Seemingly enough, I continue to be amazed and amused at the doctrines I hear being preached and taught. Salvation is, by far, the single most important doctrine of the entire Bible. In many blog posts, salvation has been the theme. This is not the case because I forget that I have already written about the subject. It is the case, rather, because it is my conviction that the doctrine of salvation is extremely important. As Christians and especially ministers, our understanding of salvation should be clear. We should be able to state CLEARLY how to be saved and how to stay saved.
Unfortunately, however, it is very clear that many ministers actually desire to drag saved people back under the law. When I say, "the law," I am referring to the Old Testament law of Moses. Yes, some preachers pull out a passage in Deuteronomy and preach the "dos and don'ts" of the Old Testament as prerequisites of salvation. So, I write this post to clearly articulate that I am not bound by the works of the law of Moses, the works of the Pharisees, or the works of righteousness of any kind. In this post, you will read a couple points I have already illustrated, but much of the material is new to this blog.
You Are Saved Either by Grace or by Works - NOT BOTH
Upon inquiring of salvation, the seeker must decide first if he is going to be saved by grace or by works. You must make up your mind to settle the following question - "Am I going to do the saving by my works," or "Is the Lord going to do the saving by HIS WORK and by His grace?" YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY BOTH!
Romans 11:6 - "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."
The clear message of this verse is the fact that our election (the act of God choosing us) is either by grace or by works - not both. What I have run into in the past is the message that we are saved by God's miraculous hand at the altar, but we must keep a list of rules in order to "stay saved." Dear reader, I have committed the saving of my soul, as well as the keeping of my soul, to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of my soul! I determined a long time ago that my salvation would have be entirely by grace, and not a single work of mine initiates it, or sustains it! You need to make up your mind, if you have not done so already. Your work or His - which will it be?
If You Choose Works...
Should the reader say, "I choose to be saved (or kept) by the works of the law," then I do have a strong admonition from the scripture. No man in his right mind would ever choose to be saved or kept by keeping the Ten Commandments, by offering the ceremonial offerings of the Old Testament, or by any other list of rules. The man who pulls out verses from the Old Testament law and makes those verses a must-do for salvation does not keep the Old Testament law, for he does not even understand it!
When I was in Bible school, an instructor was teaching us concerning the Old Testament law, and which parts of the law we must fulfil. He had broken down the law into "parts" - ceremonial, civil, dietary, moral, and so forth. This man made the argument that Christians are still under parts of the law. However, the New Testament plainly declares, more than once, that "we are not under the law." Absolutely no differentiation is made between "parts of the law." We are not told, "You are under this part of the law, but not under that one." We are only informed that "we are not under the law."
I believe strongly, and will prove it in this post, that Christians are under no part of the Old Testament law. I will expound on this later.
Allow me, for emphasis, to say it again. When a man says that he believes Christians should keep parts of the Old Testament law, HE DOES NOT KEEP IT HIMSELF. I know this because HE DOES NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND THE LAW, MUCH LESS KEEP IT!
Here is what the Bible says about keeping the law:
Galatians 3:10 - "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
Did you get that? "CURSED is every one that continueth not in ALL things which are written in the book of the law to do them." If you are going to keep the law, you CANNOT KEEP "PARTS OF IT!" If keeping Old Testament commandments is part of your salvation, you must keep EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM, or you are lost! You must keep the dietary, ceremonial, and every other part of the law! You are cursed otherwise!
Galatians 5:3 - "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law."
Here, the same point is made. You cannot keep "parts of the law." James gives us the same point, reversing the logic:
James 2:10 - "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
It is impossible to keep "parts of the law!" If you are going to keep parts of it, you are under obligation to keep every law, every precept, every ordinance, every sacrifice, every offering, every civil statute, and all the rest. Breaking one is breaking them all! You do not get to pick and choose! You have no privilege to preach which ones you like and agree with and throw the rest of them out! I am telling you that, if you preach Deuteronomy 22:5, you'd better preach Deuteronomy 22:11! If you break Deuteronomy 22:11, you have broken Deuteronomy 22:5! With the law, it is "all or nothing!" A person needs to consider these things before claiming an obligation to keep "parts" of the law!
