Blameless in the Law

[Soyeong]

I didn't say otherwise.

Yes, but that wasn't my point.
David said that he loved God's law: God's law was from God and was all David had of God's word.
We know the Word who was made flesh; the only Way to God and the One who sent his Spirit to live IN us. We are not commanded to live under the OT law. They were; it was the Covenant.


Jesus - the author of the NEW Covenant - did not command Gentile believers to keep OT law.

In Jeremiah 31:33, the New Covenant still involves following the Torah, and in Ezekiel 36:26-27, the Spirit as the role of leading us to obey it under the New Covenant.

 

[Strong in Him]

In Jeremiah 31:33, the New Covenant still involves following the Torah, and in Ezekiel 36:26-27, the Spirit as the role of leading us to obey it under the New Covenant.

Well if that's what you believe - that you have to follow all the commands written in Leviticus and the rest of the Torah; you must do it.

I believe Jesus fulfilled the law, as he said.
The law commanded that people offer animal sacrifices for their sin. I'm guessing that you and your fellow church members do not drag sheep to church each week to be slaughtered by the Minister/vicar. Why not? Because Jesus, the Lamb of God, John 1:21, died for us, Matthew 26:28, Romans 5:8 - offered his life as a ransom for many, Mark 10:45. Therefore, Jesus has fulfilled the law with regard to sacrifices.
Jews were commanded to keep the feast of unleavened bread: Jesus is the bread of life and he did not sin - sin is often represented in the Bible as yeast. Therefore, Jesus fulfilled the feast of unleavened bread. He is also our Passover Lamb. At the feast of Tabernacles Jesus, who was tabernacled among us, stood up and said "whoever is thirsty, let him come to me and drink", John 7:37-38. He had already told the Samaritan woman that he could give living water, and Isaiah also declared that the Lord would give water to the thirsty. So Jesus fulfilled the feast of Tabernacles.

The law says that people should go to the temple to offer sacrifices and keep the feasts. Even the Jews don't do that - they have no temple. But we are God's temple - our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

 

[bbbbbbb]

That's missing the point, it is not about having a good enough level of obedience, but about what our obedience signifies. Someone's obedience to God can signify any number of things, such as they love God, they have faith in God, they know God, they are testifying about God, they bringing about the restoration of the world, they are trying to earn a wage, they are trying to look pious to their neighbor, they want something to boast in themselves about, and so forth, and the Bible supports some of those motivations while speaking against others. Even if someone managed to have perfect obedience to God's law, then there wouldn't be anything they they earned as a wage (Romans 4:1-5), so that has alway been a fundamental misunderstanding of the goal of the law, which is why there are many verses that speak against that. However, Paul also said in Romans 2:13 that only doers of the law will be justified, so there is a link between being justified and being a doer of the law and there must be a reason why our justification requires us to choose to be doers of the law other than in order to earn it as a wage, such as faith insofar as the faith by which we are justified does not abolish our need to obey God's law, but rather our faith upholds it (Romans 3:28-31). So Paul linked someone who has faith, someone who is justified, and someone who is a doer of the law such that we become all three at the same time, anyone who has become one has also become the others, and anyone who is missing one is also missing the others.

I apologize but your response is really quite fuzzy to me. I will try to make myself clearer. For example, in order to keep God's law does one need to obey all of the commandments that God has pronounced, or only some of them? If only some and not all, which ones are they and why them and not the others?

 

[ladodgers6]

My position is that the same faith by which we are justified is also expressed as good works, but that we do not earn our justification by are works, so I am in agreement with Romans 4. So when someone does good works like helping the poor, the connection to being justified is not that is helping to earn their justification, but that it is expressing their faith.

Well Soyeong, before we talk about the good works of believers. Let address first how a sinner is justified apart form works. Can you define this for me? Because even as a believer like Abraham he could not boast about his works before God, right?

 

[Soyeong]

Well Soyeong, before we talk about the good works of believers. Let address first how a sinner is justified apart form works. Can you define this for me? Because even as a believer like Abraham he could not boast about his works before God, right?

