Hi guys - just peeking at a few posts today. A quick note: I haven't been around much, as one of our children (age 11) was diagnosed with brain and spine cancer in August. It was quite a miracle that they caught it - he had injured his wrist in a fall and was at our local children's hospital for an X-ray. He had also bumped his head and the ER doctor did a CT scan to be on the safe side. They saw something and did an MRI to follow up - revealing fairly advanced disease. It came as quite a shock, as he had not demonstrated any overt symptoms. Doctors were (and are still) amazed that he passes all his neuro tests with flying colors. Still, his situation is very serious and life-threatening. Our time has been consumed with diagnostics, two brain surgeries for him, and now traveling back and forth to St. Jude Children's Hospital for his treatment. For this phase of his treatment, we are able to come home on weekends and will have 4-6 weeks off after radiation treatments are done, and then 7 months of chemotherapy will commence. All of your prayers for his healing and on our family's behalf are appreciated!
Seeing the above thread, "The Law Debacle Resolved", I had to respond. Apologies for not taking the time to read through the 1040+ posts on that thread.
Knowing that my response would be buried, and being passionate about the Gospel, I opted to start an alternate thread.
The choice isn't really Law or Grace;
I did have a little time to read a bit of the thread, and early on, this was one of the best responses to the Op:
Kefa made an excellent point: If we could do what Jesus taught, then we'd have no need for Jesus! Jesus magnified the Law - preached it full-preach - to show us how we could NEVER keep it - and our total need for Christ IN us. And it's Christ's Spirit in us that produces the Fruit of the Spirit, not works of Law:
If we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the Law. (from Gal. 5)
I posted this on the JGIG Facebook page just before Good Friday this year:
Folks who preach Law tell us that we must 'walk as Yeshua walked', and tell us that means walking in Torah observance.
Sounds plausible, until you consider that Yeshua walked in Torah observance before the Work of the Cross, the Resurrection, and His Perfect, Permanent High Priesthood, which rendered the Old Covenant Torah Law obsolete.
When you hear these things, consider fully what the Work of Christ accomplished. The current and permanent High Priesthood in Christ is not of the tribe of Levi, which interceded for the people in the Old Covenant, but Christ is of the tribe of Judah, and His Priesthood - established by God's oath on Himself - mediates the New Covenant, entered into by faith by all tribes and nations (see Ephesians 3:6-12).
So what place has the Old Covenant (the Law) in the era of the New Covenant?
Romans 7:4-6 says
And Galatians 2:19-21 says
And when someone tells you that we are to walk as Jesus walked, refer them to this passage:
This weekend, as the world recognizes the Crucifixion, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ Jesus, seriously consider what those events actually accomplished for you who are in Christ, and pray for open doors to share the Life that Christ purchased for us with the Lost folks you know.
An excellent teaching on Romans 7 and the reality of those in Christ being dead to Law in order to be joined to Christ so that we may bear fruit unto God can be found here:03-24-2013 Romans - The Gift Of Righteousness (Part 8), Recorded on 3/24/13 DrAndrewFarley on USTREAM. Church
The entire series Romans can be found here:
andrew farley :: media player
Highly Recommended!
Grace and peace to you all as you ponder tomorrow the significance of the Death of Christ on the Cross.
Guys, we aren't imitating a moral teacher - anyone can do that - we are joined to the Living God in Christ - the Risen Lord!
It all boils down to Christ living in us and drawing on HIM - His Life IN us - bearing the Fruit that He produces - NOT in keeping a covenant (which arouses sin - see Romans 7, Gal. 2) rendered obsolete in Christ.
The choice isn't really Law or Grace;
Law arouses sin;
Grace and peace to you all,
-JGIG
Seeing the above thread, "The Law Debacle Resolved", I had to respond. Apologies for not taking the time to read through the 1040+ posts on that thread.
Knowing that my response would be buried, and being passionate about the Gospel, I opted to start an alternate thread.
The choice isn't really Law or Grace;
the choice is really Law or LIFE.
A Response to "The Law Debacle Resolved" Thread
I did have a little time to read a bit of the thread, and early on, this was one of the best responses to the Op:
Kefa made an excellent point: If we could do what Jesus taught, then we'd have no need for Jesus! Jesus magnified the Law - preached it full-preach - to show us how we could NEVER keep it - and our total need for Christ IN us. And it's Christ's Spirit in us that produces the Fruit of the Spirit, not works of Law:
If we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the Law. (from Gal. 5)
I posted this on the JGIG Facebook page just before Good Friday this year:
_______ Mere Imitators? Or "As He is in This World" . . . _______
Folks who preach Law tell us that we must 'walk as Yeshua walked', and tell us that means walking in Torah observance.
Sounds plausible, until you consider that Yeshua walked in Torah observance before the Work of the Cross, the Resurrection, and His Perfect, Permanent High Priesthood, which rendered the Old Covenant Torah Law obsolete.
When you hear these things, consider fully what the Work of Christ accomplished. The current and permanent High Priesthood in Christ is not of the tribe of Levi, which interceded for the people in the Old Covenant, but Christ is of the tribe of Judah, and His Priesthood - established by God's oath on Himself - mediates the New Covenant, entered into by faith by all tribes and nations (see Ephesians 3:6-12).
So what place has the Old Covenant (the Law) in the era of the New Covenant?
Romans 7:4-6 says
4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.
5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
And Galatians 2:19-21 says
19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
And when someone tells you that we are to walk as Jesus walked, refer them to this passage:
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:
>>> because as he is, so are we in this world. <<<
(from 1 Jn. 4)
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:
>>> because as he is, so are we in this world. <<<
(from 1 Jn. 4)
This weekend, as the world recognizes the Crucifixion, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ Jesus, seriously consider what those events actually accomplished for you who are in Christ, and pray for open doors to share the Life that Christ purchased for us with the Lost folks you know.
An excellent teaching on Romans 7 and the reality of those in Christ being dead to Law in order to be joined to Christ so that we may bear fruit unto God can be found here:03-24-2013 Romans - The Gift Of Righteousness (Part 8), Recorded on 3/24/13 DrAndrewFarley on USTREAM. Church
The entire series Romans can be found here:
andrew farley :: media player
Highly Recommended!
Grace and peace to you all as you ponder tomorrow the significance of the Death of Christ on the Cross.
Guys, we aren't imitating a moral teacher - anyone can do that - we are joined to the Living God in Christ - the Risen Lord!
It all boils down to Christ living in us and drawing on HIM - His Life IN us - bearing the Fruit that He produces - NOT in keeping a covenant (which arouses sin - see Romans 7, Gal. 2) rendered obsolete in Christ.
The choice isn't really Law or Grace;
the choice is really Law or LIFE \o/!
Grace brings us to Life;
Grace enables us to walk in Life;
Walking in the Life of Christ produces His Fruit, which we bear.
(See Rom. 7, Gal. 2 and 5, Tit.2)
Law arouses sin;
Law accuses and brings death;
Walking in Law produces fruits of the flesh.
(See Rom. 7, Gal. 2 and 5, Tit.2)
Grace and peace to you all,
-JGIG
