I just did a short study about the Bible's view of the Old Testament Law. What it can do and what it can't do.

Rom.1:16,17                                                                                                              For us to be "saved" we need a different new kind of righteousness than the OT Law for salvation. That new righteousness is found in the Gospel.  When we trust Jesus to be our Savior (The Gospel 1 Corinthians 15: 3, 4) we receive that righteousness by faith.

Rom. 2: 12                                                                                                          .      If we try to be righteous by the OT Law we will perish by the same Law.

Rom. 2: 13                                                                                                                It is not just to hear the Law, but we must do it to be saved. However nobody can obey the Law 100% and therefore nobody will be declared righteous. James 2:10 tells us that to be able to obey the Law 100%, but still fail in one point is guilty of keeping the Law. Remember that everyone has sinned at least once, right?

Rom 2: 17                                                                                                                   The Jews depended on the Law to be saved.

Rom 2: 20 The Law is an instructor to the sinner. Something that guides them to the righteousness that saves, which is Jesus Christ.

Rom 2: 20                                                                                                                   The OT Law is the embodiment of Knowledge and Truth of God.

Rom 3: 20                                                                                                                   The Law was given to us to see our sin                                                                                                          

Rom 3: 21                                                                                                                   The Law and God’s Righteousness are separated from each other.

Rom 3: 22                                                                                                                    Righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through the Law.

Rom 10: 4                                                                                                                    For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes.

Rom 8: 4                                                                                                                     The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us (who are saved,) who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Galatians 3: 22                                                                                                             The Law was given to us to lead us to God

Galatians 3: 23                                                                                                            Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.

1 Timothy 1: 8                                                                                                             The Law is not The Law

Rom. 1:16, 17                                                                                                           We need a different new kind of righteousness than the OT Law for salvation. That new righteousness is found in the Gospel.  When we trust Jesus to be our Savior (The Gospel 1 Corinthians 15: 3, 4) we receive that righteousness by faith.

Rom. 2: 12                                                                                                                   If we try to be righteous by the OT Law we will perish by the same Law.

Rom. 2: 13                                                                                                                   It is not just to hear the Law, but we must do it to be saved. However nobody can obey the Law 100% and therefore nobody will be declared righteous. James 2:10 tells us that to be able to obey the Law 100%, but still fail in one point is guilty of keeping the Law. Remember that everyone has sinned at least once, right?

Rom 2: 17                                                                                                                   The Jews depended on the Law to be saved.

Rom 2: 20                                                                                                                    The Law is an instructor to the sinner. Something that guides them to the righteousness that saves, which is Jesus Christ.

Rom. 3: 20                                                                                                                  The OT Law is the embodiment of Knowledge and Truth of God.

Rom 3: 20                                                                                                                   The Law was given to us to see our sin.                                                                                                             

Rom 3: 21 The Law and God’s Righteousness are separated from each other.

Rom 3: 22                                                                                                                    Righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not theough the Law.

Rom 10: 4                                                                                                              For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes.

Rom 8: 4                                                                                                                The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us (who are saved,) who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Galatians 3: 22                                                                                                             The Law was given to us to lead us to God

Galatians 3: 23                                                                                                            Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.

1 Timothy 1: 8                                                                                                             The Law is not bad, but “we know that the law is good if one uses it properly.”

1 Timothy 1: 9                                                                                                             The Law is not for the believer, but for the sinner. It tells the sinner that they are not good enough for salvation since they cannot keep the same Law. The Law was instead given, so that people will see that they are not good enough and therefore need a Savior.

A Personal Note:

Remember the ”Holiness movement” which has done so much for the spread of God’s Good News has also have a over emphasis on the requirement of the Law that it also many times have a hard time to see these differences between God’s Grace and the requirement of the Law.. They have a hard time accepting the Grace of God, but still hold on to the Law. That is probably why many of them are so sad and still live continually under condemnation…

I am troubled with Preachers who should know better. We hear the good Preachers preaching God’s Grace. We hear the cherished words of God’s love in sending His Son, Jesus Christ as Savior. God’s Grace lifts our souls to worship! Salvation is a free gift and “Jesus paid it all!” Paul, in the Bible tells us that this the message is the only message that gives power to salvation (Romans 1 verses 16 17. Praise God for Preachers like that!)

