Promises and Secrets

Promises and SecretsPromises and Secrets

A website for those not afraid to examine their beliefs, compare them to the real world, and make sure they fit.



Response to the Law discussion

VIEWPOINT



Any claims to the effect that the law has no bearing on the Christian life must accept that Paul, John, and even Jesus, must then be liars. These men all say that the law is still in effect and that you can lose your salvation if you willingly practice disobedience to the will of God.

FACT



People have different ideas about relationships with the Father , the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Some say the law of God is still in effect for Christians, some say it has no bearing on the Christian life at all.


BLUE VIEWPOINT



Well, I appreciate the fact that the pastor at least is taking a stand for his beliefs. Let's take a look at each of these statements, as we did when we had our five-hour long discussion.

The law remains, so that proves it's gone?

His first statement lists Romans 3:31
Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

as a partial proof of the fact that the law is now gone. Being only a layman and not a seminary college graduate myself, this statement still appears to me to be a confusing way to start off a defense for a stand that says the law does not apply to Christians - at least those who Paul refers to as faithful believers. The only question seems to be, how can you, a Christian, uphold something that is "not there" for Christians?

"The law only applies to sinners, so it doesn't apply to us", unless we sin...which we do...

Perhaps one of the following statements can get us there. The second statement appears on the surface to be a qualifier for Paul's statement, using 1 Timothy 1:8-11
8We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9We also know that the 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, 10for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers - and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

. But, if this is supposed to be a statement that Paul may have a problem with the law, what about Acts 24:14
14However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets,

? And, 1 Timothy 1 verse 8 is what the pastor quotes. Now, in my world, if you use a law properly, you do what it says. If the law says 35 mph, then you drive 35 mph. If God's law says do not steal, you don't steal. How else can you use the law properly? If the law says remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, you remember it and keep it holy. How else can you do what the pastor said in his response? In order to be one who is "UPHOLDING THE LAW, LAWFULLY", you must obey the law.

Our discussion revealed that the pastor's intent here was to show that, since we accepted the gift of Christ, we are no longer able to sin because we are not under the law. Now, according to the passage that the pastor used for using the law properly, the law is only for those who are lawbreakers.

However, this seems an odd approach since the first verse of Galatians Chapter 6 (Galatians 6:1
1Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

), the very book he had me read to prove his point that the law is gone, shows that not only can a Christian brother still sin, but that we must be careful not to be tempted to fall into that same sin when we try to gently restore them. Also, according to 1 John 3:4
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

, an act of sin is called breaking the law, or "lawlessness". So, how do you gently restore them? Remind them of the law, rebuke them, allow them to repent, and then forgive them (Luke 17:3
3So watch yourselves. "If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them."

).

Now, continuing this thought a little further, is there a sin that you can commit that is not a breaking of the law? If not, and if John and Paul agree that one can still sin after accepting the gift of Jesus Christ, then how do you define sin if the law is gone (or worse, is still there but doesn't apply to Christians)?

"The law only identifies sin, so we don't need it...unless we sin...but we can't sin now."

The third statement actually states the purpose of the law - to make us aware of our sin (Romans 7:7
7What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."

). And then Galatians 3:23-26
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. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

26So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,

is quoted by the pastor to somehow explain that once we are shown by our guardian how to live in the world (identify sin and stay away from it), we can stop living that way. Whatever happened to the concept of Proverbs 22:6
6Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

? Isn't that what Paul was trying to encourage in 1 Corinthians 13:11
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

? How can we justify, by misusing Biblical references, the abandonment of our training instructions given by the same Book?

I guess that means that now that we have identified what sin is, we don't have to be reminded to stay away from it, and we can ignore any warning message if we don't stay away. Then, how is it that we think we can disobey God and do the things He has always said not to do and not do what He said to do - all without penalty? (Think Sabbath, Easter, Christmas, diet...) Oh, that's right. If we claim it isn't sin now (it used to be, but not any more), then we can do it, no matter what God has said. Doing it won't save us anyway, so why bother?

Practice makes perfect...

Some do say that the law is for practicing sinners who just keep on breaking the law, not just break it once in a while. I tend to agree with this assessment, but we have to be careful here. How do you identify the sin if there are no guidelines (law)? How many times can you deliberately, knowingly, go against the will of God before it starts to count against you?

A practicing sinner is one who continues in sin while often denying that it is even sin (Sabbath, Easter, Deuteronomy 12:4
You must not worship the LORD your God in their way.

