When we put our faith in the finished work of Christ, God declares us righteous. Positionally, in the eyes of God, it is as though we had never sinned. If we can grasp this and truly believe it, without letting Satan or even our own self condemning feelings control our thoughts, it will flood our conscience with an experience of freedom from guilt and condemnation. This is called, the new birth.
Accompanying this new birth will be a desire to practice righteousness just as He practiced righteousness.
1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
The one who has been born again and is experiencing this new birth experience has been declared rightous by God, they will practice righteousness. It will be their new nature as a child of God.
1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
Godly righteousness is defined by God and has been instilled in every heart prior laying down the Law at Sinai.
People break the law of godly rightousness whether they have the Law from Sinai or not because it's instilled within us as a people created in God's image.
Romans 2:12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.
So why was the Law written in stone 430 years after the promise was given that God would bless Abraham?
Galatians 3:17 I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.
Abraham kept the commandments of God but, through many different circumstances, God's people began to fall away from godly standards.
Genesis 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
It is now 430 years later God lays down the Law when He writes it into stone with His own finger. This, laying down of the Law, brings condemnation and guilt.
Galatians 3:19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
But why? Because man was transgressing that which was instilled in man's heart from the beginning so God made it plain and clear. If man was keeping God's Law, as Abraham, there would be no need to lay down the Law.
Timothy 1:9-10 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.
The Law was layed down until the seed. Why?
The Law was not made for the one who is obeying God, but rather, for one who is not obeying God. It pointed out the fact that you were not obeying God, which brought about guilt and condemnation. This condemnation would be experienced in the conscience and could not be taken away by the blood of goats so it would be until Jesus took it away through the cross.
Hebrews 9:9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.
Hebrews 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
So how does all this play out in our lives today?
The grace of God has taken away the condemnation that comes through the authority of the Law because of our sin. In Christ we are no longer under the Law's authority or power to bring about condemnation through sin but we are still under the principles of righteousness defined by the Law. In other words, shall we sin because we are no longer under the Law's authority to bring condemnation? Certainly not!
Romans 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
Shall we continue to sin so that God's grace may abound? Certainly not!
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!
Keeping the Law cannot put us in that positional standing of righteousness with God, only faith in Jesus can.
We can fall from that positional standing with God by becoming estranged from Jesus. This happens when we fall from grace and turn back to the old way of thinking.
Galatians 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
If we begin to keep the Law in such a way that we begin to see something righteous within ourselves, outside of the finished work of Christ, we fall from grace and put ourselves under the condemning power of the Law once again. Why is this? Because the more we see the character of God in Christ, the more we see our own sinfullness.
Galatians 2:17 "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!
How do we know when we're begining to fall from grace? We will know this when we begin to condemn others for their sin or when we begin to see ourselves better than others.
Luke 18:11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
The Law will always point out sin and sin will always bring about condemnetion and death. This condemnation from sin is not coming from God, but rather, it's intrinsic to sin. Condemnation and guilt will destroy you even if it's not coming from God because the wages of sin is death but if God can help you believe that when we sin, condemnation from within ourselves comes, not God. Sin brings guilt and condemnation which leads to death. God is trying to give us life and that more abundantly.
James 1:14-15 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
This is happening internally, like a cancer within the conscience. It's not coming from God.
The true spiritual battle is not in doing away with that which points out sin, but rather, allowing God to reveal in your heart the truth about His forgiveness and love for you in spite of your sinfulness.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Remember, sin will bring condemnation and death whether you have the Law or not because that's what sin does.
Romans 2:12-13 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law. for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.
God's Law is the MRI that reveals the cancer that is already there and the blood of Christ is the cure.
Accompanying this new birth will be a desire to practice righteousness just as He practiced righteousness.
1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
The one who has been born again and is experiencing this new birth experience has been declared rightous by God, they will practice righteousness. It will be their new nature as a child of God.
1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
Godly righteousness is defined by God and has been instilled in every heart prior laying down the Law at Sinai.
People break the law of godly rightousness whether they have the Law from Sinai or not because it's instilled within us as a people created in God's image.
Romans 2:12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.
So why was the Law written in stone 430 years after the promise was given that God would bless Abraham?
Galatians 3:17 I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.
Abraham kept the commandments of God but, through many different circumstances, God's people began to fall away from godly standards.
Genesis 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
It is now 430 years later God lays down the Law when He writes it into stone with His own finger. This, laying down of the Law, brings condemnation and guilt.
Galatians 3:19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.
But why? Because man was transgressing that which was instilled in man's heart from the beginning so God made it plain and clear. If man was keeping God's Law, as Abraham, there would be no need to lay down the Law.
Timothy 1:9-10 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.
The Law was layed down until the seed. Why?
The Law was not made for the one who is obeying God, but rather, for one who is not obeying God. It pointed out the fact that you were not obeying God, which brought about guilt and condemnation. This condemnation would be experienced in the conscience and could not be taken away by the blood of goats so it would be until Jesus took it away through the cross.
Hebrews 9:9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.
Hebrews 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
So how does all this play out in our lives today?
The grace of God has taken away the condemnation that comes through the authority of the Law because of our sin. In Christ we are no longer under the Law's authority or power to bring about condemnation through sin but we are still under the principles of righteousness defined by the Law. In other words, shall we sin because we are no longer under the Law's authority to bring condemnation? Certainly not!
Romans 6:15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!
Shall we continue to sin so that God's grace may abound? Certainly not!
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!
Keeping the Law cannot put us in that positional standing of righteousness with God, only faith in Jesus can.
We can fall from that positional standing with God by becoming estranged from Jesus. This happens when we fall from grace and turn back to the old way of thinking.
Galatians 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
If we begin to keep the Law in such a way that we begin to see something righteous within ourselves, outside of the finished work of Christ, we fall from grace and put ourselves under the condemning power of the Law once again. Why is this? Because the more we see the character of God in Christ, the more we see our own sinfullness.
Galatians 2:17 "But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!
How do we know when we're begining to fall from grace? We will know this when we begin to condemn others for their sin or when we begin to see ourselves better than others.
Luke 18:11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
The Law will always point out sin and sin will always bring about condemnetion and death. This condemnation from sin is not coming from God, but rather, it's intrinsic to sin. Condemnation and guilt will destroy you even if it's not coming from God because the wages of sin is death but if God can help you believe that when we sin, condemnation from within ourselves comes, not God. Sin brings guilt and condemnation which leads to death. God is trying to give us life and that more abundantly.
James 1:14-15 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
This is happening internally, like a cancer within the conscience. It's not coming from God.
The true spiritual battle is not in doing away with that which points out sin, but rather, allowing God to reveal in your heart the truth about His forgiveness and love for you in spite of your sinfulness.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Remember, sin will bring condemnation and death whether you have the Law or not because that's what sin does.
Romans 2:12-13 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law. for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.
God's Law is the MRI that reveals the cancer that is already there and the blood of Christ is the cure.
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