The email I just received from Worldnet Daily opens with the statment:
Have you ever wondered why one of the Ten Commandments seems null and void – notably the one calling on believers to observe the Sabbath?
In Part One of my answers I furnished sufficient proof from Scripture in Romans 7:1-7 that the Ten Commandments are indeed “null and void” for believers under Grace, for Scripture teaches pointedly that true believers are “dead to the law.”
Therefore, it is not correct to assert that the Fourth Commandment is the commandment “calling on believers to observe the Sabbath.”
There is not one example in the New Testament of a passage that calls on Christian believers now under Grace to observe the Sabbath, absolutely not one.
There is Scripture which directs believers under Grace not to observe the Sabbath (Colossians 2:13-17).
Paul grants permission under Grace to those weaker in their faith to worship on the Sabbath, but those who do so are strictly commanded not to either urge others to do so, nor to criticize those who choose some other day for worship (Romans 14:1-6).
Therefore, to suggest that there is one Commandment that calls on believers to observe the Sabbath is false doctrine, not in accordance with what the Bible teaches.
Ask your pastor or priest and you will probably hear it’s because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday – which is not even a certainty if you read the Bible carefully.
Who ever from Worldnet Daily wrote that paragraph has demonstrated considerable lack of understanding of the Bible.
First of all, the Sabbath has never been changed by anyone. The Sabbath has always been on the Seventh Day.
Second, despite all the uninformed claims to the contrary, Christians never met on the Sabbath Day for specifically Christian worship. Clearly, the first Christians in the book of Acts were Jews. They for a time continued to worship in the synagogue or the temple as Jews. Clearly they did not meet in the synagogue or temple to observe the Lord’s Supper, spoken of in the book of Acts as “breaking bread.”
All specifically Christian worship in the New Testament record took place on the First Day of the week, our Sunday, very clearly and obviously because our Lord Jesus Christ arose from the dead on the First Day of the week,
Joh 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
In fact, all of the most important events recorded in the New Testament, including the resurrection of Christ, the instruction out of the Scriptures to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, the repeated instruction out of the Scriptures to the entire group of the apostles, the first-hand eye-witness testimony of Thomas who exclaimed in awe, “my Lord and my God,” the reception of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Peter’s first recorded sermon, therefore the start of the New Testament Church, the regular weekly meeting for “breaking of bread” and Christian worship, the day upon which gifts were submitted for the collection to support poor Christians in need as requested by Paul–all took place on the first day of the week. No other day, not even the Sabbath, is given such post-resurrection prominence in the New Testament record.
The record is plain from the New Testament itself that there is no question about the fact that Christ arose on the First Day of the week, what we call Sunday; it is those who claim otherwise, that this “is not even a certainty if you read the Bible carefully,” who are not reading their Bible carefully.
Here is the third paragraph from the Worldnet Daily email:
And then there’s the little problem of this switch of worship days not being mentioned in the Bible – and the historical fact that most Christians continued observing the Sabbath for hundreds of years after Jesus rose from the dead.
This statement fails to be true because it commits the logical fallacy of equivocation when it makes reference to “this switch of worship days.” Equivocation takes place when the same word is used in two different ways but stated as though the meaning is the same for both. The words so used in this instance are “worship days” as equivalent to Sabbath days, a Jewish Sabbath and a Christian Sabbath, which if true, would indeed imply a change. But no change has been made or authorized. The Sabbath was and is and so remains under Law a requirement for the Jews on the Seventh Day, not the First Day. Christians do not have a required Sabbath to observe, since for them the Law has been abolished, having been “nailed to the cross” (Colossians 2:14).
The Jews continued to worship on the Seventh-day Sabbath.
Jewish Christians met for specifically Christian worship on the First Day of the week in honor and memory of the day of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sunday is not the Christian Sabbath, for there is no such thing authorized or commanded in the New Testament. The Sabbath, therefore, has never been switched. By properly taught Bible believing Christians aware of their position in Christ under Grace not Law, Christians meet for fellowship and worship, including the “breaking of bread,” or the Lord’s Supper, on the First Day of the week, the practice since the days of the apostles, according to the New Testament record. This was not done by a new command to change the Sabbath, but by apostolic example, which we are in the New Testament encouraged to follow. Christians are not commanded to keep a Sabbath anywhere in the New Testament under Grace. The Sabbath was a Jewish institution under the Law; the New Testament declares believers are not under Law.
The statement that it is “historical fact that most Christians continued observing the Sabbath for hundreds of years after Jesus rose from the dead” is outright falsehood. It may be true that some or a few Christians continued observing the Sabbath, but if so, they were clearly mistaken in their practice, and therefore not well taught in the doctrines of Grace presented in the New Testament since the Cross.
After mentioning a number of published resources supporting Seventh-day Sabbath worship, resources available from the Worldnet Daily bookstore, the email concludes with the observation:
That’s quite a library on a largely misunderstood spiritual issue. It’s a great subject for an in-depth Bible study you probably won’t get in your adult Sunday school class or midweek service in a Sunday-worshipping church.
Unknown to the writer of the email message, it is the very resources promoted that have misunderstood this spiritual issue.
It is a great subject, indeed, for an in-depth Bible study. And it may well be true that you won’t get this kind of in-depth Bible study at your “adult Sunday school class or midweek service in a Sunday-worshipping church.”
That is unfortunate. But the remedy is right here on this www.realbiblestudy.com website, for I have, in my comments in answer to questions and comments of others who post here, posted about as much genuine Real Bible Study on this subject as you are likely to find anywhere in answer to the sincere but mistaken claims of those who believe in observing the Seventh-day Sabbath.
This is a clever deception, for the early Christians were Jews! A new religion was not being formed, but the true religion of the Jews was to continue, the Messiah, the Jewish Messiah, had come. Christians were Jews! But all the ceremonial system which pointed to the coming of the Messiah, that was done away with. Why? But the antitype, which they pointed to, the coming and work of the Messiah, had happened. The Passover lamb was slain.
This inability of the scribes and teachers to comprehend the meaning of the law was rebuked by Christ as in Matthew 22:29. A teacher’s words carry significant influence, and when these words are given without adequate comprehension, only confusion can result. Paul is trying to set the law in its rightful place. The LAW was right, the TEACHERS were wrong. This continues today! Verse 9, Paul is not saying that the Christian is no long to obey the 10 C, as he says in Romans 3:31, Jesus did not come to release men from commandment keeping, He came man that it was possible to keep the commandments, and to provide the power to keep them, as is says in Romans 8:4. The law no longer condemns a justified man, but it remains as the standard of conduct, Romans 6:14. The Lawless are disobedient to the law, the 10 commandments. Paul in this passage is denouncing unconsecrated men who wanted to be teachers in the church, who were applying the law in an “unlawfully”. The law and the gospel can not be separated, for each required the other. The law used “lawfully” (Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:24) magnifies the glory of God.
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Matthew 22:29 KJV Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
Romans 3:31 KJV Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Romans 8:4 KJV That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Romans 6:14 KJV For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 3:20 KJV Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Galatians 3:24 KJV Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Dear A. Way,
You are very well-schooled in your chosen pattern of belief, but your belief is not in accordance with the teaching of the New Testament under Grace.
No one, studying a plain-text Bible on Robinson Crusoe’s Desert Island totally apart from all denominational commentary, if they in the process first came to true belief in our Lord Jesus Christ (in other words, got saved in the process) and so could be taught by the Holy Spirit as they studied, no such person could possibly come up with the point of view which you constantly present, because your point of view is not the teaching of the New Testament under Grace.
It appears in your quoting of Galatians 3:24 you omitted a most significant part of its following context:
Now this text therefore proves my case and demolishes yours, for if the law was our schoolmaster, but after faith came we are no longer under a schoolmaster, it is clear that Paul is declaring, as he pointedly does elsewhere, that we are no longer under the law.
Jerry – Did JESUS demolish the law. God forbid. He established the law.
Many Christians have been taught that the GOSPEL was not introduced until the NEW TESTAMENT. This gospel, they believe, replaced the LAW which was taught in the OLD TESTAMENT. We are now in the “age of grace” they say, and it is no longer necessary to be concerned with “works of the LAW.”
Were those who lived during the time of the Old Testament saved in a different way from those living since the Cross? In the judgment, will those who lived prior to the incarnation of Christ be held to a different standard from those who have lived since? If this is the case, what does this say about the character of our God?
THE GOSPEL IS NOT CONFINED TO THE NEW TESTAMENT.
GALATIANS 3:8-9 Paul says that Abraham heard the gospel. “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ?In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” NKJV
HEBREWS 4:2 The Children of Israel heard the gospel preached to them in the wilderness. “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”
During the Old Testament period, the gospel (good news) was that someday a Savior would come to pay the penalty for sin. Since the death of Christ, the good news is that a Savior has come, and has died to pay the penalty for sin.
GRACE IS NOT CONFINED TO THE NEW TESTAMENT!
GENESIS 6:8 “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
EXODUS 22:27 God said, “I will hear; for I am gracious.”
EXODUS 34:6 God is “merciful and gracious, long suffering”
The word “grace” means “unmerited favor.” It is also defined as “the divine influence in the life.” We know that the unmerited favor of God has been shown to mankind ever since Adam and Eve were spared instant death. Most certainly the unmerited favor of God was shown to Old Testament Israel. God is the same – yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Every believer from Adam through Abraham to this very day, has felt the divine influence. Every believer has known the grace of God.
THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB POINTED TO CHRIST, “THE LAMB OF GOD.”
Every lamb brought by an Israelite represented Christ. His death would someday pay the price of redemption for every man and women. And even before the Israelites, righteous Able, Noah, Job, Abraham and others made sacrifices, seeking forgiveness of sins. These men were forgiven because of their belief in the substitute provided by God. They were forgiven in exactly the same way that we are forgiven today when we claim Christ’s as our substitute (Gen. 4:4; Gen. 8:20; Job 1:5). Christ said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56).
The Israelite who came in true heart sorrow for sin, with his sacrificial lamb, was forgiven because of his faith in God, the forgiver. His sins were covered (Num.15:25-29; Lev.19:23). He stood righteous before God. The word “atonement” means “covering.” His sin was covered by the blood of the sacrifice, symbolizing the blood of Christ. The sacrificial ceremony had no power or worth apart from the faith of the one who brought the lamb. Without true heart repentance, the ceremony was repulsive to God (1 Sam. 15:22; Ps. 51:16,17; Hos. 6:6; Heb. 9:9).
MANY HAVE TAUGHT THAT THE JEWS WERE SAVED BY WORKS.
Indeed, that was the perversion of the gospel that was taught by the religious authorities of Christ’s day. The Jews came to believe that there was merit or value in the ceremony itself. They completely lost the symbolic meaning of the sacrificial service.
ROMANS 3:20 “For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” RSV
No one, not in the New Testament or the Old Testament, was ever saved by keeping the law.
No one is saved or has ever been saved, by following a formula, by chanting a certain number of prayers, by going to church every week, by keeping every one of the Ten Commandments, by keeping the Ceremonial Feasts, or by donating large sums of money to the church or charities.
HABAKKUK 2:4 (Old Testament) – GALATIANS 3:11(New Testament) “The just shall live by his faith.”
Salvation and oneness with God, the blessing of God – in the Old Testament, as in the New – was understood to be the gift of God, received by faith.
DEUTERONOMY 9:6 “Know therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness; for you are a stubborn people. RSV
DANIEL 9:18 “Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.” NIV
The saints of the Old Testament were saved in exactly the same way as we are saved today – by the grace of God.
THE LAW IS NOT CONFINED TO THE OLD TESTAMENT.
ROMANS 13:10 “Love is the fulfillment of the LAW.”
I JOHN 5:3 “This is love for God; to obey HIS COMMANDMENTS.”
JOHN 14:21 “Who ever has my COMMANDMENTS and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.”
JOHN 14:15 “If you love me, keep my COMMANDMENTS.”
MATTHEW 19:16,17 “If you would enter into life, obey my COMMANDMENTS.”
ROMANS 2:12-13 “For not the hearers of the LAW are justified, but the doers of the LAW shall be justified.”
This is a New Testament statement, yet it says that those who do not keep the Law will not be justified.
I JOHN 2:4 “The man who says ?I know Him,’ but does not keep His COMMANDMENTS is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
ROMANS 7:12 “The LAW is holy and the Commandment is holy, just, and good.”
ROMANS 7:14 “The LAW is spiritual.” “I agree with the LAW that it is good” (Rom. 7:16).
ROMANS 7:22 “In my inner being I delight in God’s LAW.”
WHAT LAW WAS ABOLISHED?
EPHESIANS 2:15 Paul says that the “law contained in ordinances” was “abolished.”
ROMANS 3:31 Paul also says “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” NAB
IF ONE LAW WAS “ABOLISHED,”
AND ANOTHER WAS “ESTABLISHED”,
THEN THERE MUST BE MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF LAW
The Torah (or Law) mentions commandments concerning:
ONE : Natural Law (health, hygiene, horticulture, weather cycle, heredity, gravity, etc.)
