Truth about Divine Healing

The Truth about Divine Healing.

*Is God Able to Heal?

Yes, He is Almighty God, He can do anything

*Is God Willing to Heal?

Yes, God is more than just Able, He is Willing, He is the Author and giver of Life Not sickness, a Loving Father. John 10:10

In the Old covenant, God put sickness on people who didnt' keep the law as an curse for their disobedience, under the New Covenant, Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the Law so that we are blessed and healed by faith. Galatians 3:10-14, Deut 28:1-2, 15-24, Hebrews 8:7-13; Roms 6:14; 7:1-6. We are living under the New Covenant now, the Covenant of Grace and a new dispensation. The Old covenant was faulty so God created a new one to relate to us.

Scriptures

Eph 2:8, saved is "Sozo" in the greek, inclusive of healing not just being saved from sin.

Notice the words used in these Scriptures- "All", "Everyone", "Every". 
Matt 4:23; 8:1-3,16-17; 12:15; 14:14,36; Luke 9:11, Acts 10:38, 3John 1:2, Isaiah 53:4-5, 1Peter 2:24, Romans 8:2, Mark 16:17-18, John 10:10, Exodus 23:25-26, 15:26

*Why is it important to know that God is Willing not just Able?

What you believe in your heart, determines how you live.

*Did Jesus ever reject anyone who came to Him for healing?

Luke 18:35-43

There is no record of anyone being rejected, infact, Jesus welcomes all who come to Him

*Then why are some believers are still sick even after prayer?
-they need to build their faith and renew their minds with God's Word, this maybe a process or period of time.
-they don't believe deep down in their hearts, that God wants to heal them. Mark 5:34.. According to their faith, so shall it be.

*Is healing a free Gift, or is it earned?
-Is salvation a free gift, or did you have to earn it? Just as salvation is a free gift not of works, so healing is a free gift. In the society we live in today, is so hard to understand what “free/Gift” means when there is so much strings attatched to every gift people give or do for us.

*Why is it, sometimes it seems its easier for an unbeliever to get healed rather than a believer?
James 4:6. Some believers think they have to earn, be good enough for God to heal them through their self-righteous instead of realising healing is a gift from God. This self-righteous is the very thing that can stop them from receiving from God and getting healed, because God resists the proud, gives grace to the humble. But the unbeliever already knows that they are not good enough to earn anything from God, so that healing has to come as an gift.

*Did Jesus ever made anyone earn their healing?

Jesus healed people simply because He is Adonai Rapha, The Lord is the Healer, simply because of Who He was.
Exodus 15:26....for I, the Lord, am your healer.”

Beyond the Tithe, Chapter by Michael Eaton

(The first part is my comments and title and then Michael’s document follows)

Dear friends, there have been many studies and teachings about tithing whether For or Against…

I believe as the Scriptures say the fact we know that we are free and not under the Mosaic Law. The Law and the Prophets was a shadow, but the Reality is found in Christ.

Col 2:17 these are only ¹ the shadow of the things to come, but the reality ² is Christ! ³

That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t read the Law of Moses i.e. the book of Leviticus or Deuteronomy, but we should read the Old Testament keeping in mind that we cannot fully understand the OT without the New Testament Scriptures and the introduction of Jesus the Messiah.

Most Christians will point out the reasons why we should tithe:

1) According to Mosaic Law

2) According to Abraham and Jacob

The first reason is invalid because we are not under the Mosaic Law, the second reason was completely voluntarily and lead by the Spirit not out of a command- so that means we simple do it whenever God leads us, not legalistically. The law of 10% only stirs up sin.

Some people might be going ‘whippee’ at this point and say, “Cool! I don’t have to give 10%!! I’ll just give 3%!”.  You give what you have decided in your heart, if its 5% this time, or 50% next time, its whatever you’ve decided in your heart to give.

2Cor 9:6-8

My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sowsgenerously  will also reap generously. Each one of you should give  just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly  or undercompulsion,  because God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace overflow  to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.

What most Christians don’t realise is that we as believers and partakers of the New Covenant, are so much more privileged than those who have gone before us under the Old Covenant.