There is a way to become righteous and there is the way to practice righteousness and for someone to become righteous means that they are becoming someone who practices righteousness. God's law is His instructions for how to practice righteousness, not for how to become righteous. The one and only way that there has ever been to become righteous that is testified about in the Law and the Prophets is through faith in Christ (Romans 3:21-22) and this is apart from having done works to earn our righteousness as a wage, however, the faith by which we are justified doe not abolish our need to practice righteousness in obedience to God's laws, but rather our faith upholds it (Romans 3:28-31).

While Abraham believed God, so he was declared righteous (Genesis 15:6), he also believed God, so he obeyed God's command to offer Isaac (Hebrews 11:17), so the same faith by which he was justified was also expressed as obedience to God, but he did not earn his righteousness as a wage as the result of his obedience to God (Romans 4:1-5). Abraham was justified by his works when he offered Isaac insofar as they were an expression of his faith (James 2:21-24), so he did not have room to boast about his works before God. We can't boast in ourselves by relying on what someone else has instructed.

 

[Soyeong]

I apologize but your response is really quite fuzzy to me. I will try to make myself clearer. For example, in order to keep God's law does one need to obey all of the commandments that God has pronounced, or only some of them? If only some and not all, which ones are they and why them and not the others?

Why do you think that it was fuzzy?

In order to obey God's law, we simply need to do what it instructs. God's law was given to a nations and is kept by a nation. Even when the law was first given, there wasn't a single person who was required to obey all of the commandments that God has pronounced, and not even Jesus obeyed the commandments in regard to giving birth or to have a period. Some of the laws were only given to the Kings, the High priest, priests, judges, men, women, children, those who are married, those who are widows, those who have servants, those who have animals, those who have crops, those who are living in the land, and those who are strangers living among them, while others were given to everyone. Furthermore, some laws have conditions, such as the Sabbath, which should only be kept when it is the 7th day. Likewise, the Israelites were given a number of laws while they were in the wilderness for 40 years that had the condition when you enter the land..." that should only be obeyed upon entering the land, so there is nothing wrong with not following a law that can't currently be followed. So while there can be illegitimate reasons for not following certain laws, there can be legitimate reasons for not following them.

 

[Soyeong]

Well if that's what you believe - that you have to follow all the commands written in Leviticus and the rest of the Torah; you must do it.

How else do you think that Jeremiah 31:33 should be interpreted? In 1 Peter 1:16, we are told to be holy for God is holy, which is a quote from Leviticus where God was giving instructions for how to do that.

I believe Jesus fulfilled the law, as he said.

I agree that Jesus fulfilled the law.

NAS Greek Lexicon: pleroo
"to fulfil, i.e. to cause God's will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God's promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment"

After Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law, he then proceeded to fulfill it six times throughout the rest of Matthew 5 by teaching how to correctly obey it as it should be.

The law commanded that people offer animal sacrifices for their sin. I'm guessing that you and your fellow church members do not drag sheep to church each week to be slaughtered by the Minister/vicar. Why not? Because Jesus, the Lamb of God, John 1:21, died for us, Matthew 26:28, Romans 5:8 - offered his life as a ransom for many, Mark 10:45. Therefore, Jesus has fulfilled the law with regard to sacrifices.

You are making up your own definition of fulfilling the law. Rather, Jesus fulfilled the laws in regard to sacrifices by teaching how to correctly obey them as they should be.

Jews were commanded to keep the feast of unleavened bread: Jesus is the bread of life and he did not sin - sin is often represented in the Bible as yeast. Therefore, Jesus fulfilled the feast of unleavened bread. He is also our Passover Lamb. At the feast of Tabernacles Jesus, who was tabernacled among us, stood up and said "whoever is thirsty, let him come to me and drink", John 7:37-38. He had already told the Samaritan woman that he could give living water, and Isaiah also declared that the Lord would give water to the thirsty. So Jesus fulfilled the feast of Tabernacles.

