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Law Out—Life In!

Active
The law is neither the ground of life to the sinner (it being “taken away” - Heb 10:9—NC), nor the rule of life to the Christian (was intended only for Israel—NC): the Lord Jesus is both the one and the other—He is our life (Col 3:4), and He is our rule of life! The law can only curse and slay. The Lord Jesus is our life and righteousness. He went down into the place where the sinner lay—into the place of death and judgment; and having, by His death, entirely discharged all that was or could be against us, He became, in resurrection, the source of life and the ground of righteousness to all who believe in His name.

Having thus life and righteousness in Him, we are called to walk not merely as the law directs, but to “walk as He walked” (1Jo 2:6). It will hardly be deemed needful to assert that it is directly contrary to Christian nature and ethics to kill, commit adultery or steal. But were a Christian to shape his way according to these commands, or according to the entire Decalogue, would he yield the rare and delicate fruits which the Epistle of Ephesians sets forth?

Would the Ten Commandments ever cause a thief to give up stealing, and go to work that he might have to give? Would they ever transform a robber into a laborious and liberal man? Assuredly not. The law says, “Thou shalt not steal”: but does it say, Go and give to him that needs—Go, feed, clothe and bless your enemy—God, gladden by your benevolent feelings and your beneficent acts the heart of him who only and always seeks your harm? By no means; and yet, were I under the law as a rule, it could only curse and slay me (because the purpose of the law was to solely convict of guilt, not receive forgiveness, which came only from the priestly sacrifices—NC).

How is this, when the standard in the New Testament is so much higher? Because I am weak, and the law gives me no strength and shows me no mercy. The law demands strength from one that has none (in sin but forgiven—NC), and curses him if he cannot display it (requires being sinless, like Christ, but man is only guiltless, not sinless—NC). The Gospel gives strength to one that has none (guiltlessness in Christ—NC), and blesses him in the exhibition of it. The law proposes life as the end of obedience (if it could be perfectly obeyed, but it can’t be—NC); the Gospel gives life as the only proper ground of obedience.

If the law be indeed the rule of a believer’s life, where are we to find it presented in the New Testament? Paul evidently had no thought of it being the rule when he penned the following words: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” “As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy” (Gal 6:15, 16). What “rule”? The law? No; but the “new creation.” The law speaks not a word about “new creation.”

Why does not Paul say, As many as walk according to the Ten Commandments? Is it not evident that the believer has a higher rule by which to walk? Unquestionably? The Ten Commandments , though forming, as a true Christian admits, a part of the canon of inspiration, could never be the rule of new life to one who has, through infinite grace, been recreated into the new creation—one who has received new life in the Lord Jesus Christ. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Ro 8:2 – Israel is guilty concerning the law of sin, and also concerning the law – the Gentiles are guilty only of the law of sin – which states that “the soul that sins, it shall die” - Eze 18:4, 20—NC).


—C H Mackintosh (1820-1896)







MJS devotional excerpt for Dec 1

“When the Lord Jesus has once died and risen, He is through with sin forever. He is now living in the eternal light of His Father’s face. He is our Adam, our life. We died in Him. We were raised in Him. Through our death with Him at Calvary we have escaped forever from the old Adam life. Our feelings have nothing to do with it. It was all accomplished at the Cross.

“We dare not deny God’s Word. He says we died with Christ. We can cry triumphantly, when we know: ‘I died unto sin with the Lord Jesus on the Cross, two thousand years ago! I reckon myself what the Father says I am in His Son—dead unto sin and alive unto God. Sin has no claim on me in the Lord Jesus, and cannot have dominion over me, as I yield myself to my Father in this wonderful new revelation of yielding myself to God, as one who is alive from the dead’ (Rom. 6:13). Thus will we begin to find how true and how tremendous is the deliverance that is in the Lord Jesus for us. And thus alone will we really honor the grace of God.” –William R Newell (1868-1956)
 
Active
Let me correct the false premise of the title of your thread “ Law out-Life in.”

It should read….

SIN OUT-LIFE IN

The law of God is not death. Neither is the wage of keeping the law Death. The wage of sin is Death. Sin and Death was in the world before the law of Moses. And the law of God is not sin.