Jesus Fulfilled the Law!
Matthew 5:17 - "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."
The law is like a bill. The Father wrote out a bill for you and me. The law tells us of His demands. When we try to pay it, however, we never have enough. The scripture says, "For all have sinned, and COME SHORT..." That's exactly where we are. We always come short of paying our bill.
When Jesus came to this world, He did not come to destroy the law! I have heard preachers use the above verse to try to say that we are yet under the law. However, this verse shows that we are not under the law.
Jesus did not come into the world to destroy the law. The law still shows the Father's demands upon mankind. They are still His demands! If you are lost, He still demands them! The law is your bill! Jesus did not come to destroy your bill. He did not come to put the bill in the paper shredder! The bill still stands.
When Jesus went to the cross, however, He paid my bill! On the cross, He declared, "It is finished!" I have read that the Greek word translated, "It is finished" was stamped on bills when final payment was made. That Greek word declared that payment had been made in full! Jesus did not do away with the Father's demands; He fulfilled them! As I have already shown, there's only one way Jesus could have fulfilled the law - He had to fulfil all of it! He kept the entire law - moral, civil, ceremonial - ALL OF IT! He is our Atonement; He is our High Priest; He is the Passover Lamb; He is the shewbread; He is the Candlestick; every figurative element in the law points to Jesus Christ - He fulfilled, not parts of the law, but the entire law!
I have heard preachers say, "Now that we're saved, the Lord helps us keep the law!" No, sir! When I accept Christ who paid my debt, I notice something about the bill - it is gone! It is completely paid for, and nailed to the cross of Christ. Notice:
Colossians 2:13, 14 - "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."
The handwriting of ordinances - ordinances are laws - were nailed to the cross! They are gone. Jesus fulfilled every one of them! He fulfilled my obligation!
Ephesians 2:14-16 - "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby."
The law of commandments - abolished! Gone! All of them! He does not say that some of them were left unfulfilled, waiting on us to fulfil them! No, if Christ not fulfil ALL the laws and commandments - He did not fulfil any of them! Christ paid my debt - ALL OF IT!
When I receive Christ, and I accept His work on the cross as payment for my sin, He does not help me fulfil the law - He already fulfilled it. I do not need help paying a debt that is already paid for! When I receive Christ, how much "law" is left for me to fulfil? The answer is spelled out clearly in
Romans 10:3 - "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Christ is the END of the law. When you receive Christ, you are at the end of the law! The law has ended there! There's no more law that needs to be fulfilled! He fulfilled it!
I Am Not Under the Law!
Because I trust in Christ's payment for my debt, I am no longer obligated to pay it! It has been paid for. For this reason, I am not under the law. Note the following verses:
Acts 13:39 - "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."
Romans 3:20, 21 - "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets."
Romans 3:27, 28 - "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Romans 4:14 - "For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect."
Romans 7:4 - "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."
Romans 7:6 - "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."
Galatians 2:16 - "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
Galatians 2:19 - "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God."
Galatians 2:21 - "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
These are not all the scriptures I have on this subject, but the point is clearly made. Although many of these scriptures are single verses, none of them are taken out of context. The context of each of these verses is justification by faith; salvation by grace. I encourage the reader to study these verses closely.
The Unsaved Are Under the Law
If you have not been born again by the Spirit of God, then the Father will hold you accountable to the law. He still demands that bill be paid. Jesus did not DESTROY the law. It still stands. It must be paid. If you will not accept the payment of our Lord Jesus Christ, then the Father will demand the payment from you. No man has ever kept all of the law! No man has ever kept the Ten Commandments. You can't even keep the first commandment until you are saved. Breaking the law of God results in death. John records a second death in the lake of fire. It would behoove you to receive Jesus Christ today, and cling to His finished work on the cross! If you refuse Him, you are obligated to pay this debt called "the law." Notice the following verses:
Romans 2:12 - "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law."
Romans 3:19 - "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
Romans 6:14 - "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
Galatians 5:18 - "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
These verses show clearly that those who not under the dominion of sin are the ones who are "not under the law." Those who are led of the Spirit are "not under the law." All others will be demanded to make payment. They will be judged by the very law they have broken.
