Yes, so true and that faith is evidenced by deeds born of love. You shall know them by their fruits.
It seems so simple that everyone should "get it". However, this subject is one of the "biggies" that causes divisions and in-house fighting among Christians. Go figure - lol.
Philippians 2:13 - It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him.
Yes, I think in essence it all boils down to that simple verse. Like you say - now we want to cut the widows grass, before we didn't.
Hi Randy,
I think Paul answers that in Romans 12. In it we can see two things.
1) We are given faith
2) Our faith should be exercised in works of service, performed in proportion to the measure of faith we have been given.
Romans 12: 3-6 Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a mans gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach...
There are many places where works of service, or right actions, are taught in Scripture.
Ephesians 4:12 ...to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
Philippians 2:13 - It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him.
The great faith chapter of Hebrews 11 gives us specific, concrete examples - so there can be no doubt that faith and works go together.
Hebrews 11: 33-34 ...who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
Besides simply exercising our faith, "works of repentance" brings proving or demonstrating faith, into the picture.
Acts 26:20 I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
This of course ties into what James says, which causes all the controversy among the faith alone teachers.
So the answer to the question you pose is has several layers. "We are given faith to do what?" To exercise and demonstrate it, which is pleasing to God, and builds up the body of Christ.
Ephesians 6:16 - For we are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us todo.
Cool - it's really a false dilemma. Faith and works are like a hand in a glove, friends not enemies, when seen in their proper context.
Hi Germain,
I agree that the contradiction is only apparent, and in fact a construct of systematic theology itself, which tends to polarize issues into two or more camps, each with their proof texts.
It's like a coin - there are two sides and depth producing a relatively thick edge. It's only when seen in three dimensions, that all facets become apparent.
I agree that when we are born again, there is a seed implanted of the very Spirit of God.
However, I think you may go too far in your emphasis of he cannot sin, because he is born of God .
That is like seeing a coin from only one side. The perception is only true until you look at it in three dimensions. It is of no use to " camp out" on this verse above, because the same author also says:
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous...
It can easily be seen that 1 John 3:9 does not have the strict emphasized meaning you assign to it, when taken in the larger context of other scripture, including scripture by the same author in the same book. It is clear that John is speaking of HABITUAL sin.
Our overall lifestyle is determined by our initial choice to accept Jesus, and our daily choice to remain in HIM. As long as we choose to remain in Christ, the Spirit will war against the flesh, so that we cannot sin habitually like we did before. Not that we will never stumble into sin, or have been rendered incapable of making a mistake, or that we can't choose to leave altogether and go back to the world.
James 3:2 For we all stumble in many ways...
Philippians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after...
John 15:6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
I see the long argument with Ozell Adams in your article. I have no desire to go down that road with you. Personally, my views on choice and predestination are similar to the brand of Arminianism taught by John Wesley . Enough debates already exist on this topic, by men more renowned, respected, and articulate than either of us.
I did notice on the end of your article that you seem to support the once saved always saved doctrine. HERE are many scriptures that may cause you to rethink your position.
It's absolutely true that nothing can snatch us out of the hand of God. However, it is also true that we can choose to leave or forsake the relationship.
The narrow views forced upon scripture by systematic theology, are symptoms of our methodology, not the Scripture itself. For instance, freewill, and predestination do not have to be seen as mutually exclusive. The plan of salvation was predestined, but our participation in it is by choice. God's sovereign will is not thwarted by our freewill, our choices exist within the boundaries HE provides.
God Bless you,
Ken
Are we Saved by Faith or Works?
What is salvation by grace? Most of us have heard the phrase but how many have truly understood? We are saved by Jesus himself - who applies his righteousness to us as an act of grace (unmerited favor). This is technically called justification. Most Christians agree with this concept, but the relationship of works to faith is often disputed.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast.
We see here that it is our faith that appropriates this grace, and that our works do not count. Our performance (works) is not the basis of our salvation, our faith is. However, as James tells us - faith without works is dead.
James 2:17 faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Here is where the trouble starts. Some Christians don't like that statement (faith without works is dead). They consider it legalism to bring works into the picture at all. Others concentrate so heavily on works that their relationship with Christ becomes a dead religion - where self-effort and works have replaced faith.
Let's be clear on one thing before I attempt to go further. I am not speaking of works of the law (Mosaic) which has passed away (2 Corinthians 3:7). If you are in doubt about whether the law of Moses still stands, read this article called Law vs Grace in the New Covenant.
For our purposes here, good works refer to fulfilling the law of Christ which can be summarized as - faith working through love (Gal 5:6). Love for God and man which shows itself in selfless concern for the spiritual and physical welfare of others. Good works are the evidence of true faith.
Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Some Christians quote the following verse and say - what does it matter what I do? I believe,
John 5:24 Truly, I tell all of you with certainty, whoever hears what I say and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged, but has passed from death to life.
Christ does not lie - his promises are sure. However, presuming on his grace is not a wise course of action. Christ searches your heart and knows if your belief is authentic . There is a little more to faith than is apparent from that isolated verse. The word hears , is in the sense of obeying what is heard. If you do not do the will of the Father, if you neglect good works and practice evil, you will indeed be judged.
