The understanding in regards to the difference between Mosaic law and Christian Grace being of the utmost importance, the devil has ensured that subject has been thoroughly confusing and darkened behind a mist of religiosity. The bible teaches clearly that Christ has fulfilled the law. But through the backdoor it's been introduced again. Others, on the other hand, abuse grace as a pretense for their particular aims.
Scripture itself states: "You're saved by grace through faith and that not out of you; it's the gift of God." Luther discovered that clearly. We cannot save ourselves through our good works. One sin is sufficient to precipitate you into hell, for God is completely holy and cannot have anything regarding sin. So it will be generally not very a question of the nice outweighing the bad. We are sinners to the bone and need the grace of Christ. We could only be saved by virtue of His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.
Abraham was not beneath the law of Sinai. He was under God's mercy, a grace within view of Grace following the Cross. David understood that there surely is an increased law, the main one of grace, when he pronounced that "blessed is anyone whose sins have already been forgiven, whose transgressions have already been atoned for." He was twice guilty of death under Mosaic law, nevertheless the Spirit of God gave him a vision of God's Love.
Israel was beneath the law by their particular choice. "All that God demands, we shall do." Mosaic law was never imposed upon the heathen. Personal injury If your gentile wanted to approach God, he'd to become Jewish. The temple was meant to be always a light for the nations, nevertheless the Jews--certainly in enough time of Jesus--wanted to keep it for themselves.
The negative side of what the law states was so it only exposed sin such as for instance a light uncovers vermin. Mosaic law doesn't save. All the sacrifices introduced ancient times were but pictures of Christ's sacrifice. "The blood of goats and rams doesn't atone." The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, calls the things of what the law states simply "the principles of the world" ;.All philosophies and man-made theologies are kinds of law. And the proponents themselves could not keep them in a consequent fashion.
The positive side of Mosaic law was so it gave one wisdom, knowledge and insight and up till today, somewhat, the moral laws of for example Leviticus 18 remain binding; without the punishment of death needless to say on adultery, homosexual practices and other sins.
The apostle Paul writes in chapter 8 of the epistle to the Romans: "What the law states of the spirit of living in Christ Jesus has saved me from what the law states of sin and death." Grace, then, is a unique law, what the law states of Christ. For "What the law states came through Moses, but grace and truth through Jesus Christ" ;.What the law states of Moses could be the harbinger of sin and death. It provokes to sin and its judgment is death. It proclaims: "Cursed is he that will not stay in all that's written in the law." Certainly, so far as Mosaic law is worried, we are all accursed and doomed for eternity. Alone already due to the tenth commandment. The entire world thinks: "It's OK to consider the menu, provided that you eat at home." But if you are angry together with your fellow man, you then have already murdered him in your heart, as Jesus explains in the Sermon on the Mount.
As far as the concept is worried that one must first become known to oneself through what the law states of Moses and then, hopefully, find grace; that goes too far. The murderer on the cross got converted simply by witnessing Christ Himself. One must go straight to Christ as soon as possible, not via a (long) way of gloom and doom. That is obviously the message to the Galatians. Actually, Paul states, if you want to keep what the law states (also as well as grace) you then preach another gospel and you bring yourself not merely beneath the curse of what the law states, but in addition beneath the curse of Christ. (That does however not mean that everybody that believes this, is lost. But most certainly are, because their theology prevents them from true conversion ((which in a way they confirm themselves))... )
Christ is the exact same Person, both in the O.T. as in the N.T. So He was for Abraham and Enoch before that. Abraham, Jesus said, looked for His glorious Day and for the City built without hands and he found it. Nevertheless the Israelites, in their pride and false self-assurance, boldly proclaimed that they would fulfill God's holy demands. They fell from grace, because it were. Paul warns and convicts the Galatians of the same thing. He points them the best way to the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, forbearing with emotions, usefulness, goodness, faith, humbleness, temperance. Against such things there is no law, but those of Christ have crucified the flesh (that could be the 'old man, the original Adam') with the passions and (wrong) desires." Elsewhere he states: "Love could be the bond of laws" ;.Combined this holds out for us that whenever we've the love of Christ within our hearts we fulfill all laws and nothing could be held against us. Needless to say this is primarily true of Jesus Himself, but we can study from Him.
