While trying to exercise his duty to live peaceably among all men, Private Tom Temple is being ambushed at the church luncheon of Pastor Barry Bondage's Bible thumping Church. He's alone, outnumbered and being bombarded with the weapon of their choice..."We are under grace not the law!"
Objective: Supply Private Temple with the scriptural ammunition necessary to execute a sound defense against this unwarranted ambush!
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The Torah means instructions not law. Yeshua talked about the man made laws not the Torah. His grace covers the penalty that comes from not obeying his instructions
ReplyDelete1John2:3-7 also verses 2:24-27 This is good ammo!!
ReplyDeleteMany are confused on the relation between work and faith. When the Bible says that we are not saved by works (Eph. 2:9), how shall we understand it? Does it follow that we can both continue in sin and be saved? Of course not, otherwise it would contradict with Paul's clear warnings about being lost if we live in sin, just to mention two passages: Rom. 6:1-2 and Gal. 5:19-21
ReplyDeleteObserve what Paul says if we ignore the moral law. "That they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." And Paul was quite serious in his warning, by repeating it with the same admonitions to both Ephesians and Corinthian Christians: Eph. 5:3-6 and 1 Cor. 6:9-10.
Are not these three warnings sufficient for not deceiving ourselves in ignoring the moral law? It seems that it was not so clear for Luther and Calvin, and for their followers who have distorted Paul's teaching of God's grace and the teaching that we are not saved by works.
Yes, indeed, we are not saved by works!
But wouldn't that contradict with the teaching of previous verses, namely that a continuance in a sinful life will result in not being saved? No, not at all.
When the Bible says that we are not saved by works (Eph. 2:9), why should we interpret the term "work" in moral terms? The term "work" can mean ritual works of the Mosaic Law and it can also mean good works of the moral law. The term is used in both ways depending on the context. It has no uniform linguistic usage. Therefore, there is nothing wrong of James to say that a man is saved also by works. However, many Christians are so shocked by hearing such statement, illustrating how widespread Protestant influence disastrously governs the average modern Christian mind-set. James shocks us, when he says: "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. ... But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? ... Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (Jas 2:17, 20, 24)
From such ignorance, someone can say that James writes specifically to undo the work of Paul. However, we had already seen that it is doubtful to say that Apostle James did not agree with Apostle Paul. Even Paul, surprisingly for many Protestants, emphasized that continuance in sinful life would not save a man. Unfortunately, many tend to ignore Paul's serious warnings. What they instead do is that they emphasize antinomian aspects of Paul's doctrine, with no balance, and in so doing they distort Paul's teaching.
To repeat, James and Paul would contradict each other only if the concept of work was identical in their both epistles. But it is clear that it was not. Paul would certainly have agreed with James that we cannot continue in sin (Rom. 6:1-2, Gal. 5:16-21, etc). And James would never consider that we must continue with animal sacrifices and circumcision. (Acts. 15:13-21, but see also Peter's speech, vv. 7-11, which preceded James' speech).
What James wanted to teach us is the distinction between dead and living faith, a distinction not touched by Paul's teaching. Would James' distinction contradict with Paul's. No, of course not.
So, can we conclude from Paul's epistles that moral works are not necessary for our salvation. Obviously not.
However, let it be clear that we are not teaching that our moral nature can save us. No, not at all. No matter how morally good we are, we do not deserve to inherit God's Kingdom. We are saved by God's grace but through our living faith. God's grace is indeed great. God is so good towards us in spite of our unspeakable crimes we have committed before His eyes. God forgave us just because we believed in His beloved Son. We don't deserve His goodness at all, even if we believe! Our faith does not diminish the nature of His grace, since we do not deserve to be in the Presence of His Glorious Beauty, whether we believe or not. Truly, His grace is Great!
Yes, God's Grace is great, but let us not misuse His Grace by living intently and actively in sin. God's Grace is efficient only for people who have both acknowledged their sins before God by asking for His forgiveness and submitted to Christ as their Lord. God's Grace is not cheap. It cost the life of His beloved Son. God's grace is only effective towards people who are in Christ. There is no forgiveness of our sins if we continue living in sins. Of course, we might have trouble with certain sins, but as long as we honestly wish to have a pure heart before God, God will give us strength. We must believe in Jesus Christ, who died for everyone who would accept His saving hand. He died as a sacrifice for our sins, so that anyone who believes in Him can be reconciled with God. But this faith is a living one, faith which lead us to repentance in not doing sins that had crucified our Lord.
Has heaven and earth passed away? NO! So not one'jot or tittle" has passed from the law as Yeshuah said.
ReplyDeleteYou claim to be "saved" by grace right? Well what exactly are you saved from? Their answer will go something like this-we are saved from the law of sin and death.
So you believe that "under" the law the wages of sin is death, right? they will say yes
then ask them what is sin?
they will come up with all kinds of things including whatever they feel is bad or whatever their conscience tells them is bad or wrong is sin.
Wrong! According to scripture sin is the trangression or the breaking of the law-so unless we study the law, and practice it how are we to follow in yeshuah's sinless footsteps if we don't even have a clue what sin is? Remind them that he often told people that he healed of sickness "go and sin no more"-we are in no place to decide what sin is are we YHWH that we should decide what suits our needs? Like Rabbi Shaul said "G-D FORBID"
Bottom line "are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? G_D FORBID!"
Hello,
ReplyDeleteWe cannot continue in sin, for otherwise we will be seperated from God's grace. God's grace is conditional, namely that we repent from our sins. Was not my previous post clear abut this?
Yours in Christ,
Alex