Romans 7:7
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Godforbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the lawhad said, Thou shalt not covet.

Sin is what causes death, not the Holy law of God.
 
Active
Let me correct the false premise of the title of your thread “ Law out-Life in.”

It should read….

SIN OUT-LIFE IN

The law of God is not death. Neither is the wage of keeping the law Death. The wage of sin is Death. Sin and Death was in the world before the law of Moses. And the law of God is not sin.

Romans 7:7
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Godforbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the lawhad said, Thou shalt not covet.

Sin is what causes death, not the Holy law of God.
It requires being sinless to keep the Law of Moses the way it should be kept, thus it could only condemn a sinner. That's why Christ kept the Law, to deliver the Jews from the Law. It was holy and just, and thus man could not be so apart from redemption, only forgiven by believing in the sacrificial ordinances of the priest. The Law had to be "finished" (fulfilled), then "taken away" so the new covenant could be established (Heb 10:9; also 7:18, 19; 8:7, 8; 2Co 3:11; Eph 2:15; Col 2:14; Gal 3:24, 25).
 
Active
It requires being sinless to keep the Law of Moses the way it should be kept, thus it could only condemn a sinner. That's why Christ kept the Law, to deliver the Jews from the Law. It was holy and just, and thus man could not be so apart from redemption, only forgiven by believing in the sacrificial ordinances of the priest. The Law had to be "finished" (fulfilled), then "taken away" so the new covenant could be established (Heb 10:9; also 7:18, 19; 8:7, 8; 2Co 3:11; Eph 2:15; Col 2:14; Gal 3:24, 25).
The New Covenant is God writing His law on our hearts and minds, so no, the law is not “finished”as you suggest.

The law of God was never the problem, the problem has always been sin and the sin nature in man.

It is that sin nature in man that caused the “enmity” between the “flesh” and God’s Holy Spirit. That “enmity” is what Jesus came to remove in us, not the law of God.

Think about it, if man were to get rid of all the laws ever written, would the world suddenly become righteous? Of course not.

Man’s heart and mind needs to change in order to become righteous. All the laws in the world can never make people righteous, only God can make a person righteous.

The promise of an everlasting covenant came before the law of Moses. And as it is written, the law could not make void that promise of an Everlasting Covenant.

The law of Moses was added because of transgressions, as the law was not made for the righteous, but for sinners.

If all were righteous there would be no need for a law that condemns sin. Thus again we see the need to made righteous and free from sin, not free from the Holy law.

I’m not saying we are made righteous by the law, nor are we made free from sin by keeping the law. We are only made free from sin by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ and by being born again of the Holy Spirit.

When this happens God writes His law on our hearts and minds.

It is our sins that are blotted out, not the law of God. The law of God is not made void by faith, it is established.

Romans 3:31
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
 
Active
That's when the Law was in force, but is gone for now; and it was to only the Jews (Rom 2:14) when it was active.
The law of God is in force until all of it is fulfilled, as the law of God is also prophecy. Until heaven and earth pass away…..

Matthew 5:18
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.
 
Active
The law of God is in force until all of it is fulfilled, as the law of God is also prophecy. Until heaven and earth pass away…..

Matthew 5:18
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.
Until heaven and earth pass is a hyperbolic expression meaning, heaven and earth would pass away before the Law would pass, which of course is an impossibility. "Till all be fulfilled" is when it passed, which was when the Lord Jesus said on the Cross "it is finished," i.e. fulfilled. You can't have a new covenant when the old covenant is still in force. Only one covenant at a time (Heb 10:9).
 
Active
Until heaven and earth pass is a hyperbolic expression meaning, heaven and earth would pass away before the Law would pass, which of course is an impossibility. "Till all be fulfilled" is when it passed, which was when the Lord Jesus said on the Cross "it is finished," i.e. fulfilled. You can't have a new covenant when the old covenant is still in force. Only one covenant at a time (Heb 10:9).
Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s words will not pass away.

Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

When Jesus said “it is finished” He was referring to the work the Father had commanded Him to do, not the law.

John 17:4
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”

Jesus did fulfill the parts of the law and prophets that pertained to His first coming.

Luke 24:27
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:44
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.