TWO : Civil Law (organization of government, deeds, marriages, wills, punishment of crime, etc)
THREE: The “law of Sacrifices”, with it’s priesthood, and the Temple pointed forward to Christ’s death, death, resurrection and work in Heaven as mediator and High Priest.
FOUR: Rabbinic law – laws based upon interpretations of Old Testament Scriptures by the religious teachers.
FIVE: The Great Moral Law of God. (Eternal and always existent. Embodied in the Ten Commandments.)
Christ admonished us to “render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s.” We are to obey as far as possible, civil law. Natural law is obviously still in operation. When we mistreat our body we get sick. God gave dietary laws forbidding the eating of fat or blood or scavenger animals. These laws make just as much sense today as when they were given 4000 years ago. Gravity is still working. Electricity still lights our homes. They work by natural laws. Christ argued against Rabbinic law where it conflicted with the true spirit of the moral law.
“THE LAW OF SACRIFCES AND OFFERINGS” HAS PASSED AWAY
The Ceremonial Law has passed away. This law pointed forward to Christ, “the Lamb of God.” When the symbol was replaced by the reality. The symbol became obsolete. We do not sacrifice lambs anymore. This is the only part of the Torah (or Law) which has become obsolete.
HEBREWS 7:18: (Paul to the Hebrews) “There is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, thorough which we draw near to God.”
We come near to God, not through scrifices, not through earthly priests, not through an ancient Temple service, not through keeping ancient symbolic holy days, but “by a new and living way, which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His Flesh” (Hebrews 10:19:20). We have a High Priest, Jesus Christ the Son of God, who has entered “the Presence behind the veil.” This He did when He sat down at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 6:19-20, 7:20-27, 8:1-2).
The ancient Sanctuary (later the Temple) with its ceremonies and sacrifices Paul calls “the copy and show of the heavenly things.” This law was given with the “first covenant.” Christ, as our Heavenly High Priest, is the mediator of a new and better covenant (Hebrews 8:6). The blood is Christ is the “better sacrifice” offered in our behalf.
HEBREWS 8:13 “In that He (Christ) says, ‘a new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete, and growing old is ready to vanish away.”
HEBREWS 10:9 “He (Christ) takes away the first [symbolic service] that He may establish the second.”
HEBREWS 7:12 “For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law (Torah).”
“The first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary” (Hebrews 9:1,10). Paul describes the sanctuary with it’s furniture and its service especially the Day of Atonement service, and he says, “It was symbolic for the present time” (Hebrews 9:9). The first covenant had a priesthood from the tribe of Levi. Now we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ who is not from the tribe of Levi Who ministers in the Heavenly Temple.
HEBREWS 9:9-10 “It (the Temple) was symbolic for the present time … concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.”
COLOSSIANS 2:16-17 “Therefore (because your sins are forgiven) let no man judge you in regard to meat or drink (ceremonial offerings), a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”
[Do not let anyone judge you because you no longer offer animal sacrifices, or grain, or drink offerings in the Temple. Do not let them judge you in the way you choose to keep the festival days, without offering animal sacrifices.]
Paul is not here speaking of pagan holidays. These were not “a shadow of things to come.” He is not speaking of the 7th day Sabbath, given in the 4th commandment, which was a memorial of creation testifying to the right of God as creator to rule that which He created.
HEBREWS 13:11-13 “For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.”
Paul tells his Hebrew readers to leave the old ways of the Temple and the ceremonial system, to come “outside the camp,” as it were, even though this means sure rejection by those who cling to the old ways.
ROMANS 10:4 “Christ is the end of law for righteousness sake.”
Christ’s death marked the end of keeping the ceremonial law in order to be called righteous in the sight of God.
HEBREWS 9:8 “The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All (Heaven and the presence of God) was not yet made manifest while the first Tabernacle (the earthly Temple) was still standing (still standing or significance).”
This passage is believed to have been written about AD65, in which case the Jerusalem Temple would still have been literally standing. (It was destroyed in AD70.)”
THE MORAL LAW OF GOD
It has never been abolished. It stands unchanged to this day.
THE MORAL LAW (WRITTEN IN THE 10 COMMANDMENTS) IS SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM THE CEREMONIAL LAW OF SACRIFICES.
THE GREAT MORAL LAW (a)
THE CEREMONIAL LAW (b)
1a. Called the “Law of the Lord” (Isa. 5:24).
1b. Was called the “law of offerings and sacrifices.” (HEb 9:9, Lev. 7:37-38).
2a. Called “the Royal Law” (James 2:8,10-12).
(At the time James was writing, the Old Testament was considered the only Scripture.)
3a. Will be the standard in the Judgment (Ja. 2:10-12; Rom. 2:12,13; Eccl. 12:13,14).
3b. Judges no man (Col. 2:14-16).
4a. Written with the finger of God, on stone (Deut. 4:13; Ex. 31:18; Ex. 32:16).
4b. Written by Moses in a book (2 Chron 35:12).
5a. Placed inside of the Ark in the Sanctuary (Ex. 40:20).
5b. Placed in a pocket on the outside of the Ark (Deut. 31:24-26).
6a. Points out sin (Romans 7:7). A mirror (James 1:23).
6b. Symbolized Christ’s Act of sacrifice, and work of atonement (John 1 29,36).
7a. Where there is no law, there is no sin therefore the law existed before sin. (1 John. 3:4; Rom. 4:15). Lucifer sinned when he broke God’s law.
7b. Was added “because of sin” (Gal. 3:19).
8a. Is not burdensome (1 John 5:3). Called “the law of liberty” (James 2:12).
8b. Was a “yoke of bondage”. (Gal. 5:1, Acts 15:10).
9a. Is “holy, just and good” (Rom. 7:12).
9b. Was “carnal” or “fleshly”. (Heb. 7:16).
10a. “Till heaven and earth pass away, no part will be done away with or changed (Matt. 5:18)
10b. Was taken away (Heb. 10:9), annulled (Heb. 7:18), abolished (Eph. 2:15), made obsolete (Heb. 8:13), changed (Heb. 7:12).
11a. Is perfect (Psalm 19:7; Romans 7:12).
11b. Was a “shadow” of the real “things to come” (Col. 2:17, Heb. 8:6, Heb. 9:9).
12a. Is “established” (Romans 3:31).
12b. Is “obsolete” (Heb. 8:13).
13a. Is “the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13; John 15:10.)
13b.“Let no man judge you in regard to … a festival or a new moon or (ceremonial) sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Col. 2:16-17).
14a. Is built upon principles of supreme love for God and love for our fellow man (Ja. 2:8-12; Matt. 22:36-40; Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18).
14b.Is a beautiful prophecy of Christ’s death, resurrection, and Heavenly mediation.
15a. Is written in our hearts by the Spirit of Christ when we accept Him by faith as our Saviour (Heb. 8:8-10; Rom. 2:15; 2 Cor. 3:3; Jer. 31:33,34).
15b.
16a. Carries a promise ( Jer. 31:33,34; Gal. 3:29).
16b.
17a. Converts the soul (Psalm 19:7).
17b. “Made nothing perfect” (Heb. 7:19; Heb. 9:9).
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THE MORAL LAW WAS IN FORCE LONG BEFORE MT. SINAI.
THIS LAW IS AS OLD AS GOD HIMSELF.
ROMANS 4:15 “Where there is no law, there is no violation.”
ROMANS 5:13 “For sin is the transgression of the law” ( 1 John 3:4).
Certainly, Lucifer sinned, when he rebelled against God in heaven. That means there was a LAW in heaven.
HOSEA 6:7, JOB 31:33 Adam sinned.
GENESIS 6:5 The people of Noah’s day sinned.
GENESIS 18:20 Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for their lawlessness (sin).
These people lived long before Mt. Sinai.
GENESIS 26:5 Abraham kept Gods “commandments,” and His “laws.”
EXODUS 16:25 To the children of Israel, before Mt. Sinai, God said “How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?”
THE LAW BEFORE MT. SINAI
First: Gen. 35:2-4 “Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean.”
Second: Gen. 31:19-34; Gen. 35:2-4.
Third: Ex. 5:2 Pharaoh blasphemed God and suffered the consequences.
Fourth: Ex. 16:4-30 “Six days shall ye gather it: but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none.” “How long do you refuse to keep my laws.”
Fifth: Gen. 9:20-25 Canaan was cursed because his father, Ham, showed disrespect for his grandfather, Noah
Sixth:Gen. 4:11,12 “Cain was marked for the murder of his brother Able.”
Seventh:Gen. 39:9 “Joseph refused to sin against God by sleeping with Potiphar’s wife.”
Eighth: Gen. 44:8,16 “Behold the money which we found in our sack’s mouths, we brought, again unto out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy Lord’s house silver or gold?”
Ninth: Gen. 27:2-46 Jacob deceived his father and had to run for his life. (Gen. 20:9)
Tenth: Gen. 25:29-34 Jacob coveted Esau’s birthright, and lied to his father.
WERE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
GIVEN ONLY FOR THE JEWS?
LEVITICUS 24:22 “There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger, as well as the native, for I am the Lord your God.”
NUMBERS 9:14 “You shall have one statute, both for the alien and for the native of the land.”
ISAIAH 56:6-8 “Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to Him, and love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, everyone who keeps from profaning the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant; Even those I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My alter; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
Exodus 12:19; Exodus 12:48; Exodus 12:49; Exodus 20:10; Deuteronomy 5:24; Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 17:10-12; Leviticus 18:26; Leviticus 24:22; Numbers 9:14; Leviticus 17:8; Numbers 15:14-16; 1Kings 8:41-43; 2Chronicles 6:32; Isaiah 56:6-8. These passages speak of non-Israelites participation in the worship and duty towards the law.
The passage says, “everyone” “who holds fast My covenant.” Gentiles (non-Jews) who joined themselves to Israel were included in the Old Covenant. To whom was God speaking when He gave His messages through Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, David, and Solomon. To the Hebrews, yes. Yet, Gentile Christians today claim these promises and lessons as their own.
To whom did Christ address almost all that He said, including the sermon on the mount? To Jews. Christ said “Salvation is of the Jews” ( John 4:22). Paul said of the Jews: “They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants (plural), the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;” (Romans 9:4 RSV). Does this verse mean that non-Jews are precluded from the new covenant? Yes it does!!! But remember – we who are not Jews by birth, become “children of Abraham,” Israelites by adoption, and part of the greater congregation of Israel, by “faith” in Jesus (Gal. 3:6-7). We are “grafted” in to the tree which has the faith of Abraham as it’s root (Romans 11). And remember that not every one who claims to be a Jew, is a Jew in the sight of God (Rev. 3:9, John 8:39, Rom. 2:28-29, Gal. 3:6-7).
THERE ARE THOSE WHO SAY THEY OBEY THE LAW OF CHRIST (GAL 6:2),
BUT NOT THE COMMANDMENTS OF MOSES.
These people are surprised to learn that it was Christ who spoke the Ten Commandments from Mt. Sinai
(1 Cor. 10:1-4, Nehemiah 9:9-14, James 4:12, John 5:22, Acts 10:42, 1 Tim. 2:5, Heb 12:26).
John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
The “but” was supplied by the King James translators. It is not in the original. Read some of the newer translations. The law was given to Moses by the preincarnate Christ. The law is full of grace and truth. Every command, when accepted in faith, is a promise of power to obey.
When Christ gave His commandments in the New Testament, to love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself, He was quoting from the Old Testament (Matt. 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-34, Deut. 6:5, Deut. 10:12, Deut. 30:6, Lev. 19:18).
Commandments 1-4: Show our love for God Commandments 5-10: Show our love for fellow man The answers that Christ gave to Satan when he was tempted in the wilderness, were all quoted from the Old Testament.
The words of the Beatitudes and The Lord’s Prayer (MATT 6:9-13), all were taken from the Old Testament. 1 Chronicles 29:10; Lamentations 3:30; Deuteronomy 14:1; Deuteronomy 15:7-8; Proverbs 30:8; Proverbs 24:17; 1 Chronicles 29:11; Proverbs 25:21; Isaiah 66:1; Job 31:29; Psalms 37:11; Exodus 23:4-5; Isaiah 50:6
There was nothing wrong with the Old Testament Law. It had been covered with a clutter of tradition. Christ came to clarify the Law and to set it free from tradition. He came to “magnify the Law and make it honorable” (Isaiah 42:21).
Christ taught nothing new. He clarified the law of love which was as old as God Himself.
GOD’S LAW AND CHRIST’S LAW ARE THE SAME.
Christ said, “I and my Father are one.” They are one in purpose and thought.
PSALM 40:8 “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yes, thy law is within my heart” (Rom 7:22).
God’s will and God’s moral law are the same. How could God change His will or do away with it.
LOVE AND THE LAW ARE THE SAME.
2 JOHN 6 “And this is love, that we keep His commandments.”
ROMANS 13:10 “therefore, love is the fulfilling of the Law.”
THE LAW REVEALS GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS
PSALM 119:172 “For all your commandments are righteousness.”
We come to know Him, as He writes His law in our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).
ISAIAH 51:7 “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is My law.
(Ezekiel 36:27)
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those who hunger to know God. (Matt. 5:64)
PSALM 23:3 David said, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
We could say, “Make plain to me your moral law, and write it on my heart. Bring me into harmony with Your law, and thus with You.
