I Fought the Law & the Law Won

[Samson]

Failure to adequately define the terms is a major reason for misunderstanding Law (and Grace). In the Old Testament, the word law is primarily translated from the Hebrew word tôrāh (towrah—law, instruction, teaching, a precept or statute). Tôrāh (Strong’s # 8451) is found 219 times, appearing in 212 verses.

The term carries with it a wide range of meanings within Judaism. Its most common use by far has to do with references to the Mosaic code.

In Romans Paul has a lot to say about law, and mainly it is the moral law that he has in view. In the book of Romans written to people at the center of the famous legal system of Rome, many of them Jews versed in the law of Moses and others Gentiles familiar with the idea of law, its nature, its scope and its sway, he first speaks of the Law as a standard of conformity to which brings condemnation.

Paul shows that the Gentiles who had not the standard of the revealed Law nevertheless had a law, the law of Nature, a law written upon their heart and conscience. Roman law was familiar with the conception of the law of Nature, so that certain principles could be assumed as obtaining among those who had not the knowledge of the Roman code; and in accordance with these principles, the dealings between Romans and barbarians could be regulated.

Paul’s conception is somewhat similar, but is applied to the spiritual relations of man and God.

He also tells us that all men are under condemnation, that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin, he closes his great indictment with the statement...
“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God” Romans 3:19

Thus the Law shows our condemnation. It is impossible for any sinner to be justified “by the works of the law”; the Law not only condemns but “through the law cometh the knowledge of sin” Romans 3:20

It shows how far short men have come of God’s requirements. It is a mirror in which we as sinners see our defilement, but It also shows our need of a savior. The law acts as a "tutor" or "schoolmaster" that highlights our need for a savior.

It prepares us receive salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law.

 

[DavidTree]

Failure to adequately define the terms is a major reason for misunderstanding Law (and Grace). In the Old Testament, the word law is primarily translated from the Hebrew word tôrāh (towrah—law, instruction, teaching, a precept or statute). Tôrāh (Strong’s # 8451) is found 219 times, appearing in 212 verses.

The term carries with it a wide range of meanings within Judaism. Its most common use by far has to do with references to the Mosaic code.

In Romans Paul has a lot to say about law, and mainly it is the moral law that he has in view. In the book of Romans written to people at the center of the famous legal system of Rome, many of them Jews versed in the law of Moses and others Gentiles familiar with the idea of law, its nature, its scope and its sway, he first speaks of the Law as a standard of conformity to which brings condemnation.

Paul shows that the Gentiles who had not the standard of the revealed Law nevertheless had a law, the law of Nature, a law written upon their heart and conscience. Roman law was familiar with the conception of the law of Nature, so that certain principles could be assumed as obtaining among those who had not the knowledge of the Roman code; and in accordance with these principles, the dealings between Romans and barbarians could be regulated.

Paul’s conception is somewhat similar, but is applied to the spiritual relations of man and God.

He also tells us that all men are under condemnation, that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin, he closes his great indictment with the statement...
“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God” Romans 3:19

Thus the Law shows our condemnation. It is impossible for any sinner to be justified “by the works of the law”; the Law not only condemns but “through the law cometh the knowledge of sin” Romans 3:20

It shows how far short men have come of God’s requirements. It is a mirror in which we as sinners see our defilement, but It also shows our need of a savior. The law acts as a "tutor" or "schoolmaster" that highlights our need for a savior.

It prepares us receive salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law.

Good post and True

 

[Samson]

“by the works of the law”; the Law not only condemns but “through the law cometh the knowledge of sin” Romans 3:20

I am thankful that Paul doesn’t end his letter to Rome here. He doesn’t leave us with just the problem. No! This is not the last word. The answer is the third law. The third law is the law of the Spirit of Life.

THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. [John 3:18.]
2 For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.
3 For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice], [Lev. 7:37.]
4 So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit].
Romans 8:1–4.

In other words, Paul says that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (the third law) has power to overcome the law of sin in us, (the second law) and makes it possible for us to keep God’s Ten Commandment law, (the first law).