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who keeps saying to me, Lord, Lord, will get into the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who keeps doing the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name, drove out demons in your name, and performed many miracles in your name, didn't we? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Get away from me, you evildoers!
We see above that those who do evil, even though they profess faith, are condemned by their actions. Christ knows whether your walk with God is genuine and has been given the right to decide upon who he will apply the merits of his sacrifice.
John 5:22 The Father judges no
Our works matter. People are rewarded and punished (sheep and the goats) - according to their actions , not their profession.
Matthew 25:31-46 He will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these (neglected works), you did not do for me". Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.
Rom 2:6 For he will render to every man according to his works .
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.
In common language talk is cheap. Many people talk the talk but don't walk the walk. True faith produces obedience when brought to maturity. In James 2:19 we read, the demons also
Is there a Conflict or Contradiction?
Paul cited the story of the Old Testament patriarch, Abraham, and emphasized it was his belief that was accounted as righteousness.
Romans 4:2,3,13
However, James also cites
James 2:21-24 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. ...You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
There is no conflict here. Abraham's obedience was not what saved him, in the sense that it added nothing to the perfect record and sacrifice of Christ - which is the righteousness that justifies all of us. However, his obedience (works - actions) made his faith complete. He was credited with righteousness because his faith was evidenced by his actions - showing his belief to be genuine. Faith and works go hand in hand.
James is attacking all forms of antinomianism (presumption - lawlessness). You cannot do (or neglect to do) anything you want, and be saved by faith. Paul argued that trusting in one's own works is deadly, while James teaches that lifeless faith is also fatal. They complement each other - James deals with antinomianism, Paul with legalism.
Faith is never alone
John Calvin said: We are justified by faith alone, but the faith that justifies is never alone. Calvin could rightly make this claim because the only place where faith alone is mentioned in the Bible, is in a negative sense.
James 2:24 ...a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
Saving faith involves assent to God's truth 1 Thessalonians 2:13, obedience Romans 1:5, 16:26 and it must be working in love Galatians 5:6. True faith is never alone. If you have faith without
1 Corinthians 13: 2...if I have a faith that can move
Faith is a life-long process
Faith is also a life-long process, not a one-time experience.
Philippians 2:12 continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
Paul does not assume his salvation is secure.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ...I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
There would be no need to test ourselves if salvation was a one-time mental assent to the truth - with no requirement for obedience.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is
Jesus spoke of the same thing when he said:
John 15:6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
We are quite clearly told (in fact warned), that we can fall away. We must hold on to faith to the very end, or we will not share in Christ.
Hebrews 3:13-14 Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if only we hold to our first confidence firm to the end,...
Our faith can be shipwrecked (1 Timothy 1:19), departed from (1 Timothy 4:1), disowned (1 Timothy 5:8) wandered from (1 Timothy 6:10), and missed (1 Timothy 6:21).
What is saving faith?
Faith that yields no deeds is not saving faith. We are justified by true faith, which is faith that works through love Gal 5:6. Apple trees do not strain themselves trying to produce apples, and they don't produce them in order to become apple trees. They produce apples naturally because they are apple trees. In the same way, we do not perform good works in order to become saved, but because we allow the Spirit of God to work in us - good works are the natural result.
Love (implanted by God) is the motivation, not earning salvation. We simply co-operate with the Holy Spirit. We become a new creation (born again), as we respond to his will. When the Spirit convicts us of sin - we repent, when the Spirit prods us to help the less fortunate, we answer the call. When the Spirit gives us a gift, we use it according to his will. We do not resist, or quench, the Spirit of God working in us.
John 14:23 Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
Gal 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love.
Col 1:10 lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
1 Jn 3:23-24 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by
Faith that Works
Salvation by grace through faith can be likened to a road with two equally dangerous ditches on either side. One ditch, legalism, teaches works (self-effort) to earn salvation. The other ditch is antinomianism (presumption - ignoring the law of Christ), where there is a profession of faith that acknowledges God but does not result in obedience to God. This produces a monstrosity, the carnal Christian, who feels assured of their salvation while denying God's ability to sanctify those he justifies.
To stay centered, one must have faith that works (Gal 5:6), or it is not genuine faith. Our works do not have any merit in our salvation, which is a free gift. In fact, our righteousness is but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) compared to the righteousness of Christ - which he freely provides. The Spiritual life imparted by God motivates us to take action against the evils and ills of this world (and in our own lives). It becomes natural for us to act righteously in love, and abhor sin.
Our works strengthen, exercise, perfect, complete, and demonstrate our faith, so faith and works go together like a hand in a glove. It has been said that "faith is the cause of good works and good works are the effect of faith" Gorden H. Clark.
It is not that we must work to achieve faith, but if we have faith, it will naturally produce (and be strengthened by) good works. If we stifle the God given
We have nothing to boast about because our salvation is not based on our performance, but on God's gift. Even the desire to perform good works comes from God. Faith itself is a gift, so in all ways, salvation is the gift of God. (Philippians 1:29; 1 Corinthians 3:5; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:8, 9).
It is denying the power of God, to teach or believe that the Spirit will live in you, but not motivate and empower you to perform good works. Those he justifies, he also sanctifies.