...). For him, disobedience is not sin for the Christian who has no law to measure by. This seems to be the way out for the pastor and those he teaches. If we merely claim that an act cannot be a sin if no law exists to identify it as sin, then we are home free. Everyone gets to go to heaven, at least according to those who hold this "freedom in Christ" view. However, this view works only if we get to define how to identify sin, and deny that "sin is lawlessness". Then, and only then, can we say that we cannot lose our salvation. What happens if we are wrong in our definition of sin? I'll stick to the Biblical definition - 1 John 3:4
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

. That way I can be certain that I'm not cheating.

"We have the righteousness of Christ..." Well, we can become it...

The fourth statement listed uses 2 Corinthians 5:21
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (emphasis added)

, with a little twist, to convince us that we have the righteousness of Christ already. However, if you read if for what it actually says, you will see that we can become the righteousness of Christ (Philippians 3:12
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

). We don't already have it, we have some processing to do before we get there. Yeah, yeah, I can hear you all the way over here. There is nothing we can do to gain Christ's righteousness. So, what does this passage mean? It sure doesn't say that we automatically already have it, but that we receive it through true faith and obedience. And if we don't have it yet, how is it that we can't lose it?

Even Romans 3:19-31
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood - to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

speaks of the value of the law, but also states that without faith, it will do you no good. Your faith will allow you to use the law as a guide rather than think of it as a Savior. In verse 27, Paul speaks of the "law that requires faith". Has our common interpretation that "the law is gone" removed the need of that law as well? And what does "have faith" mean but to trust that the One of your faith knows what is best for you? That trust means that you will live according to the Spirit and not break the law (sin).

We died to...what?

The fifth statement combines several verses to make a statement, but they are trimmed and translated in a way to change the meaning. Let's look a little closer. Romans 6:3-4
3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.

supposedly tells us that we died and have been released from the law. Well, look closer. If you back up two verses and see what the whole passage
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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.

is about, we were supposed to have died to sin (Romans 6:2
By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

), and because we no longer continue to sin, the law is no longer looming over us. What does that mean if you continue in a life of sin? You are not under the law unless you break it, then you owe the penalty required by the law.

We died to the "freedom to sin"

That does not mean that we can then continue to sin and remain out from under the law. That new life we live is to be free from sin, not free from any compliance to the law. Once we no longer have any part in sin, we will follow the Spirit and no longer sin. Kind of like having our speeding ticket paid for us. We can't just go out and keep speeding while expecting the law to ignore us, but until we break it again, the law no longer has any interest in us (we are no longer under it's control). The point is that we cannot gain eternal life through obedience to the law as we keep the law because we are saved, not in order to be saved. That's where the next passage, Romans 7:1-6
1Do you not know, brothers and sisters - for I am speaking to those who know the law - that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
4So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

he uses comes in.

Oh, we can still sin, we are just advised against it

The trouble here is the way the passage is taken, totally outside the context of the discussion up to this point. So far, we have seen that the Christian can still deliberately disobey God, that is through "lawlessness" (remember 1 John 3:4
4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

), and that Christians can still sin (Galatians 6:1
1Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

). If you look at it with the the following verses (1 John 3:4-6
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

) included, it puts in context the meaning of Romans 7:1-6
1Do you not know, brothers and sisters - for I am speaking to those who know the law - that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
4So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

. Now, if you take these passages in 1 John 3 and in Romans as written, they speak to keeping the meaning of the law as it is written in our hearts ("No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning"), and not through the legalistic observance of the letter of the law ("we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code").

The context of Romans 7:1-6 is explained well by the Matthew Henry Bible Commentary, describing Paul's passages as speaking of the differences between following the law as a means of salvation and obedience as a part of the covenant of grace in Christ. They describe the union with Christ as:

"We enter upon a life of dependence on him, and duty to him. Good works are from union with Christ; as the fruitfulness of the vine is the product of its being united to its roots;"

You cannot separate good works from a Christian by telling him that there is nothing he can do. Even worse, by telling him that he is already saved and there is nothing he even should try to do. What about our good works? Doesn't Matthew 5:16
16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

tell us to do good works?

However, some evidently take 1 John 3:4-6
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

passage to mean that once you accept the gift of Christ, it is not even possible to "keep on sinning", when it clearly means that we "will not voluntarily keep on sinning". To take this to mean that the law is gone is to call John a liar when he says "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness." Even Galatians 6:1
1Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

tells us how to handle a Christian sinner by restoring to their former state by showing them how to live in the Spirit. That word "restore" means to get them back where they once were - obedient to the Spirit and the law. You just can't have the law mean nothing and everything at the same time.