We have a better sacrifice that is Jesus’ blood, not the blood of bulls and animals…

We have better promises and a better mediator

I believe that people living under Grace will give as they are being lead by the Holy Spirit than those living under the Old Covenant or Abraham’s days.

2 Cor 8:3 For I testify, they gave according to their means and beyond their means. They did so voluntarily,

Grace people on occasions will tithe, give 10% but more likely all the other times will  actually go beyond the tithe…

Grace people are empowered to do more than law people because of a change of heart, they are more priviliged under a better covenant!

Grace people are not bound by rules and laws and that bounds them, but are now free to stretch their wings and take faith risks which makes them actually enables to do more as their heart has been freed by love…

Nevertheless, the Christian is free to give or not to give and whatever amount God puts on their hearts they are not not pressured by man but give out of their hearts.

Please enjoy this document by Michael Eaton on Tithing!

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Chapter 23 Tithing (Malachi 3:7c-8)

As always happened when Malachi was preaching, the people responded with hostility. Most of them were quarrelsome and argumentative. Here it happens again. Malachi says: But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ (3:7c). But as always Malachi refuses to be intimidated. He answers their question! Should a person rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions (3:8).

Why does Malachi mention tithing? It is because it is a highly practical matter. The people have become careless about keeping the Mosaic law. One sin is being committed, it seems, by almost everyone in the nation. They are all withholding the ‘tithe’ – the tenth of their agricultural profit and of their flocks of animals that was to be given to God at the temple. The people were generally careless about the things of God, but this is something which is very sensitive (most people are touchy about wealth!).

What was ‘tithing’? It was the setting aside of a tenth of harvested crops and animals to be given to God (see Leviticus 27:30-33). In Leviticus we are told that it was required animals and crops that were grown in the land should be tithed (27:30). It effectively meant that one’s in come was subject to a ten per cent tax. The crops (but not the animals) could be given a money-value and the tithe paid in cash. If this was done 20% was added to the estimated value (27:31).

The tithe was very sacred. ‘All tithes … are the Lord’s; they are holy…’. Later on in the law fuller information was given. Numbers 18 refers to the same tithe. (The idea that there is a tithe of crops and animals and another tithe for Levites and maybe a third tithe for the poor – is surely mistaken). The tithe had to be given to the Levites (Numbers 18:21) – the sections of the tribe of Levi that were not priests. The tithe was to be given them as a salary instead of land (18:24).

Deuteronomy 14:22-29 is a further development of the legislation, forty years after its first mention in the law. It adds to and modifies the original law with a view to what will happen in the future. Deuteronomy 17:14-20 is explicitly looking forward to a future period in Israel’s history, and so looks forward to what will happen when there is a central national place of worship. The tithe was an annual matter. Deuteronomy 14:22 makes it explicit. Moses (i) takes it for granted that the annual tithe will be brought to a central sanctuary. (ii) He also takes it that in two out of three years the visit to the central sanctuary will be a special occasion. Deuteronomy 14:23 says ‘And you shall eat before Yahweh your God’. It does not say ‘You shall eat it’ (which might seem to refer to the whole tithe). In this context ‘eat’ has the idea of ‘celebrate’, ‘join in a religious meal together’. Most of the tithe would have been given to the Levites to use or give out according to the well-known legislation. But the people who have come a long way also ‘eat before Yahweh’ (the identical phrase is found in Deuteronomy 12:7). That is, they enjoy a meal in which they are celebrating together. However if they live a long way from the sanctuary they will not be able to do this easily. So they may turn the tithe into cash at the place where they live (14:24-25a). They they are to carry the cash to the central sanctuary (14:25b) and use it to buy what they are giving as tithe (14:26a). They have a family celebration with a little of the tithe (14:26b), and then give the vast majority of it to the sanctuary (14:27). The Levites will no longer be quite so needy as they were when they first settled in the land, so the bulk of the tithe will be given to the central sanctuary. Yet the Levites must not be forgotten altogether. If they are in need some of the tithe may still (as in the original legislation) be given to them (14:27). (iii) Moses also laid it down for the distant future that every third year the tithe would be used in a different way. Every third year the tithe is to be stored in the towns until it is completely brought together from the rural areas (14:28), and then it will be given to the Levites, foreigners, orphans and widows (14:29a). This – says Moses – will lead to blessing for the entire nation (14:29b). Any Levite who misused the tithe was liable to be executed (Deuteronomy 18:32b).