2 Timothy 3:5 having a form of Godliness but denying its power.
If we do not exercise and strengthen our faith through action - it dies. Without faith there is no grace through faith, without grace through faith, there is no salvation by grace.
Good News
If after reading the above, you feel your salvation is not as secure as you had perceived it to be, don't despair. Remember, God will finish the good work he started in you - if you continue the relationship.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ...
Holy living is called for 1 Peter 1:16, but in reality, we are struggling sinners. We are to seek perfection Matthew 5:48, but our performance is never the basis of our salvation, the perfect life of Christ is. There are many battles to face, as we submit to being slowly transformed and matured by the work of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:17 For what the flesh wants is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, and so you do not do what you want to do.
We all make mistakes along the way. Habitual sin should disappear from our lives, but even mature Christians sometimes stumble. However, we are declared righteous and perfect before God because Christ applies his spotless record and sacrifice as a free gift of grace to cover our short comings.
James 3:2 For we all stumble in many ways...
Philippians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after...
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man
The Ministry of the Spirit
What Father doesn't expect his children to make mistakes, and discipline them in love, as he brings them to maturity. The only unpardonable sin is to shut out the Holy Spirit from working in you (Mark 3, Matthew 12). The Spirit is our connection to God. If you don't have the Spirit, you do not have the Father or the Son.
Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh but in the
The Spirit's ministry works through our conscience and convicts us of sin. He produces the fruits of righteousness in our lives. He is the only one who can empower you to overcome. You are powerless against sin without him, and self-effort will not prevail - even if righteousness is your goal and you are thoroughly schooled in doctrine.
The Apostle Paul expressed this well, when he compared his righteousness as a Pharisee (blameless under the law), to the righteousness provided freely by Christ, and the ministry of the Spirit.
Philippians 3: 2-9 I consider them (works of keeping the Mosaic law) rubbishin order to gain the Messiah and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through the faithfulness of the Messiah,the righteousness that comes from God and that depends on faith.
If we were perfect, we wouldn't need grace. God declares us all sinners but grants mercy and forgiveness to us freely, because of what Christ has done for us. Some choose not to accept God's provision due to unbelief, or attempted self-righteousness. Some choose not to, because they love their sin more than God, and the Spirit's call for repentance and action are brushed aside.
Authentic faith responds to God's grace. The person of faith says to God from the depths of his being - I accept your free gift of salvation by grace and submit myself to spiritual rebirth through the work of the Holy Spirit. I have faith that your Son's perfect sacrifice justifies me fully, and I also have faith that your indwelling Spirit will transform me. I will co-operate as best I can, to the Spirit's call to repentance and action.
What about those who do not know the plan of redemption or the teachings of Christ. Perhaps they live in a remote jungle - unreached by missionaries. They have had no instruction in the doctrines and terms that scholars and theologians constantly debate. Christianity is fragmented into over 38,000 (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary 2006) bickering denominations and factions, who all feel their way is best. What about the many people who have abandoned organized religion
Love the Better Way
Some Christian scholars and theologians have tremendous knowledge about God but don't know God, in an intimate, saving relationship. Lack of love reveals their spiritual condition.
We should expose
1 Cor. 8:1-3 We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.
I think that we will be shocked at who makes it into heaven, and who doesn't. Christ looks at our hearts, not our intellectual prowess; at our actions, not just our words; at our love for others, rather than our strongly held dogmas.
Love is the greatest gift, and it comes to us from God himself, through his Spirit. If you have a heart of love, then his Spirit is working in you. Ignorance, or misconceptions about doctrine, are not good things. A lack of proper understanding tends to hinder our spiritual growth, but it is not totally fatal to the ministry of the Spirit. Only our willful rejection prevents him from producing love and righteousness in our hearts.
1 Corinthians 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but
In a sense, if we don't have love it matters little what else we do have. In a sense, if we do have love, we have all that we need. We have God in us because God is love.
I John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Some scholars get their hackles up at such oversimplifications, but in essence, the Gospel of grace is simply God-given love, discipline, and forgiveness. It is his gift to us, his provision for salvation which was purchased and revealed by his Son and is administered by his Spirit. It's a gift from first to last, we simply choose to accept or reject God's grace.
Allow God to put his Spirit of love in you, and he will take care of the rest. His love will motivate you toward good works. He will discipline you like a son when you stray, but also forgive you and remember your sins no more. His Spirit will guide you to the truth, and place helpful people in your path at just the right time. He will build your faith, and lead you on the narrow way. Prayer will become second nature, and the Bible will become your favorite book. Holy living and righteousness will inevitably result. A child can understand concepts like love, discipline, and forgiveness, but theologians often make it difficult for even the learned to understand the path to God.
The very fact that you are interested in an article about salvation demonstrates that the Spirit of God is still working on your heart. You have not committed the unpardonable sin and shut out the Spirit completely. If you fall, get back up - God's grace is greater than your sin, and his Spirit can overcome the flesh. Patience and perseverance may be required, but the hope that comes through faith does not disappoint.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah. ...and we boast because of our hope in God's glory... Now that we have been justified by his blood, how much more will we be saved from wrath through him!