But this does not mean ALL prophecy has been fulfilled in the law and prophets. And it will not be fulfilled UNTIL Heaven and earth pass away.

Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earthpass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
 
Active
Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s words will not pass away.

Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
This is saying the same thing, i.e. "Heaven and earth shall pass away ... - You may sooner expect to see the heaven and earth pass away and return to nothing, than my words to fail (be accomplished) - Albert Barnes.
 
Active
Isaiah 8:16
Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

Isaiah 8:20
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Revelation 12:17
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
 
Active
Don't forget, when the Law was in force, which it was at the time of this command, it was to the Jews only!
You are mistaken friend. Only God can write His law and testimony on a man’s heart by way of His Holy Spirit. This is also the New Covenant Jesus brought into force.


Jeremiah 31:33
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Hebrews 10:16
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

2 Corinthians 3:3
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
 
Active
Pretty big difference between what the Law was, and what the Gospel is! Like you ID and God bless!
Like I said before, the Law of God was never the problem, it was sin.

Romans 7:7-13​

King James Version​

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.( this is exactly what the serpent did to Adam and Eve)
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”

Sin out-Life in.;)
 
Active
Like I said before, the Law of God was never the problem, it was sin.

Romans 7:7-13​

King James Version​

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.( this is exactly what the serpent did to Adam and Eve)
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”

Sin out-Life in.;)
The first thing to learn is what is right and wrong, which the Law showed, so it could charge man with guilt. It's not fair to charge with guilt without informing of the wrong (Jhn 15:22, 24). It's holy because it's God's Word; but its message is condemnation to all, because it can't be kept perfectly (must have a sinless nature like Jesus). God wanted to show us where we are wrong so He can lead us to what is right: "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (Gal 3:24, 25).
 
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Active
It's holy because it's God's Word; but its message is condemnation to all, because it can't be kept perfectly (must have a sinless nature like Jesus). God wanted to show us where we are wrong so He can lead us to what is right: "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (Gal 3:24, 25).
The law does condemn sin, but it’s message is to turn from sin to righteousness; as sin is what causes the separation, the condemnation and death for those who do not believe in the Word of God.

John 3:18
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The law was made weak because of man’s sin nature= the flesh

Romans 8:3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

So if a person is still in “the flesh”= still in that “sin nature”; they are still under the condemnation, and the wrath of God still abides on them because of sin.

John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

So the law of God was just exposing the condemnation that was already there because of the sin nature working in man. ( the flesh)

This is why we must be born again of the Spirit, so the flesh ( sin) can put to death in us.

Again, the solution is not to remove the holy and righteous law of God, because all that would accomplish is making for a world of lawless sinners.

The solution is turning sinners into righteous saints by the spiritual rebirth found in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
 
Active
The law does condemn sin, but it’s message is to turn from sin to righteousness; as sin is what causes the separation, the condemnation and death for those who do not believe in the Word of God.
When we always try to obey God we are doing what He wants us to do, even though He knows we can't obey perfectly, due to having the sin nature. He already knows we can't be perfect, but that's what is required, and which answers to needing a Savior! To God we are like being perfect, being imputed with His Son's righteousness.
 
Active
He knows we can't obey perfectly, due to having the sin nature. He already knows we can't be perfect, but that's what is required, and which answers to needing a Savior! To God we are like being perfect, being imputed with His Son's righteousness.
Right, when we believe in the Word of God and have faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross, we then receive the imputed righteousness of God by the faith “of” Jesus Christ.

But I disagree with those who say we still retain that old sin nature when we are born again of the Spirit of God. When we are truly born again from above we are made new creatures in Christ, and we then also take on “the righteous nature” of God’s Son.

1 John 3:9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 5:18
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
 
Active
Right, when we believe in the Word of God and have faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross, we then receive the imputed righteousness of God by the faith “of” Jesus Christ.

But I disagree with those who say we still retain that old sin nature when we are born again of the Spirit of God. When we are truly born again from above we are made new creatures in Christ, and we then also take on “the righteous nature” of God’s Son.

1 John 3:9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 5:18
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
Does not sin intentionally is what it means. Now our sins are impulsive, e.g. jealous, envy, etc., not "presumptuous" (Num 15:28; Num 15:30; also Heb 10:26).
 
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