However, then comes the shocker at the end of the message with the words: “Believe in Jesus Christ and "turn from your sin!” It is like ice cold shower over your head! A message of Grace turned sour.  From there on it is not, any longer a Gospel message, but rather a message of human origin and confuses non-believers as well as believers! We go home condemned with heads hanging down.

Let's remember that the Greek word for the English word “Repent” has the connotation of  "changing one’s mind" (in relation to Jesus death and resurrection) God never requires from us have to “turn from sin” to be saved. It is impossible! We just have to turn to Him. Otherwise, how many sins do we have to turn from? 100%, 50% or 10%?

Why, after all, did Jesus Christ have to die? It was required by the Law that the “Righteous” has to die for the unrighteous. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins and was raised from death to prove his transaction. That is the requirement of living with God forever in Heaven! Sin is not the real issue any longer. Sin does not have to be redeemed again. The issue now is if we are ready to “yield” to God's message of liberation of sin and start living new lives. After Salvation Holiness is the issue. The message after trusting Jesus Christ as Savior is not whether we want to continue to work for our salvation, but rather if we are willing to yield to God’s commands. The more we yield, the more we will (sooner of later) turn from sin. We cannot "turn from sin" before God's Holy Spirit comes into our lives.  We don’t work for our salvation any more. We, work out our salvation!

A person, who trusts Jesus as Savior will sooner or later hopefully turn from sin more and more as mature Christian. That goes without saying. But to tell people that they must trusting Jesus as Savior and believe in Him and then also to “turn their sin” is destructive and confusing preaching that will save nobody. One of the the reason we don't see too many authentic Christians today is because people have been misguided and have never experienced God’s Grace to Salvation. I even wonder how many "Christians" are really "born again believers"). Many are too are controlled by the defeat in trying to stop sinning. There has not really been any change in their hearts.

We are so concerned about this issue of “turning from sin” that many of us seem to almost worship it. We give Satan too much power to confuse seekers and already believers alike. We have to “Repent"!” (change our minds) about the issue and start majoring on God’s act of Grace instead.

We cannot justify “believe and turn from sin” as requirement for receiving God's Salvation!. It saves nobody. It is a shallow message that makes non-believers, as well as, already believers confused and but push them back to pre-salvation shackles. 

Why is it so hard for us to talk about this issue? Sometimes I even wonder if we understand each others. It is not a question about “easy-believism.” Some believe this "Grace message"message will not  make genuine Disciples of Christ to fill our churches and pay the bills.. Well, sad to say the message of “believe and turn from sin!”will keep unsaved people as unsaved as they have ever been.

As I re-visited Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son (Gospel of Luke 15) something hit me. There we read of the battle between a younger son who had squandered everything his father gave him and an older son who faithfully had served his father during the absent of his brother. The prodigal son received love and compassion at returning to home while the older son got jealous over the father’s pouring out of grace toward his "bad" brother.

Listen to the words of the father to the older dissatisfied son: “You have always been with me, and everything I have is yours.” These words should have defused any jealousy. They convey the truth that as long as the son resides in his father’s presence he could have enjoyed “everything” that is belongs to his father. Instead of dissatisfaction the older son should be elated over his Father's Care and love for Him!

You and I, as believers in Jesus Christ, have the same privilege of always being with God, our Heavenly Father! Today everything that is the Father’s is ours. There is no cause for jealousy or discomfort. The fact is that “in the presences of God there is joy and eternal pleasure.”  (Psalm 16:33).

God wants to fill you, right now, with “greater joy than when the grain and new wine abound” (Psalm 4: 7). We can at this very minute and always “gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple” (Psalm 27:4)

In the Old Testament God’s Holy Spirit fell on individuals for power and wisdom. The Holy Spirit was “with” people. But since the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit indwells the child of God through the new birth. The Holy Spirit (the presence of God) is not just “with” us, but also “in” us. When this happens we will understand that:                                                                                                                                                                    God is in us                                                                                                                                                We will love him                                                                                                                                         God will show Himself to us.                                                                                                                      God will make His home with us .(John 14: 7-23)  

Isn’t that the reason why we sing ”..and He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own.”

Some people try to convince us that “the best is yet to come” in reference to the future life in Heaven. But today I will challenge you with the words: “The best is not yet to come..the best is here right now!” Today, right now, if you are a child of God, you have the privilege to live in God’s Presence.

