law.

Christians ought to do the righteousness of God, without leaving the letter of His law undone:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

And God forbid Christians should seek to abolish the law of Christ altogether as written, which even the unbelieving Jews never dared to do.

Law of God is not without the Spirit, and the Spirit of God is not without His law:

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Making oneself do the letter of the law only kills the spirit, and making oneself spiritual without the letter of the law only kills righteousness.

The law of Moses was abolished at the cross, because it was temporary.

Which law should Christians keep?

The law of Christ? I agree.



JLB

 

[RBDERRICK]

The law of Moses was abolished at the cross, because it was temporary.

Which law should Christians keep?

The law of Christ? I agree.



JLB

True. The principle of the law remains the same, though the letter has been changed:

For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. (Heb 7)

 

[RBDERRICK]

The letter of the law only kills, when it is the letter only that is obeyed bodily, and not heartily unto the Lord.

This also is true for them thaty believing in 'Make Myself' Christian living.

The teach the opposite of washing within the platter first, that the outside may be clean, by obeying bodily by force of will, even when their heart 'is not in it'.

The teach obeying the letter of the law, until the heart becomes willing, which is death having not the Spirit of life in it.

This kind of make myself obeyism according to the letter, is the world's method of training oneself to do things naturally, that were not natural to do.

It is the power of positive thinking by power of will: seeking to make ourselves act like sons of God by will of man.

Professionals have learned to master their minds and bodies, so as to discipline their lives for success, which is not bad, but neither is it by the grace of God through faith in Jesus.

The former do things by the letter to obtain a corruptible crown, but the latter do all things heartily as unto the Lord for an incorruptible crown.

Anyone can learn to change their habits, until it becomes natural, like 2nd nature to them, but only the elect saints can become sons of God through the Spirit, to immediately at one moment of cleansing from within, be made doers of the law and word freely from a pure heart.

I.e. it is not a struggle to do God's will in anything, nor is it a power play of force to do so, when the heart is purified and the spirit is made more than willing in fellowship with Jesus in the Light, where there is no darkness nor begrudging attitude at all.

Whether outwardly obeying by the letter only to avoid transgression, or seeking to do good, both are vain and fruitless without the Spirit of God working grace and peace and life within the heart.