Hi shotgunner,
I would have to concur. It is amazing to me in these days how many people cling to the law, which we are 2000 years removed from. Regarding this, scripture says:
"For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God."
The above is pretty clear and should end the controversy, but there is one even clearer which I call "The law killer:"
The claim:
"Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” (Acts 15:5)
The Answer:
"After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Circumcision and the law of Moses would include all six hundred plus works of the law, the whole enchilada! And the answer regarding circumcision and obeying the law was NO! Yet, there are still many people who refuse to let go and trust in Christ as the One who met the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf and who paid the penalty for our sins. They will say, "Oh, I believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation" while at the same time telling you that we must keep the Sabbath on Saturday as a requirement for salvation, they claim that we are still bound by the ten commandments, must abstain from certain foods, etc., etc. They don't realize that those works as a means for salvation, cancels out grace. A person is either under the law or under grace, but not both. Anyone who puts themselves under the works of the law have been alienated from Christ. They have wandered away from grace.
Jesus gave us an example of those people who trust in their own works when said: "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Their own words give them away as to why they are not entering in by saying "did we not." Their answer demonstrates that they are counting on their own works instead of the shed blood of Christ. Jesus fulfilled the law and nailed it to the cross as completed. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
I would have to concur. It is amazing to me in these days how many people cling to the law, which we are 2000 years removed from. Regarding this, scripture says:
"For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God."
The above is pretty clear and should end the controversy, but there is one even clearer which I call "The law killer:"
The claim:
"Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” (Acts 15:5)
The Answer:
"After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Circumcision and the law of Moses would include all six hundred plus works of the law, the whole enchilada! And the answer regarding circumcision and obeying the law was NO! Yet, there are still many people who refuse to let go and trust in Christ as the One who met the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf and who paid the penalty for our sins. They will say, "Oh, I believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation" while at the same time telling you that we must keep the Sabbath on Saturday as a requirement for salvation, they claim that we are still bound by the ten commandments, must abstain from certain foods, etc., etc. They don't realize that those works as a means for salvation, cancels out grace. A person is either under the law or under grace, but not both. Anyone who puts themselves under the works of the law have been alienated from Christ. They have wandered away from grace.
Jesus gave us an example of those people who trust in their own works when said: "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Their own words give them away as to why they are not entering in by saying "did we not." Their answer demonstrates that they are counting on their own works instead of the shed blood of Christ. Jesus fulfilled the law and nailed it to the cross as completed. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.