In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, Paul drew a connection between Jesus being our Passover Lamb and then concluded that we should therefore continue to observe Passover.

The law says that people should go to the temple to offer sacrifices and keep the feasts. Even the Jews don't do that - they have no temple. But we are God's temple - our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The Israelites were given a number of laws that had the condition "when you enter the land..." while they were still wandering the wilderness for 40 years, so there is nothing wrong with not following laws that can't currently be followed. There were laws in regard to temple practice that weren't followed until the construction of the 1st temple weren't followed after its destruction that were once again followed after the construction of the 2nd temple until its destruction, so there is nothing about the destruction of the 2nd temple that means that those eternal laws won't be followed once again after the construction of the third temple (Ezekiel 40-46).

 

[ladodgers6]

There is a way to become righteous and there is the way to practice righteousness and for someone to become righteous means that they are becoming someone who practices righteousness.

This is why I keep saying you have contradictions. The only righteousness that God will accept is perfection, outside of that, it falls short. Because as believers our good works are tainted with sin. The reason they are accept by God is because of Christ Alone!

Paul says in Romans that Abraham was not justified by works before God. And that the ungodly are counted as righteous through Faith Alone in Christ Alone!

Only when a sinner is justified in Christ, can they walk in holiness, because in Christ the curse of the Law is no more. For Christ is the end of the Law! Being justified in Christ through Faith Alone precedes Christian living.

You are putting the believer back under the Law, which is not the Gospel promise that is free; a gift; not earned by works of any kind!​

 

[bbbbbbb]

Why do you think that it was fuzzy?

In order to obey God's law, we simply need to do what it instructs. God's law was given to a nations and is kept by a nation. Even when the law was first given, there wasn't a single person who was required to obey all of the commandments that God has pronounced, and not even Jesus obeyed the commandments in regard to giving birth or to have a period. Some of the laws were only given to the Kings, the High priest, priests, judges, men, women, children, those who are married, those who are widows, those who have servants, those who have animals, those who have crops, those who are living in the land, and those who are strangers living among them, while others were given to everyone. Furthermore, some laws have conditions, such as the Sabbath, which should only be kept when it is the 7th day. Likewise, the Israelites were given a number of laws while they were in the wilderness for 40 years that had the condition when you enter the land..." that should only be obeyed upon entering the land, so there is nothing wrong with not following a law that can't currently be followed. So while there can be illegitimate reasons for not following certain laws, there can be legitimate reasons for not following them.

Quite correct. God gave His Law to a nation, Israel, and to no other nation. The Gentiles were never required to obey any of the commandments of the Law by God. I am a Gentile. Therefore, I have no compelling reason to obey the laws of another country. As an American citizen I obey the laws of my country and no other, including those of Israel.

Thank you for your clarification.

 

[ladodgers6]

Quite correct. God gave His Law to a nation, Israel, and to no other nation. The Gentiles were never required to obey any of the commandments of the Law by God. I am a Gentile. Therefore, I have no compelling reason to obey the laws of another country. As an American citizen I obey the laws of my country and no other, including those of Israel.

Thank you for your clarification.

Not so fast, Paul says in Romans 2, that the Gentiles are without excuse just because they don't have the written Law. Paul says they are a law onto themselves, because God's law is written on hearts while their consciences accuse them of it.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Not so fast, Paul says in Romans 2, that the Gentiles are without excuse just because they don't have the written Law. Paul says they are a law onto themselves, because God's law is written on hearts while their consciences accuse them of it.

Oh, we don't even have to read as far as that. Paul establishes in chapter 1 that God has righteously condemned all of humanity. Chapter three is quite explicit, would you not agree?

However, the point was made that God gave his Law to a nation (not nations, Goyim, or humanity in general). That nation is obligated to obey God's law, would you not agree?

 

[Strong in Him]

How else do you think that Jeremiah 31:33 should be interpreted? In 1 Peter 1:16, we are told to be holy for God is holy, which is a quote from Leviticus where God was giving instructions for how to do that.