PSALM 119:165 “Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.”
THE LAW IS FOREVER, JUST AS GOD IS FOREVER.
ISAIAH 51:6-7 “For the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, … but My salvation (grace) will be forever, and My righteousness (law) will not be abolished.”
LUKE 16:17 “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the LAW to fail.”
ECCLESIASTES 3:14 “I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever.
Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it.”
WHAT WAS CHRIST’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE MORAL LAW
MATTHEW 19:17 “…If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”
MATTHEW 7:23 “Depart from me you who practice lawlessness!”
JOHN 15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.”
HOW CAN THE LAW STILL BE IN FORCE?
PAUL SAYS, “WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE” ROMANS 6:14.
“But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law.” (Gal. 5:18).
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE UNDER THE LAW?
“He thinks he is above the law.” You’ve heard this expression. It means that the person is acting as if the law was not written for him, as if it does not apply to him. And if someone is acting “within the law,” this means that his actions are legal and no punishment should be forth coming. But to be “under the law” means to be condemned by the law for having violated one or more precepts of its precepts.
When we sin (when we transgress the law) we are condemned to die the “second death” (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 4:15; Rom. 5:13; James 1:15). We are under condemnation of the law. “All have sinned” (Rom. 3:23), therefore all are under condemnation (Rom. 5:12).
We cannot, in our own strength, keep the moral law of God. Without the power of God dwelling in us, we are “slaves of sin” (Rom. 6:6). We cannot keep the law of God even when we want to. “You do not do the things that you wish”, Paul said (Gal 5:16). The law cannot save us; it can only condemn. If we depend upon keeping the law for our salvation, then we will be lost. We must depend upon Christ. It is only by His grace, by His imparted power that we can “keep the law.”
When we accept Jesus as our Saviour, and we are “born again,” Christ Himself by His Spirit comes to dwell in each one of us (John 17:23,26; Col 1:27; 1Cor. 15:45). Through the power which His presence imparts we begin to live a new life of righteousness (Rom. 6:4). We no longer “fulfill the lusts of the flesh” (Rom. 6:12, Gal.5:16). The law of love is “written in our hearts” (Rom. 2:15; 2 Cor. 3:3). The righteous requirement of the law “is fulfilled in us” (Rom. 8:4).
FAR FROM THROWING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AWAY,
GOD’S GRACE ENABLES US TO KEEP THEM MORE PERFECTLY SO THAT THE RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW MAY THEN BE FULFILLED IN US.
JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION
By His perfect life and death Christ fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law. He “was obedient unto death, striving against sin.” He now lives out that perfect life in each believing man and woman who surrenders to His indwelling. We are benefactors of His death, and we become partakers of His righteous life. We are saved from the penalty of sin, which is death, and we are saved from sin itself (from the slavery to sin in our lives).
Christ is my Savior. He paid the penalty which would have been mine. He also gives me righteousness day to day, moment to moment, in my thoughts, in my desires, and in my actions. It is His righteousness. I cannot claim any part of it as originating within me. Yet He has made it mine.
ROMANS 6:15 “What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid!”
ROMANS 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
THE SPIRITUAL MIND IS SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD.
ROMANS 8:6-7 “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” NIV
The natural human mind, without the Spirit of God is selfish (sinful or carnal). It cannot submit to the law of God. This is why it means death to be controlled by the sinful mind. To be controlled by the Spirit of God on the other hand, is to partake of the divine nature, which is life.
God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying out, “Abba! Father!” (Gal. 4:6). The mind indwelt by the Spirit of Christ reaches out towards God. This mind submits to the law of God, just as Christ submitted to His Father’s will (John 15:10). This mind says, “Oh how I love Thy law” (Ps. 119:97).
The law has not be changed. The believer is changed and is brought into harmony with the law.
DO I PAY A PENALTY WHEN I BREAK GOD’S LAW, EVEN IF CHRIST HAS FORGIVEN ME?
Yes, I pay a penalty. “Be not deceived – God is not mocked – whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). My relationships in this world, my health, perhaps my finances may suffer. God does not change the law of cause and effect. The “second death” penalty at the final end of the wicked – that sentence is commuted.
THE CURSE OF THE LAW
GALATIANS 3:13 Christ “redeemed us from the curse of the law.” The curse of the law is death, for those who violate its requirements.
God said, “If you sin – you will die” (Gen 2:17). He didn’t say, “You will die this very day.” When Adam and Eve sinned against God, a domino effect was set in motion. A series of natural consequences began to unfold as a result of their rebellion.
An example we might site is the changed in the relationship between man and woman. Man, as the head of woman appointed by God to provide for and protect his wife. Man as the physically stronger, was to serve the needs of his wife and children. After sin however, might would make right, and man became the master and ruler. (Today we realize that when God formed Eve from Adam’s rib, He was creating a clone. He modified only one chromosone, the Y to the X.)
God predicted this domination of man over woman. “Your desire shall be for your husband, and He shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). God’s curse was really a prediction of how her sin would effect her future, and that of her daughters.
The expression “curse of the law” does not mean that the moral law was a curse, to be done away with. It means that the law (of cause and effect) brings destruction upon those who violate its principles.
The moral law predicts the future, pronouncing a blessing upon those who abide within its limits, and a curse upon those who violate its principles. Upon those who have transgressed, the law pronounces a curse – “You will die” (James 1:15). Now Christ has come, and has set us free from this curse. First, He as set us free from eternal death. Second, by giving us power to live within the law, He has set us free from the painful consequences which we suffer when we violate its principles. He “has redeemed us from the curse of the law.”
“FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH”
ROMANS 8:2
ROMANS 7:16,23 Paul said, “I consent unto the law that it is good.” “But I see ANOTHER LAW at work in my
members.” This other law, is the “law of sin and death,” in fact Paul says, “Who shall deliver me from this body of death” (Romans 7:24). He said this because it is natural for human beings to sin.
We are by nature selfish. Yet Paul saw another law at work – the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” This law “has set me free,” Paul said, “from the law of sin and death.” The Spirit of Christ, dwelling within us, is stronger than the natural or carnal nature.
ROMANS 8:1,2 “The LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE in Christ Jesus has set me free from the LAW OF SIN AND
“LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE” “LAW OF SIN AND DEATH”
Healing Grace No Healing
Restores Life (New Heart) Death the Inevitable
Breaks the Cycle of Addiction (slavery) to Sin
Natural Consequence of Addiction to Sin
*** Did you see that God’s grace is also called a law; the “law of the Spirit of Life?” ***
We have no power within ourselves to love unselfishly, but when we are “filled with the Spirit of Christ,” when we become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4) then we become channels for God’s love. No longer slaves of Satan (Gal. 4:7, Rom. 6:16) or our own desires, (Gal 5:17) we have “power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12).
WHAT IS GRACE?
ROMANS 1:5 “We RECEIVED GRACE and apostleship FOR OBEDIENCE to the faith …”
Strong’s Concordance defines “grace” as “the divine influence or the divine power upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.” Grace is also defined as the unmerited favor of God.
TITUS 2:11-14 “For the GRACE of God that brings salvation to all men TEACHES US that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for … Jesus, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
NOTICE: Grace teaches us to obey the law. We received grace so that we could obey, and we will be zealous of good works not in order to obtain salvation, but because we have been saved.
GOD DOES NOT WRITE A NEW MORAL CODE FOR THE PERSON WHO IS SAVED!
HE CHANGES THE HEART, SO THAT THE NEW CHILD OF GOD NOW LOVES HIS LAW.
HEBREWS 8:10 “ I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts”
(Ezekiel 36:27,28, Jeremiah 3:33, Hebrews 10:16).
PSALM 40:8 “I delight to do thy will… yea, they law is written within my heart.”
ROMANS 7:22 “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.”
PSALM 119:97 “Oh how I love thy Law!”
PSALM 119:165 “Great peace have they which love thy law.”
VICTORY OVER SIN IS PROMISED
There are many who believe that as long as we are in this world we cannot stop sinning. They say that until Jesus comes, and we receive new bodies, we will continue to fall over and over and over, repeating the same mistakes. But this is not what the Bible says.
“I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
“For with God, nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37).
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless ….” (Jude 24)
“The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work” (2 Timothy 4:18).
“No temptation has overtaken you but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape …” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly …. He who calls you is faithful, Who also will do it”
(1 Thessalonians 5:23).
TRUE GRACE
Gives power to keep the LAW.
Jesus saves you from your sins.
Jesus cleanses me from the inside out.
I receive a new heart and a new mind
“I can do all things through Christ” (Phil. 4:13).
I can stop sinning.
I always have free will. Jesus cannot heal me if I do not consent to be changed.
Salvation is not heaven (that’s just the home of the saved). Salvation is not eternal life (that’s the reward of the saved). Salvation is freedom from the slavery of sin in my life, here, now, in this present world.
COUNTERFEIT GRACE
Says it’s not necessary to keep the LAW.
Jesus saves you in your sins.
Jesus covers me with his righteousness, but I’m still dirty on the inside.
I don’t have to stop sinning, as long I just keep saying I’m sorry. Confession without repentance.
Jesus loves me too much to ever let me be lost no matter what I do. Presumption is the counterfeit of faith.
Salvation is heaven and eternal life.
WHY IS THE MORAL LAW CALLED “THE GREAT LAW OF LIBERTY?
JAMES 1:23-25; JAMES 2:12 “For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what type of man he was. But, he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
“The Word” is called the “perfect law of liberty.” To say that we can ignore the law is the same as saying we can ignore the Word of God. They are the same.
PSALM 119:45 “And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.”
Perfect obedience to the law of love through the power of God’s indwelling sets us free from sinning and from its painful consequences. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!
LUKE 4:18 “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek;
he hath sent me to … proclaim liberty to the captives, … and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”
We are bound when we are controlled by our sins, and by Satan.
ROMANS 8:21 “Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
Are we at liberty to sin? No! No! We are offered freedom from sinning and from its inevitable results. We are set from the power of Satan. He can tempt us, but he cannot make us fall.
THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF A “NEW COVENANT.”
WHAT WAS THE OLD COVENANT?
WAS IT THE SAME AS THE LAW OF SACRIFICES,
WHICH WAS ABOLISHED?
A “covenant” was an agreement between two parties. Like a contract, the covenant details the responsibilities of each party. The covenant between God and man has always been the same: “I will be their God and they will be my people”
(Hebrews 8:10, Ezekiel 36:27, Deuteronomy 30:6) Keep My laws through my power in you, and I will bless you, and you will live.
The first covenant was a covenant of promise, with symbols (sacrifices and ceremonies) of the Messiah to come (Hebrews 9:1,3,4). The first covenant God made with Adam at the gate of Eden. God promised to send a redeemer. The covenant was given to Noah, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. It was renewed to Israel at the foot of Sinai. Again and again, man broke this covenant (Heb. 8:7-8).
The new covenant is simply a renewal of the original covenant, but without the sacrificial symbols, because now Christ, the promised redeemer has come.
The terms of the covenant remained the same: Obey my law of love, through my indwelling Spirit, and live. I will give you the desire to obey and the power to obey (a “new heart” and a “new spirit”). You must choose to obey.
DEUTERONOMY 30:6 “The Lord will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul that you may live.”
: The Holy Spirit existed just as surely then as now. The great majority just did not surrender to that power.
EZEKIEL 36:26,27, EZEKIEL 11:19,20, HABAKKUK 2:4, ZECHARIAH 4:6
The Israelites lost site of the Spirit of the law because they were trying, so hard in their own strength to keep the letter of the law. This is known as legalism.
“A BETTER COVENANT”
Why does Paul say that the “new covenant” is “better? (Hebrews 7:22).
The “new covenant” is based upon the fact of Jesus’s victory over sin. Jesus has come as a human being. He has overcome. “Jesus has become a surety …” (Heb. 7:22). The ultimate victory over Satan and sin is now a sure thing. And we may share in this victory.
The “old covenant” made with Israel was based upon man’s promise to obey the law of God. At he foot of Sinai “all the people answered together and said, ?All that the Lord has said we will do’” (Ex 19:8). These were “poor promises”, broken within days, because man has no power in himself to keep God’s law. Nowhere do we hear of the Israelites asking for the indwelling Spirit of God. They rejected the Spirit and tried to keep the letter.
NOTICE: THE FAULT WAS NOT IN GOD OR IN THE LAW.
THE FAULT WAS IN MAN!
MAN BROKE AND MADE VOID THE COVENANT, NOT GOD.
ISAIAH 24:5 You have “broken the everlasting covenant.”
MALACHI 3:6 (God) “I change not.”
HEBREWS 8:7-9 “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second, because finding fault with them (men) … because they did not continue in My covenant …”
ISAIAH 24:5-6 “The earth is defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth …”
The “New covenant”, the “everlasting covenant” is based upon God’s promise to us. God has promised to “redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus 2:14). He has promised to write His law in our hearts (Heb. 8:10). We must claim His promise and believe. We must remain humbly aware that the credit for our good works goes to God, not to us. Then our efforts to obey are joined to His powerful grace and we overcome. This is why Paul says that the “new covenant” is “established upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). It is based upon God’s promise not man’s.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, all experienced this righteousness by faith. They believed God’s promise of a “new heart” (Jer. 22:40; Jer. 31:33; Eze. 36:27; Heb. 8:10. They were partakers of the everlasting covenant.