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God
Christian holiness is not a matter of painstaking conformity to the individual precepts of an external law-code; it is rather a question of the Holy Spirits producing His fruit in the life, reproducing those graces which were seen in perfection in the life of Christ. F.F. Bruce, Tyndale Bible Commentaries - The Epistle Of Paul To The Romans. Vol. 6, pg. 162.
Ken Rich
Some Messianic Jews think teaching adherence to the oral laws (reputedly given to Moses and later recorded by rabbis in the Mishnah and the Talmud), is what Paul argued against in Galatians and elsewhere as Judaizing. Some say he was also trying to make the distinction that one should be obedient to Torah law, due to faith in Messiah, rather than attempted self-righteousness. For them, the coming of Messiah was NOT the end of the Law, he was ONLY the end of the Law as a means of righteousness, for those who had faith in his atoning sacrifice.
Some inventive use of the evidence found in the Dead Sea Scrolls has recently been used to bolster their arguments and get around texts damaging to their view. For instance:
GALATIANS 4:10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, that I might have wasted my labor for you.
They try to argue that Gal. 4:10 and Col. 2:16 must refer to the calendar of the Essenes (based on the Dead Sea Scroll 4Q327). These texts are fatal to their position so they must be explained away somehow. However, this pattern (days, months, years) is used many times in the Bible to refer to the Sabbath and Holy Days given to Israel in the Torah. (1 Chron 23:31, 2 Chron 2:4, 2 Chron 8:13, Neh 10:33, Isa 1:13-14, Eze 45:17, Eze 46:1-9,
That means, the weekly Sabbath (fourth commandment) is included in Paul's criticism, along with the other Sabbaths and Holy Days, since the pattern is always used to indicate the whole system.
Paul affirmed that uncircumcised Gentiles (who do not keep the Torah) fulfilled the law of Christ , therefore the law of Christ is not the same as the Torah or Mosaic law.
Christianity has also had its share of controversies regarding this topic. New Covenant theology (NCT) has stepped in to solve many of the inadequacies of previous methodologies. Dispensationalism cannot get Israel and the church together in any sense whatsoever, and Covenant Theology cannot get them apart (Reisinger, 19). NCT is still evolving and changing as a result of in-house debate but it's main tenets are somewhat settled. Personally, I find it to be a much more useful and Biblical view (than the alternatives), for interpreting redemptive history.
Dispensational (discontinuity) and Covenant (continuity) theologians argue fiercely over the very important issue of salvation by grace, in relationship to the law. For example, Covenant theologians divide the law into three divisions, the civil, ceremonial, and moral law of God. Dispensational theologians tend to lump them all together (Mosaic laws), especially in terms of ending them.
Here are some creeds of Christendom that recognize the difference between the ceremonial and the moral laws:
The second Helvetic Confession (1566) (Reformed church of Zurich)
The American revision of 39 articles by the protestant Episcopal Church (1801)
The Irish articles of religion (1615)
The Westminster Confession of faith (1647)
The Savoy declaration of the congregational Churches (1658)
Baptist confession of 1688
Methodist articles of Religion (1784)
According to many covenant theologians (and Messianic Jews), if we consider the word law, to mean all laws, all of the time, then there are a whole series of contradictory statements generated. In different verses the law is described as the law of sin and death (Romans 7:23; 8:2),
Those who argue for continuity say one law (moral law), points out what sin is and was written by God, with his own finger in stone (symbolizing permanence) and kept in the
Dispensational theologians are quick to point out that the moral law (Decalogue) was also written twice in the book of the law ( handwriting of ordinances that was against us ). The Bible uses the terms law of Moses and law of God interchangeably (Num. 31:21; Josh. 23:6; 2 Chron. 31:3). Even Jesus in the sermon on the mount (Matt. 5), mixed laws from different categories and treated them as one unit. Just one of the Ten Commandments is styled the law in Rom. 7:8: The law...said , Thou shalt not covet . The preceding verses in Rom. 7:1-7, stress how the law has been done away by
2 Corinthians 3:7 Now if the ministry of death , carved in letters on stone , came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at
If we were to take the following verse, which categories of law would each of the offenses fall into? How many are part of the Decalogue? Which are ceremonial or civil? Does it really matter?
Ga 5:19 ...adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Dispensationalists throw out all Mosaic laws but replace them with the
Both systems have some merits since it's true that the law (Mosaic) has faded away but it's also true that God hasn't changed his mind about moral issues. However, both approaches are fatally flawed, in that under the New Covenant, the law of love (conscience), is what is written
All theologians end up with a New Testament law, the law of Christ, but it is not viewed quite the same by all groups. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Lk. 6: 46). Also, If ye love me, keep my commandments (Jn. 14: 15; cf. I Jn. 5: 3), the law of Christ (Gal. 6: 2).
There is a certain amount of continuity in Scripture since God inspired both the Old and New Testaments. It is his Spirit who now dwells in us and calls us to be in harmony with what is written, but only through the terms of the New Covenant - faith working through love (Ga 5:6).
RO 13:10 Love doesn't harm his neighbor.