So because Peter quoted from the OT - which was the only Scripture that he had - about holiness, you have concluded that we have to obey all the OT law in order to practice that holiness.

I agree that Jesus fulfilled the law.

Well then, I, for one, live IN the One who perfectly fulfilled the law.
I am not required to keep that law myself; he has done that for me. I am to keep his words and teachings and follow his commands - and Jesus did not command Gentiles to live by the OT law and old Covenant.

You are making up your own definition of fulfilling the law. Rather, Jesus fulfilled the laws in regard to sacrifices by teaching how to correctly obey them as they should be.

So you offer animal sacrifices today?
Your church services consist of the Minister slaughtering hundreds of animals on the altar, so that people can find forgiveness? Even the Jews don't offer animal sacrifices now - and they certainly don't have a temple to offer them in.

In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, Paul drew a connection between Jesus being our Passover Lamb and then concluded that we should therefore continue to observe Passover.

So do you?
Do you buy a pet lamb each year, care for it for 14 days, kill it, daub its blood on your doorpost and then eat the meat, with your cloak tucked into your belt and your staff in your hand, Exodus 12:1-11? Or do you go to the Jewish temple to celebrate the Passover? Do you have a Passover meal each year - with herbs to represent the bricks that the Hebrew slaves made in Egypt - not forgetting to keep a chair free in case Elijah should come back to join you?
Jesus celebrated a final Passover with his friends, took bread and wine and said "do this in memory of me".
I celebrate Communion to remember Jesus, not the Passover to remember Moses.

The Israelites were given a number of laws that had the condition "when you enter the land..." while they were still wandering the wilderness for 40 years,

Yes, the Israelites were given those laws - not Gentiles.

so there is nothing wrong with not following laws that can't currently be followed.

So you don't keep God's law as given to the Hebrew slaves?
Or rather, you keep certain parts of that law, while maintaining that we should all keep it.

There were laws in regard to temple practice that weren't followed until the construction of the 1st temple weren't followed after its destruction that were once again followed after the construction of the 2nd temple until its destruction, so there is nothing about the destruction of the 2nd temple that means that those eternal laws won't be followed once again after the construction of the third temple (Ezekiel 40-46).

So you'll keep them one day - maybe - if a third temple is constructed?

God doesn't live in a temple which doesn't exist. He can live IN each one of us.

 

[ladodgers6]

Oh, we don't even have to read as far as that. Paul establishes in chapter 1 that God has righteously condemned all of humanity. Chapter three is quite explicit, would you not agree?

However, the point was made that God gave his Law to a nation (not nations, Goyim, or humanity in general). That nation is obligated to obey God's law, would you not agree?

Yup, God chosen or elected a nation out of the world to be his people. And made a Covenant with them. The Mosaic Covenant.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Yup, God chosen or elected a nation out of the world to be his people. And made a Covenant with them. The Mosaic Covenant.

Thank you.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

We are saved by God's grace alone apart from works. But we need to do good works in order to live a life glorifying Christ. He knows as well as we do that it is impossible for us to be perfect according to God's moral law. If we could be perfect, then God would have found another way for Jesus other than to have to suffer on the Cross for us. It would have been a waste of time for Jesus to die and suffer God's eternal wrath for sin if it were possible for us to be totally righteous according to the law (God's moral law, not the redundant Mosaic ceremonial law). We do follow the law. The penalty for murder, theft, and adultery has never been repealed. It is still there, and unbelievers will be judged according to their works in light of the law. But we do what we can to follow the law out of love for God and Christ. We know that we are going to fall short of perfection, and that is why we have the righteousness of Christ bestowed on us, and we have 1 John 1:9 in order to keep short accounts with God.