“We are the Temple of the Living God. “I will live with them and walk among them and I will be their God and they will be my people” 2 Corinthians 6: 16

A friend of mine sent me this text written by Jack Kelley of gracethrufaith.com and I want to share it with you......

“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Cor. 6:12)

I get a fair amount of email from people who are seriously troubled by “low level bondage”. What I mean by that term is that they’ve taken something that most would consider a fairly minor thing and either by themselves or with some “help” from friends have become totally obsessed over it. One bites her finger nails, another is overly jealous, still another refuses to look at a woman at all for fear of having a lustful thought. Over eating, smoking, coarse language and “out of control” anger are among other common subjects.

The thing that makes these obsessions the most dangerous is that often the people afflicted by them begin to feel as though they’ve offended God by not being able to quit. This can lead to feelings of unworthiness that create problems in their Spiritual Life. They become more and more reluctant to pray about their obsessions and may even start avoiding church because they’re ashamed to be in God’s presence.

Arrogance and Fear

It’s been said that the only two possible outcomes of a life under the law are arrogance and fear. The one who becomes arrogant actually begins to think he doesn’t need a Savior. People like this are the modern day Pharisees. They murder the Messiah in their minds by denying their need for Him. The people I’m referring to above have gone to the other extreme. They have an unhealthy fear of the Lord, as if after showing His love by dying for them, He’s ready and waiting to punish every act of disobedience now that they’re His.

In both cases their quest for obedience began with wanting to please Him by acting in the manner He desires, but somewhere along the way this healthy desire became perverted into an obsession. Their joy was stolen and their victory became a defeat. You can guess how this happens. Convincing us we need to earn our position before God is a classic ploy of the enemy, and he uses it to great advantage in getting us to defeat ourselves.

When Jesus said that anger is as bad as murder and lustful thinking is as bad as adultery in Matt. 5, He wasn’t so much condemning people who get angry or experience lust, as explaining how easy it is to break the Commandments. His point was that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, the most obsessive people in the world where the law was concerned, we will never see the Kingdom. They thought that if they avoided taking any action, no matter how small, that would violate the Law, they could be righteous enough to save themselves. But He said that just thinking about a violation was enough to condemn them. So how do we attain a righteousness that exceeds theirs? By being just as obsessive as they were? No, by having the very righteousness of God imputed to us by faith. (Romans 3:21-24)

So, by saying, “Everything is permissible for me,” Paul was telling us that we’ve been freed from the Pharisaical need to micro manage our lives in constant fear of breaking the Law. When he continued, “But I will not be mastered by anything,” he meant that no behavior would get the best of him or dominate his life. That can be viewed in two ways. If you’re totally given over to a certain behavior, then it has mastered you. But you’ve also been mastered if your life is consumed by an obsessive attempt at avoiding the behavior.

Who Did That?

Paul also spoke about this in Romans 7. He said, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” (Romans 7:18-20)

In his mind, Paul had a desire to live in a manner pleasing to the Lord, but in his body he couldn’t always carry it out, even though “I beat my body and make it my slave.”. (1 Cor. 9:27) It ‘s because of a defect we all have that he called his sinful nature. This defect will always trip us up. As someone once put it, “We aren’t sinners because we sin, we sin because we’re sinners.” Our sin nature insures that the more we worry about doing something wrong, the more likely we are to do it.

Paul concluded with, “So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”(Romans 7:21-25)

This was an incredible realization for one so thoroughly schooled in the Law. It means that Paul recognized that he was in a constant battle with himself, and as far as outward appearances are concerned he would always lose. But once he received and accepted our Lord’s death as payment for his sins, the measure of his success would be in his intent, not just his behavior.

Here’s how to tell the difference. “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”(Romans 8:5) Is our mind set on satisfying the needs of our sinful nature? Is that what we begin each day desiring? Or do we wake up in the morning with a desire to please God? It’s the dominant thought in our mind that matters, the intent of our heart, and only the Lord can determine that.

This is why Paul told the Corinthians, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” (1 Cor. 4:5) And the Colossians, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.” (Col. 2:16)

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly”. (John 10:10) Does walking around with your head down for fear of looking at a woman, or kicking yourself all over creation for giving in to a craving, or being ashamed to show your face in church sound like the abundant life to you?