GA 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself
We should expect that the moral
Those who want to drag the Decalogue into the New Covenant have a real problem, since the Sabbath was ceremonial, not moral, by definition. It was the sign or seal of the Old Covenant and also had a prophetic significance for us in the New Covenant. We enter into the true rest , from all our works by resting in Jesus (Hebrews 4:9-11). Some try to change the Sabbath to Sunday without Scriptural support and make it part of a new, modified Decalogue. While Sunday is significant and foreshadowed in the Old Testament, it is not the Sabbath.
In (Lev. 23:21, 35, 36)(Num. 29:35)(2 Chron. 7:9)(Neh. 8:18) the eighth day, or
On Passover, the Jews were delivered from slavery in Egypt; at the resurrection, Christ the
Christians were not instructed to keep the first (eighth) day (Sunday) as a Sabbath or as a commandment. It was not a time of rest but a festival of joyous celebration. Jews celebrated their freedom from bondage in Egypt and the birth of the Old Covenant. We celebrate our freedom from bondage to sin and the birth of the New Covenant. Shavuot was a yearly not a weekly festival and its counterpoint in Christianity
There is some evidence in the Bible that the early Christians did meet on Sundays and there is support for this in early Church history - not as a commandment but as a custom (until 321 AD when it became a law). Christians also met on the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday), even in Gentile cities. (ACTS 16:12-15, ACTS 18:1-11, Acts 17:2, etc.). There is plenty of historical evidence to support the keeping of this day as well, especially in the Eastern Churches.
For although almost all churches throughout The World celebrated the sacred mysteries (the Lord's Supper) on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, refuse to do this." The footnote which accompanies the foregoing quotation explains the use of the word "Sabbath." It says: "That is,
It's easy for proponents of Sunday to build a case that Sabbath keepers are Judaizers and for Sabbath keepers to build a case that Sunday came from Rome and pagan influences (Mithraism). All of this is irrelevant and the controversy is just another tempest in a teapot .
We can meet, worship, or keep the Lord's Supper on any day and it is good for us to meet together.
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, as the manner of some is...
Acts 2:46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts
Romans 14:5 One doth judge one day above another , and another doth judge every day alike ; let each in his own mind (conscience) be fully assured.
It is perfectly acceptable to worship and celebrate on Saturday, Sunday,or any other day, as long as we understand that it's not the Sabbath - which met it's fulfillment in Christ - our eternal rest from the law.
The Sabbath had a prophetic function. It pointed forward to the gospel rest enjoyed by all who are in Christ, both now and forever. (See Hebrews 3, 4).
Col. 2:16 Therefore, let no one judge you in matters of food and drink or with respect to a festival, a new moon, or Sabbath days. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to the Messiah .
The Promised Land of the Israelites is called Gods rest (Hebrews 3:11, 18) For if Joshua had given them rest , God would not have spoken later about another day (Hebrews 4:8). The today
Hebrews 4:1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it
Were there no Jews resting on the Sabbath according to the commandment back then? Did they not enter the promised land? These were shadows, now we have the substance - the eternal rest in Christ! Though they entered the literal promised land and kept the literal day scrupulously - they had yet to enter the true rest.
Hebrews 4:3 For we which have believed (in the Messiah) do enter into rest ... 9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work , just as God did from his.
Under the new covenant, everyday (today) is the Sabbath since we daily and forever rest from our works - in Jesus. If you keep the literal day Saturday or Sunday ( as a commandment ), you have placed yourself back under the law and Christ's sacrifice for you was in vain.
Galatians 5:4 Those of you who are trying to be justified by the law have been cut off from the Messiah. You have fallen away from grace .
The Sabbath was a type which has met it's anti-type in Christ, just as circumcision of the flesh has met its fulfillment with circumcision of the heart.
Genesis 17:8,13 Canaan is an everlasting possession and circumcision is an everlasting covenant.
Those who live life in the Spirit through faith in Christ, have circumcised hearts and enter the eternal rest the land of promise (Canaan) we dwell with Christ and rest from our works.
Romans 7:6 But now, by dying to what once bound us , we have been released from the law (the Old Covenant) so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit , and not in the old way of the written code (Mosaic law) .
The New Covenant is not about rituals, the keeping of days, or ceremonies, in any kind of legalistic way (Gal. 4:10 and Col. 2:16). As soon as you try to force Sabbatarianism (Sunday or Saturday) on people (as a commandment), you have left the Gospel behind.
When Lord De La Warr became governor of Virginia in 1610, he established strict Sabbatarianism in the colony. All were required to attend divine service, preaching, and catechizing on Sunday, and were forbidden to "violate or break the Sabbath by any gaming, public or private abroad or at home." Transgressors suffered the loss of provisions for a whole week. Second offenders lost their allowance and were whipped. Death was the penalty for
The Pope, in his Apostolic Letter, Dies Domini, was quoted as saying that a violator (of Sunday) should be "punished as a heretic" (Detroit News, July 7, 1998).
All of the law was kept perfectly by Christ for us and his record stands in place of ours - if we are in a justifying relationship with him. He not only fulfilled the law, he took the curse of the law upon himself, so that we could be under grace. Also, believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit who works on their conscience, motivating them to live rightly - in a process of sanctification. There is no law against the fruits of the Spirit and if we stumble in our spiritual walk - we have the
Ga 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit , you are not under the law .