What this means is that although we are saved by God's grace through faith in Christ, we are not lawless in the way we live our lives. We will not be judged according to our works, in fact, we will not be judged at all. When we appear before Christ it will to be rewarded for our service for Him. Why are we not judged? It is because, according to the Scripture that if we judge ourselves, we will not be judged. Therefore, when I turned to Christ as Saviour, I judged myself to be a helpless sinner deserving of hell, so I came boldly to God's throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in my time of need. When I came to Him, He did not cast me out, but upon reasoning with Him, my sins, although scarlet, became as white as snow.

He who has been forgiven much, loveth much. Therefore, because I love Him, because He loved me even though I was still a sinner, I want to voluntarily follow the Commandments of Christ, which is to love God with all my heart and strength, and to love my brothers and sisters as I love myself. This means that I am going to resist sin, and if I fail, I'm going to confess my sin and depend on His faithfulness and justice to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

 

[ladodgers6]

We are saved by God's grace alone apart from works. But we need to do good works in order to live a life glorifying Christ.

As long as these good works are not the cause but the result of our salvation in Christ Alone! Because not only is Christ's righteousness imputed, given, credited to those who believe in him who justifies the ungodly. But we also receive Christ's sanctification as a free gift as well.

1 Cor. 1:30 And because of hime you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
​

Being justified in Christ through Faith apart from works flows our sanctification; our good deeds; our transformation, that is a life long process. Whereas Justification is a one-time instantaneous eschatological event in the present time, right in the moment they believe.

He knows as well as we do that it is impossible for us to be perfect according to God's moral law. If we could be perfect, then God would have found another way for Jesus other than to have to suffer on the Cross for us. It would have been a waste of time for Jesus to die and suffer God's eternal wrath for sin if it were possible for us to be totally righteous according to the law (God's moral law, not the redundant Mosaic ceremonial law). We do follow the law. The penalty for murder, theft, and adultery has never been repealed. It is still there, and unbelievers will be judged according to their works in light of the law. But we do what we can to follow the law out of love for God and Christ. We know that we are going to fall short of perfection, and that is why we have the righteousness of Christ bestowed on us, and we have 1 John 1:9 in order to keep short accounts with God.

Amen! Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. He is our righteousness by Grace Alone through Faith Alone apart from works of the Law.

The Freer the Gospel is, the better it is.

What this means is that although we are saved by God's grace through faith in Christ, we are not lawless in the way we live our lives. We will not be judged according to our works, in fact, we will not be judged at all. When we appear before Christ it will to be rewarded for our service for Him. Why are we not judged? It is because, according to the Scripture that if we judge ourselves, we will not be judged. Therefore, when I turned to Christ as Saviour, I judged myself to be a helpless sinner deserving of hell, so I came boldly to God's throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in my time of need. When I came to Him, He did not cast me out, but upon reasoning with Him, my sins, although scarlet, became as white as snow.


He who has been forgiven much, loveth much. Therefore, because I love Him, because He loved me even though I was still a sinner, I want to voluntarily follow the Commandments of Christ, which is to love God with all my heart and strength, and to love my brothers and sisters as I love myself. This means that I am going to resist sin, and if I fail, I'm going to confess my sin and depend on His faithfulness and justice to forgive my sin and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

I will share one of my favorite quotes:

"Liberalism is always in the imperative mood; whereas Christianity is always in the triumphant indicative. Liberalism always appeals to the human will; Christianity announces first a Gracious act of God. What we need is not exhortation, but a Gospel, not directions for saving myself, but knowledge of the facts on how God has saved me. Have you any good news? I know your exhortation will not help me , but if anything has been done to save me, will you not tell me the facts?" J. Gresham Machen

A believer always lives in the indicatives (Promises), from this grows the fruits that spring from Christ himself.​

 

[Soyeong]

We are saved by God's grace alone apart from works. But we need to do good works in order to live a life glorifying Christ. He knows as well as we do that it is impossible for us to be perfect according to God's moral law.