2. What was the origin of tithing? It began with Abraham and Jacob. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:20; Hebrews 7:6); and Jacob vowed to the Lord and said, ‘Of all that you give me I will surely give a tenth to you’. But it is important to note that this pre-Mosaic tithing was purely a matter of being led by the Holy Spirit. Abraham and Jocab tithed because at a time when they were close to God, and God was working powerfully in their hearts, they felt led to give a tenth of their possessions in this way. They were tithing in the Holy Spirit. Later on the tithe became a matter of law. Israel was under a tithe-legislation.

3. Is the Christian obliged to tithe his income? I answer ‘No’ and ‘Yes’! Strictly speaking the answer is ‘No, the Christian is not under the Mosaic law’. The Christian does not tithe as a matter of legislation. We have ‘died to the law’, and there is nowhere in the New Testament where we are told to tithe. Matthew 23:23 is telling those under the law to keep the law! It cannot be made into a command for post-Pentecost Christians. The New Testament speaks of proportional giving but it is not compelled like the tithe (2 Corinthians 8:8; 9:7). It was ‘according to means’ (8:11). This is not exactly tithing.

Israel was an earthly nation. The tithe was part of its state-law. There was a time when state-churches could demand a tithe of every citizen of a country. In Britain state-enforced tithing was not entirely abolished until 1936! Even today there is at least one country where the tithe can be collected from every citizen as part of its collecting the national taxes. Only those who exempt themselves are released from it. Certainly the Christian is not under the Mosaic law, and state-Christian-religion tends to have a corrupting influence on the purity and sincerity of the churches (to say nothing of its tendency to produce ‘Christians’ who persecute others). Is the Christian under a tithe law? No!

Yet this is not the whole story! The Christian has to give to the work of God. His or her giving is more like the tithing of Abraham and Jacob. They gave a tenth of what they had because that was the leading of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They were tithing by the Holy Spirit, not tithing by any legislation. Christians are not under the law; they are under the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit inspires giving! Another point is: if someone gave a tenth under the law, the movement from law to grace is a movement forward. A person who gave a tenth under the law would give even more – by the Holy Spirit. Whether this ‘proportional giving’ is called ‘tithing’ or not is unimportant. But there is no escaping the fact that when under the law, the believer was to give a tenth and the Holy Spirit is likely to inspire in the heart of the Christian the giving of even morethan a tenth, in the heart of the Christian. It is a good way to test whether we are walking in the Spirit! Are we under the law? No! But we fulfill the law – and go beyond it – by walking in the Holy Spirit. Christians do not tithe ‘Mosaically’. They surpass the tithe when they are walking in the Holy Spirit.

What is the New Covenant?

New Covenant

• What is Righteousness? 2 Corinthians 5:21
  • How do we get it?
    • Under Old Covenant Righteousness by the Law (Deut 6:25; Php 3:7-9))
      • Also called “Self-righteousness” (Romans 9:30-10:4)
      • The ability to attain Righteousness by Self
      • Our Righteous Acts are like Filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)
      • External keeping of the commandments produced external holiness
    • Under New Covenant, Rightousness by Faith
      • God’s Gift of Righteousness, a Righteous that is From God not from Man (Romans 1:17)The Righteous that is by Faith Apart from Works (Romans 4:6-8; Galatians 2:15-21)Jesus showed that Self-righteousness was impossible by expounding the Law internally (Matt 5:21-30)

        Messiah is the End of the Law, End to Self-Righteousness- (Romans 10:4)

        How did Jesus become Sin? Did He Sin? No!! He was tempted in All ways, yet without sin. (Heb 4:16)

        Jesus received our Sin as a Gift, so we received His Righteousness as a Gift not because of any righteous acts we’ve done.