Now, what does the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” set us free from—God’s Ten Commandment law? No, life in Christ doesn’t make void God’s holy law; but it does free us from the old life of habitual sinning. Of this we can be certain because of the result Paul describes of the successful operation of the third law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

Notice again what it is, verse 4 quoted above, “in order that the righteous requirements of the law [the first law—God’s holy Ten Commandment law] might be fully met in us …” And friend, this is the only way in which it can be done! No one can keep God’s holy law unless he is “in Christ Jesus” and the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” has set him free from the old life of natural defeat and failure.

I don’t mean to imply that when the third law goes into operation in our lives we become perfect overnight! No, Christianity is a growing experience. But, with Paul, I do want to testify of a power that has set me free from the law of sin and death.

 

[Soyeong]

Failure to adequately define the terms is a major reason for misunderstanding Law (and Grace). In the Old Testament, the word law is primarily translated from the Hebrew word tôrāh (towrah—law, instruction, teaching, a precept or statute). Tôrāh (Strong’s # 8451) is found 219 times, appearing in 212 verses.

The term carries with it a wide range of meanings within Judaism. Its most common use by far has to do with references to the Mosaic code.

In Romans Paul has a lot to say about law, and mainly it is the moral law that he has in view. In the book of Romans written to people at the center of the famous legal system of Rome, many of them Jews versed in the law of Moses and others Gentiles familiar with the idea of law, its nature, its scope and its sway, he first speaks of the Law as a standard of conformity to which brings condemnation.

God’s way is the way to know Him by being a doer of His character like righteousness and justice (Genesis 18:19) and God taught how to walk in His way through the Law of Moses (1 Kings 2:1-3), so the goal of the Law of Moses is to teach us how to be a doer of God’s character traits.

God’s character traits are the basis of morality, so the Law of Moses is the moral law.

God has not commanded anything that is not in accordance with walking in the Spirit, but rather God’s character traits are the fruits of the Spirit, which is why the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey the Law of Moses (Ezekiel 36:26-27), so the Law of the Spirit is the Law of Moses. Christ set a perfect example for us to follow of how to walk in the Spirit by walking in perfect obedience to the Law of Moses. In 1 John 2:6, those who are in Christ are obligated to walk in the same way that he walked, so verses that refer to those who are in Christ are only referring to those who are following his example of walking in obedience to the Law of Moses, such with Romans 8:1, where there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ.

In Deuteronomy 5:31-33, Moses wrote down everything that God spoke to him without departing from it, which is why the Law of Moses is called the Law of God in verses like Nehemiah 8:1-8, Ezra 7:6-12, and Luke 2:22-23.

In Romans 7-8:2, Paul said that the Law of God is good, that he wanted to do good, that he delighted in obeying it, and he served it with his mind in contrast with the law of sin, which was working within his members to cause him not to do the good that he wanted to do, which was waging war against the law of his mind, which he served with his flesh, and which the Law of the Spirit has freed us from, so he equated the Law of the Spirit with the Law of God, which again is the Law of Moses. Moreover, in Romans 8:4-7, Paul contrasted those who walk in the Spirit with those who have minds set on the flesh who are enemies of God who refuse to submit to the Law of God.

So verses that refer to something that would be absurd for Paul to delight in doing should not be interpreted as referring to the Law of Moses and verses that refer to a law that is sinful, that causes sin to increase, and that hinders us from obeying the Law of God should be interpreted as referring to the law of sin, such as with Romans 5:20, Romans 6:14, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19, Galatians 5:16-18, and 1 Corinthians 15:56.

Paul shows that the Gentiles who had not the standard of the revealed Law nevertheless had a law, the law of Nature, a law written upon their heart and conscience. Roman law was familiar with the conception of the law of Nature, so that certain principles could be assumed as obtaining among those who had not the knowledge of the Roman code; and in accordance with these principles, the dealings between Romans and barbarians could be regulated.

In Romans 2:13-14, Paul said that only the doers of the Law of Moses will be justified and that Gentiles would by nature be doers of it, but did not say anything about a Law of Nature.

