God's commandments show us how to love and are not burdensome (1 John 5:3). The apostle Paul said that love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:9-10). Jesus Christ summarized the whole law as love for God and man (Matthew 22:37-40). Christ also said those seeking eternal life should keep the Ten Commandments and He listed several of them as examples (Matthew 19:17-19).
James called God's law a royal law and a law of liberty (James 2:8, 12). The psalmist loved and meditated on God's law�it gave him wisdom and understanding�it was sweet to him (Psalm 119). The apostle Paul called it holy, just and good and spiritual (Romans 7:12, 14). The heart of the New Covenant is that God's laws will be written on our hearts and minds (Hebrews 10:16).
What happens when we disobey the law?
The Bible calls this sin (1 John 3:4). As obedience brings blessings, disobedience naturally brings curses (Deuteronomy 28). All unhappiness, misery, anguish and woe have come from transgressing God's law. Sin leads to death and, sadly, we have all sinned (Romans 6:23; 3:23). God hates sin so much that He made the penalty for sin death. But He loves us so much He let His Son pay that awesome penalty for us (John 3:16).
What about grace?
Grace is undeserved favor that we receive from God, and it includes the gift of forgiveness. We deeply appreciate God's grace and forgiveness, made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Law and grace are both wonderful gifts of God. Law shows us the wretchedness of our putrid evil sins and points us to repentance and forgiveness through God's grace. Grace leads us to utter appreciation for our holy and merciful God and to a deepening desire to be like Him. How? By doing what He says�obeying His law of love in its full spirit and intent.
Paul taught that salvation is a gift from God by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). The Greek word for "grace" is charis, meaning a gift or favor. In the New Testament it can refer either to God's gift of mercy or to His gracious favor.
Paul makes it clear throughout his writings that God's grace leading to salvation is "not of works, lest anyone should boast" (verse 9). But Paul's overall perspective toward Christian works is generally ignored by opponents of obedience to God's law.
Look at Paul's perspective in the next verse. "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (verse 10). Those who ignore the reasons for our being God's "workmanship," who ignore why we are "created in Christ Jesus for good works" and why we are to "walk" in them, miss a major part of Paul's message.
Notice Paul's correlation of obedience and works related to salvation to God's work within us, which enables us to accomplish His purpose in us. "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13).
Certainly forgiveness and salvation are gifts from God. They cannot be earned. As humans we possess nothing of sufficient value to pay for the forgiveness of our sins and our salvation. Yet Jesus bluntly tells us that "unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, 5). Through repentance we do not earn salvation, but repentance is a prerequisite for salvation.
Repentance is simply turning away from sin, forsaking lawless behavior (1 John 3:4). We can't receive the Holy Spirit and be converted unless we are willing to repent and live as law-abiding people (Acts 2:38).
Faith is another prerequisite for salvation. We read that "without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6). We must be "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith . . ." (Romans 3:24-25). But simply because faith is required by God doesn't mean we earn salvation by having faith.
Neither do we earn salvation through works, God clearly expects faith and obedience in those to whom He will extend the gift of eternal life. Those who oppose obedience to God's laws choose to emphasize certain statements Paul makes and totally ignore others that clarify his intent.
Paul's discussion of faith and works in Romans 3 is one such passage. In verse 28 we read, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law." Paul is talking about justification: Christ's death covering our previous transgressions. He is showing that we could never earn forgiveness.
But that has nothing to do with the way we are supposed to live. It has no bearing whatsoever on the importance of God's law as the guide to our behavior. Paul is talking only about how "sins that were previously committed" can be "passed over" (verse 25) so we can get on with our lives as obedient servants of God.
To make sure we understand this, Paul says in verse 31, "Do we then make void the law through faith?
Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law."
Paul wants us to understand that he is not even hinting that God's law was voided or abolished. On the contrary, without the law we would have no way of understanding what sin is or is not because "by the law is the knowledge of sin" (verse 20). Remember, for sin to exist there has to be law because "sin is lawlessness" (1 John 3:4).
Therefore, Paul is saying that the concept of God's "grace" or forgiveness establishes that His law is still in effect and that sin is breaking that law. God's grace through faith requires a law that defines the sins that are to be forgiven. So, repeating Paul, "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law."
Galatians 3:25~"Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law"
Romans 7:6~"But now,by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code"
There you go firstfruit : two witnesses (you know what I mean if you are a Old Testament scholar)
THE OLD COVENANT IS TO SPIRITUALLY DEAD PEOPLE, AND THE NEW COVENANT IS TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME AGAIN TO THE NEWNESS OF LIFE, UNDER THE LAW OF LOVE, THE OLD WAS NOT ABOLISHED.