Indeed, God knows that it is impossible for us to have perfect obedience to His law, which is why He never required us to have perfect obedience to it, but rather His law came with instructions for what to do when we sin. Even if someone managed to have perfect obedience to God's law, then they still would not earn their righteousness as a wage (Romans 4:1-5), so that was never the reason why we should obey it. So the reason why we do not earn our salvation as a wage by obeying God's law was never because we can't manage to have perfect obedience to it, but because it was never given as a means of earning our salvation.

If we could be perfect, then God would have found another way for Jesus other than to have to suffer on the Cross for us. It would have been a waste of time for Jesus to die and suffer God's eternal wrath for sin if it were possible for us to be totally righteous according to the law (God's moral law, not the redundant Mosaic ceremonial law).

Morality is in regard to what ought to be done and every legislator gives laws according to what they think ought to be done, though only God objectively knows what ought to be done, which is why all of the laws that God has given form the basis for morality. For someone to claim that some of God's laws are not moral laws is to claim that when God gave those laws that He made a moral error about what ought to be done when in reality those things ought not to be done, which would be claiming to have greater moral knowledge than God.

The Bible never lists which laws are ceremonial and never even refers to that as being a category of law. If a group of people were to create lists of which of God's laws were moral laws, then there would be a wide variety of lists and those people should not interpret the Bible as referring to a list of laws that they just created.

What this means is that although we are saved by God's grace through faith in Christ, we are not lawless in the way we live our lives. We will not be judged according to our works, in fact, we will not be judged at all. When we appear before Christ it will to be rewarded for our service for Him. Why are we not judged? It is because, according to the Scripture that if we judge ourselves, we will not be judged. Therefore, when I turned to Christ as Saviour, I judged myself to be a helpless sinner deserving of hell, so I came boldly to God's throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in my time of need. When I came to Him, He did not cast me out, but upon reasoning with Him, my sins, although scarlet, became as white as snow.

In Psalms 119:29-30, he wanted to put false ways far from him, for God to be gracious to him by teaching him to obey His law, and he chose the way of faithfulness by setting God's law before him, so this has always been the one and only way of salvation by grace through faith, which is indeed not lawless. In 1 Corinthians 11:31, it does not say anything close to saying that we should judge ourselves as being helpless sinners deserving of hell in order to avoid being judged.

 

[Soyeong]

This is why I keep saying you have contradictions. The only righteousness that God will accept is perfection, outside of that, it falls short. Because as believers our good works are tainted with sin. The reason they are accept by God is because of Christ Alone!

Paul says in Romans that Abraham was not justified by works before God. And that the ungodly are counted as righteous through Faith Alone in Christ Alone!

Only when a sinner is justified in Christ, can they walk in holiness, because in Christ the curse of the Law is no more. For Christ is the end of the Law! Being justified in Christ through Faith Alone precedes Christian living.

You are putting the believer back under the Law, which is not the Gospel promise that is free; a gift; not earned by works of any kind!​

I'm trying to explain to you why I do not interpret the verses that speak against earning our salvation as a wage as contradicting the verses that speak in favor of our justification requiring us to obey God's law. My position is that the same faith by which we are justified is also expressed as obedience to God's law, but that we do not earn our justification as a wage, so please explain why you find that be contradictory.

To be a character trait means to be someone practices that trait, but we do not earn character traits as a wage by having practiced a trait. For example, to be courageous is to be someone who practices courageousness, but we do not become courageous by earning it as a wage through having practiced courageousness. Rather someone becomes courageous because we have faith that they ought to be courageous apart from earning their courageousness as a wage. While we don't earn character traits as a wage by our works, does not mean that having a character trait is not intrinsically connected with being someone who practices it.

You can keep claiming that God demands perfect obedience, but that will never change that that is not what is said in the Bible. If someone falls short, then they can still repent, which means that they did not need to have perfect obedience.

Paul quoted Genesis 15:6 to deny that Abraham was justified by his works insofar as they were earning a wage while James 2:21-24 quoted Genesis 15:6 to support that Abraham was justified by his works insofar as they were an expression of his faith, which is not contradictory because the former is an incorrect motivation for doing works while the latter is a correct motivation.