Anyone, whether he lived 3000 years ago, or lives today — if he is attempting to keep God’s law in his own strength — is living under the old covenant, and he will fail of receiving eternal life.
HEBREWS 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace … through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, …”
WHAT IS THE NEW COVENANT?
HEB 8:10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their mind and write them upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Ezekiel 36:27,28; Hebrews 10:16; Jeremiah 31:33).
WHY DOES PAUL SAY THAT CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW?
ROMANS 10:4 “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
Christ is the end of trying to keep the letter of the law, in your own strength, in order to be righteous before God.. Christ is the end of legalism.
II CORINTHIANS 3:5-6 “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter (legalism), but of the Spirit; for the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.”
ROMANS 3:27 “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”
The works which we do in order to win God’s favor, in order to be saved, are useless, because we cannot, out of our unsaved hearts perform works that are free of selfish intent. We must first receive grace, the healing purifying power of God. Then we will do good works, we will bring forth the fruits of the spirit, not in order to be saved, but because we are saved.
The “law of faith” brings about “the obedience of faith.” “Faith without works” is not real faith. It is a dead counterfeit (James 2:20).
ROMANS 1:5 “Through whom (Christ) we have received grace and apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith …”
[Did you understand that grace is the power love of God which gives us the desire and the power to obey.]
PHILIPPIANS 2:13 “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”
JOHN 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,”
EZEKIEL 36:27 “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.” (Old Testament)
PHILIPPIANS 3:3-9 Paul says that he kept the law perfectly as far as was humanly possible, but when the Holy Spirit convicted Him of the true spirit of the law (that is loving ones fellow men) he realized he was lost and could never meet the requirements in his own strength. He had no confidence in his own ability to obey God perfectly, but trusted to the power of the Holy Spirit in him.
EPHESIANS 3:16-21 “that He (the Father) would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that, Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
ISAIAH 27:5 “Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.” (Old Testament)
IF GOD’S LAW IS ETERNAL, AND HAS ALWAYS EXISTED;
WHY DID GOD NEED TO WRITE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ON STONE?
GALATIANS 3:24 “The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
Little children must be taught by simple means. You cannot just tell a child to eat healthfully. You must explain what foods are good for him. Just so, you cannot tell a spiritual infant to love God and man unselfishly. He would have no idea what that means.
The law is like a mirror (James l:23-25). A mirror tells you when you’re dirty, but the mirror can’t make you clean. And destroying the mirror won’t make you any cleaner.
Paul says of his mission: “that I might gain (convert) them that are without law” (I Cor 9:21). The pagans didn’t know they were sinful. They had no standard, and no mirror. So they felt no need of a Saviour.
ROMANS 3:20 “For by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
ROMANS 7:7 “Is the law sin? No! I had not known sin but by the law.”
I JOHN 3:4 “sin is the transgression of the law”
ROMANS 5:13 “sin is not imputed when there is no law.”
The law defines sin. It tells us what is sin and what is good. When we have learned the basic Ten as children then we are ready to go on to a finer standard like the teachings and the life of Christ. We look beyond the letter to the principle.
I TIMOTHY 1:9 “the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly sinners,”
A converted person, one who has a new heart would not need those commandments written on stone in order to behave righteously. He is living by the principle of love for God and man. He would never lie, cheat, or steal. He would honor God’s Sabbath, and His name. In heaven, I don’t think God will need to post the Ten Commandments on a wall as a reminder.
We keep the law when we have a spirit of love and unselfishness. This explains why we are guilty of breaking the whole law when we violate one principle. We could not violate that one point without selfishness in our hearts. James 2:10
BUT I THOUGHT WE ARE SAVED BY OUR FAITH, NOT BY WORKS OF THE LAW.
ROMANS 3:20 “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified.”
GALATIANS 3:21 “If there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness should have been by the law.”
GALATIANS 2:16 “man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ”,…”for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”
GALATIANS 2:21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness came by the law, then Christ died in vain.”
(If it were possible for us to keep the law in our own strength, then we didn’t need a Saviour.)
GALATIANS 3:ll “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident for ?The just shall live by faith’”
(Habakkuk 2:4).
Notice: the old testament saints were saved in just the same way, by faith, as we are today.
HEBREWS 11:7 “Noah became heir of the righteousness which is by faith because he built the ark.”
(Notice: Noah’s faith resulted in action – works. He built the ark.)
The moral law, without power from God (grace) is a curse, because we cannot keep the Law in our own strength. We are saved by Jesus Christ who taught us to ask for the Holy Spirit and power to be able to keep the Commandments. We live by faith in God’s promise of saving, regenerating power.
ROMANS 6:7 “… a woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives, but if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband … You also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another, even to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God … But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so the we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”
You have become dead to keeping the law as a means to salvation. You still keep the law, but not as a way to be saved. You now keep the law because you have been saved, and have received power from Christ.
Paul here is contrasting the attempt to gain salvation by our own works, which is futile slavery, the “oldness of the letter,” with the “newness of the Spirit”, the indwelling power of grace, which produces inward change, true righteousness, not just outwardly correct behavior.
The law was the first husband, but he was a tyrant which could only point out her sins (Gal. 7:7-23). When you realized the impossibility of keeping the law in you own strength you “died to the law” as a means of salvation, and were married to Christ. The law didn’t love you and the law could not help you to obey. Jesus loves you, and He gives you power to obey willingly and joyfully. This new marriage is happy!
This same symbol of marriage Paul uses in Galatians 4:21 and Galatians 5:6. Abraham’s taking Hagar represents our attempt to gain salvation in our own way, by works. The miracle child given through Sarah symbolizes salvation by grace, the gift of God. Paul went on to say that clinging to circumcision or to any of the ceremonial laws, was to continue trying to achieve salvation by works.
WHY ARE WE TO BE JUDGED BY OUR WORKS IF WE’RE NOT SAVED BY THEM?
(Revelation 20:13, Revelation 22:12)
Works are a window to the soul. True faith results in loving deeds. A consistent, righteous life is not possible without the indwelling of the Spirit of God, therefore, if a man or woman has demonstrated righteousness in action, this is a testimony that he or she has entered a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
To say that we are to be judged by our works is the same as saying we will be judged by our faith. The works are evidence of our faith.
JAMES 2:20 “Faith without works is dead.”
If a person claims to have faith in Christ, but his/her life shows no evidence of unselfishness, then the claim is a lie, and the “faith” a sham.
THE LAW IS A REVELATION OF THE CHARACTER OF GOD!
The same words which are used to describe God, also are used to describe God’s LAW.
TRUTH (Isaiah 26:12, Psalm 119:142) — GOOD (Romans 7:16) —- SPIRITUAL (Romans 7:14) —- LOVE (1John 4:8, 1John 4:16, Romans 13:10) —- GOSPEL (2Thessalonians 1:7-9) —- Holy (Romans 7:12) —- JUST (Romans 7:12).
Dear A. Way,
Thank you for sharing at length your denominational commentary on the subjects of Law, Grace, and related matters.
Once again, your focus is NOT the focus and emphasis of the Gospel of the Grace of God as revealed in the New Testament written in the letters of Paul, the Gospel revealed directly and in person to Paul by our Lord Jesus Christ.
You cite many passages of Scripture. But in many, if not most cases, they are cited out of context to support the doctrine of legalism, not the doctrine of the true Grace of God.
Your source cites Galatians 3:24, much like you did in a recent comment, without citing the following verse, Galatians 3:25, which is essential to understanding its meaning, something I called attention to in my last comment post.
Clearly, Paul compares the Law to a schoolmaster designed to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
But now that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. Thus, we are no longer under the Law.
The Law has reference to the Ten Commandment Law.
You or your source is correct that Salvation has never come by the Law. If anyone had been able to perfectly keep the Law, they could have been saved as a result, which is clearly stated at Leviticus 18:5,
This is confirmed by our Lord Jesus Christ in His exchange with “a certain lawyer,”
The lawyer gave a very astute answer,
Jesus confirmed the correctness of his answer:
On another occasion Jesus confirmed this same truth to another individual,
Jesus gave the answer,
When the enquirer asked just which commandments he must obey to enter into life, Jesus gave the answer:
Jesus did not quote the whole list. From the context, we learn why he left out the Tenth Commandment. Christ instructed the enquirer to go and sell all that he had, give to the poor from the proceeds, and come follow Him. The man declined to do so.
But there is another most significant omission in the listing of the Ten Commandments as Jesus specified them: the Fourth Commandment is not named. This is the case every time the Ten Commandments are listed or summarized in the New Testament. This is a striking and consistent omission.
Your position, and that of your denominational source, does not properly account for this. My position does.
The other means of salvation specified in the Old Testament is that of faith alone. It is first seen operative in the life of Abraham, who was justified by his faith,
The same principle of faith alone is specified in the Prophets:
This text from the Prophets is cited several times in the New Testament by Paul,
We must take care that “we are not of them who draw back unto perdition.”
Paul echoes this warning throughout his epistles.
And again,
When Paul states “Ye observe days,” he has reference to observing the weekly Sabbaths.
When Paul speaks of observing “months,” he has reference to the monthly new moon observance.
When Paul includes the observance of “times” he has reference to the annual feasts.
And when Paul makes reference to “years” he has reference to recurring institutions like the Jubilee, and the release of all debtors and restoration to original property as mentioned in the Law.
Paul therefore by this specific reference includes ALL observances of the Law, including the weekly Sabbath.
To fall back into these practices is to “draw back unto perdition.” Should it be that the Galatians, or anyone else since, do so, they are in supreme danger spiritually. Paul likened it to meaning that the labor he had bestowed upon the Galatians would be rendered in vain.
Paul speaks of this danger of his labor being in vain in other places of warning in his epistles:
Those who permit themselves to be seduced into the false doctrine of Sabbatarianism have involved themselves again in the “weak and beggarly elements” that Paul has warned us to have no part of. This clearly includes Sabbath-keeping and Sabbath worship.
Let everyone be persuaded in their own mind.
Dear A. Way,
I think you have used that response in the past.
Does that mean you have no further sound arguments available to support your position?
I will say, indeed, that you have been of much help to me in my studies of the Bible. I would likely never have thought to take the time to dig this deeply into Sabbath issues.
Nevertheless, the more I study what you present, the more I am convinced that I see the Bible correctly and you do not.
In your first response above, you quoted my statement:
You offered your constructive criticism of my assertion by saying:
I have noticed over many years that sometimes what we see to criticize in others is an unwitting confession of what we are in ourselves.
In this case, it is Sabbatarian deception to affirm that Christians engaged in distinctly Christian worship–defined in part as celebrating the Lord’s Supper–on the Seventh-day Sabbath. As far as the record we have in the New Testament, Christians never did that.
If the record shows they actually did, you ought to be able to readily furnish “chapter and verse” to substantiate your claim. You have never done so. All you offer in answer to this point in my argument from Scripture is flat denial. You’ve got to do better than that, or you are confessing defeat.
The FACT that the earliest Christians were all Jews does not negate the FACT in my argument that the record shows Christians met on the First Day, never the Seventh Day for their Christian worship.
Attendance at the synagogue or temple on the Sabbath is Jewish worship practice, not Christian. This is clear when it is recognized that Jewish Christians of that day or this would not be able to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in the Jewish synagogue on the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath.
Jewish Christians did attend the synagogue as Jews to participate in their normal Jewish worship practice, at first. This is not specifically Christian worship as you very well know.
Jewish Christians did attend the synagogue to provide Christian witness to the Jews who assembled there for Jewish worship, at least for as long as that was permitted. Paul engaged in this practice. This is not specifically Christian worship, as you should also very well know. It was targeted Christian witness. There is a difference. Paul did not celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the Jewish synagogue he attended, so far as anything in the record we have in the New Testament indicates.
Therefore, to assert as you did, that my statement,
is in any measure whatsoever deception is itself most deceptive on your part.
Especially when I explained very carefully that the first Christians were Jews, and continued to practice their Judaism by attending the synagogue on the Sabbath to worship there as Jews as they had always done, but met as Christians for Christian worship and fellowship, including celebrating the Lord’s Supper, on the First Day, which is the proper and Biblical practice for us today as we follow what the apostles and earliest Christians did as Christians.
My statement, therefore, still stands as correct. Your position has been demonstrated to be mistaken and not in accordance with the teaching of Scripture.
hello a.way, let me ask you what is the gospel of jesus christ?
Jerry – I take the whole of scripture. When I point out that the Ark of the Covenant is seen in Revelation, you say that does not apply. What was in the Ark? The 10 Commandments. All 10 of the commandments. When we first commented, you believed the Sabbath was given at Creation. You then said it was given only to the Jews at Sinai. You then acknowledged that it existed before Sinai, but then you claimed it was created after leaving Egypt. You have to believe this, because otherwise it destroys your entire belief system. You had to change, you had not choice. To believe that the Sabbath was given at creation, before sin, completely destroys you interpretation.