Did the Bible writers find a way to sneak one in?

Now, the third verse mentioned in the fifth comment by the pastor will cause some to hesitate, but reading the actual text of the passage in context with the rest of the Bible will explain it better than most pastors who interpret it in a way that conflicts with the rest. 2 Corinthians 3:3-11
3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 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 Spirit gives life.

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

is describing the difference between the glory of the original law in stone and the much greater glory of the same law expressed under the grace of Christ through the Holy Spirit. That reference is clear in the phrase "not of the letter but of the Spirit" which link to the letter and Spirit of the law. Where the law written in stone was harsh and demanding, the law dispensed through the grace of the Holy Spirit takes into account our faith in Christ which the law in stone could never do. When we try to live apart from a life of sin, we are covered.

If we, even as "Christians", deliberately continue in sin, the letter of the law will take over, leading to death. Oops, back under the law again. If this were not the case, then it would be impossible for a believer to sin, which several Biblical passages show is not the case. The law is still our guide to identify the right path with the prompting of the Holy Spirit. To interpret the passage otherwise is to call many Biblical authors liars - Paul, John, from quotes above, and Peter (2 Peter 2:20-22
20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud."

). Why would we be told and warned about something that supposedly cannot happen?

Making it mean what it doesn't say

Now, we haven't yet covered the last of the pastor's comments, number 6. He uses the phrase "We who are righteous (in Christ) now operate in the (Holy) Spirit.", as though this means that we Christians cannot sin because we are no longer "under the law". However, He turns right around and uses Romans 8:1-8
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

which tells us to live by the Spirit and stop sinning. This is a continuation of Ezekiel 36:24-27
24 " 'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.' "

, when God speaks to Israel and tells them that He will one day (today) "put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." This is the same Holy Spirit we now receive because the dividing wall has been removed between the Israelites and the Gentiles, and that Spirit has the same job for both Jews and Gentiles.

Getting it wrong over and over does not somehow make it right

The pastor lists Galatians 5:16-25
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

, a rehash of the same concept, as is Ephesians 2:11-18
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (which is done in the body by human hands) - 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

, Romans 8:26-29
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

, and Ephesians 5:1-2
1 Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

. I make a special note for his reference to Ephesians 5:15-18
15 Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,

, where, like in all the other verses, Paul admonishes Christian people to be careful how to live their lives. He doesn't pat them on the back and let them go on their way, any more than Christ did for those He helped. He then advised, "Go and sin no more." Why would He, or Paul, or John, or Peter do this if Christians cannot possibly sin any more after being saved? We need the law so the Spirit has a basis for His prompting.

OK, what does all this mean?

So, the proper conclusion that allows all the verses to flow with the rest of the Word can only be reached by following the statements made by two men very close to Christ:

1. Everyone who sins breaks the law. (1 John 3:4-6)

2. A brother can sin, but we should restore them gently. (Galatians 6:1)

3. We must be careful of the temptation to commit the same sin. (Galatians 6:1)

Therefore:
4. The law is still around to guide Christians who can still sin by breaking the law if they are not watchful.

If we were not to conclude this, then we are saying that Christians cannot sin regardless of their actions. That is a truly preposterous statement when compared to the writings of the most prominent men in the Bible.

"We are sinners, but we can no longer sin, so we aren't sinners, so we can go ahead and sin without penalty"

Now, the rest of the discussion that followed went where you would expect:

Pastor: If a Christian sins, then he was not really saved and therefore was not a fallen Christian. If he was a true Christian, then he would not have sinned, which means that he would have been following the Holy Spirit and would not break the law.

Glen: Then the law is there to be followed.

Pastor: No, the true Chrisitan follows the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Glen: So, he will stay within the bounds of the law and not sin.

Pastor: Right.

Glen: So, the Christian has the law to guide him.

Pastor: No, he is not under the law.

Glen: But, he is under the law if he breaks it.

Pastor: No, the Christian cannot break a law he is not under.

Glen: Unless he does, then he is under it again, but then he never was a Christian?

Pastor: Exactly!

"It says that, but, that's not what it means..."

Now, while this may not be a word-for-word translation of our talk, that is exactly the way it went. References to the Bible were flung back and forth, but any that could be taken as a contradiction to other verses by same or other authors in the Bible were discounted as not pertinent to the discussion. When the pastor would quote a verse, or tell me to read the book of Galatians, I would use a verse from the same book that countered him, but was told that it did not contradict him.