God's law is God's word and Christ is God's word made flesh, so having faith in God's word is the way to have faith in Christ alone. God's word made flesh is not the end of God's word, but rather knowing the embodiment if God's word is the goal of us embodying God's word.

In Deuteronomy 28, the blessing of the law is living in obedience to it while the curse of the law is living in disobedience to it, so being set free from the curse of the law is being set free to enjoy the blessing of the law.

God is sovereign, so we have always been under His law. In Matthew 4:15-23, Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, and God's law was how his audience knew what sin is (Romans 3:20), so repenting from our disobedience to it is a central part of the Gospel message. You can keep insisting that the Gospel is otherwise, but Scripture will keep proving you wrong. The experience of obeying God's law is the content of His gift of salvation, which has nothing to do with earning our salvation.

 

[bbbbbbb]

I'm trying to explain to you why I do not interpret the verses that speak against earning our salvation as a wage as contradicting the verses that speak in favor of our justification requiring us to obey God's law. My position is that the same faith by which we are justified is also expressed as obedience to God's law, but that we do not earn our justification as a wage, so please explain why you find that be contradictory.

To be a character trait means to be someone practices that trait, but we do not earn character traits as a wage by having practiced a trait. For example, to be courageous is to be someone who practices courageousness, but we do not become courageous by earning it as a wage through having practiced courageousness. Rather someone becomes courageous because we have faith that they ought to be courageous apart from earning their courageousness as a wage. While we don't earn character traits as a wage by our works, does not mean that having a character trait is not intrinsically connected with being someone who practices it.

You can keep claiming that God demands perfect obedience, but that will never change that that is not what is said in the Bible. If someone falls short, then they can still repent, which means that they did not need to have perfect obedience.

Paul quoted Genesis 15:6 to deny that Abraham was justified by his works insofar as they were earning a wage while James 2:21-24 quoted Genesis 15:6 to support that Abraham was justified by his works insofar as they were an expression of his faith, which is not contradictory because the former is an incorrect motivation for doing works while the latter is a correct motivation.

God's law is God's word and Christ is God's word made flesh, so having faith in God's word is the way to have faith in Christ alone. God's word made flesh is not the end of God's word, but rather knowing the embodiment if God's word is the goal of us embodying God's word.

In Deuteronomy 28, the blessing of the law is living in obedience to it while the curse of the law is living in disobedience to it, so being set free from the curse of the law is being set free to enjoy the blessing of the law.

God is sovereign, so we have always been under His law. In Matthew 4:15-23, Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, and God's law was how his audience knew what sin is (Romans 3:20), so repenting from our disobedience to it is a central part of the Gospel message. You can keep insisting that the Gospel is otherwise, but Scripture will keep proving you wrong. The experience of obeying God's law is the content of His gift of salvation, which has nothing to do with earning our salvation.

God sovereignly chose the nation of Israel to be His people. He made a covenant with them and gave them commandments to obey as part and parcel to that covenant. God sovereignly did not choose any of the Gentile nations to be His people. Rather, He commanded Israel to exterminate all the Gentiles living in the land He gave to Israel for their inheritance, which He covenanted with Abraham to own.

I don't know about you, but I am not very inclined to murder folks even if God commanded me to do so in light of the fact that God never made a covenant with the Gentiles, including myself, matching that with the covenant He made with Israel.

 

[Soyeong]

God sovereignly chose the nation of Israel to be His people. He made a covenant with them and gave them commandments to obey as part and parcel to that covenant. God sovereignly did not choose any of the Gentile nations to be His people.

God chose Israel for the purpose of being a light to the nations.

Rather, He commanded Israel to exterminate all the Gentiles living in the land He gave to Israel for their inheritance, which He covenanted with Abraham to own.

The primary goal was to drive them out of the land.

I don't know about you, but I am not very inclined to murder folks even if God commanded me to do so in light of the fact that God never made a covenant with the Gentiles, including myself, matching that with the covenant He made with Israel.

God did not tell anyone to commit murder.