  • God only sees One Righteousness-that is His Righteousness
  • Let’s Boast in God’s Righteousness not our own righteousness (1 Cor 1:22-23; 29-31; Jer 9:23-24)

  Is it the job of the Holy Spirit to make me feel guilty and point out my faults all the time? John 16:8-11

  • He will Convict the world wrong concerning Sin- because THEY/WORLD/UNBELIEVERS don’t believe in Me
    • Sin is in the Singular, the Sin of Unbelief. John 3:18,36; 8:24. Mark 16:16The Holy Spirit only makes unbelievers convinced, not the Church.How can the Holy Spirit convict you of your sin if God Remembers them No MOre? a double negative? is God confused? Hebrews 10:17-18

      Heb 10:2 “For the worshippers would have been cleansed Once and For All, and would No Longer have Felt Guilty for their Sins.”

    Concerning Righteousness, because I AM GOING TO THE FATHER

    • God will judge the world one day to see if they’ve received His Gift of Righteousness. Acts 17:31.Jesus was crucified to take the punishment of my sin, and He was raised to make me Right with God (Righteousness/Justification) Romans 4:23-25. 6:11. Jesus included my sinful nature in His death, when He rose from the dead He included me in His Resurrection, I was was raised with Him in Resurrection life and now I share in His Life, share His Righteousness- Right standing with God.The Holy Spirit will only Convict/Convince that you are God’s Righteousness. He will never point out your fault.

    Concerning Judgement, because the ruler of this world has been Condemned.

    • The only person that the Holy Spirit ‘makes’ feel guilty, or point out faults to is the devil.

    The devil is the one who makes you feel guilty and points out your faults all the time- he is the prosecutor at law. Revelations 12:10-11

    Do not mistake the devil to be the Holy Spirit

     

  What is the Law? 2Cor 3:6-11

  • The ten commandments, engraved by the finger of God
  • The ministry of death
  • The ministry of condemnation
  • made ineffective with fading glory
  • It has been cancelled (Col 2:14-15)
  • We died to the law (Romans 7:6)

  What was the purpose of the Law? Romans 7:6-11

  • brings sin to life. V.7
  • gives sin opportunity to take control.
  • no Law, no sin
  • produces in me all kinds of evil desires

Do Christians have to confess sins to God?

Please check out All Scriptures listed here to see what is said is been true. If any query, free to ask at the bottom of the posts!! Thankyou,

Do Christians have to confess their sins to God in order to be Forgiven?

Finally the Lord is giving some mighty revelations into this truth, Thankyou Jesus!!!

2000 years ago, Jesus has Already forgiven you of All your sins!!! and you partake of that, you received that Full forgiveness in One Perfect installment at salvation, Eternal Life, the moment you gave your life to Christ.

1 Peter 1:3-5

I can talk to God about my sins and ask Grace to Overcome, but its not the same as Confessing it because All my sins have Already been Forgiven and He promises in the New Covenant that He makes with us, that our sins He “Remembers them No More” Hebrews 8:12;10:17-18.

Unbelievers need to confess their sins to God to get saved; but Christians do not need to, because they are Already saved.

1John 1:9 was written to refute the teaching that Gnostic false teachers had infiltrated the church to dilute the Gospel Message to the world. The Gnostics claimed that ‘there was no such thing as Sin or Sinning’, and that our bodies are already evil anyway.

So what John the Apostle was essential saying was, “If any unbelievers confess their sins, they can be cleansed of All their sins and get saved.” refer 1 John 1:9

If an unbeliever doesn’t believe that ‘sin or sinning’ exists (or the doctrine of original Sin) due to the Gnostics teaching that was trying to infiltrate the believers, then the unbeliever won’t acknowledge that he is a sinner to God and hence be saved.

Read Ezekiel 36:25-26, Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:13 as an foundation to 1John1:9 and Hebrews 10:19-22 which is referring to unbelievers getting saved.

