rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
"You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (Gal.5:4).
The Bible says it is possible for a Christian to "fall away from grace". This does not mean that he has lost his salvation; rather, it means that he has separated himself from the effect of God's grace in his life. Paul says that those "who are trying to be justified by law...have fallen from grace."
"What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law" (Gal. 3:19, 24-25).
The Law of Moses was given to reveal sin. Its purpose was to act like a mirror. When we look into a mirror and see that our face is dirty, we do not pick up the mirror and rub our face with it to try to get clean. Its purpose is simply to show us that we need cleaning, but we go to another source - the water - to be made clean.
In the same way, the Law was added for a short period of time to show mankind their need of salvation, and to point to the One who would make us clean.
"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" (Ro. 3:20).
The covenant of the Law that God gave to Moses has nothing to do with us.
"Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. 17What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.(Gal. 3:15-17).
It was simply added to preserve Israel until the coming of the Messiah. We are part of the covenant that God made with Abraham and with Christ.
"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:29).
If we get caught up again in self-effort and legalism, we are walking in the wrong covenant! (2 Cor.3:6-18).
"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (Gal. 2:21).
"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature" (Gal. 5:16).
The Holy Spirit has been given to empower you to keep God's holy standard. He writes God's law, not on tablets of stone for us to try to keep, but on our hearts.
"You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Cor.3:3).
The "new way of the Spirit" is a life of inner empowerment, not of outward law. God's grace releases the law of love in our hearts (Gal. 5:14). This inner love fulfils everything required by the written code. But like everything else with God's grace, this love comes from God not from us. All we have to do is walk in this grace!
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8).
The Bible says it is possible for a Christian to "fall away from grace". This does not mean that he has lost his salvation; rather, it means that he has separated himself from the effect of God's grace in his life. Paul says that those "who are trying to be justified by law...have fallen from grace."
"What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law" (Gal. 3:19, 24-25).
The Law of Moses was given to reveal sin. Its purpose was to act like a mirror. When we look into a mirror and see that our face is dirty, we do not pick up the mirror and rub our face with it to try to get clean. Its purpose is simply to show us that we need cleaning, but we go to another source - the water - to be made clean.
In the same way, the Law was added for a short period of time to show mankind their need of salvation, and to point to the One who would make us clean.
"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" (Ro. 3:20).
The covenant of the Law that God gave to Moses has nothing to do with us.
"Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. 17What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.(Gal. 3:15-17).
It was simply added to preserve Israel until the coming of the Messiah. We are part of the covenant that God made with Abraham and with Christ.
"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:29).
If we get caught up again in self-effort and legalism, we are walking in the wrong covenant! (2 Cor.3:6-18).
"I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (Gal. 2:21).
"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature" (Gal. 5:16).
The Holy Spirit has been given to empower you to keep God's holy standard. He writes God's law, not on tablets of stone for us to try to keep, but on our hearts.
"You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts" (2 Cor.3:3).
The "new way of the Spirit" is a life of inner empowerment, not of outward law. God's grace releases the law of love in our hearts (Gal. 5:14). This inner love fulfils everything required by the written code. But like everything else with God's grace, this love comes from God not from us. All we have to do is walk in this grace!
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8).