It shows how far short men have come of God’s requirements. It is a mirror in which we as sinners see our defilement, but It also shows our need of a savior. The law acts as a "tutor" or "schoolmaster" that highlights our need for a savior. It prepares us receive salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law.

Jesus saves us from our sin (Matthew 1:21) and it is by the Law of Moses that we have know of what sin is (Romans 3:20), so Jesus graciously teaching us to be a doer of it is intrinsically the way that he is giving us his gift of saving us from not being a doer of it. So the Law of Moses does not just highlight our need for a Savior but also teaches us the way that he is saving us. Jesus fulfilled the law by teaching us how to correctly obey it.

 

[Neil Spargo]

I like how the redeeming work of Christ in providing righteousness apart from the Law is our standard. Abraham’s blessings came not through the Law. That shows us that his idea of justification by faith was no new thing, that the OT saint had enjoyed it, he particularly shows that Abraham, even in his uncircumcised state, received the blessing through faith; and the great promise to him and his seed did not come through the Law, but on the principle of faith.

 

[Soyeong]

I like how the redeeming work of Christ in providing righteousness apart from the Law is our standard. Abraham’s blessings came not through the Law. That shows us that his idea of justification by faith was no new thing, that the OT saint had enjoyed it, he particularly shows that Abraham, even in his uncircumcised state, received the blessing through faith; and the great promise to him and his seed did not come through the Law, but on the principle of faith.

It is simple to understand the way to attain a character trait and what it means to have one, so it is also simple to understand the trait of righteousness, but theological constructs have made it difficult to understand. Character trait are not earned as the result of our works but rather they are embodied through our works. The one and only way to attain a character trait is through faith apart from being required to have first done enough works in order to earn it as the result but what it means to have a character trait is to be a doer of works that embody that trait, so it would be contradictory to attain a character trait apart from becoming a doer of it. For example, for God to be righteous means that He is a doer of righteous works and it would be inaccurate to describe God as righteous if he were not.

While Abraham was declared righteous by faith apart from being required to have first done enough righteous works in order to earn it as the result, it is also true that he was a doer of righteous works in obedience to God’s law. Moreover, it is also true that Abraham believed God, so he obeyed His command to offer Isaac (Hebrews 11:17), so the faith by which he was declared righteous was also embodied through his works by being an obeyer of God, but he did not earn his righteousness as the result of his obedience (Romans 4-1-5).

In Matthew 4:15-23, Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, which was a light to the Gentiles, and God’s law was how his audience knew what sin is (Romans 3:20), which is in accordance with Jesus being sent as the promised seed to bless us by turning us from our wickedness (Acts 3:25-26), which is the Gospel that was made known in advance to Abraham in accordance with the promise (Galatians 3:8), and which he spread to those in Haran in accordance with the promise (Genesis 12:1-5).

In Genesis 18:19, God knew Abraham that he would teach his children and those of his household to walk in His way by being doers of righteousness and justice that the Lord might bring to him all that He has promised. In Genesis 26:4-5, God will multiply Abraham’s children as the stars in the heavens, to his children He will give all of these lands, and through his children all of the nations of the earth shall be blessed because he heard God’s voice and guarded His charge, commandments, statutes, and laws. In Deuteronomy 30:16, if the children of Abraham will love God with all of their hearts by walking in His way in obedience to His commandments, statutes, and laws, then they will live and multiply, and God will bless them in the land that they go to possess. So the promise was made to Abraham and brought about because he walked in God’s way in obedience to His law, he taught his children and those of his household to do that in accordance with spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom, and because they did that.

While you can bless someone by doing something nice for them, the way to truly bless someone is by teaching them how to live blessed lives, and God’s law is how the children of Abraham know how to do that (Psalms 119:1-3). In John 8:39, Jesus said that if they were children of Abraham, then they would be doing the same works as him, so the way that the children of Abraham are multiplied and are a blessing to the nations in accordance with inheriting the promise through faith is by turning them from their wickedness and by teaching them to be doers of the same works as Abraham by walking in God’s way in obedience to His law in accordance with spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom. While the promise is inherited through faith and not earned as the result of our works, the content of what is promised is in regard to our works in obedience to God’s instructions. It would be contradictory for someone to think that we should have faith in God but not in His instructions.