I on the other hand, believe the Sabbath was given at Creation. If it was not, then God blessing and sanctifying the the 7th day at Creation is otherwise meaningless. Yes, the 4th commandments shows that indeed the 7th day was created at Creation. Yes, the early church keep the Sabbath, and there have been Sabbath keeping Christians all though history. Yes, there is many examples of Sabbath worship, and no example of Sunday worship in the NT. We have covered this multiple times. An example is Acts 20:7 GNB “On Saturday evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight, since he was going to leave the next day.” The morning would be Sunday by our reckoning. Not a day of worship. Saturday evening is the 1st day of the week. They did not meet specifically for “Christian worship”, but to eat. And they often met together to eat, not just on the 1st day of the week. MANY times we have examples of the Apostles meeting on the Sabbath, for Christian worship.
Ken – the Gospel is the “power of God unto salvation”, Romans 1:16, for the Jew AND the Greek. BOTH.
Ken – what is your definition of “salvation”? What is your definition of sin?
Dear A. Way,
You correctly state:
I’m glad to see you acknowledge my change of position on the Sabbath. The fact that I changed my position shows that, given further evidence from Scripture, I am both able and willing to change my mind about what it teaches. This means that I do indeed learn new things from the Bible as I study it further.
Are you able to do this?
Most definitely not, apparently. No matter what the evidence and its strength against you, you refuse to budge.
This may be because you are committed to a denomination, not the Lord Jesus Christ, or the direct teaching of Scripture.
As for the Sabbath in Genesis, the Hebrew word for Sabbath does not occur in the book of Genesis at all.
There is no evidence at all in the Genesis record of any day being set aside for total rest. No such practice is even hinted at.
Therefore, I now conclude, the Sabbath was NOT a pre-Mosaic institution like tithing was. Or like circumcision was. Or like the use of altars in worship was. Or like animal sacrifice was.
Again,
That is still my claim, because that is the direct assertion of the account in the book of Exodus.
I have since learned that this is the direct (not inferred) claim of the Scripture writers:
The Bible claim in this passage is that these Laws, which include the Fourth Commandment, included in the covenant made in Horeb, were NOT given to their fathers, but to them, all of whom stood there alive that very day. You know very well that further in Deuteronomy 5 the Ten Commandments are specifically enumerated as the content of “this covenant.” This is what Scripture directly states, which totally refutes your position and belief.
Again, the Bible claims:
Now tell me, just when does Scripture itself declare that the holy sabbath was made known to them by divine revelation?
For those who know how to read, the answer given by Scripture itself is obvious.
For those who do not know how to read well, major help is available at my other website at http://www.readingsteps.com, where suggestions, step by step, are available for your benefit.
Dear A. Way,
At my other website, http://www.readingsteps.com, I also share material about how to study, and how to remember what was studied in my “How to Study” and “Test Taking Skills” program, detailed in the Selections I created for the classroom use of my students, who greatly appreciated my help. My help as their English teacher made it possible for many of my students to do far better in their other classes too.
You comment,
Your statement demonstrates your bias and obstinacy in refusing to acknowledge the truth. I expounded this matter in the fullest detail you can find anywhere, I would suppose, but now you bring the following statement up as if it were fact:
Such a statement is not fact, it is a lie.
I have repeatedly stated that there is not one example in the New Testament of Christians engaged in specifically Christian worship on the Seventh Day Jewish Sabbath, not one.
Specifically Christian worship means the “breaking of bread,” what we commonly term Communion or the Lord’s Supper. Please provide chapter and verse where the Lord’s Supper was celebrated in the temple or in a synagogue on the Sabbath Day. You know, as well as I do, there is no such example to be found in the New Testament.
But as evidence, you supply Acts 20:7, a most pertinent verse:
Unfortunately for your case, the GNB is a paraphrase here, not a translation. The paraphrase represents an opinion of what the text says, and in this case it is a mistaken opinion. I proved that in an extensive prior comment to you, a comment that was a major study of this issue. Perhaps I need to post it as Part 3 of this series!
I pointed out then that the writer was Luke. Luke was a Gentile. Luke addressed his writing to a Gentile, Theophilus (I haven’t met any Jewish men by that name, have you?),
We are most fortunate to have that “former treatise,” also addressed to Theophilus,
The events in Acts 20 under consideration took place while Paul was at Troas. Troas was a Roman Colony with special status and privilege. That was a Gentile community.
So when Luke writes of time in reference to events at Troas, he is using Roman reckoning, not Jewish, making reference to time as accounted in Troas.
Therefore, when the disciples were met together on the First Day of the Week to “break bread,” expressed plainly in a manner to express what was their regular practice, the event took place on Sunday evening, NOT the evening of the Jewish Sabbath.
Interestingly, Paul, the account says, had been at Troas (Acts 20:6) for an entire week, seven days, so his presence there MUST have included the Jewish Sabbath, but not a word of his worship on the Jewish Seventh Day Sabbath is given.
So this text of Scripture which you employed to support your case breaks down utterly upon close examination. It makes my case, and destroys yours (as usual, when we engage in Real Bible Study).
Act 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (KJV)
Act 20:7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. (ESV)
Act 20:7 And on the first of the week, the disciples having been gathered together to break bread, Paul was discoursing to them, about to depart on the morrow, he was also continuing the discourse till midnight, (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation)
Act 20:7 And, on the first of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul went on to discourse with them, being about to depart on the morrow; and he prolonged his discourse until midnight. (EB, Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible)
Act 20:7 And on the first day of the week, when we had come together for the holy meal, Paul gave them a talk, for it was his purpose to go away on the day after; and he went on talking till after the middle of the night. (BBE, Bible in Basic English)
Act 20:7 On the first day of the week we met to break bread together. Paul spoke to the people until midnight because he was leaving the next morning. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)
Act 20:7 On the first day of the week when we had met to break bread, Paul addressed them, since he was leaving the next day, and prolonged his speech till midnight. (Williams’ New Testament)
Act 20:7 (18:2) And on the first day of the week, we being assembled to break bread, Paul preached to them, being about to depart on the next day, and continued his discourse till midnight; (Sawyer NT)
Act 20:7 And on the first day of the week, when we assembled to break the eucharist, Paul discoursed with them, because he was to depart the next day; and he continued his discourse till midnight. (Murdock NT)
Act 20:7 On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul began to speak to the people, and because he intended to leave the next day, he extended his message until midnight. (NET Bible)
Act 20:7 εν δε τη μια των σαββατων συνηγμενων των μαθητων του κλασαι αρτον ο παυλος διελεγετο αυτοις μελλων εξιεναι τη επαυριον παρετεινεν τε τον λογον μεχρι μεσονυκτιου (GNT-TR, Greek New Testament, Textus Receptus or Received Text, Scrivener)
You asked, can I change my mind, “Most definitely not, apparently. No matter what the evidence and its strength against you, you refuse to budge.”
I refuse to budge without having proof that I’m wrong. I do not buy into your interpretations.
You said, “This may be because you are committed to a denomination, not the Lord Jesus Christ, or the direct teaching of Scripture.”
I believe that scripture is clear. I will take scripture, you your interpretation.
You said, “The Hebrew word for Sabbath does not occur in the book of Genesis at all.”
Correct! The WORD does not exist. We have scripture that “Sanctifies” the 7th day, Genesis 2:2-3 KJV And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
You said, “There is no evidence at all in the Genesis record of any day being set aside for total rest. No such practice is even hinted at.”
This is a misrepresentation of the Sabbath. Secular work was to end. The work by which we gain a living was to end on the Sabbath. Christ however, showed the meaning of true Sabbath keeping, and was greatly criticized for how He kept the Sabbath.
In reply to your belief that the Sabbath was created after leaving Egypt, you said, “That is still my claim, because that is the direct assertion of the account in the book of Exodus.”
Please, show a direct statement that the Sabbath was CREATED after leaving Egypt. In Exodus 16, it is simply stated, that the 7th day is the Sabbath. Nehemiah 9:14 states, that “And madest known unto them thy holy Sabbath”. It does not say, He created it, He made in known to them. When the children of Israel were in Egypt, they lost much of their knowledge of God.
Deuteronomy 5:3, “The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers”. What, you mean do not murder, commit adultery, etc.? The agreement with Abraham was of a personal nature. The covenant at Sinai was with a whole nation. This was new.
You ask, “Now tell me, just when does Scripture itself declare that the holy sabbath was made known to them by divine revelation?”
Scripture is clear. Genesis 2:2-3.
You have claimed that the Sabbath was given only to the children of Israel. But what did Jesus say? Mark 2:27 AKJV “And he said to them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” It does not say, the Sabbath was made for the Jews.
You suggest that I do not know how to study, and refer me to your other website. Thank you for your concern! You have many times told us that you have superior skills, and I no doubt need to improve in many areas. I will simply say, I was the top of my class in college, and have multiple years of post doctorate studies and have taugh post docs in university. But I know that I am a sinner, in need of the God’s grace. And my education is meaningless without God, and my righteousness as filthy rags. Christ is the truth, life and the way.
You have repeatedly used this statement, “I have repeatedly stated that there is not one example in the New Testament of Christians engaged in specifically Christian worship on the Seventh Day Jewish Sabbath, not one.”
This is an interesting statement. Yet there is direct statements of Christians, Jews and Gentiles coming together on the Sabbath. Acts 11:26 AKJV And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. And what day did these Christians gather to read the law and the prophets and discuss these things? Acts 13:14-15 AKJV “But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. (v15) And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, You men and brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” And what about gentiles? Acts 13:42 AKJV “And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles sought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.” Why on Sabbath? Why not on the first day, the day of the sun, Sunday? Because the day of worship, dedicated to God was the Sabbath, as shown through out the book of Acts. See the following: Acts 13:44 AKJV “And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.” Acts 15:21 AKJV “For Moses of old time has in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. ” Acts 17:2 AKJV “And Paul, as his manner was, went in to them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,” Acts 18:4 AKJV “And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. ” Remember, in chapter 11 they were called Christians. And in the following chapters they gathered on the Sabbath day, as Christians.
You said, “Unfortunately for your case, the GNB is a paraphrase here, not a translation. ” Oops Jerry. The GNB, “Good News Bible” is also known as “Today’s English Version”, and more recently, the “Good News Translation”. You can confirm this on the American Bible Society website, or BibleGateway.com, where is says, “The Good News Translation, formerly called the Good News Bible or Today’s English Version, was first published as a full Bible in 1976 by the American Bible Society as a “common language” Bible. It is a clear and simple modern translation that is faithful to the original Hebrew, Koine Greek and Aramaic texts. ”
You said, “So when Luke writes of time in reference to events at Troas, he is using Roman reckoning, not Jewish, making reference to time as accounted in Troas.” Really? It can be noted that the same Greek construct using in Acts 20:7 is used in Matthew 28:1. You can not use the Roman argument there. Yes, I specifically choose the GNT for a reason, to show that I’m not alone in thinking that this verse is speaking in Jewish terms, that the day starts on at evening. I suspect you will be bold enough to say that you know much better than the scholars that worked on the GNT. But lets say you are right, and they were using Roman time, the meeting that occurred was not specifically for 1st day worship, but because Paul was leaving, that was the point of the meeting. Other commentators, including Ellicott, Conybeare and Howson, and A. T. Robertson, have preferred to understand that the meeting took place on the evening before Sunday, again supporting the GNT idea and what I think is the best interpretation of this passage.
One more reference. “The passage is not entirely convincing, because the impending departure of the apostle may have united the little Church in a brotherly parting-meal, on occasion of which the apostle delivered his last address, although there was no particular celebration of a Sunday in the case” (The History of the Christian Religion and Church, tr. Henry John Rose, vol. 1, p. 337).
So, what I see is that you discount Genesis 2:2-3 as having any significance. You claim that Exodus 16 was the start of the Sabbath, even though the wording of this chapter is revelatory rather than a new command. It is very clear that all the 10C existed before Sinai. You claim the Sabbath was strictly a Jewish institution, yet Jesus said it was made for man, Mark 2:27. I’ve asked you before and you have totally ignored the fact that in over 100 languages of the earth, that the 7th day of the week is known as “Sabbath”. Why would that be if it were only for the Jews? Do you have an answer? Or is this just coincidence? It is clear that the Christians in the book of Acts consistently met on the Sabbath to read and study, and there is NO example of them meeting on the 1st day of the specifically to just worship. I have shown that in the book of Revelation (11:19) the Ark of the Covenant was seen in the heavenly sanctuary. The Ark contained the tablets of stone on which were written the 10C. All 10.
So the question goes back to Ken, what is the Gospel? What is salvation? What is sin? The plan of redemption, is redemption from what? This Jerry is my emphasis, the Lord Jesus Christ, and what he is doing for us. Redemption, justification, and sanctification.
What does it mean to be saved? The word translated “salvation” in the New Testament is “sozo”, G4982. It is translated “saved”, but also “cured”, “get well”, “made well”, “recover”, “restore”. The who sacrificial system pointed to the work of the Messiah, to save us from our sins, Matthew 1:21. My focus is Jesus! You claim it is not. Why do you judge me so? Consider some verses: Romans 15:16 AKJV That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. . 1 Corinthians 1:2 AKJV To the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their’s and our’s:. 1 Corinthians 1:30 AKJV But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: . 1 Corinthians 6:11 AKJV And such were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 AKJV And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:10 AKJV By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Jude 1:1 AKJV Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:.
