Some look at It this way:The same GOD that spoke In the Old covenant Is the same GOD that spoke In the New covenant and since GOD does not change then we should try to keep the law and receive grace also.
But then If you think about It,why would JESUS come to earth If we could keep the law?
That’s why I came to the conclusion that legalistics minds think that as long as they TRY to keep the law that GOD will have more respect for them than those who did not work because at least they tried.
Sigh...
It is sad, though prophesied, that you have been deceived into believing a falsehood regarding God's Law and His Gospel. All that I ask is that you read and consider my reply, not just blow it off as others do.
Matt. 24:
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them,
Take heed that no man deceive you.5
For
many shall come in
my name, saying, I am Christ;
and shall deceive many.
Jesus could have warned about anyone, but He chose to warn about "Christians". I hope you respect Him enough to at least consider that He might have a point.
The foundation of the deceit is the purposeful omission of the Levitical Priesthood "Works of the Law" for remission of sins instated by God through Moses "Till the Seed should come". There was only one way to be made righteous according to this temporary law and that was if we sinned, we had to find a Levite, give him an offering for our sin, and he would perform Levitical Priesthood ceremonial, sacrificial "Works" to cleanse our sins. These were to be symbolic of Christ's Sacrifice. "Many" forget this.
This is true even though most Christians refuse to acknowledge it.
The Mainstream Preachers of Christ's time had corrupted God's Laws by rejecting many of them and creating their own doctrines and traditions. This was prophesied through out the Law and Prophets.
Matt. 15:
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
7 Ye hypocrites,
well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,
and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Paul said because they treated God with such disrespect by doing this that their "foolish hearts were darkened".
Rom. 1:
21 Because that, when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom. 1:
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Since they didn't respect God, they created their own version of God, so they didn't know Him when He became a man. So they rejected Him as their Messiah. As a result, they continued in the Levitical Priesthood ceremonial, sacrificial "Works of the Law" for remission of sins they called "The Law of Moses".
Hebrews 7 speaks to this temporary law.
Heb. 7:
11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need
was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
Jesus is our High Priest now, but the Levitical Priesthood was to be performed by Levites. Jesus was not a Levite, He came from the family of Judah so there was a "Change in the Law" to accommodate this, as prophesied.
The Mainstream Preachers of that time continued to push their version of God's Law, including the sacrificial "Works of the Law" for remission and justification of sins. They plagued Jesus, and the Apostles, and the Gentiles through out the Bible.
Because Paul taught that it was the Blood of Christ in the first place that cleansed our sin, and now that His blood has been shed, we no longer perform the "Levitical Priesthood "Works of the Law" for justification, he was accused of teaching lies about God.
Acts 13:
37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men
and brethren,
that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things,
from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
As you can see, Paul is explaining that sin's are forgiven by Jesus, not by the laws of justification contained in the Law of Moses.
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy,
and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
The Mainstream preachers of his time hated him as they hated Jesus for preaching the true Old Testament, not the doctrines and traditions of men they preached..
This continued for some time.
Acts 21:
21 And they are informed of thee,
that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise
their children, neither to walk after the customs.
But this is not true. The Jews had corrupted God's Laws and had created their own doctrines and traditions. "Their foolish hearts were darkened", they created their own version of God in the likeness of man, as it is written. Paul was teaching against
their traditions and doctrines, not the Law and the Prophets.
Paul defends himself from these accusations.
Acts 24:
13 Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.
14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers,
believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
And again:
Acts 26:
20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus,
and at Jerusalem, and
throughout all the coasts of Judaea,
and then to the Gentiles, that they (ALL) should repent and turn to God,
and do works meet for repentance.
21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill
me.
22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day,
witnessing both to small and great,
saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23 That Christ should suffer,
and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light
unto the people,
and to the Gentiles.
But the Mainstream Preachers didn't stop there, they continued to try and convert the Apostles, and their flock, to their tradition soaked doctrines of man they called "The Law of Moses".
They "bewitched" the Galatians.
Gal. 3:
1 O foolish Galatians,
who hath bewitched you,
that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by
the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Here it is again. What were the "Works of the law" for justification of sins? It was the Levitical Priesthood ceremonies. Paul goes on to explain as he did in Rom. 3.
Gal. 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you,
doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
How many times did Jesus use the blood of goats or the Levitical Priesthood law to forgive sins during His life as a man? He never did, not once.
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith,
the same are the children of Abraham.
Why was Abraham so special? What does God's Word say about Abraham?
Gen. 26:
4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
But Levi wasn't even born yet, so did Abraham also have the Levitical Priesthood? No!!! Abraham was justified "Without the works of the Law"
The "works of the Law" for justification of sins didn't come until 430 years later.