 

[Aeliana]

It is simple to understand the way to attain a character trait and what it means to have one, so it is also simple to understand the trait of righteousness, but theological constructs have made it difficult to understand. Character trait are not earned as the result of our works but rather they are embodied through our works. The one and only way to attain a character trait is through faith apart from being required to have first done enough works in order to earn it as the result but what it means to have a character trait is to be a doer of works that embody that trait, so it would be contradictory to attain a character trait apart from becoming a doer of it. For example, for God to be righteous means that He is a doer of righteous works and it would be inaccurate to describe God as righteous if he were not.

While Abraham was declared righteous by faith apart from being required to have first done enough righteous works in order to earn it as the result, it is also true that he was a doer of righteous works in obedience to God’s law. Moreover, it is also true that Abraham believed God, so he obeyed His command to offer Isaac (Hebrews 11:17), so the faith by which he was declared righteous was also embodied through his works by being an obeyer of God, but he did not earn his righteousness as the result of his obedience (Romans 4-1-5).

In Matthew 4:15-23, Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, which was a light to the Gentiles, and God’s law was how his audience knew what sin is (Romans 3:20), which is in accordance with Jesus being sent as the promised seed to bless us by turning us from our wickedness (Acts 3:25-26), which is the Gospel that was made known in advance to Abraham in accordance with the promise (Galatians 3:8), and which he spread to those in Haran in accordance with the promise (Genesis 12:1-5).

In Genesis 18:19, God knew Abraham that he would teach his children and those of his household to walk in His way by being doers of righteousness and justice that the Lord might bring to him all that He has promised. In Genesis 26:4-5, God will multiply Abraham’s children as the stars in the heavens, to his children He will give all of these lands, and through his children all of the nations of the earth shall be blessed because he heard God’s voice and guarded His charge, commandments, statutes, and laws. In Deuteronomy 30:16, if the children of Abraham will love God with all of their hearts by walking in His way in obedience to His commandments, statutes, and laws, then they will live and multiply, and God will bless them in the land that they go to possess. So the promise was made to Abraham and brought about because he walked in God’s way in obedience to His law, he taught his children and those of his household to do that in accordance with spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom, and because they did that.

While you can bless someone by doing something nice for them, the way to truly bless someone is by teaching them how to live blessed lives, and God’s law is how the children of Abraham know how to do that (Psalms 119:1-3). In John 8:39, Jesus said that if they were children of Abraham, then they would be doing the same works as him, so the way that the children of Abraham are multiplied and are a blessing to the nations in accordance with inheriting the promise through faith is by turning them from their wickedness and by teaching them to be doers of the same works as Abraham by walking in God’s way in obedience to His law in accordance with spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom. While the promise is inherited through faith and not earned as the result of our works, the content of what is promised is in regard to our works in obedience to God’s instructions. It would be contradictory for someone to think that we should have faith in God but not in His instructions.

Your post made me think of this.

Post in thread 'Trusting God Day by Day'

Yesterday at 11:59 AM

Help People Feel Good About Themselves

Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility]…
PHILIPPIANS 2:5

I am fairly disciplined in my eating habits, and recently I spent a week with someone who really struggles in that area. The person mentioned several times how disciplined I am and how undisciplined she is. Each time she did so, I downplayed my ability to discipline myself by saying, “I have areas of weakness also, and you will overcome this as you continue to pray and make an effort.”

There was a time...

• Aeliana

 

[Soyeong]

Your post made me think of this.

Post in thread 'Trusting God Day by Day'

Yesterday at 11:59 AM

Help People Feel Good About Themselves

Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility]…
PHILIPPIANS 2:5

I am fairly disciplined in my eating habits, and recently I spent a week with someone who really struggles in that area. The person mentioned several times how disciplined I am and how undisciplined she is. Each time she did so, I downplayed my ability to discipline myself by saying, “I have areas of weakness also, and you will overcome this as you continue to pray and make an effort.”

There was a time...

• Aeliana

Thank you.