Yes, the 10C remain. And why the 4th? The reason is this, Ezekiel 20:12 AKJV Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
That it Jerry. The whole emphasis of the 4th is Jesus, the Creator, Redeemer, Savior, Sanctifier. It is a sign.
Let everyone be persuaded in their own mind.
Dear A. Way,
This may be one of your very best responses to my line of argument so far!
Just as you do not agree with my interpretations, I do not agree with yours.
Your interpretations would not occur to anyone alone on Robinson Crusoe’s Desert Island equipped with several plain-text Bibles, a source of plentiful cross references, a concordance, and a couple of lexicons. To come up with your position, one would have had to have been influenced by denominational literature.
Indeed, let everyone be persuaded in their own mind. But take heed that the means of that persuasion is not contaminated with the seeds of deception, the winds of false doctrines, for we are warned against being deceived. Any denominational source is the seed-bed of deception and false doctrine.
As for that meeting in Acts 20:7,
The point of the construction in the grammar of the original Greek is that the meeting was the usual gathering for worship on the first day, not that it was specially called because Paul was leaving.
The GNB at Acts 20:7 is clearly a paraphrase, an interpretation, not the literal reading of the Greek text at all. It is not followed by any of the major or minor translations I cited for the verse.
And I am right, Luke was referencing local time in the terms the locals would have used, thus Roman time, not time as figured by Jews in Israel.
You also commented:
Of course, in a debate, you cannot introduce evidence against your opponent that your opponent has not already assented to by his own reference to it. But this is not a formal debate, so for the moment, I’ll take my debate, my debate coach, and debate judge helmet off!
Matthew 28:1 has no relevance to the issue. The account in Matthew takes place in Israel, and the time no doubt is referenced in accordance with Jewish reckoning. But the account in Acts 20:7 takes place in Troas, a Roman colony, composed of a Gentile population, where they clearly went by Roman reckoning in reference to time.
You state:
This is the Seventh-day Adventist mistaken interpretation of Mark 2:27. I do not agree with denominational interpretations, forced interpretations at that, used to buttress false doctrine.
Taking the verse in the light of its context, Jesus as the Son of man was defending his disciples against the Pharisaic understanding of Sabbath law. Jesus affirmed that the needs of man or even the welfare of animals took precedence over their rigorous rules about how the Sabbath was to be kept.
Therefore, the point of the statement Jesus made points to His authority over the Sabbath, indicates He has fulfilled it completely as the Son of man, but does not assert that the Sabbath was made for all mankind when it clearly in Scripture was part of the Law given exclusively to the Jews.
Your memory has failed you a bit on this point. Let me remind you that I did indeed comment extensively about this in the past. I remarked in my response that I had taken a major emphasis in my graduate school degree in linguistics. I indicated I am well aware that among the world languages there are interesting examples of shared terminology. I have studied this extensively, and have written more than one article as part of my collection of reading selections for my students on this very subject, demonstrating that by a careful study of shared word roots, we can actually discover events and trends that took place in what is called “prehistory,” the time before the invention of writing less than 6000 years ago. I had mentioned to you that I had studied the evidence for Noah and his Ark as the story is reflected in the mythologies of the world, all parts of the world, and stated to you that the account in Genesis, however, is not mythology. Now do you remember the discussion? But the fact that 100 languages may share a term related to the Sabbath hardly indicates that any of those nations associated with the term the all-important Hebrew regulations pertaining to a weekly day of total rest and total abstinence from labor. Therefore, while of linguistic interest, it does not establish your case in the least.
You have made an error or two in logic here, I’m sure, in the face of the evidence I have cited, and in the face of the evidence available in the New Testament. You have made an assertion that lacks any specific proof. You have assumed what must be proved. As a result, you are denominationally consistent, but in fatal error on this issue.
You fail to distinguish between Jewish worship and specifically Christian worship. You cannot afford to allow for this distinction, because to do so would be fatal to your argument. Therefore, since the distinction is both reasonable and necessary in the light of the facts given in the New Testament account, your position must be incorrect.
Did Jewish Christians in Israel meet on the Sabbath to read and study? Most certainly they did as Jews engaged in the normal synagogue activities of the Jews of their day. Such activity is NOT specifically Christian worship, because NEVER ONCE in any reported activity on the Jewish Sabbath is it said that Christian Jews celebrated the Lord’s Supper as a part of that activity, an activity sometimes identified by the expression “to break bread.”
Therefore, while “to break bread,” as from house to house (therefore not in the synagogue), did initially take place daily, it later came to be regularly observed as what we call Communion on the First Day of the week, as the text and the grammar of the text in Acts 20:7 indicates.
There is nothing in the record to indicate that Christians ever met for specifically Christian worship on the Sabbath Day with fellow Jews who were non-Christians during Jewish worship. They obviously did meet on the Sabbath for specifically Christian witness to the Jews, as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded in his directions for witness in Acts 1:8,
Note the progression: witness was to begin “in Jerusalem,” followed by “and in all Judea,” followed by “and in Samaria,” followed by “and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Notice the repetition of “and” to introduce each region specified for witness. This is an instance of the Figure of speech Polysyndeton, which marks for pointed emphasis each of the regions specified. See the explanation for this figure of speech I have given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge at Genesis 8:22,
His command is reflected directly in Paul’s statement at Romans 1:16,
As part of their obedience to the command of Christ, the earliest Christians went “to the Jew first,” by going where the Jews regularly gathered for Jewish worship, the synagogue, but for the purpose of specifically Christian witness. Since the earliest Christians were Jews, still in good standing but only for a while, they engaged in Jewish worship at the synagogue, where they were apparently permitted to speak. This was clearly Jewish worship engaged in as an avenue for Christian witness, NOT specifically Christian worship on the Sabbath!
Therefore, my statement still holds true:
“I have repeatedly stated that there is not one example in the New Testament of Christians engaged in specifically Christian worship on the Seventh Day Jewish Sabbath, not one.”
“I have repeatedly stated that there is not one example in the New Testament of Christians engaged in specifically Christian worship on the Seventh Day Jewish Sabbath, not one.”
That is because you are making a differentiation that does not exist.
Dear A. Way,
You state:
Of course, the differentiation does exist.
Your interpretation is in violation of Rule 18 of the 23 Rules of Interpretation I have posted in the October, 2010 Archives on this website:
Your position fails because it denies the differences which do exist.
You cannot successfully support a system of doctrine that claims to be the truth by basing it on a system of a regular pattern of denial, denial of explicit evidence in Scripture that is clearly to the contrary, evidence that contradicts your position. That is the pattern of those who argue in support of a false cult, or of false doctrine.
It ought to be perfectly obvious to all who may read here, yourself included, that your whole position flagrantly violates Rule 21,
Does your emphasis on obeying the Fourth Commandment match the emphasis of the New Testament?
Clearly not.
The Fourth Commandment is NEVER ONCE a concern in the New Testament epistles, except to condemn any emphasis upon its observance.
“Does your emphasis on obeying the Fourth Commandment match the emphasis of the New Testament?”
You forget that Jesus kept the Sabbath, and showed what real Sabbath keeping was. You forget that ALL the Apostles kept the Sabbath, and did so AFTER the resurrection. You forget that Jesus was concerned about the Sabbath looking 40 years forward to the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:20). Christ’s followers kept the Sabbath, (Luke 23:55-56). Why repeatedly command that which they were doing? The Sabbath we not in question. Today it is.
You make no connection between Colossians 2:14, which talks about the handwriting against us and Deuteronomy 31:24-26 which tells us which writing is a witness against us.
I think I know what Robinson would have found by reading the Bible. There are things in the Bible that are deep and require extensive study to understand. But the path to salvation is clear as noonday.
In answer to your question, “Was the Sabbath switched from Saturday to Sunday?” NO. And I think you agree with me!!!
Dear A. Way,
I just now finished the book of Jeremiah in my project to expand the cross references available for Real Bible Study on Robinson Crusoe’s Island! I started Jeremiah on May 12, 2011, if I recall correctly, and have worked about all day every day to get it done.
You comment,
You may have forgotten two things, actually four things: (1) Jesus was living under the Law and so was obligated to keep it; (2) Jesus indeed showed what real Sabbath keeping was, but now, as Jesus in person directly revealed to the Apostle Paul, we are now no longer under the Law; (3) further study of the Scripture reveals that the Sabbath was a type; it was also part of the ceremonial not moral law since it was an institution to be observed; since Christ fulfilled the type (Matthew 11:28-30; Hebrews 4:3-10), the Sabbath is now Complete, just as much as are the sacrifices and various days of observance since Christ fulfilled the Law completely on the Cross; (4) the Sabbath is very much a part of the listing in both Galatians 4:9-11 and Colossians 2:13-17, as I have extensively demonstrated by showing that the very terminology Paul uses is taken directly from the Old Testament in reference to daily, weekly (hence a direct reference to the weekly Sabbath), monthly (new moon), yearly, and multi-year feasts–all of which are fulfilled (though some of the Feasts have prophetic significance and will probably be fulfilled as such at the Second Advent), and therefore for the believer in Christ, abolished, having been nailed to the cross. Paul twice warns us and commands us not to fall back into the Mosaic system of Law by keeping them (Galatians 3:10-14; 4:9-11; Colossians 2:13-17),
You next state:
I did not forget, you may be sure. My explanation is it took them a bit of time to realize fully what Christ had accomplished on the Cross. This is seen in Peter’s vision of the sheet filled with all sorts of foods he as a Jew would never choose to eat in Acts 10. This is seen in Paul needing to criticize Peter roundly to his face for his Jewish behavior, a behavior insulting to Gentile believers, and uncalled for and unworthy of those who belong to Christ (Galatians 2:11-16). The earliest believers were almost wholly Jews, so they kept the Sabbath on the Seventh Day so they could witness to their fellow Jews, obeying the command of Christ (Acts 1:8). But that was not specifically Christian worship. Christian worship came to be regularly practiced (according to the grammar of the Greek text) on the First Day of the week (Acts 20:7), doubtless in honor of the day our Lord arose from the dead. Christian worship includes the “breaking of bread,” the Lord’s Supper; Jewish worship does not, a major difference!
You next state:
But you forgot that in the Olivet Discourse Jesus at the time he was speaking is addressing Jews, not Christians. The Church was still future, not yet established until the Day of Pentecost more than 50 days after the Resurrection. Jesus named several difficulties (nursing mothers, winter travel, etc.) the dwellers in Jerusalem might face at the event of its destruction, and he tells them how to escape harm, which believers in Christ heeded, such that none of them were lost. His statement is hardly suggesting that the Sabbath continued in force for Christians when by that time in history Jesus himself personally taught Paul the doctrines of Grace, that we are no longer under Law, but under Grace, and the Sabbath is of absolutely no obligation to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ for salvation. Go back and read the Scripture passages I just cited from Galatians and Colossians and see for yourself what Robinson Crusoe could never miss from his plain text Bible. How come you still miss it? I suspect you miss it because you have not been on Robinson Crusoe’s Desert Island to study the Bible independent of the poisoned wells of denominational commentary!
Next, you state:
And just what else do you expect good Jews, obedient to the Law before the Cross, to do? Even the apostles themselves by their own testimony failed to comprehend the significance of the events at this early history:
And this about the most central theme of the Gospel! (Romans 10:9, 10)
So, regarding Luke 23:55-56, it is no marvel when we read:
They were then living as being under the Law. Only later by divine revelation given directly and in person by our Lord Jesus Christ to the Apostle Paul did it become clear to all that we are no longer under the Law but under Grace, as I gave much Scripture before to fully prove.
You say next:
For Jews, even yet, the Sabbath is not in question. For all who have actually studied the Bible apart from the poisoned wells of denominational or sectarian instruction and literature, there is no question but that the day set aside in post-resurrection New Testament practice for specifically Christian worship is the First Day, absolutely not the Seventh Day.
If it were really the plan of God for the Gentiles under Grace (who had no experience of Jewish worship and its accompanying restrictions in reference to the Sabbath Day) to observe the Jewish Sabbath, surely instruction against Sabbath-breaking would have been forthcoming. Instruction regarding all nine other of the Ten Commandments is repeated under Grace, but the New Testament is absolutely silent about commanding the observance of the Seventh-day Sabbath. The Fourth Commandment is not repeated because it is no longer obligatory.
Let us all just take a closer look at that on Robinson Crusoe’s Desert Island from one of his three good plain text Bibles:
Did this book of the law contain a written record of the Ten Commandments?
Yes, it most certainly did.
Their witness against us most certainly has been “nailed to the Cross.”
Go back again and try in good faith with the Holy Spirit’s help to understand the texts of Scripture I cited above in this comment from Galatians and Colossians, and the truth of our liberty from the Mosaic Law, including the Ten Commandment Law, will become evident.
And yes, we most certainly do agree that the Sabbath has never been switched from Saturday to Sunday. No properly-instructed Christian observes the Sabbath.
