Is obeying the Law a sin?

[Eila]

I'm not talking about coming to a saving grace of God, I'm talking about walking in obedience to the Spirit. Why I show Paul as an example is not to point and show him as one who says we need to follow the Law, or that he preaches we must follow the Law. On the contrary. I show Paul as a slave to the Jew as he states in 1 Corinthians, because if he wants to persuade a Jew and be accepted by them he must first come to their level which includes taking on their Law. If you want to preach to a SDA about how they are free, first be as an SDA, you must take on their life.

You will have to explain what you mean here. How exactly do you "be as an SDA"? You certainly don't mean that one must be an SDA to share the good news of righteousness by faith with an SDA or that one must be Muslim to share the Gospel with a Muslim. Paul certainly took on the customs of those around him, but I don't see him anywhere applying the law to himself in order to win the Jews.

Look Christ didn't make you free so you could be free to do anything you wanted. He made you free so you could choose whether you wanted to Obey or Disobey him. The Children of Israel were still set free from Egypt, but they disobeyed in the Wilderness and because of it they did not enter the Promised Land.

The COI could choose whether they wanted to obey or disobey God. Freedom is not about being about to choose to obey or disobey because being able to choose has been around since the garden. Freedom is being set free from sin. The law points our sin and puts us under condemnation and stirs up more sin. We are dead to sin and now we live according the the leading of the Spirit.

Yes it's about obeying the Spirit, but in obeying the Spirit there is nothing wrong with obeying Law. You're still free to obey the Law just like you are free to obey the Spirit. Obeying the Law does not bring death, attempting to gain salvation by obeying the Law only shows death. There is a huge difference between the two.

are you suggesting that it's ok to Murder someone because we are no longer under the Law?

Yes, you are free to obey the Jewish law, but the law given to the Israelites is a shadow of the law we have now.

We are not commandless. Are you suggesting that the Spirit will lead someone to murder? We are now led by the Spirit and are commanded to love. Under the Jewish law we would do well by not murdering, but under the new covenant law we are held to a higher standard - love. Not only should we not murder, but we should love our enemies.

It is like the old covenant concept of tithing. In the old covenant some people were required to tithe. In the new covenant all we have belongs to Him. We are just stewards.

The old covenant was glorious, but is nothing compared to the glory of life in the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3. Yes, you are free to follow the old covenant customs. I've found though that most of those who keep all or part of the Jewish law do so because they feel they are required to.

 

[Sleaker]

Paul taking on the customs of the Jews was taking on the Law. The jewish customs were completely based off of the Law. What does Paul mean when he states:

[bible]1 Corinthians 9:19-21[/bible]

I think that verse sums up what I meant with Paul taking on the law. I don't think Paul was saying it was impossible to share the gospel without taking on their customs. I think he was suggesting that if we want to make the most impact on people we should be as slaves to them, which means putting ourselves under their authority. It's like living in someone elses house. If you want to preach love to your mother, and you don't clean your room, or make your bed, what is she going to think of your words? Even though it's not necessary to do those things they are Law while under the parents household, and if you want to have a better than average relationship with them you follow their rules. Likewise when bringing the gospel to others, we should seek to live as if we were under the other persons household, isn't that what it is to be a slave? It's like pastors who wont drink alcohol, because they know that some people have once been alcoholics and if they are seen drinking it might cause someone to discredit what they say. So they refrain from drinking, which is a Law, so as to be able to preach the gospel to those people.


Ahh so we are still under a Law, a new one. When Jesus stated that we were under a new Law of Love he stated that it was the fulfillment of the old covenant too. That as we Love we are doing the Old Covenant. Being dead to the Law and Dead to sin only means that it no longer can hold judgement over us, why? Because we have already died to it... That doesn't mean it's gone or that it's wrong to follow it.

 

[Eila]

Paul taking on the customs of the Jews was taking on the Law. The jewish customs were completely based off of the Law.
I think that verse sums up what I meant with Paul taking on the law.

I agree that Paul took on the customs based on the law so he could win them to Christ, but even in that text he makes it clear that he is not under the Jewish law, but under the law of Christ.

Ahh so we are still under a Law, a new one. When Jesus stated that we were under a new Law of Love he stated that it was the fulfillment of the old covenant too. That as we Love we are doing the Old Covenant. Being dead to the Law and Dead to sin only means that it no longer can hold judgement over us, why? Because we have already died to it... That doesn't mean it's gone or that it's wrong to follow it.

Yes, we are not commandless. We are no more intercouse with the Jewish law though. In Christ you are free to follow the shadow, but the reality is much better! However, many who are following the shadow do not understand righteousness by grace through faith alone. I've lived in the shadows and have lived among those in the shadows and very few have come to the understanding of righteousness by grace through faith alone. Personally, I don't care if a person does the things in the law. To me what matters is understanding salvation by grace through faith alone.

 

[Sleaker]

I agree that Paul took on the customs based on the law so he could win them to Christ, but even in that text he makes it clear that he is not under the Jewish law, but under the law of Christ.

Actually he states that to those who are without the Law he becomes as without the law but still under the law of Christ. To those under the Law the distinction is not made. Read it again!

 

[Eila]

Actually he states that to those who are without the Law he becomes as without the law but still under the law of Christ. To those under the Law the distinction is not made. Read it again!

I see what you are saying. I was reading a different version

1 Cor 9 " 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to men under the Law, [I became] as one under the Law, though not myself being under the Law, that I might win those under the Law. 21To those without (outside) law I became as one without law, not that I am without the law of God and lawless toward Him, but that I am [especially keeping] within and committed to the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law."

 

[djconklin]

You have to be very careful reading the word "law" in Paul. He suses it in more than a dozen different ways. Sometimes it means as a "general principle," other times it refers to a specific law, other times the Ten Commandment, other times the Torah (Pentateuch), etc..