An example is his using the whole book of Galatians to prove that the law is gone for Christians, which I countered with statements by Paul (Galatians 6:1
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

, 1 John 3:4
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

, Matt 5:17
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

, Romans 3:31
31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

). His response was to use the same verses to "prove" that we are no longer under the law. He said we have to use the law correctly (1 Tim 1:8-11
8We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9We also know that the 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, 10for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers - and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

), but that claiming a Christian can sin is preposterous. And this after he knows what it says in Galatians 6:1
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

. His stand? Yes, breaking the law is sin, but Christians cannot break the law, otherwise, they were not Christians to begin with.

The "only" perfect church - impossible to fail

Can you see it? According to his stand, it's impossible for the pastor to be wrong. The argument is that once you claim to believe in Christ, you can no longer sin or be put, or even put yourself, into a position to fail - period. The trouble with this view is that all churches believe that they are the only ones doing it right in order to be saved. And most of them believe that they do not have to obey God in order to be saved because they exempt themselves when they claim to believe because Jesus has forgiven every sin they will ever commit.

"We're right!" "No, WE are!" "No, you're both wrong, we are right!"

One serious problem I have with this idea can be summed up in this way:

Consider the churches who accept practicing gays as leadership for the church. If a gay person comes to Christ, repents, and forsakes the sin of homosexuality, they are saved, right? That is not really true because salvation is not received until Christ returns (Hebrews 9:28
28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

), but let's assume that was a true statement. Based on that, and other Biblical statements, will that person who continues as a practicing homosexual enter the kingdom of Christ and God? According to John, Paul, and Peter, NO, they will not enter that holy realm:
15Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:15)

9Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

19Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, cdivisions, 19envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

5For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:5)

9understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, (1 Timothy 1:9)

14Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. (2 Peter 2:20)

These verses say that those who do not strive for holiness will not be there. Homosexuality is unholy and detestable to God. Practicing gays will not be there. How does this fit with the pastor's statements?

According to him, one of two things is true: 1) these educated, Bible-reading, Christ-believing, church-shepherding people were never Christians, so they never had salvation to lose or 2) if they were genuine in their repentance, became "saved", and then fell back into their gay lifestyle, then they cannot lose that salvation. But, since he feels that once you are saved there is nothing you can do to lose it, he must also believe that "Christian" homosexuals will be allowed in. Peter disagrees (2 Peter 2:20
20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.

). If you find Christ, get "saved", and then go back to the same life, you are no longer saved. What else can "worse off at the end than they were at the beginning" mean? The pastor's stand is a fundamental contradiction. You can't have it both ways.

Everyone can't be right

The only thing to do now is try to figure out which one of these "only true churches" is right. They can't all make it because they all believe something different, and most of them believe something that contradicts God's word, and there is only one narrow path.

As far as we can tell from the Bible, there is only one real church of Christ. The trouble is, all these other churches say you cannot use the statements, as written, of the writers of the Bible to figure out who is right. That is, each will not accept the reading from the Bible until after they each revise the meaning of those statements to justify what they believe, even if that interpretation causes some glaring contradictions. Guess how that comes out, every time?


Disagree? Find an error? Contact us at gjohnsonjr@promisesandsecrets.com and give us your view.

Contact Us | Back to Top



Relationship Discussions ::

Response to the Law discussion
Revisionist History


contact


YELLOW VIEWPOINT



We value your input - it just might help another reader.

After reading all the main pages from this site, one pastor responded with the response below.

If you have faith in Jesus, the law has no use for you. The law is gone for the Christian.

Response from a Baptist pastor:

UPHOLDING THE LAW, LAWFULLY

I, along with the Apostle Paul, uphold the law. Rom 3:31

And how does Paul say to uphold the Law? He says the law is good IF we use it lawfully, properly. 1 Tim 1:8-11

The Law was given to make us aware of our sin. Rom 7:7
It was also given, having made us aware of our sin, to point us to the answer. Gal 3:23-26

Having then come to the answer, He, Christ, has become our sin and we have His righteousness. 2 Cor 5:21

Since we have died with Christ, Rom 6:3,4, we have died, and have been released from the Law, Rom 7:1-6, to serve in the newness of the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:3-11

We who are righteous (in Christ) now operate in the (Holy) Spirit by faith. Rom 8:1-8; Gal 5:16-25; Eph 2:11-18; Rom 8:26-29; Eph 5:1,2; 15-18.