The Ten Commandments, recorded in Exodus 20:
"And God spoke all these words, saying: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (1) You shall have no other gods before Me. (2) You shall not make for yourself a carved image ... you shall not bow down to them nor serve them... (3) You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, ... (4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (5) Honor your father and your mother. (6) You shall not murder. (7) You shall not commit adultery. (8) You shall not steal. (9) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (10) You shall not covet your neighbor's house ... i.e., anything that is your neighbor's."
After Moses returned from the mountaintop, where God had spoken to him and given him the Ten Commandments which were chiseled on stone tablets, he spoke to the people --
"Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." (Exodus 20:20a)
In Romans, the apostle Paul writes,
1:20-21 "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
2:17-20, 21a, 24 "Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest (rely) on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in law. .... you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? .... For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
4:13 "For the promise that he (Abraham) would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith."
The law is not what saves us; obedience to the law will not reap rewards of eternity.
It is only our faith in God almighty that saves us, that sets us apart. Our righteousness comes about through faith, not following the law - its every letter.
"And therefore it was accounted ... for righteousness. ... but also for us, ... who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offense, and was raised because of our justification. ... Therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 4:22, 24-25, 5:1)
Faith in the Lord Jesus is our assurance of everlasting life. Obedience to laws and traditions without faith is not the direction God has shown us, that He wants us to follow.
Paul reiterates to the Galatian believers: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (Galatians 2:20-21)
And Christ did not die in vain, for God sent Him. God is ALL and we His creation. Who are we to say He is less than He is?
How many people are saved by the law?
None. Zilch. Zero.
The laws are a standard to live by.
"Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always." (Deuteronomy 11:1)
The "seed" promised by God to Abraham is Jesus Christ. The law was a precursor to what was to come. The law was given to the people as a standard to live by because of repeated disobedience to God. When Jesus came the law was fulfilled.
"Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ... There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:24-26, 28-29)
And Jesus himself says in Matthew 5:17, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."
The law keeps us confined. Christ sets us free. If we choose jail and live under the confines of rules and regulations and judgments rather than living by faith in He who died for our sins, we are separated from Christ. We cannot have both. We either live under the law ... and ultimately death or live by faith in the Risen Lord ... and eternal life.
Remember LOVE
"Therefore you shall love the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 11:1)
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14)
"And God spoke all these words, saying: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (1) You shall have no other gods before Me. (2) You shall not make for yourself a carved image ... you shall not bow down to them nor serve them... (3) You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, ... (4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (5) Honor your father and your mother. (6) You shall not murder. (7) You shall not commit adultery. (8) You shall not steal. (9) You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (10) You shall not covet your neighbor's house ... i.e., anything that is your neighbor's."
After Moses returned from the mountaintop, where God had spoken to him and given him the Ten Commandments which were chiseled on stone tablets, he spoke to the people --
"Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." (Exodus 20:20a)
In Romans, the apostle Paul writes,
1:20-21 "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
2:17-20, 21a, 24 "Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest (rely) on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in law. .... you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? .... For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
4:13 "For the promise that he (Abraham) would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith."
The law is not what saves us; obedience to the law will not reap rewards of eternity.
It is only our faith in God almighty that saves us, that sets us apart. Our righteousness comes about through faith, not following the law - its every letter.
"And therefore it was accounted ... for righteousness. ... but also for us, ... who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offense, and was raised because of our justification. ... Therefore, having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 4:22, 24-25, 5:1)
Faith in the Lord Jesus is our assurance of everlasting life. Obedience to laws and traditions without faith is not the direction God has shown us, that He wants us to follow.
Paul reiterates to the Galatian believers: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (Galatians 2:20-21)
And Christ did not die in vain, for God sent Him. God is ALL and we His creation. Who are we to say He is less than He is?
How many people are saved by the law?
None. Zilch. Zero.
The laws are a standard to live by.
"... What does the Lord your God require of you,
but to fear the Lord your God,
to walk in all His ways
and to love Him,
to serve the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and to keep the commandments
of the Lord
and His statutes,..."
(Deuteronomy 10:12-13)
"Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always." (Deuteronomy 11:1)
The "seed" promised by God to Abraham is Jesus Christ. The law was a precursor to what was to come. The law was given to the people as a standard to live by because of repeated disobedience to God. When Jesus came the law was fulfilled.
"Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ... There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:24-26, 28-29)
And Jesus himself says in Matthew 5:17, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."
The law keeps us confined. Christ sets us free. If we choose jail and live under the confines of rules and regulations and judgments rather than living by faith in He who died for our sins, we are separated from Christ. We cannot have both. We either live under the law ... and ultimately death or live by faith in the Risen Lord ... and eternal life.
Remember LOVE
"Therefore you shall love the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 11:1)
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14)
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