Gal. 3:
17 And this I say,
that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance
be of the law, it is no more of promise:
but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Abraham was justified by believing in God enough to follow His instructions. The Bible calls this FAITH. He wasn't cleansed by the "works" of a Levite Priest according to the law "ADDED" 430 years later. He was cleansed by the Grace of God BECAUSE Abraham believed in Him enough to follow His instructions.
19 Wherefore then serveth the law?
What Law are we talking about in this whole chapter? Not the universal Laws of God like Sabbaths and don't kill, and love your neighbor created from the foundation of the planet. This is speaking to the Levitical Priesthood that was "ADDED" because of transgressions of God's universal Laws.
It was added because of transgressions,
till the seed should come to whom the promise was made;
and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
You have been deceived into believing there is no difference between "Thou shall love the Lord thy God" and the "ADDED" Levitical Priesthood "works of the Law" for remission of sins.
Why is this?
Well from someone who isn't influenced by Mainstream preaching (as much as is possible in this country) It is plain as can be.
Pail explains in your own Book.
Rom. 1:21 Because that, when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations,
and their foolish heart was darkened.
I hear all the time how Jesus, the God of the Old Testament, is mean and unjust. How He created laws no one can obey then kills those who don't obey them. They reject His Holy Days and create their own High Days and "Feasts unto the Lord".
They create their own laws and Sabbaths and live in rejection to God's.
They aren't satisfied with God's Instruction, so like the Pharisees they create their own in direct rebellion to God.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
They create images of some handsome long haired men's hair shampoo model, with perfect profile and manicured hands, to represent their version of God. They strip it naked and plaster this image of a naked tortured man all over the world and call it Jesus.
If I were beaten and stripped naked and left to die, and people who claimed to be my friends took a picture of me in my most humiliating, hurt and moment of anguish, and plastered it on the internet, I wouldn't like it and neither would any of you. Yet this is what the "Friends" of Jesus do thousands of times every day.
As Paul tells us, Rom. 10:
3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness,
and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Abraham didn't do any of these things, he submitted himself to God's Righteousness. Neither did Peter or Paul or any other example of a true believer in the Bible.
And as you clearly exhibit, anyone who would "have the Faith of Abraham" is called a legalist, or a Judaizer by Mainstream Christians of today.
So according to you Abraham was a legalist, as was Jesus. And we are told to "Walk even as Jesus walked". Peter was a legalist.
Acts 5:
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and
so is also the Holy Ghost,
whom God hath given to them that obey him.
So we have those who believe in God's Instruction enough to follow them that you call legalists. Zacharias was a legalists and God gave him the Holy Spirit as Peter said. We have all the examples of Faith in Hebrews 11, and the one thing they all have in common is they were "legalists" like Abraham and Jesus.
But what of the Mainstream preachers of Christ's time? Did the Pharisees strive to walk in God's Commandments? EG, GP, many others preach that they do. But Paul and Jesus clearly taught that they did not honor God with obedience, they created their own doctrines and traditions. See scriptures above.
So the Pharisees were not legalists. They rejected God's Commandments and instruction and created their own as it is written.
So what about the Mainstream Christian preachers of today? Do they strive to walk in God's Commandments?
No, as you yourself openly admit,
"That’s why I came to the conclusion that legalistics minds think that as long as they TRY to keep the law that GOD will have more respect for them than those who did not work because at least they tried."
What a fascinating statement. So if I try to follow God's instruction I will be considered the same as those who reject God's instruction.
So by your definition of "legalists" Abraham, Caleb, Moses, Jesus, Stephen, Paul, Zacharias, and me and Hiz and Beta, and LGF, LM1, and others I'm sure, are legalists and pretty much rejected by Mainstream Christianity.
But you and the Pharisees are not "legalists". You and the Pharisees created an image of God after the likeness of man. You and the Pharisees created your own Sabbaths and High Days. You and the Pharisees refused to submit yourself unto the Righteousness of God, rather, created your own righteousness.
I know you mean well and don't see this as true. That is because your foolish mind has been darkened. But you could accept these truths and let God's Laws be the mirror it was designed to be. You could accept the warning of Jesus and humble yourself to His Word, and not the Pope or Jimmy Swaggart, or Benny Hinn or whoever you listen to now, they are all the same.
Your first reaction is going to be anger which you have already felt by now. Then you will want to lash out.
Acts 5:
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with
their teeth.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice,
and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord.
It was the same for me 20 years ago. But I implore you to rule over your fleshy desire to defend Mainstream teaching and take a good long study into what I am saying before you respond.
I'm not looking to offend or fight or cause trouble, only to help my brethren who have been tricked by the perfect deceiver.
My earnest desire is that He will allow you to see the truth in this post.