Thoughts on Law vs Lawlessness #3

Thoughts on Law vs. Lawlessness #3

The New Covenant is Christ-centered, yes; but it involves our receiving the Holy Spirit so God can write His LAWS within our very hearts and minds, making His LAWS become an internal, integral PART of the very core of our being!

The background: God’s promises were definitely CONDITIONAL. He blessed Abraham "BECAUSE"—literally for the reason that—Abraham obeyed Him, kept his charge, as well as His commandments, and statutes, and laws! Does this sound like Abraham was justified by "faith" alone?

Faith alone was not enough. Abraham’s faith was the kind of faith that led him to OBEY GOD and keep His Word faithfully. It was a "faithful faith." It was a faith evidenced by complete and total and enduring OBEDIENCE to God in every way!

The apostle James points out this principle in the second chapter of his epistle. He wrote, "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is DEAD, being ALONE. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works, and I will shew thee my faith BY my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the demons also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou not know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?"

Was not Abraham our father justified by WORKS, and by works was faith made perfect [whole, complete]? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness"

(James 2:17-23).
James 2:17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe; and tremble!
James 2:20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
James 2:22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
James 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.

So James concluded, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (verse 24).
James, then, answers the question what kind of faith Abraham had, that God counted it for "righteousness"—it was FAITH ACCOMPANIED BY WORKS OF OBEDIENCE!

Do you see how deceitful and manipulative the preachers of this world are? How seductive and clever and disingenuous and specious their reasoning is? They often go on to say, "God made some dramatic promises to Abraham, and they were unconditional promises" . This is simply the BIG LIE technique. Tell a lie big and bold and brass enough, and people will assume it is true! It is very clever. Such lies have deceived the whole world including the vast, overwhelming majority of Christendom. Guess where that originated?

(Rev.12:9). So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Jesus Christ warned that the end-time deception would be so powerful that "if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt.24:24).

Are you deceived? Are you "taken in" and captured by clever manipulation of words and the "big lie" technique?

The Covenant at Mount Sinai and the New Covenant

Professing Christians and Teachers discusses the covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai. He writes, "The Ten Commandments form the core of the Sinaitic, or old covenant, but the covenant also included all of Exodus 20-24". Of course, this covenant was reaffirmed and expanded in the book of Deuteronomy, and included the laws concerning the Sanctuary, the Levitical priesthood, and the whole "Torah" including the five books of Moses.

Next, This world's teachers contrasts the Old Covenant, made at Sinai, with the New Covenant we have through Jesus Christ our Lord. They quote Hebrews 8:5-6. "who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
Heb 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

Paul here declares that the priests of the Levites "serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. But now hath he [Christ] obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a BETTER COVENANT, which was established upon better promises."

There is no problem here. We agree completely. But now let’s read the next few verses. Heb 8:7

"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them [that is, the PEOPLE, who continually broke the covenant!], he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my LAWS into their mind, and write them in their hearts . . ." (Heb. 8:7-10, KJV)

So far so good. Where then does this world's teachers begin to deviate from the truth? At this very point! Notice! God says in the New Covenant He will write His LAWS—that is, the LAWS and COMMANDMENTS which were in the Old Covenant, the very same laws—in the minds and hearts of His people! This would be done through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 5:32; Rom.8:1-2).

Acts 5:32 (NKJV) "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him."
Rom 8:1 (NIV) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life (the indwelling Holy Spirit.) set me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (the indwelling Holy Spirit.)

The Old Covenant could not work because the people rebelled—they were carnal minded. And, as Paul wrote, "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the LAW of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom.8:7). Therefore, in order for our minds to be made "subject" or "submissive" to the Laws of God, so we can and will obey God and keep His laws, God gives those who truly repent of their sins HIS HOLY SPIRIT—THE VERY POWER OF GOD—God has given us the Spirit of "power, and of love, and of a sound mind"

2 Tim 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
The Spirit in us enables us to obey God and keep His commandments

(Rom.8:9-14). Rom 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. The Spirit in us enables us to obey God and keep His commandments.
Rom 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors; not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
Rom 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
The Spirit in us enables us to obey God and keep His commandments

However, Christendom, twists this vital fact. The New Covenant involves "better promises," not "better laws"! The Holy Spirit is one of those "better promises" which Jesus Christ promised (John 14:16-17; John 14:16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever;
John 14:17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

John 16:7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
John 16:8 "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: " John 16:9 "of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

John 16:13 "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

It is called "the Spirit of promise" (Acts 2:33,39; Gal.3:2; Eph.1:13). The promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God, as opposed to physical and national blessings in this present age, is also one of the "better promises" (John 3:16; Titus 1:2; I Tim.6:17-19; II Tim.1:1,10).

But the Worldy teachers then begin to alter the truth—to pervert the understanding of the New Covenant. They write that the New Covenant revolves around Christ, which is certainly true. They then says, "He [Christ] is the new covenant" . This is a perversion of the truth!

The New Covenant is that God will put His Laws in our hearts and minds (Heb.8:8). Not just some "new laws" later given by Christ, but GOD’S LAWS—the very Ten Commandments, statutes, and all the moral, ethical, spiritual, and civil laws which God gave to Israel! Although the old covenant is "ready to vanish away," and will be replaced by the New Covenant, the basis of the New Covenant is the same spiritual LAWS which were the foundation of the Old Covenant! Any changes which Christ made to those laws in the old covenant are spelled out specifically in the New Testament, particularly in the sermon on the Mount (Matt.5-7).

Protestants & Catholics state that the New Covenant IS Christ. That is not true. The New Covenant is Christ-centered, yes; but it involves our receiving the Holy Spirit so God can write His LAWS within our very hearts and minds, making His LAWS become an internal, integral PART of the very core of our being! It involves the full personality and character of Christ being FORMED WITHIN us (Gal.4:19; Rom.12:1-2; ).

Gal 4:19 My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you,
20 I would like to be present with you now and to change my tone; for I have doubts about you.
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The teachers then go on to suggest that all we have to do is "believe" God’s promises, and like Abraham, our mere "belief" will be counted as righteousness. But they do not point out, as James the apostle does, that our "faith" must be the same kind as that of Abraham and be evidenced by and proven and demonstrated by OUR OBEDIENCE to God’s charge, His commandments, His statutes, and His LAWS

(Gen.26:5 ; Gen 26:5 "because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."

James 2:8-12, v8. If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;
James 2:9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
James 2:11 For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
James 2:12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

14-26).James 2:14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
James 2:15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
James 2:16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
James 2:17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe; and tremble!
James 2:20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?
James 2:22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
James 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.
James 2:24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
James 2:25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

The New Covenant is Christ-centered, yes; but it involves our receiving the Holy Spirit so God can write His LAWS within our very hearts and minds, making His LAWS become an internal, integral PART of the very core of our being!

More Later, this is progressing. See written article #1 & #2 jfw 9/2000