Ezek 36:25 I will sprinkle you with pure water and you will be CLEAN from ALL your impurities. I will PURIFY youfrom ALL your idols. 36:26 I will give you a NEW heart, and I will put A NEW spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh. 36:27 I will put MY SPIRIT within you;

Ephesians 1:7

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people–free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. [Abundantly] free! (MSG translation)

Colossians 2:13

And even though you were dead in your  transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions.

When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive–right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven,

Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, ²¹ since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 10:20 by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us ²² through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²³10:21 and since we have a great priest ²⁴ over the house of God, 10:22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, ²⁵ because we have had our hearts sprinkled CLEAN from an evil conscience ²⁶ and our bodies WASHED in pure water.

This Scripture in Hebrews was written to Hebrews/Jews, some of which was tempted to go back under the Law or some of which won’t even saved, possibly to encourage them to come out of Old Covenant of Moses, into the New Covenant. It is a SCripture written to encourage these Jews to get saved!!! by having their hearts cleansed by the Blood of Jesus!! It’s not a SCripture refering to believers but Unbelievers who already know the Law!!

1John 1:9 But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and CLEANSING ²⁴ us from ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.

Reading this SCripture in the light of Ezekiel and other Old Testament SCriptures prophesying of the New Covenant, we can see once again that this Scripture 1 John 1:9 is in line and it’s talking about unbelievers entering into the New Covenant so all their sins can be forgiven. Look at the Word ‘Cleansing‘ in Ezekiel and 1 John and you’ll see the parallel.

“The best commentary for the bible, is The Bible!! “said Ian Mckellar

Think about this:

How can God tell believers to confess their sins if He promises “I will Remember their sins No More…”

Read Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:12; 10:17,18; Psalms 103:3,12; Micah 7:19

Everything in the Old Testament must be interpreted the New Testament.

What the Old Conceals, the New Reveals; everything before the Cross, must be interpreted after the Cross.

Matt 6:14-15 was written before the Cross (read the context), it must interpreted through what happend After the Cross in which God Changed the Way He Related to us, Colossians 3:13

The Bible, is meant to be read as One Book, written by One Author, with One Theme flowing through the Old and the New.

It’s not meant to contradict each other, but what the Old Conceals, the New Reveals.

What the Old Prophesies, the New Fulfills.

Jesus is the The Fulfillement of the Old Covenant to bring the New Covenant, He IS literally the New Covenant!!

Isaiah 42:6; Luke 24:27; Colossians 1:27

When some of the Corinthians were sleeping with the temple prostitutes, Paul never tells them even once to ‘Confess their sins’. If confessing sins was such a common practice among New Convenant believers, why was it never mentioned once in all of Paul’s letters?

1Cor 5:1-2; 6:9-11

Paul says to those who were sinning, “those who commit sexuall immorality will not inherit the Kingdom of God…”

but Then He says, “that is what some of you WERE… you were WASHED, SANCTIFIED!!!”

He is saying, “that is Not you!!! the unbelievers won’t inherit the Kingdom!! that is Not you, you have Already been WASHED!!!”

“You don’t need to confess your sins, you’ve ALREADY BEEN WASHED, bEEN FORGIVEN!!!”

WASHED = FORGIVEN, FORGIVEN= WASHED. It’s the Same thing, it’s both past tense.

Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:

though your sins are like SCARLET, they shall be as WHITE as SNOW;

though they are RED like CRIMSON, they shall become like WOOL. Isaiah 1:18

If you already have been forgiven, what is left to confess? You only need to do it ONCE!!

For by a SINGLE/ONE Offering He has PERFECTED for ALL TIME those who are being SANCTIFIED(set apart unto God by that One offering, we are set apart FOREVER!). Hebrews 10:14

WASHED = FORGIVEN = SANCTIFIED = JUSTIFIED = 1Cor 6:11; Romans 8:30 = COMPELTE = FINISHED WORK OF THE CROSS = “It is finished!!!” John 19:30

God’s Work is Complete from Beginning to End, for He declares the End from the Beginning. Isa 46:10; Rev 1:8

He is the ‘Beginning/Alpha and the End/Omega’, so if you are in Him, you are Already Complete.