If obsessing over a certain kind of behavior will actually increase the probability of that behavior manifesting itself, and if it’s the intent of our heart that really matters anyway, doesn’t it make sense to take the emphasis off the behavior and place it on making sure the intent of our heart is right? Doing this accomplishes two good things. It will restore our relationship with God, helping us to regain our victory, and it will make the manifestation of the behavior less likely by depriving it of its importance. Once we’ve done that, we’ll be able to see the less and less frequent behavioral slip-ups for what they are, slip-ups, not like us, departures from our norm. And like Paul learned to do, and God always has done, we’ll be able to say, “It’s no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

That realization will place our feet back on the path to victory and restore our joy as we see that we’re neither being mastered by the behavior nor by the fear of it. Realizing that by His once for all time sacrifice, He has forgiven us for all the sins of our life, we’ll finally be able to forgive ourselves as well.

As we do, that original joy of our salvation will return and we’ll long to be in His presence again. As we delight ourselves in the Lord, He’ll give us the desire of our heart, to live a life pleasing to Him. (Psalm 37:4) Selah

The issue about how a person is made accepted by God’s perfection has been debated throughout the ages. The issue has been if salvation is by God’s Grace alone or has to do with any human effort. Since it cannot be done by both it must be either purely by God’s  Grace entirely or by some means of man’s work of righteousness.

Protestants have traditionally been on the side of “salvation by faith” ever since the break-off from the Catholic tradition. However, today we see a steady draw toward a change of mind among the traditional protestants to change back to a message of God’s salvation by good works.

The Bible requires “repentance” to have God’s salvation. The question is, however if that term “repentance” mean a “turning from sins” or just a “change of mind” about sins?” The Greek word for the English word “repentance” is “change of mind” and nothing more. Because of this the opponents to salvation by God’s Grace alone point out that the requirement for salvation must be “repentance for sins.” In other words, the idea has now changes toward the idea that man has to “turn from sin” to be saved.

1.       First of all, no good works can give us eternal life forever with God in Heaven. We know that from bible verses like Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9. The clear teaching of the Bible is that humans can only be “saved by “God’s Grace”

2.       Secondly, the Scripture is also clear about gaining God’s salvation is by God’s Grace “through faith” in Jesus Christ. There are more than 100 bible verses that clearly say that faith is the only requirement for salvation. Just think of John 3: 16!

Those two points should be enough to settle the score. However many people cannot accept that simple message of faith alone and therefore try to do anything to add good works for salvation.

Let’s be clear. Salvation has to do with God’s Grace alone since no person can produce a human righteousness that is accepted by entrance to Heaven. Our ‘human righteousness” can just do so much, but since “God’s righteousness” never can be reached by any of us, God decided to put all of us humans on the same level. None of us can ever reach God’s perfection. We are all sinners according to Romans 3: 23.

In other words,” repentance of sin”, meaning “ a “turning from sin” would never cut it.

So, then where do the “good works” fit in the equation of salvation? It is added after salvation by God’s Grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Good human works are a result of having received Jesus Christ as Savor. Too many people put the wagon before the horse here. Good works will never save us, but it is rather a result of salvation. This is the clear message of Paul’s letter to the Galatians.

This is why God tells us that we can know that we have eternal life with God here and in Heaven according to 1 John 5: 13. That is why a person who trusts in Jesus as Savior can have confidence in his/her Christian life according to the entire first letter of John in the New Testament.

The Book of Hebrews points this out, too! It’s message to the Christians is to go forward in the Christian walk! Never to go backwards! Don’t try to lay the foundation of salvation again. It is already laid there, since Jesus Christ has already died and been raised from the death. It’s message is simply; The power of sin is broken and because of that live out your Christian life in a new Christian lifestyle! Jesus died once and for all and that is it! If a person  are able to “lose his/her salvation” that means that Jesus death was not enough. There is only one salvation done! If there was a chance to lose that salvation Hebrews chapter 6 tells us that we can never, again be saved. In other words; “Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe”

Paul, the logical theologian explained this message in the Book of Romans. He lays the groundwork for the reason of why God Himself had to provide a salvation for humans. After his clear explanation he asks the question( Romans 6: 1-); “if God has done all this for us in and through Jesus Christ does that mean that we should live as we want”(my own words). And his answer is “No way!  That is, how can any person who really understand God’s Grace in giving us eternal life through simple faith, turn away from Him in disobedience?” Paul says it is illogical to think that way! If God died for me, how can I turn away from him? I owe my life to Him. Going backwards is not the answer! But going forward is the only spiritual healthy response!

