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Grace through faith AND the law dont mix?
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How? How does faith establish the law when working at the law does not cause righteousness?
Because it is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that causes fruit to grow. And it is this fruit that establishes and fulfills the law.
Not by our work. By Gods work in us.
That is why we are given rest from our own works. That is why we aren't under the law anymore. Because it is the work of God that establishes and fulfills the law.
That is why it says in Proverbs not to lean on your own understanding. Because your own understanding will cause you to work at the law in being righteous in some way. And that's not the way its "attained". Its given as a gift.
Because it is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that causes fruit to grow. And it is this fruit that establishes and fulfills the law.
Not by our work. By Gods work in us.
That is why we are given rest from our own works. That is why we aren't under the law anymore. Because it is the work of God that establishes and fulfills the law.
That is why it says in Proverbs not to lean on your own understanding. Because your own understanding will cause you to work at the law in being righteous in some way. And that's not the way its "attained". Its given as a gift.
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In John 15, Jesus is talking to His disciples. In verse 3 He told them they were "already clean" . By this He was saying they were saved. This is very important to recognize because it shows this is not about their salvation, but discipleship. IF they "abide in Him" they will be able to bear fruit of the Spirit. He is saying that simply being saved is not enough *to bear fruit*, but they would have to continue abiding in Him.
John 15:1-8
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. [SUP]
2 [/SUP]Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
[SUP]6 [/SUP]If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
John 15:1-8
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. [SUP]
2 [/SUP]Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
[SUP]6 [/SUP]If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
True....and the scripture that comes after this shows how this is done. It's important to look at scripture in context or that "text" will "con" you all by itself.
It is always about believing. In the New Covenant it is all about what Christ has already done in His finished work. This is our work of faith.
Romans 4:1-9 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?
[SUP]2 [/SUP] For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
[SUP]3 [/SUP] For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
[SUP]4 [/SUP] Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.
[SUP]5 [/SUP] But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
[SUP]6 [/SUP] just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: [SUP]7 [/SUP] "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.
[SUP]8 [/SUP] "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT."
[SUP]9 [/SUP] Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
It is always about believing. In the New Covenant it is all about what Christ has already done in His finished work. This is our work of faith.
Romans 4:1-9 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?
[SUP]2 [/SUP] For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
[SUP]3 [/SUP] For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
[SUP]4 [/SUP] Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.
[SUP]5 [/SUP] But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
[SUP]6 [/SUP] just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: [SUP]7 [/SUP] "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.
[SUP]8 [/SUP] "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT."
[SUP]9 [/SUP] Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."
The law is what brings people to Christ.
Why would Christ abolish the very instrument designed to bring people to Him?
He would not. He does not.
But after you have come to Him you realize that it is His Work that fulfills the law. It is His Work that causes Righteousness. It is His Work that causes obedience. It is His Work that causes Salvation.
And its all a gift. A gift received by faith.
But if you go back to working at the law, trying to cause your own righteousness and your own obedience and your own salvation... you don't have faith that it is Christs work anymore... You no longer believe in His Grace, if you ever once did...
Its why humility is so important. We can't say be perfect like God and we are. All we can say is trust in Christ and you won't be disappointed. Know that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Why would Christ abolish the very instrument designed to bring people to Him?
He would not. He does not.
But after you have come to Him you realize that it is His Work that fulfills the law. It is His Work that causes Righteousness. It is His Work that causes obedience. It is His Work that causes Salvation.
And its all a gift. A gift received by faith.
But if you go back to working at the law, trying to cause your own righteousness and your own obedience and your own salvation... you don't have faith that it is Christs work anymore... You no longer believe in His Grace, if you ever once did...
Its why humility is so important. We can't say be perfect like God and we are. All we can say is trust in Christ and you won't be disappointed. Know that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Amen..I agree.
I found my abide/rest post and it was about the same thing you are taking about. I believe this in response to people saying that those that believe in the grace of Christ alone for salvation leads to not doing anything.
Jesus is the Vine - we are the branches. The branch bears fruit..it does not produce it. Without Him we can do nothing. We are to remain/abide/rest in the Lord - abide/remain/rest in the Lord and what He has done for us in His finished work. John 15
The life of the Vine supplies the "sap" needed for the bearing of fruit but it is His fruit that is produced in us.
Resting/remaining/abiding in the Lord is not a lazy passive existence. When we know that God has already provided everything we need and we access His wisdom, provision, strength by faith - we'll be governed by the Holy Spirit in a highly strategic and active life.
Resting/remaining/abiding in the Lord is not an inactive lifestyle. It's a Spirit-led lifestyle where we flow in good works ( His fruit bearing in us ) that God had planned for us all along.
Resting/remaining/abiding in the Lord is our obedience in action.
Resting/remaining/abiding in the Lord is our warfare.
Resting/remaining/abiding in the Lord is our faith in action.
Hebrews 4:10-11 (NASB)
[SUP]10 [/SUP] For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
[SUP]11 [/SUP] Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.
There is a vast difference between "us" doing things and the Lord doing things through and in us. We can do things in our own flesh like Abraham tried to fulfill the will of God by creating an Ishmael or wait for the Lord to work through us to produce the child of promise - Isaac. This speaks of the difference between the 2 covenants and doing things in the flesh or by God's life in us . Galatians 4:22-24, 30
Psalm 127:1 (NASB)
Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.
I found my abide/rest post and it was about the same thing you are taking about. I believe this in response to people saying that those that believe in the grace of Christ alone for salvation leads to not doing anything.
Jesus is the Vine - we are the branches. The branch bears fruit..it does not produce it. Without Him we can do nothing. We are to remain/abide/rest in the Lord - abide/remain/rest in the Lord and what He has done for us in His finished work. John 15
The life of the Vine supplies the "sap" needed for the bearing of fruit but it is His fruit that is produced in us.
Resting/remaining/abiding in the Lord is not a lazy passive existence. When we know that God has already provided everything we need and we access His wisdom, provision, strength by faith - we'll be governed by the Holy Spirit in a highly strategic and active life.
Resting/remaining/abiding in the Lord is not an inactive lifestyle. It's a Spirit-led lifestyle where we flow in good works ( His fruit bearing in us ) that God had planned for us all along.
Resting/remaining/abiding in the Lord is our obedience in action.
Resting/remaining/abiding in the Lord is our warfare.
Resting/remaining/abiding in the Lord is our faith in action.
Hebrews 4:10-11 (NASB)
[SUP]10 [/SUP] For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
[SUP]11 [/SUP] Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.
There is a vast difference between "us" doing things and the Lord doing things through and in us. We can do things in our own flesh like Abraham tried to fulfill the will of God by creating an Ishmael or wait for the Lord to work through us to produce the child of promise - Isaac. This speaks of the difference between the 2 covenants and doing things in the flesh or by God's life in us . Galatians 4:22-24, 30
Psalm 127:1 (NASB)
Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.
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Faith in the man alone, or in His words also? Yea, faith in His words also. 
But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
Jesus said abide in me and my words in you and speaks of being ashamed of either him or his words or rejecting either him or his words, as the word given him of the Father (that which he had spoken) is that which would judge such a one on the last day (John 12:48)
Romans 8:4
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Hebrews 10:7-10
King James Version(KJV)
7.)Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8.))Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9.)Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10.)By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
King James Version(KJV)
7.)Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8.))Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9.)Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10.)By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.