I am sorry, scripture can be missinterpreted by many to lead those who follow GOD astray.
Sure, but the only way to know where the teaching is coming from IS to study the word. I believe in the verbal plenary inerrancy of scripture which means that I believe that every word was written with a purpose.
We look at old testament Laws from the standpoint of children who do not wish to suffer for their wrong doing.
The OT laws were given to Israel not to the gentiles. All that live by the law will perish by the law. By grace we live because all glory is of God not of us. None of us can earn salvation. I posit to you that Jesus fulfilled ALL 613 laws of the old covenant. If He didn't then Jesus failed.
We do not seek to look at them from our Heavenly Fathers view point. How does one escape the sentence/verdict/punishment of Murder? They do not murder.
How can one murder and follow Jesus command to love your neighbor as yourself?
We concentrate on the punishment which is due and thnk we will escape another way. There is no way out except turning to GOD, repenting from sin and full devotion and obedience to HIM.
Sure but can we do it by ourselves? Can man turn to God by himself? Can man repent by himself? Can man obey by himself?
Salvation is God's work and ONLY God's. We receive absolutely no credit. None. Many have tried but ALL have failed.
Also, there is no punishment due to those with saving faith. None. We rest in the promise of justification by faith through the grace of God. We are made righteous by God for God. When we are justified by faith the penalty of sin has already been paid by Jesus sacrifice on the cross. If believers with saving faith are still subject to the penalty of sin then Jesus did not accomplish anything on the cross and we are still in our sins.
Ezekiel 34:11 For this i what the Sovereign Lord says; I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.
This was done through Christ Jesus, for Jesus always claimed that he came on behalf of the Father. The Jew first and then the Gentile. Read Isaiah 56
Absolutely. The verse is clear that God himself does the searching and the electing. God is indeed sovereign.
Now let us talk for a moment about the Holy Spirit. In the following scripture you will hopefully see why I said it was evil to say that keeping GOD's Laws and Commandments are work against the Grace offered through Christ Jesus.
Ezekiel 36:25-27 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Those Christians with saving faith work from salvation not for salvation. Jesus already paid the price. There is not a single person living that is free of sin. None. That is the reason for grace. If we could save ourselves by following His commandments we would not need a savior. I am obedient to Jesus commandments because I love Him not because the "law" tells me. Jesus gave us 2 commandments which summarize the law of the prophets.
BTW- Ezekiel 36:16-38 is poleptic prophesy. Some of the prophesy was fulfilled by Jesus but some has not been fulfilled yet. For example, the Holy Spirit was given to the believer as our counselor. This is what Paul calls the ministry of the Spirit. However, the portions regarding Israel will be fulfilled at the end of times when all of Israel will again be His people.
I am not saying I am innocent for GOD is still at work in me, but I am humbled enough before HIM to realize that it is HIS COMMANDS that lead to eternal life and CHRIST JESUS is our ticket there. All those who claim to know Christ Jesus and have the endwelling presence of the HOLY SPIRIT within them, if they hearken to it and not their own evil ways they will find ETERNITY. Delight in doing GOD's Commandments, keeping his laws and decrees, loving HIM enough to give up self and whole heartedly live for HIM are what we are to do.
How does Romans 4 fit in your theory of salvation by works?
Consider Ephesians 2
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Notice how we are saved (past tense) through faith and ONLY faith.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
The result of being made into a new creation. Also notice how ALL of the works that we do are prepared ahead of time. How can one keep the Jewish law then?
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the fleshwho are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Notice how Paul talks about the law of circumcision as relating to the law of Israel. The law is a work apart from God. Done by the flesh by the hands in the flesh.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity,
that is, the law of commandments
contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man
from the two,
thus making peace,
Jesus by His flesh abolished the law of commandments contained in ordinances. That includes ALL 613 ordinances contained in the Mosaic law. All of them not just a few.
16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Only through Jesus Christ do we have receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the access to the Father. Not by the law.
Natalie, Jesus died on the cross for us while we were still sinners. That means that we are not perfect and won't be until after death when the Lord will glorify us. That is the last step of salvation. The first step is justification by the grace of God through faith. This first step removes the penalty of sin. Sanctification, the second step of salvation, is the life long process where God progressively removes the power of sin. This is accomplished by the counseling and convicting of the Holy Spirit. We can not do any of this on our own or by following the Jewish law. No one has ever been saved by the Law. Not even in OT times.