There is freedom from the law which results in obedience to God, not lawlessness. The Spirit brings transformation and regeneration, not a list of rules and regulations.
2 Corinthians 3:15 Even to this day when Moses (the law) is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord , the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom . And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
The Bible is very clear that the law of Moses has been done away. What remains, is the ministry of the Spirit working through our conscience.
2 Corinthians 3:3 ...but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone , but in fleshy tables of the heart... 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter , but of the spirit : for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life ... 7 But if the ministration of death , written and
Some understand that the Mosaic law has passed away, yet try to replace it with a
2 Timothy 3 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The law is part of Scripture and the law is good but only if you know its purpose , it was not made for the righteous but for sinners (1 Timothy 1:5).
Galatians 3:19, What, then, was the purpose of the law ? It was added because of transgressions (sin) until the Seed (Christ) to whom the promise referred had come. 25Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law 29And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise .
Heirs to what promise? (Genesis 17:8,13) Eternal rest in Canaan, the promised land - which prefigured our eternal rest in Christ. Moses (who represented the law) could lead literal Israel there, but could not enter, he could only see it from afar. Spiritual Israel must leave Moses behind (the law - which has died) and with circumcised hearts (Romans 2:29), enter the spiritual promised land (Christ). See Hebrews chapters 3 and 4. It is not for nothing, that the Old Testament is called a book of shadows . Many literal events had prophetic significance and were fulfilled spiritually in the New Testament.
Ephesians 3:4 the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body , and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
G alatians 4:21-31 Tell me, you who want to be under the law , are you not aware of what the law says? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. ...the women represent two covenants . One covenant is from Mount Sinai (the law) and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 28Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise . 30But what does the Scripture say? " Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son (slave to the law) will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son (free in Christ)." 31Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman (law of Moses), but of the free woman (free in Christ).
Believers are not legally bound to a written code or by ceremonial
Christianity does not lead the believer away from the law into nothingness. It leads him to Jesus Christ, who, in the person of the Holy Spirit, comes to dwell within him and furnishes him with the new nature that alone is capable of doing what God desires. The change is internal. So it is from within rather than without that the Holy Spirit produces the fruit that is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (5:22-23). Life in the Spirit is free from and above the kind of religion that would result in either legalism or license. It is true freedom a freedom to serve God fully, unencumbered by the shackles of sin or regulations. (Expositors Bible Commentary [Zondervan, 1976], vol. 10, 411)
The Holy Spirit is our (new) moral compass not the law (which has passed away). This is brought out most forcibly by Paul in Romans 2, where we see even the Gentiles having the law (Spirit led conscience - not the 613 laws of the Torah or even the 10 of the Decalogue) written in their hearts.
Romans 2: 12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law , and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law . For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law , do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves , even though they do not have the law , since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts , their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing , now even defending them.)
So salvation by
John 16:8 When he (Holy Spirit) comes, he (not the law) will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment
The Holy Spirit convicts us of our trespasses, we repent and turn to Jesus for forgiveness. The Jews looked forward to him coming, we look backward, but in the end - it is righteousness by faith in Christ and the merits of his sacrificial death, which is the basis of salvation for all .
We freely receive grace through our new high priest (Heb. 9:11-15) but the Jews (under the Old Covenant) had to obtain it through the Levitical priestly system which pointed forward to him. They were burdened with the letter of the law, with all the rules and regulations of the Levitical system they even had other laws that they added to the 613.
Hebrews 7:11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to
Hebrews 9:15 For this reason, Christ is the mediator of a new covenant , that those who are called may receive the promised eternal
We have the Holy Spirit in our hearts and our consciences convict and excuse us in all situations. In some ways, this is even more stringent than the written law, since as Christ pointed out, by simply looking at a woman lustfully you are committing adultery (under the Spirit not
That is one reason why Paul was able to write in Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
The law was never intended to justify, it only pointed out what sin was.
Romans 3:20 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 . (Also, 1 John 3:4)
It was our schoolmaster (guardian) to bring us to Christ who is our redeemer from sin. Once the Holy Spirit quickens your conscience - you have no need of a schoolmaster.
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith
We no longer go by a written code - sin is the violation of our conscience, which is quickened and strengthened by the Spirit. That is true for all who believe - whether Jew or Greek, male or female - all are one under the New Covenant. If you know something is right (in your heart) but don't do it, it is sin. If you know something is wrong (in your heart) and do it, then it is sin. It doesn't matter if you memorize all 613 laws of the Torah (and add the Mishnah and the Talmud), or are totally ignorant of them, all are without excuse since no one can escape their own conscience .
RO 2:14 For when the Gentiles without the law have a natural desire to do the things in the law, they are a law to themselves
In fact, one must sometimes break the written law in order to fulfill Christ's law of love . Those familiar with situational ethics can readily give examples. In Nazi Germany, was it acting in love to tell the
Let's take a practical example of how life in the Spirit effects our relationship to the old law. Jesus repeats and expands upon the sixth commandment (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17), in the Gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 5:21 You have heard that it was said to them of old time, ` You shall not murder ;` and ` Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment .` But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, `Raca,` shall be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, `You fool,` shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.
