This is part 5 and the last. If you have not read parts 1-4, that's okay. You can read 'The Point of It All' at the end of this post. It will wrap up the entire concept I have been studying for the last several months. (It is time for a new concept that I know God will show me soon!)
Ability to Fulfill the Law
Who has the ability to fulfill the requirements of the law? Not me! Jesus can! He put into effect the new covenant with his blood and that unleashed the Holy Spirit into each believer. “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant— not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Sprit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)
Hebrews 7:18 says, “The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.” Faith is given to those who believe. Galatians 3:23 explains, “Before the coming of faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”
Justified
To be justified by God means that I am shown to be right before the Lord. Romans 3:24 says, “…all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Verse 28 continues, “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”
Being justified does not mean we can do anything we want. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 explains that one has the right to do anything but not everything is beneficial. One has the right to do anything but you may become addicted to something you indulge in and it may master you. One’s goal should seek the good of others and not their own good and to follow the laws of the land because God established authority. That is why we don't speed and litter and drink and drive and all the other rules authorities have placed on the books. Following those authorities shows how willing you are to submit to God's rules in your life. That attitude goes hand in hand. Attitudes are the same. If you have a hard time following rules of the city, state, country you live in, I bet you have a hard time following God's rules, too.
Law Nullifies Faith
Being a prisoner to sin and a prisoner to the law means much the same thing. The law reveals sin. If the law could impart life, then righteousness would have come by the law. But only belief can impart life by faith in Jesus Christ. Galatians 21-22. As it is, do not let the law nullify faith and what Jesus did.
Hebrews 8:6-12: Jesus’ ministry that he mediated is superior to the old which Moses mediated. The new is established on a better promise. If there had bee nothing wrong with the first covenant, no need for another would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people. The old was conditional and depended on man’s righteousness (the following of 613 laws). The New covenant was unconditional and was based on God’s righteousness. The new was not like the old. The new gave people the Holy Spirit. The new made the old obsolete and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.
The Point of It All:
SO, what does this all mean? What does the New Covenant Christian do and believe that is different from someone who says they follow the whole law in the 'old testament'? Simply ask yourself: Do you do what you do because the Mosaic law and the Prophets command it OR do you do what you do because Jesus said focus in on loving God and loving your neighbor as yourself? Each person living by each of these motives will look much the same. However, I have found a huge difference...the person living by the law will preach that everyone's life needs to look the same as his/hers does (i.e. eat or don't eat what I eat; celebrate or don't celebrate what I do, read the version of the Bible I do, worship like I do, give like I give, pray like I pray, study like I study, do what I do because, of course, I have it all correct and you are misinterpreting the Bible, but follow me because I have it right.) I think that is a very arrogant attitude to think you have the mind of the Lord Jesus and the leadings of the Holy Spirit figured out.
The person living by faith knows they do not have much figured out at all, but lives by faith that someday we will see. New Covenant Christians also have strong beliefs about all the above mentioned areas in their life, however, they will keep those things between themselves and God like Romans says to do. They will not try to place a yoke on others making it hard to come to Christ. They will not demand their 'right' before others like the example Jesus made for us. If an issue is not a Salvation Issue like rejecting Jesus outright, they will not condemn another because of differences of opinions. That is also a teaching of Jesus.
Do you still not know which motives you represent? Ask yourself, do you condemn others or do you bless others and build one another up? Do you make the Word look attractive or impossible? (Titus 2:10)
I hope this study has blessed you! It has ciliatified/cemented/deepened my relationship with the Lord and his will for my life. I truly feel more in step with the Holy Spirit because of the deep-digging into the Word. Blessings!
I hope you find a topic that makes you become a paleontologist of the Word!
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