Who Teaches that We Should Keep the Law?

(Continued from: "The Sabbath Rest")

A person who teaches that a Christian is to follow the law either lacks understanding –or he desires some kind of personal gain. And that gain can come in various manipulative forms –such as financial wealth –or control over people.

Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. (1 Timothy 1:5-11)

Did you find yourself –or at least some of the things you've done– in that list somewhere? Don't worry, it's intended to indict and convict everyone about what they have done at some point in their life. Remember –as you read the list of sinful acts in the passage above– that the lawbreakers, rebels, etc., are those who have not asked Christ to be their Savior –to have exchanged their sin for God's righteousness –and to be their new life. What changed when He saved us? Was it the fact that we've never sinned again since that day? Of course not –let's read on...

Now, Is the Law Really for You?

The same basic list of offenses is also shown in the passage below, but notice how it concludes with a description of the new identity we were given when we became "in Christ". As a Christian, we have been washed (cleansed of all unrighteousness), sanctified (made holy), and justified (declared innocent of all wrong doings) in His name and by His Spirit!

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

The New Testament uses the phrase (or words very similar to) "in Christ" over 170 times to describe our new identity. This passage from Romans chapter 6 uses spiritual baptism to summarize this identity change.

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin– because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:3-11)

Our righteousness is found in Christ. He completely fulfilled the law which uncovered our offenses –our unrighteous deeds were plain for us to see. He took away all our sins by paying the required death penalty.

God has chosen to never remember our sins again –they are behind His back, never to be seen again. He brought them all to mind once –all of them –even those in the future. And He put them all on His Son who was then crucified in our place. Now our sins are as far from us as the east is from the west. We are new creations in Christ.

Was Christ's Death Enough?

If a person tells you that you need to try to keep the law –we read that the law can only show that you are a law breaker– then he's also telling you that Jesus' sacrifice was not sufficient for you. It follows that you are no longer washed, no longer sanctified, and no longer justified. Jesus and the Holy Spirit would be ineffective –unable to keep God's promise of providing eternal life.You would once again be dead and in need of that life.

So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28)

The teachers of the law use a lie to trap unsuspecting Christians. It goes something like this: "The death penalty no longer applies –instead we Christians merely fall out of fellowship with God." They try to use 1 John 1:9 to justify our need for asking God for forgiveness. They want us to use it like a bar of soap to cleanse ourselves. What a hoax –Jesus did that already! There is nothing we can add to what He has already done.

When you hear a teacher of the law, try to examine his motives.

If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:3-6)

Is he just ignorantly following what he has heard from other religious people –or his seminary training? Or is he identified in that passage above –trying to get into your wallet to finance his ministry –to build a larger building or ...? No matter what the teacher of the law has for a motive, he is wrong! The gospel is about God's undeserved grace and limitless mercy which has been granted to all men who receive Jesus as their Savior! The law was just to get us onto the path leading to His Son so that we can eternally live with Him.

Continue reading: "The Sin Nature (or Flesh)"