Specifically Christian worship, following the example and directives of the Apostolic example and command, takes place on the First, not the Seventh Day (Acts 20:7).
Jerry said: “I just now finished the book of Jeremiah in my project to expand the cross references available for Real Bible Study on Robinson Crusoe’s Island!”
Rob would/should have the Bible, and the Bible only. No other tainting literature.
1) Jesus was under the law – so I agree with you on this point
2) You mix two thoughts, Jesus indeed showed true Sabbath keeping. But the rest of the point is wrong because your point #3 is complete wrong.
3) The Sabbath is a sign, a mark, God’s Holy Day. The Sabbath was in the middle of the 10 commandants, the MORAL law, not the ceremonial law. This is a huge misunderstanding of the roll and purpose of the Sabbath. The Sabbath was given before sin. The ceremonial law was given at Sinai to the children of Israel. The ceremonial law was a type, Christ was the anti-type. The 7th-day Sabbath was not part of the ceremonial law. The 7th-day Sabbath is always referred to as God’s Holy Day, or “My Sabbaths”. There were 7 annual Sabbaths of the ceremonial law. These were referred to as “her Sabbaths”. The whole ceremonial law was a type. The 7th-day Sabbath is not a type, just a “do not murder” is not a type, or “have no other gods before Me” is not a type.
2b) “no longer under the Law” – this means, no long under the condemnation of the law. If the law has been removed, they why did Jesus have to die? Jesus came and died because the Law, the moral Law, is unchangeable. Matthew 5:18 KJV 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.
You said: “But you forgot that in the Olivet Discourse Jesus at the time he was speaking is addressing Jews, not Christians. The Church was still future, not yet established until the Day of Pentecost more than 50 days after the Resurrection.” LOL – So, Jesus is concerned about the Sabbath 40 years hence, but 50 days after Him saying this it changed? Is that really your argument? Jesus did not lie, nor mislead. He ment exactly what He said, THE Sabbath…
Grace – does not do away with the MORAL law. Grace is the power of God to enable us to keep the MORAL law.
Robinson may not miss the plain text of the Bible. How about you?
Galatians 3:10, Paul here is refers to those who expect to have righteousness imputed to them as a result of their compliance with the ritual requirements of the ceremonial law. Galatians 3:11 Paul declares that faith is the fundamental prerequisite for acceptance with God! Paul is quoting Habakkuk 2:4. Galatians 3:12, the law does not operate by faith. Paul is here referencing Leviticus 18:5, and is affirming what the law itself says. The law demanded rigid compliance with all its requirements, but provided no means whereby men could comply. Law does not and cannot enable the sinner to attain to the standard of righteousness that it exalts. In fact, all men are sinners (Romans 3:10; Romans 3:23), including those who have sought to acquire righteousness through the legal system (Romans 3:9). All that is prescribed by the law is works, but works of law are worthless in making a sinner righteous before God. This righteous status can be attained only through faith in the covenant promises (Galatians 3:6). Galatians 3:14, The law made no provision for releasing men who had incurred its curse, and that included all who had ever sought justification by means of it. Release from the curse could be achieved only through faith in Christ. While under the tutorship of the law in OT times, all who chose to serve the Lord found salvation through faith in the promised Messiah. The law was not their savior, but only their “schoolmaster” ( Galatians 3:24) to lead them to the Savior and to help them understand the provisions Heaven had made for their salvation. In and of itself the law was good, for God Himself had ordained it. But it was altogether without power to save anyone from his sins. God’s Grace is that power to save us, to enable us to come into complete compliance with His moral law.
Galatians 4:10, The Greek implies scrupulous care. Paul here refers to the seven ceremonial Sabbaths and the new moons of the ceremonial system (see Leviticus 23:1-44; Numbers 10:10; Numbers 28:11-15). There is no basis in Scripture for assuming, as some do, that the “days” of which Paul here speaks refer to the seventh-day Sabbath. Nowhere in the Bible is the seventh day referred to in the language here used. Furthermore, the seventh-day Sabbath was instituted at creation (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11), before the entrance of sin and some 2,500 years before the inauguration of the ceremonial system at Mt. Sinai. If observance of the seventh-day Sabbath subjects a man to bondage, it must be that the Creator Himself entered into bondage when He observed the world’s first Sabbath! And that conclusion is unthinkable, even by Robinson. The 10C is known as the “royal law” (James 2). If the whole world kept it, we would all be free, not in bondage.
Colossians 2 – I’ve been over the road. The type of sabbath under consideration is shown by the phrase “which are a shadow of things to come” (Colossians 2:17). The weekly Sabbath is a memorial of an event at the beginning of earth’s history (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11). Hence, the “sabbath days” Paul declares to be shadows pointing to Christ cannot refer to the weekly Sabbath designated by the fourth commandment, but must indicate the ceremonial rest days that reach their realization in Christ and His kingdom (see Leviticus 23:6-8; Leviticus 23:15-16; Leviticus 23:21; Leviticus 23:24-25; Leviticus 23:27-28; Leviticus 23:37-38).
Acts 10: In the vision, clean and unclean beasts stood on the same footing, being let down from heaven in the same sheet. They represented a general mixing of things, among which none was to be called common, or unclean. In interpreting the vision one should recognize that, although it was given in the setting of physical hunger (Acts 10:10), it did not concern food, it concerned men. It was for the souls of men, of every kind everywhere, that Peter was to experience a hunger. Having learned this lesson, at least in part, Peter declared, “God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean” (Acts 10:28). Gentiles, ordinarily considered unclean, were awaiting the spiritual ministration of Peter. He must not hesitate to serve them. They were no longer to be considered unclean.
I’m sure you know what the original diet was, and what is Isaiah prophesied would be the diet for all in the future, and what is the best diet that we should eat today. Daniel had his friend sure know. On of the types depicted in Manna is also diet.
“Under law”, mean, under condemnation of the law.
“there is no question but that the day set aside in post-resurrection New Testament practice for specifically Christian worship is the First Day, absolutely not the Seventh Day.”
PLEASE – give me one scripture quote for this claim. There is NONE. Zero. This is a false claim, and commandment of men. I can give you from many protestant denomination’s own literature confirming this. There is not command setting aside the 1st day of the week. This would have completely broken the types in the ceremonial law, it goes completely against the moral law.
You said: “And yes, we most certainly do agree that the Sabbath has never been switched from Saturday to Sunday. No properly-instructed Christian observes the Sabbath.”
Well actually, no properly instructed Christian would observe Sabbath on Sunday.
Acts 20:7 was a going away gathering, for Paul was setting out on a journey, then next morning, which happened to be Sunday morning by our reckoning.
Dear A. Way,
It is good to see we agree on some things.
Some points upon which we differ may require renewed study on both our parts.
In the meantime, I posted a comment on another discussion we’ve had that has been “left hanging.”
Here is the comment I posted, with its link. I am re-posting my comment on this more active discussion thread otherwise it is likely you would never notice it!
It is just a friendly reminder of some “unfinished business.”
Link to original post: https://realbiblestudy.com/?p=180
I trust that anyone and everyone who happens to read this far in this discussion will note the following:
(1) Brother A. Way has not yet indicated that he has taken the time to do a current study of the cross references given for 2 Timothy 1:7 and Colossians 1:10 as I have suggested. It would surely do him and anyone else who might happen to read here a world of spiritual good to do so.
I do understand that Brother Way is likely to be a very busy man, and I genuinely appreciate the significant time he has invested in reading and commenting here. His participation has greatly encouraged me to engage in much Bible study that I would likely have missed doing were it not for his encouragement.
(2) Brother Way has not yet provided an example of a set of cross references in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge or Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible by sharing with us the Book, Chapter, Verse, and Page Number involved that he believes display bias. I suspect he has not done so because he cannot do so, but he is most welcome and encouraged to prove me wrong on this point.
(3) I encouraged Brother Way to begin a discussion about the mode of Christian Baptism. The only response he seems to have made is to say “It’s your blog.”
He has as of yet made no further response on this discussion thread.
I suspect that Brother A. Way is a “one issue man,” equipped to discuss any issue that directly ties into his favorite theme, the Seventh-day Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment. Brother A. Way seems ready to discuss any other doctrine of his favorite denomination too, and I look forward to further discussions on all these topics.
But here is the issue: even his favored denomination takes a position on the subject of the mode of Christian baptism, reflected by what mode they use in practice. This, therefore, ought to be a fair and reasonable subject for discussion here. What mode does Brother A. Way believe is the proper mode, and on what Scriptural basis?
But so far, the silence is deafening!
But I look forward to his considered responses should he ever happen to notice this reminder of “unfinished business.”
bro way i encourage to check out ii tim 1/7 and col 1/10 in the crgb and ntsk. you will be blessed. one of the things i have learned from using these works is how the bible ties together.interpting scripture with scripture. i cor 2/13.
“I suspect that Brother A. Way is a “one issue man,” equipped to discuss any issue that directly ties into his favorite theme, the Seventh-day Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment.”
So quickly you forget our other discussions. I’ll give you a hint: 1 Timothy 6:16
Jerry – you show your hand first.
Ken – do you have a definition of salvation? Or of sin?
Dear A. Way,
I shall be most pleased to “show my hand first.”
There is not so much as a single example anywhere in the whole of Scripture where any person was immersed in water for any religious purpose whatsoever.
bro way i will be glad to define sin and salvation for you. a great bible teacher by the name of donald grey barnhouse said once” to draw a heart around rom 3/21-30 that is definition of sin and salvation in our lord jesus christ! rom 3/26 “that he might be the just and justifier of him which believeth in jesus! that is the heart of salvation in jesus christ a wonderful passage my friend. ken
Ken, you said: “bro way i will be glad to define sin and salvation for you. a great bible teacher by the name of donald grey barnhouse said once” to draw a heart around rom 3/21-30 that is definition of sin and salvation in our lord jesus christ! rom 3/26 “that he might be the just and justifier of him which believeth in jesus! that is the heart of salvation in jesus christ a wonderful passage my friend. ken”
You left out verse 31. Why? Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yes, we establish the law.
Faith in God, restores the image of God in man, who then establishes the law in him. You do what is right, because it is right. You do not perform acts of the law in order to be saved, because the law is powerless to save. A truly saved person will not murder. Will not bear false witness, and will not covet. They will love the Lord with all their heart, mind and strength, having no other gods before Him. And will keep the Sabbath as God has commanded, for it is a sign that it is the Lord that is the one that sanctifies, Ezekiel 20:12. That is faith.
Sin is transgression of the law. 1 John 3:4. The law is the CT-Scanner of the soul, Romans 7:7.
Salvation = healing. It is not a magical adjustment of our legal standing as most Christians believe. Healing is restoration of the image of God into man, being born again. One can not be saved if they continue to sin. And sin is transgression of the law. Trying to keep the law by your own power will always fail, for the law can not save. It is only the transforming power of Christ, and trust (faith) in Him, are we saved.
bro way a man once told me that i was sinner rom 3/23 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of god, rom 6/23, wages of sin is deathbut the gift of god is eternal life through jesus christ our lord,but jesus christ died for my sin rom 5/8 but god demonstrates his own love toward us that while we were yet sinners christ died for us. and all i needed to do was to accept his payment for my sin was by faith jn 1/12 but as many as received him,to them gave he power to become the sons of god, even to them that believe on his name. jn 5/24 verily,verily, i say unto you, he that believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death to life. my favorite hymn is “at calvary” it really expresses how grateful i am for the lord did on the cross for my sins. “o the love that drew salvation’s plan! oh, the grace that bro’t it down to man! oh, the mighty gulf that god did span at calvary!mercy there was great, grace was free: pardon there was multiplied to me; there my burdened soul found liberty at calvary.
Ken: John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
bro way a great passage of scripture jn 3/3 the key question is what must one do to be born again? the answer is jn 3/16-18,3/36, 5/24 verily,verily, i say unto you,he that heareth my word, believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life,and shall not come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life. “believe” is the key . when i trusted the lord as my saviour in 1967. i memorized jn 5.24 and i have never doubted my salvation. jerry suggested to me that it was good idea to master the gospel of john and he said that if one read 3 chapters a day within a week he would have read the whole book! an excellent point for me!
Ken:
John 3:18-21 NKJV “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (v19) And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (v20) For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. (v21) But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Acts 11:23 KJV Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
If you leave the Lord, you are not saved. There is no such thing as once saved, always saved. Men backslide and apostatize, and the cooperation of man’s will is necessary to bring the work of sanctification to completion.
2 Corinthians 11:3 KJV But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The statement of 1 Corinthians 11:3, about being “corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ,” emphatically denies the teaching that a man cannot fall from grace and that when “once saved” he is “always saved”.
Galatians 5:4 KJV Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
This statement is clear – you can fall from grace.