Paul is trying to ‘change the way they think’ – Repentance, to tell them “this is not you… you are not sexuall immoral anymore, you are New Creations in Christ… therefore start acting like one…you don’t have a sinful nature anymore, but you have a God nature and you have been justified (declared Righteous before God).

“As man thinketh in his heart, so is he” proverbs.

If you believe you are sinner, then you’ll sin by faith. If you believe you are a ‘Idiot’, then you’ll act like a Idiot. The whole bible is all about transforming your mind, there is nothing you have ‘To Do’, it has already ‘Been Done!’, just Repent (change your mind) and Believe the Truth so you can be Set Free!!! John 8:32, Live by the Spirit, Not by the Law, Galatians 5:18

We are not longer ‘Sinners saved by grace’, we WERE sinners, but Now We are Saints.

The moment you discover Who you really are, then you’ll start to live like it.

Paul didn’t tell them to confess their sins but he told them Who they are. There is no need to confess your sins if you don’t have a sinful nature anymore!!!

Believers no longer have to be ‘sin conscious’, but they can be “Gift of Righteousnes conscious” and “Christ conscious” rather than “self-conscious”. Romans 8:1

Woohoo!! thankyou Jesus, Heavenly for this wonderful Gospel Grace that truely changes people from the Inside out, not Outside In!!

So what happens when we sin?

Instead of asking Him to forgive us and feeling condemned, we just thank Him that He has already forgiven us and there is Now No Condemnation.

More to come about “Do Christians have a sinful nature?” studies based in Romans 6-7.

Thankyou and feel free to spread this blog!!!

Have a read of this as well:

* When did Jesus forgave us all our sins?

http://gracerevolution.tv/grace/gracerevolution/2008/09/25/when-did-jesus-forgive-us-all-our-sins-part-1/

http://gracerevolution.tv/grace/gracerevolution/2008/10/06/when-did-jesus-forgive-us-all-our-sins-part-2/

The understanding of this took me a couple of years to grasp it.

Confessing your sins and forgiving others in order for God to forgive you was an Old Covenant practice (Matthew 6:12, 14-15); but in the New Covenant we forgive others Because God has already forgiven us (Colossians 3:13). Jesus was still living under the Old Covenant when He said this, the New Covenant didn’t begin until Jesus died on the Cross and it was completed on Acts Chapter 2, the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit was poured out.

Its important to RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE COVENANTS when you read the bible otherwise you’ll mis-interpret it. There are 7 major covenants in the Bible. Right now we are living under the Dispensation of the New Covenant, so when we read Old Covenant Scriptures we’ve got to filter it through New Covenant Lenses.

E.g. If you read most parts of the Old Testament, you will find that God commands us to kill our enemies. Do we do that today? of course Not, that was Old Covenant Law of Moses. Also when Jesus came, He said He was only sent to the Lost sheep of Israel, Not to the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24), and He also told his disciples only preach to the Jews (Mathew 10:6)  that was Old Covenant. But when He rose from the dead, the Covenant changed and He told everyone to go into the World and preach the Good News to all ethnic groups, all people, not just Jews!!!

Jesus preached law/Old Covenant to its original standard, where once people had watered the law down to be “keepable”, he preached this to the Self-Righteous and Proud in heart to expose their sins by bringing the law which is  mirror, and Jesus preached New Covenant Grace Prophetically and renewing the Abrahamic Covenant of Faith to those were humble and ready to receive.

