Think thru the Scripture: The Law or only by Faith?
The Law or only by Faith?
If we want to have a righteous or right standing before God, that must be sought either by the OT law (the works of the Law) or by believing in the grace of God by faith in Christ. In Galatians 3, Apostle Paul, the great Jew who is the expert of the OT Scripture, takes us back to the olden days that predates Moses to establish the truth of the matter. The grace of God and the power of God they received in the early times of the OT scripture before the Law, was solely based on their belief in God. They didn’t even know or heard about the Law which came only later. They didn’t keep the Law, and they were not even familiar with the Law.
Galatians 3:19 says the Law was added later because of transgressions and that was only until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. Until the Law the gifts of Spirit, the power of God, and salvation they received simply by believing in God. The prime example is Abraham, Noah and many others who lived before Moses, and also David along with other faith warriors of course in later periods. God justified all of them by faith in Him, those who predated and postdated Moses is a common theme in the Old Testament if you carefully observe. Later the Law was added due to transgressions.
By faith in God Abraham was justified and was declared righteous and so others before the Law, showing that righteousness is imputed as an act of God on man. This God did to Abraham and thus Abraham being the father of those who believe are the heirs of the same blessing and promises upon believing. Not by works or by obedience to the Law, but by simply believing God grants the righteousness and all of spiritual blessings. Galatians 3:8 continues to say this: “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. 3:16 says the promise in Genesis God gave and said is in your ‘seed’ is singular, and not refer to many, like seeds. This is point to Jesus by whom all nations would be blessed.
So, the Law, which was given due to transgressions that came 480 years later, does not invalidate the covenant previously ratified by God to nullify the promise coming to all nations (including gentiles) by the seed who is Christ Jesus. If you try to obtain righteousness by works by obedience to the Law, then the problem with the Law is this – Deuteronomy 27:26 cries out and declares “Cursed is the one who does not do everything in this book of Law.”
As I said to my friend who believes in only Torah, based on this cry in the OT scripture, he does not have any hope of righteousness, salvation in the Law. It is clear that nobody (except Godman, Jesus Christ) obeys the law perfectly, so everybody falls under the curse of the law. What this means is if you obey the whole Law and fail on one, you are guilty of all. That wipes all out. It does not matter which one you violated- small or big. You can also be guilty of murder by hating your brother or adultery by looking with desire at a woman. The attitude of murder adultery or any other violations is the heart condition which is the basis of evaluation. There is no way I can be blessed or saved by works or Law but only one can condemn me because I felt short of something in the Law and I couldn’t obey the whole continuingly- every day and moments of my life.
Now sin means ‘missing the mark’ in original. Who didn’t miss any mark by obeying the whole of the Law? No one except Christ Jesus. He came not to destroy the Law and the prophets, but to fulfill it, Jesus said in Matthew 5:17. His perfectness is accounted or imputer to a believer’s life and account. Therefore, if I depend on my works or Law to receive the righteousness of God, I am already cursed and have no chance of obtaining it. I can only expect the curse of the Law. I am already out. Because I have not continued to do all of the Law.
So, the way to get righteousness is by way of faith, by accepting the provisions that God gave me in Jesus Christ because of God’s abundant mercy and grace toward me. Jesus Christ the God-man obeyed the whole of Law and lived a perfect life (because He was divine and Godman and was promised messiah in the OT scripture), he paid for all the disobediences, past, present, and future, and all missing marks by his cruel death for you on the cross, burial, and resurrection, and Gods grant righteousness to you based on Gods promise he made and his provisions thru the seed He promised to Abraham and now it’s available to all as promised in the OT scripture and fulfilled in the NT scripture. The righteousness of God is received by God’s grace, thru faith in Christ Jesus. No wonder Paul called them who sought righteousness after work and Law, oh, foolish Galatians in Genesis 1:1 because you are giving up all God’s good and excellent blessings for only continued curse by keeping the Law for God’s righteousness. Sadly, there are those foolish believers still around us who foolishly seek righteousness by works or the Law, that they would never receive based on their works or the Law.
Also, notice when you read the Scripture the emphasis is on what God had done for you and not on what you as a believer would do for God. However, often we say a lot in our preaching and teaching our shortfalls and portray to do more and more for God. The first thing is first. What God has done for you. That is the emphasis and not what you would do for Him. As you push people to their responsible sides, they are being already aware that they are not doing enough or not able to do more, which can destroy the joy and worship of the God who loved them and imputed His righteousness on them. The Bible always gives priority to what God has done for you. Let us show more of what God had done in our teachings and preachings.
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