Romans 2:13 NRSV For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
John 14:15 NRSV “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
bro way salvation is based on the finished work of jesus christ jn 19/30″ it is finished” payment for sins past present future under the shed blood of christ heb9/22, rom 3/24-26. faith is the means of salvation, not a work eph 2/8-9. tit 3/5-7 if you say that we can lose our salvation, your saying that our salvation is based on something we do! that the work on the cross was not enough. not true!! i cor 15/1-4, eph 2/8-9 “by grace through faith”. works are the result of our salvation!! eph 2/10 not a means! rom 4/5-8, gal 2/16 gal 3/1-3, 3/22, if you say you can believe in christ and then stop believing your saying that salvation depends on you and your faith. we look off to the faithful one he 12/1-2, ii tim 1/12 is great promise for us to claim i know whom i have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which i have committed to him against that day. some might say well i have sinned so bad he will cast me out jn 6/37 all that the father giveth me shall come to me i will in no wise cast out.” jn 10/28-29 and i give unto the eternal life life: and they shall never perish,neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.v29 my father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my fathers hand! rom 4/25 “who was delieverd for our offences,and was raised again for our justification”. ken
Ken:
Matthew 7:14-20 AKJV Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it. (v15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (v16) You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (v17) Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. (v18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (v19) Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (v20) Why by their fruits you shall know them.
Matthew 7:21-24 AKJV Not every one that said to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. (v22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? (v23) And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity. (v24) Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, which built his house on a rock:
Question for you: Did Noah have faith in God? Yes he did! Hebrews 11:7 AKJV By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Noah is a type. Did Noah have to do anything to be saved? Yes he did. He needed to prepare an ark to save his house. And not only that, he needed to get into the boat, or else he would have been lost.
By their fruits, you shall know them. John 14:15 NRSV “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
bro way you have some insightful questions i appreciate them. about noah heb 11/7 read this when you can in your bible. “by faith noah, being warned of god of things not seen as yet,moved with fear,prepared an ark to saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. again “by faith” is the key noah believed and the result was he acted on his faith and prepared an ark” heb 11/6 without faith it is impossible to please him. it is faith in a person the lord jesus christ. hes the object of our faith. works are the result of faith. a good example gal 3/6 even as abraham believed god and it was counted to him for righteousness. gal 5/6 but faith worketh by love this is key here “faith is the root, love is fruit.”james brings this point about abraham in james 2/21 was not abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered isaac his son upon the altar? vs 22seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? vs 23 and the scripture was fulfilled which saith,abraham believed god,and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of god. does this contradict what rom 1/6-17 are teaching the just shall live by faith. may it never be. true faith will manifest itself in good works!! eph 2/10″we are his workmanship”but works will never save you eph 2/9” there will be fruit in a believers life, i cor 1/30-31. if there was ever a man that lived by law it was the apostle paul b4 he was saved. listen what says in gal 3/11 but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of god, it is evident: for the just shall live by faith.v12 and the law is not of faith: but,the man that doeth them sall live in them. ken
Ken – if you have read what I’ve written on these pages, you know that I have never said that works saves. The law is what points out sin. If you keep the law because of a sense of obligation merely, you in fact, do not obey. Sin is transgression of the law, 1 John 3:4. Do we make void the law by faith? Romans 3:31 AKJV Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yes, we establish the law. The law does not go away because we are saved by faith. Romans 6:15 AKJV What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. How is sin known? By the law! Romans 7:7 AKJV What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, You shall not covet. And here Paul is talking about the 10C, all 10. Romans 2:13 AKJV (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
The law only condemns, it does not, can not heal. Righteousness comes from Christ. Galatians 3:12 AKJV And the law is not of faith: but, The man that does them shall live in them. The law does not operate on the basis of faith; it does not require faith on the part of those who practice it. This is a quotation from Leviticus 18:5. Paul now appeals to the law itself to prove that what he teaches concerning the law is simply an affirmation of what the law says of itself. The law demanded rigid compliance with all its requirements, but provided no means whereby men could comply. Law does not and cannot enable the sinner to attain the righteousness that it exalts. In fact, all men are sinners (Romans 3:10; Romans 3:23), including those who have sought to acquire righteousness through the legal system, Romans 3:9 KJV “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.” So you see that? Both Jews and Gentiles. Under sin means the condemnation of the law. ALL who had ever sought perfection through the law alone had fallen short of the goal and thereby brought upon themselves “the curse” , Galatians 3:10 KJV 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.
Keep reading in Galatians, Galatians 3:10 KJV 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.
The law made no provision for releasing men who had incurred its curse, and that included all who had ever sought justification by means of it. Release from the curse could be achieved only through faith in Christ. In OT times, all who chose to serve the Lord found salvation through faith in the promised Messiah. The law was not their savior, but only their “schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:24) to lead them to the Saviour and to help them understand the provisions Heaven had made for their salvation. In and of itself the law was good, for God Himself had ordained it. But it was altogether without power to save anyone from his sins. Jesus Himself was “made under the law” (Galatians 4:4) in order to be able to “redeem them that were under the law” (Galatians 4:5). His death upon the cross atoned for “the transgressions that were under the first testament” (Hebrews 9:15) as well as those since the cross. Accordingly, He took upon Himself “the curse” incurred by those who, though living “under the law,” looked forward in faith to the atonement He would one day provide.
Does this mean we no long need to keep the law? God forbid! We are powerless to keep the law ourselves, and will fail if we try, without faith, faith in Jesus Christ, the redeemer. God’s grace is not legal pardon, it is the empowerment by Christ for us to keep the law.
TRUE GRACE
Gives power to keep the LAW.
Jesus saves you from your sins.
Jesus cleanses me from the inside out.
I receive a new heart and a new mind
“I can do all things through Christ” (Phil. 4:13).
I always have free will. Jesus cannot heal me if I do not consent to be changed.
Salvation is not heaven (that’s just the temporary home of the saved). Salvation is not eternal life (that’s the reward of the saved). Salvation is freedom from the slavery of sin in my life, here, now, in this present world.
COUNTERFEIT GRACE
Says it’s not necessary to keep the LAW.
Jesus saves you in your sins.
Jesus covers me with his righteousness, but I’m still dirty on the inside.
I don’t have to stop sinning, as long I just keep saying I’m sorry. Confession without repentance.
Jesus loves me too much to ever let me be lost no matter what I do. Presumption is the counterfeit of faith.
Salvation is heaven and eternal life.
I am accused of legalism if I keep the law, the whole law. Counterfeit Grace – is true legalism. I can only keep the law through faith in Christ who empowers me, and writes His laws on my heart and mind. Hebrews 10:16 AKJV This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, said the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
THE LAW IS FOREVER, JUST AS GOD IS FOREVER.
ISAIAH 51:6-7 “For the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, … but My salvation (grace) will be forever, and My righteousness (law) will not be abolished.”
LUKE 16:17 “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the LAW to fail.”
ECCLESIASTES 3:14 “I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing taken from it.”
So Ken, all 10 commandments remain. We can not keep them in our own power. Only through faith in Christ. You know that we are judged by our works, right? Revelation 20:13 KJV And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Revelation 22:12 KJV And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Works are a window to the soul. True faith results in loving deeds. A consistent, righteous life is not possible without the indwelling of the Spirit of God, therefore, if a man or woman has demonstrated righteousness in action, this is a testimony that he or she has entered a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
To say that we are to be judged by our works is the same as saying we will be judged by our faith. The works are evidence of our faith.
JAMES 2:20 “Faith without works is dead.”
If a person claims to have faith in Christ, but his/her life shows no evidence of unselfishness, then the claim is a lie, and the “faith” a sham.
bro way you make some good points. i jn is book in the nt i really enjoy. johns obect is to assure the believers there are true believers 13 times the “know” is used. whereas the gospel was written to create faith and life jn 20/31,the epistle was penned to give certainty of faith and the possession of eternal life….these things have i written unto you that believe on the name of the son of god;that ye may know that ye have eternal life….i jn 5/13. if a person wonders whether he is really saved, he should carefully read this book and ask himself these questions: 1.have i experienced spirual fellowship with god and with others 1/3-4? 2 am i sensitive to sin 1/5-8. 3? have i experienced forgiveness,cleansing,and restoratioon after confession 1/9?4 am i keeping his commandments 2/3,5? jerrys listing of the commandents on this vs in crgb really helps.5 am i doing the will of god 2/17?6 am i doing righteousness 2/29?7 am i looking forward to the coming of christ 3/1-3 8?.am i no longer marked by habitual sin 3/9? 9 do i love the brethren 3/14? 10 am i free from moral guilt 3/21?11 have i experienced answered prayer 3/22? 12 do i have the inner witness of the holy spirit 3/24 13 have i heard the word of god in the messages of men 4/5-6? 14 do i love god 4/19? 15 do i believe that jesus is the christ 5/1? 16 do i believe gods record 5/10-11?
Ken wrote: 3 have i experienced forgiveness,cleansing,and restoratioon after confession 1 John 1:9?
Exactly. Restoration. Salvation is restoration, healing. The ultimate end point is no more sinning. And sin is defined as transgression of the law, 1 John 3:4.
Ken wrote: jerrys listing of the commandents on this vs in crgb really helps.
No offense to Jerry, but you do not need to look up the commandments any where but in the Bible. Exodus 20 has then neatly listed in order. You need to decide for yourself what the commandments are. I have shown you that God does not change. He is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. His law does not change. His commandments have never changed. See: Isaiah 51:6-7; Luke 16:17; Ecclesiastes 3:14.
Particularly look at the first reference, Isaiah 51:6-7. What law was written on the heart? Is that law any different in the NT when compared to the OT? NO. That is the point. Matthew 5:17-19 NKJV “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. (v18) For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (v19) Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
bro way i appreciate your points i want to share with you points for you study and one to define what do we mean by law? it has been defined “as a system of rules or conduct”i believe that the law for believers for today is the “law of christ” gal 6/2, the law of the spirit of life in christ rom 8/2, i co 9/21 being not without law to god,but under the law to christ. to be subject to this law is what it means to be under grace,for the law of christ is composed of the teachings of grace. a couple of points i think are worthy of our consideration,1 the motive of law in the ot [ryrie pg 62 the grace of god, says the law said,” do in order to be blessed, do because you have to.” grace says”do because you have been blessed”do because you want to”. a “have to” motive never produces genuine sanctification. in reality such a motive will actually stir up sin”. this was pauls own testimony “i had not known sin,but by the law: for i had not known lust, except the law said, thou shalt not covet. but sin,taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence rom 7/7-8”
bro way i would also like make a very important point is that the law of christ is not fulfilled”by us” but “through us” by the power of the holy spirit. according to rom 8/9 “but ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of god dwell in you. now if any man have not the spirit of christ, he is none of his. however the holy spirit desires to “control” our lives rom 6/11-13 gal 2/20, eph 5/18, gal 5/16, to fulfill the law of christ” through us”. what is the ultimate goal of the law of christ? the answer to this can be emphasized enough, i co 10/31″whether therefore ye eat, or drink,or whatsoever ye do,do all to the glory of god” to glorify the lord ! ken
Ken, you mentioned: “law of christ”. Who gave the law in the OT? Christ!!! The law, or principle, that motivated Christ’s life was that of bearing other’s others’ burdens. Christ came to earth as man’s great burden bearer (see Isaiah 53:6). The only formal “commandment” our Lord gave His disciples while on earth was to “love one another” (John 13:34). The only sense that this is “new”, is that we are to love as Christ has loved. Christ declared also that “all the law and the prophets”-all of God’s revealed will (Luke 24:44)-are based on love, love for God and one’s fellow men. To the Romans, Paul wrote that love fulfills the law (Romans 13:10). Thus, “the law of Christ” is the epitome of the Ten Commandments, for when we live out those laws, we truly love both God and man ( Matthew 22:34-40).
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Isaiah 53:6 KJV All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
John 13:34 KJV A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Luke 24:44 KJV And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Romans 13:10 KJV Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Matthew 22:34-40 KJV But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
bro way thank you for your points you make. the mosaic law given to israel was ended at the cross rom 10/3-4, it couldnt save us rom 3/20-21, it cant sanctify us, jn 13/34 to love as he loved, it doesnt provide a sufficient motive, “do this in order to be blessed”, grace says “do because you have been blessed”. we as the church of jesus christ the body of christ eph 1/9-23, are under grace rom 6/14 the law of christ as a rule of life the apostle paul was given the revelation of the church by the lord and teachings, negative,postive commands, principles,rules for the church fulfilled by the holy spirit. for the glory of god i co 10/31 ken
bro way, there are bible teachers today who say that we are saved by grace and then teach we are to keep the mosaic law as way of life. alot of rules and regulations, almost every denominatioin i know of has there lists of what a christian should do and how they are to behave!wrong! alot of christians try this for while and then give up because they cant do it. rom 8/2 says “the law of the spirit of life in christ jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death”! when we understand and live this truth out we have come along way in christian life!1 co 15/10 but by the grace of god i am what i am!
It’s perfect time to make a few plans for the longer term and it’s time to be happy. I’ve learn this submit and if I may I desire to recommend you some fascinating things or suggestions. Maybe you could write next articles relating to this article. I want to read even more things about it!
I am in the midst of a huge project just now, expanding cross references for Bible study. But I do have in mind adding more material for Bible study pertaining to the Sabbath or Sunday question. Dr. Terrence O’Hare just lately sent me an autographed copy of his book, The Sabbath Complete, and I hope to feature it soon.