There's only one man who fulfilled the law - Jesus Christ. No one else has ever done it! Trust Jesus Christ and the payment He made on the cross. Ask Him to save you today. He paid your debt - Rest in His payment and be free from the law!
Unfortunately, however, it is very clear that many ministers actually desire to drag saved people back under the law. When I say, "the law," I am referring to the Old Testament law of Moses. Yes, some preachers pull out a passage in Deuteronomy and preach the "dos and don'ts" of the Old Testament as prerequisites of salvation. So, I write this post to clearly articulate that I am not bound by the works of the law of Moses, the works of the Pharisees, or the works of righteousness of any kind. In this post, you will read a couple points I have already illustrated, but much of the material is new to this blog.
You Are Saved Either by Grace or by Works - NOT BOTH
Upon inquiring of salvation, the seeker must decide first if he is going to be saved by grace or by works. You must make up your mind to settle the following question - "Am I going to do the saving by my works," or "Is the Lord going to do the saving by HIS WORK and by His grace?" YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY BOTH!
Romans 11:6 - "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."
The clear message of this verse is the fact that our election (the act of God choosing us) is either by grace or by works - not both. What I have run into in the past is the message that we are saved by God's miraculous hand at the altar, but we must keep a list of rules in order to "stay saved." Dear reader, I have committed the saving of my soul, as well as the keeping of my soul, to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of my soul! I determined a long time ago that my salvation would have be entirely by grace, and not a single work of mine initiates it, or sustains it! You need to make up your mind, if you have not done so already. Your work or His - which will it be?
If You Choose Works...
Should the reader say, "I choose to be saved (or kept) by the works of the law," then I do have a strong admonition from the scripture. No man in his right mind would ever choose to be saved or kept by keeping the Ten Commandments, by offering the ceremonial offerings of the Old Testament, or by any other list of rules. The man who pulls out verses from the Old Testament law and makes those verses a must-do for salvation does not keep the Old Testament law, for he does not even understand it!
When I was in Bible school, an instructor was teaching us concerning the Old Testament law, and which parts of the law we must fulfil. He had broken down the law into "parts" - ceremonial, civil, dietary, moral, and so forth. This man made the argument that Christians are still under parts of the law. However, the New Testament plainly declares, more than once, that "we are not under the law." Absolutely no differentiation is made between "parts of the law." We are not told, "You are under this part of the law, but not under that one." We are only informed that "we are not under the law."
I believe strongly, and will prove it in this post, that Christians are under no part of the Old Testament law. I will expound on this later.
Allow me, for emphasis, to say it again. When a man says that he believes Christians should keep parts of the Old Testament law, HE DOES NOT KEEP IT HIMSELF. I know this because HE DOES NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND THE LAW, MUCH LESS KEEP IT!
Here is what the Bible says about keeping the law:
Galatians 3:10 - "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
Did you get that? "CURSED is every one that continueth not in ALL things which are written in the book of the law to do them." If you are going to keep the law, you CANNOT KEEP "PARTS OF IT!" If keeping Old Testament commandments is part of your salvation, you must keep EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM, or you are lost! You must keep the dietary, ceremonial, and every other part of the law! You are cursed otherwise!
Galatians 5:3 - "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law."
Here, the same point is made. You cannot keep "parts of the law." James gives us the same point, reversing the logic:
James 2:10 - "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
It is impossible to keep "parts of the law!" If you are going to keep parts of it, you are under obligation to keep every law, every precept, every ordinance, every sacrifice, every offering, every civil statute, and all the rest. Breaking one is breaking them all! You do not get to pick and choose! You have no privilege to preach which ones you like and agree with and throw the rest of them out! I am telling you that, if you preach Deuteronomy 22:5, you'd better preach Deuteronomy 22:11! If you break Deuteronomy 22:11, you have broken Deuteronomy 22:5! With the law, it is "all or nothing!" A person needs to consider these things before claiming an obligation to keep "parts" of the law!
Jesus Fulfilled the Law!
Matthew 5:17 - "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."
The law is like a bill. The Father wrote out a bill for you and me. The law tells us of His demands. When we try to pay it, however, we never have enough. The scripture says, "For all have sinned, and COME SHORT..." That's exactly where we are. We always come short of paying our bill.