Most Christians are quick to point out, that through the Spirit, we go beyond the letter of the law, so in fact, we establish the law as Paul said in Romans 3:31. That is true but not in a legalistic sense.
At Masada, the Jews chose to kill their own children rather
To take it further, how would the commandment be applied to a Father who kills his own child - to end their terrible suffering from the ravages of a rare, brutal form, of terminal cancer? What if his heart of love was broken - from seeing his son writhe and scream in agony, day after day, week after week, as he begged for his Father to mercifully end his life? What if the Father knew and was told - by the many doctors he consulted, that it was medically hopeless (his son was going to die eventually). What if the Father had prayed for healing unceasingly - as had everyone he knew because he implored them to pray for his son. If he acts in love and mercy , with a clear conscience toward God (in his own mind), should he be punished for breaking the law? Governmental legislatures struggle with such issues!
Is
Of course, then there are those who claim to represent God on earth, yet invent Church laws and policies, as well as manipulate civil laws, in order to cover up their sex crimes and brutal abuse of children . Institutional power and money are used as a shield for vice. The Pope and his prelates, hide behind diplomatic immunity laws, gag orders silence the outraged, politicians and bureaucrats are bought and sold, hush money is paid out and the centuries-old system of corruption carries on. Jesus said you will know them by their fruits . Cannon laws and Church policies are not the law of Christ and the Holy Spirit does not motivate people to abuse children or cover up crimes against them. On judgment day, there will be no diplomatic immunity, no secret societies to manipulate the system, and no fall guys to take the blame. False contrition and hollow apologies will fool no one, intimidation tactics will be useless, and all the money in the world will not bribe the judge.
From the birth of Popery in 606 to the present time, it is estimated by careful and credible historians, that more than fifty millions of the human family , have been slaughtered for the crime of heresy by popish persecutors , an average of more than forty thousand religious murders for every year of the existence of popery. "History of Romanism," pp. 541, 542. New York: 1871.
(Links on the Vatican's modern cover-up of their sins and crimes against humanity)
http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/scandal/
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/20/world/main860502.shtml
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/aug/17/religion.childprotection/print
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/apr/24/children.childprotection/print
The key to understanding the New
Now the one who inspired the Scriptures and gave the law - lives within us . Only the indwelling Spirit can truly convict us of sin and empower us to overcome it - that is what so many
Luke 17:21 ...because the kingdom of God is within you.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
For those in Christ, the Spirit (not the law) defines what sin is personally, through our conscience. A black and white (one size fit's all) law, just doesn't apply well to all the circumstances we may find ourselves in. What is sin for me, may not be considered sin by you (
Romans 14: 5,22 ...Let each
I John 3:23 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God
Conclusion
Many people in Messianic Judaism and Christian circles have fallen into legalism. Presuming on God's grace is just as deadly and some fall prey to this error as well. Legalism and Antinomianism are two sides of a counterfeit
In Stephen's Speech to the Sanhedrin (who were highly trained in the law) he said:
Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit !
They laid their coats at the feet of Saul (the zealous, persecuting Pharisee) and stoned Stephen to death in accordance with their laws. However, Saul later came to understand the truth that Stephen had proclaimed. He became Paul, a great champion of the Gospel and Apostle to the Gentiles and Jews alike.
I Timothy 1 But the end of the charge is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith ; from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned aside to vain talking; desiring to be teachers of the law , though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm...
The law (of Moses) fulfilled its divine purpose. It showed us our need of a Savior and the utter futility of attempted self-righteousness. Now (under the New Covenant) we must have faith in the righteousness of Christ (in place of our own) and accept his grace in forgiving us of our shortcomings. We must also submit to spiritual rebirth, not by striving to keep laws, but by allowing the Spirit to mold and change us from within. The Spirit wars against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit (Galatians 5:17) and we all stumble in many ways (James 3:2). Thankfully, Christ has invited us to his wedding and provided each of us with a clean white robe, knit with his own righteousness - to replace our filthy rags. (Matthew 22:12, Isaiah 64:6, Zechariah 3:4).
1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God ... (Romans 8:15-16, Galatians 3:26-28, I John 3:1-3) For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13-15).
Hebrews 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons . For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons . Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live !
We must leave the law behind (like leaving Moses at Mount Nebo) and press forward into Canaan, the promised land. Through faith in Christ, we find the true rest that Joshua could not give us and that the Sabbath foreshadowed (Hebrews 4:8). Yes, there are giants in the land (we wrestle not against flesh and blood - Ephesians 6:12) but we must overcome our fear and have faith that the battle is already won in Christ. After all, who taught David how to slay giants and trained his hand for warfare in the physical realm? He started him off with bears and lions and made him ready for giants. He can do the same for you in the spiritual realm. He is the Captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10) and proven worthy to lead us.