So, if Jesus’ death and resurrection is not enough for our salvation then we have a problem. Calvary and the open grave are the only events that can save us. It was so terrible hard for Jesus to provides salvation for us, but, praise the Lord that our responsibility is a simple faith and trust in Him as Savior.

When we once have become children of God, by faith and having trusted in Jesus Christ, as our satisfying payment for sins we can indeed start living as Christians. And it is essential that we start expressing that Christian life through our words and actions.

How important it is to be simple in our explaining this Gospel in simple terms, so that unbelievers understand to trust in God’s grace rather than to confuse them with a message of God’s grace muddled with good works that can never and will never save anyone. Too many unbelievers think that they have to turn from sin to be saved, because they hear it more and more in our Christian churches. It is a false Gospel that never saves any one!

www.simplefaith.us

Been brought up in a caring humanistic/socialistic Swedish family, I knew well, that life is more than just breathing air and drinking water and eating bread. I intuitively understood that God created humans and had a plan for people even like me. From boyhood I have always had a desire to let God work in my life and soon He opened up a warm church in my hometown of Anderstorp. At 14 I fell on my knees asking God for forgiveness invited Him into my life as Savior the best I knew how. This experience did not change my lifestyle too much since I already was quite a “good behaved” young man. However, after that experience, I knew for sure, that I was to be a pastor and plans were drawn up to start studying to become a pastor after graduating from college. At age 20, just 2 weeks before starting study in Stockholm when, out of the sky, I was struck with a serious eye accident. After five weeks in hospital, my dreams were scattered, but God, in His wisdom, introduced me to a family from Florida, visiting Swedish relatives, and this family offered me one free year of Bible College in Florida. Just a half a year later, I found myself in a new family setting in a new country, being deeply involved in studies of the Bible. After four more years of studies, I also knew clearly what the Christian Message is mainly about - God provided Jesus Christ to die for my sin, took my personal guilt on Himself, forgave me my sin, and gave me freedom to fully live for Him. Since then, I know for sure that I am going to Heaven when I die. Not because I am a "good boy" or "bad boy", but because I trusted in Him personally as my Savior.Now, I am on an adventure to live out my life in the community where I live, so that others will see Jesus Christ in and through my life. Now, Jesus is not just my Savior who died and paid my sin burden, but also my Lord whom I want to obey. All this, of course, has changed my way of thinking and turned into a new life-style. After studies at Bible College I went back to Sweden with then, my new wife Diana and we lived there 13 years, serving God as supported missionaries and served churches. Since then God has let me pastor different church traditions here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

A Warning Cry! For Christians and especially for those who preach God's Word!

One of the foremost reasons why I published my two books “Simple Faith” and “Authentic Faith” is that I wanted them to become a warning cry for Christians and non-Christians alike. Not just for ordinary men and women like you and me, but more so for those of us who speak on behalf of God from the church pulpits. Too may time, if not continually, I hear pastors, preachers and priests confusing the issue of what the requirement of God’s Salvation is. I hear words like “repentance”, as a requirement, meaning willingness to turn from sins before coming to Christ. Other times, you hear real good Biblical messages; how we are to live in accordance to God’s Word. But then at the end of the sermons you still wonder what the first requirement for this Christian life is. Preachers will use words like “turn from your sins” and “change your life-style” to become Christians. There is so much confusion.

First, repentance from sin is something that follows trusting Jesus as Savior. Secondly, the word “repentance” has the the meaning of changing one’s mind. (Instead of believing that good works saves us, we change our minds to believe that salvation is a completely free gift of God.) We never turn from sin in order to become followers of Jesus. Rather, we can only turn from our sin after we have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior! In order for any changes to happen we have to start trusting Jesus as Savior and then we can talk about life changes!

If you are a Pastor and read this, please use my books to challenge you . And please, please however Biblical minded you sermons are, be sure to end your service by making the Gospel clear and give the listener a chance to come to Jesus, by trusting him. After that message, Gods Holy Spirit will keep on challenging believers to change their life-styles! Just like He did with you and me By the way, how many of us turned from our sins when we came to Jesus? And how many did we have to turn from?

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” 

Romans 1: 16, 17

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