When Jesus came to this world, He did not come to destroy the law! I have heard preachers use the above verse to try to say that we are yet under the law. However, this verse shows that we are not under the law.
Jesus did not come into the world to destroy the law. The law still shows the Father's demands upon mankind. They are still His demands! If you are lost, He still demands them! The law is your bill! Jesus did not come to destroy your bill. He did not come to put the bill in the paper shredder! The bill still stands.
When Jesus went to the cross, however, He paid my bill! On the cross, He declared, "It is finished!" I have read that the Greek word translated, "It is finished" was stamped on bills when final payment was made. That Greek word declared that payment had been made in full! Jesus did not do away with the Father's demands; He fulfilled them! As I have already shown, there's only one way Jesus could have fulfilled the law - He had to fulfil all of it! He kept the entire law - moral, civil, ceremonial - ALL OF IT! He is our Atonement; He is our High Priest; He is the Passover Lamb; He is the shewbread; He is the Candlestick; every figurative element in the law points to Jesus Christ - He fulfilled, not parts of the law, but the entire law!
I have heard preachers say, "Now that we're saved, the Lord helps us keep the law!" No, sir! When I accept Christ who paid my debt, I notice something about the bill - it is gone! It is completely paid for, and nailed to the cross of Christ. Notice:
Colossians 2:13, 14 - "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."
The handwriting of ordinances - ordinances are laws - were nailed to the cross! They are gone. Jesus fulfilled every one of them! He fulfilled my obligation!
Ephesians 2:14-16 - "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby."
The law of commandments - abolished! Gone! All of them! He does not say that some of them were left unfulfilled, waiting on us to fulfil them! No, if Christ not fulfil ALL the laws and commandments - He did not fulfil any of them! Christ paid my debt - ALL OF IT!
When I receive Christ, and I accept His work on the cross as payment for my sin, He does not help me fulfil the law - He already fulfilled it. I do not need help paying a debt that is already paid for! When I receive Christ, how much "law" is left for me to fulfil? The answer is spelled out clearly in
Romans 10:3 - "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Christ is the END of the law. When you receive Christ, you are at the end of the law! The law has ended there! There's no more law that needs to be fulfilled! He fulfilled it!
I Am Not Under the Law!
Because I trust in Christ's payment for my debt, I am no longer obligated to pay it! It has been paid for. For this reason, I am not under the law. Note the following verses:
Acts 13:39 - "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."
Romans 3:20, 21 - "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets."
Romans 3:27, 28 - "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Romans 4:14 - "For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect."
Romans 7:4 - "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."
Romans 7:6 - "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."
Galatians 2:16 - "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
Galatians 2:19 - "For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God."
Galatians 2:21 - "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
These are not all the scriptures I have on this subject, but the point is clearly made. Although many of these scriptures are single verses, none of them are taken out of context. The context of each of these verses is justification by faith; salvation by grace. I encourage the reader to study these verses closely.
The Unsaved Are Under the Law
If you have not been born again by the Spirit of God, then the Father will hold you accountable to the law. He still demands that bill be paid. Jesus did not DESTROY the law. It still stands. It must be paid. If you will not accept the payment of our Lord Jesus Christ, then the Father will demand the payment from you. No man has ever kept all of the law! No man has ever kept the Ten Commandments. You can't even keep the first commandment until you are saved. Breaking the law of God results in death. John records a second death in the lake of fire. It would behoove you to receive Jesus Christ today, and cling to His finished work on the cross! If you refuse Him, you are obligated to pay this debt called "the law." Notice the following verses:
Romans 2:12 - "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law."
Romans 3:19 - "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
Romans 6:14 - "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."
Galatians 5:18 - "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
These verses show clearly that those who not under the dominion of sin are the ones who are "not under the law." Those who are led of the Spirit are "not under the law." All others will be demanded to make payment. They will be judged by the very law they have broken.
There's only one man who fulfilled the law - Jesus Christ. No one else has ever done it! Trust Jesus Christ and the payment He made on the cross. Ask Him to save you today. He paid your debt - Rest in His payment and be free from the law!