Draw close to God spiritually, through the freedom of the New Covenant, which necessitates forsaking the law of the Old Covenant. Cast out the bondwoman and her son (the covenant of Moses which is the law - Galatians 4:21-31) and become
God is pouring his Spirit out on all flesh, male and female, young and old (Joel 2:28). Do not harden your heart and rely on intellectualism, dead religion, and worthless ceremonies. To the religious leaders of his day Christ said - tax collectors and prostitutes will get into God's kingdom ahead of you (Matthew 21:31). Why were the vilest of sinners being saved, while the religious leaders were being lost - because they didn't turn to laws, creeds, dogmas, ceremonies and dead religion, they turned to him (Jesus). God is real , just believe (like a little child) and let him into your heart. God wants to have a relationship with you, not a religion with you.
Some teach that the only difference between covenants is you must now keep the law of Moses out of love or faith, instead of attempted self-righteousness. They have missed the Gospel . Under the new covenant, the law of Moses is gone and the one who gave the law to Moses - lives in you . Moses met him on a hill, but we meet him in our hearts. Why settle for the law of Moses when you can know the God of Moses intimately, personally, in a loving relationship.
Those born again, come under the law of Christ (not the law of Moses). There is
What Father among us, doesn't expect their child to make mistakes? What Father among us, doesn't discipline but also love and forgive their child - through all the ups and downs of the growth process which brings them to maturity? God is our Father (Matt. 23:9), who loves us beyond measure (John 3:16). Christ is our Brother (Hebrews 2:11) and he is far better than any earthly big brother we may have grown up with. He took the worst beating imaginable - in order to rescue us from the bully (Satan) on the playground. He did it, even though we put ourselves on Satan's turf (we
John 5:39 You examine the Scriptures carefully because you suppose that in them you have eternal life. Yet they testify about me (Jesus Christ) . But you are not willing to come to me to have
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me , all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST . Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Ken Rich
2 Corinthians 6:2 ...Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Don't put it off my friend, time is getting short and who knows what tomorrow will bring. Here is some simple advice, from someone who has traveled the same path you now find yourself on.
Come as you are - don't wait until you are perfect, or you haveconquered a certain vice, or understood some finer point of theology. God will accept you as you are (warts and all), and start working with you from there.
Stay in the relationship - don't expect immediate perfection of character, or some miraculous overnight transformation. God will justify you immediately (accept you as righteous), even though in practice you are not. This is because he applies the righteousness of Christ to you. However, sanctification (character change, becoming Holy and set apart by God) is a lifelong process. There will be much to learn, and many battles to face, as you are slowly purified. The more you co-operate the faster the change, but typically new Christians make many mistakes, and even mature Christian's are not above them. The important thing is to remain connected to God, andbuild that relationship by spending time with him in daily prayer and Bible study. He will take care of the rest, as he leads in your life.
Find fellowship - If you take a lump of coal and separate it from the rest (on a barbecue), it gets cold. If you place it with the others, they all stay warm together. Don't try to be a lone star Christian - it doesn't work. Join a local Church group and make some friends. Leave the company of those who lead you into sin. Eventually, you will find that you have very little in common with some of your old friends, and even dislike their company - as you become less carnal, and more spiritual.
Grow your faith - Like your physical body, your spiritual self needs food, it needs to breath, and it needs exercise. Bible study can be compared to feeding your spiritual self. Prayer can be characterized as the breath of the soul, and is also essential. However, you will become an overgrown,lazy, useless, and eventually faithless Christian, if you don't also exercise your faith by performing good works. This should come naturally, not in order to be saved, but because you are saved. If your heart is telling you to help that little old lady across the street - do it. Help those in need, do what you can, when you can. Faith without works is dead . Simple mental acknowledgment of the truth is not enough, you must manifest it in your own life, you must internalize it, you must live it .
Be patient - it is common to become frustrated with a perceived lack of progress, or some elusive teaching you just can't seem to grasp. Also, being temporarily overcome by some sinyou thoughtyou had a handle on is common - especially for immature Christians. If you fall - get back up. Do it as many times as it takes. God will never leave you, or forsake you, as long as you are willing to keep trying. Nothing can snatch you out of his hand, but you can choose to leave.Cherished sinscan cause you to leaveyour relationship with God, so that you can practicethem in peace. There will be no peace when you sin, as long as the Holy Spirit is working in you, because it is one of his jobs to convict you of sin. You will grieve the Spirit, create a spiritual warfare within yourself, and will have to choose God or the sin eventually. Otherwise, the spiritual warfare becomes so intense, it may feel like it's tearing you apart. This is normal - when it happens let go of the sin, not God.
Stay in the middle - the Christian walk can be compared to walking down a road. There is a ditch on either side of the road, and both are equally dangerous. One ditch (legalism) says you must do good works in order to be saved. The other ditch (presumption) says good works are totally not important, just presume upon God's grace, and live anyway you please (sin is acceptable). It is common for new Christians to stumble from ditch to ditch until they get their balance. Some never do, in fact there are whole Church's that like to wallow in one ditch or the other, and have institutionalized their errors. The truth lies between these two extremes. We are saved by grace, through faith,that's true -but faith without works is dead. God wants to save you from your sins, not in your sins. He is able to sanctify, as well as justify, those who come to him. Your acceptance is not based on your performance, but if you are truly in a relationship with God, your performance will become better and better over time.
I could go on and on, but I feel these things were helpful concepts to me over the years. May you grow in grace, and abound in love - the greatest gift!
Ken Rich