Acts 15 Commentary, by Michael Eaton

Being Kind to the Weaker Brother  (Acts 15:19-35)
Although James concluded that Christian gentiles need not come under the Mosaic legislation, he did ask three things of them (5:19-20)1.  Therefore I for my part come to this conviction: we should not harass people from the gentiles who turn to God (15:19), but we should write to them asking them to abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from wrongful sexual relationships, and from what is strangled and from blood (5:20). He wants to ask gentile Christians (i) not to buy and eat food which was associated with idolatrous worship (having been offered in sacrifice before being sold); verse 29 uses the phrase ‘food sacrificed to idols’.  He wants them (ii) to be specially careful about immorality.  And he wants them (iii) not to eat meat from which the blood had not been drained.
How should these be interpreted.  There are three possible interpretations.
(i) Do James’s three points deal with permanent principals of behaviour?  Are Christians forever forbidden to buy meat with dubious associations, forever forbidden immorality, forever forbidden certain types of food?  This interpretation makes sense with regard to immorality and idolatry but not with regard to the other two matters.  Christians are not permanently compelled to refused meat with blood in it.
(ii) Do James’s three points deal only with minor Jewish sensitivities to which gentiles make concessions?  Are Christians temporarily forbidden to buy meat with dubious associations – as a concession to Jews? Are they temporarily forbidden immorality – as a concession to Jews?  Are the temporarily forbidden certain types of food with blood in it – as a concession to Jews?  This interpretation makes sense with regard to one or maybe two matters, but not with regard to immorality, which is permanently forbidden.
There are expositors who think that ‘wrongful sexual relationships’ refers here only to Jewish sensitivity about the forbidden relationships of Leviticus 18.  But this would imply that such relationships are now allowed, and gentile Christians had then to stay away from them only as a concession to Jewish sensitivites.  Yet the wicked relationships of Leviticus 18 are permanently forbidden – not because of the permanence of the law but because of the permanence of the conscience, and the forbidding of the Holy Spirit.  Although the Christian is free from the law in general, there are certain parts of it which are are are fulfilled without change (especially Levticus 19:18) for reasons of conscience and the leading of the Holy Spirit.   Leviticus 18:6-20 is not dealing with marriage; it is dealing with criminal sexual relationships that were punishable by the death-sentence (see Lev.18:29).  The Christian knows the sins of Leviticus 18 are still wicked.  He does not need the law to know it.  ‘The works of the flesh are obvious’ (Gal.5:19) – even without the law.  But is would be wrong to take this phrase in Acts 15:20 as only a ‘temporary concession’.  Leviticus 18:6-20 will be obeyed by those who keep a good conscience and walk in the Holy Spirit – without their having to come under the entire law..
(iii) Actually, two of these matters are dealing with Jewish sensitivities, and one of them deals with a permanent matters of behaviour. This third approach is less tidy but it is  necessary. Two items are dealing with minor sensitivities to which gentiles make concessions. But immorality is more serious.  Gentile Christians are forever forbidden immorality; but the Christian gentiles are temporarily asked not to buy meat with dubious origins – as a concession to Jews with tender consciences. And they are asked to temporarily abstain from food with blood in it- as a concession to Jews.  The three matters are not all of similar importance.
It may seen puzzling that the three thing are not all of the same kind.  Two of these matters are about food-laws or the purchasing of food; and one of them is about more serious sexual morality.  The explanation, I believe, is that these three (unequal) matters really were, as a fact of history, three concerns of Jewish Christians.  Jewish people were concerned about (i) indirect contact with  idolatry, (ii) looseness of gentile morality (which they feared might still characterize even Christian gentiles), and (iii) horrow at the thought of eating blood.  James says: please make a concession about two matters, and please forever be very careful about a third.
What then are the practical implications of all of this for the modern Christian?  One is: Christians should wise and kindly even where they have freedom.  Two of these three points are not strict ever-lasting legislation for the Christian.  Yet they were necessary in the first century if Jews and gentiles were to have fellowship together.  Care about what you eat would make it possible for Christian Jews and Christian gentiles to have fellowship together without Jews being horrified.  A modern Christian trying to talk to a Hindu friend had best not invite him to a meal with beef in it!  Although Christian gentiles were not under the law, Christian Jews were likely to want to keep their culture for a long time.  If the two groups were to have fellowship and were to eat together, some concessions would have to be made.  Moses gets read in the main cities of the empire (15:21).  Jewish people everywhere are specially sensitive about these three matters, so gentile Christians would do well to restrain themselves, even though they are not bound to the Mosaic law-code.
It must be realised that these three requests are not things that are binding on Christian gentiles for all time.  The three requests are not a new law-code!  They were guidelines to help gentile Christians to avoid offending Christian Jews needlessly.
Chapter 7  Coming To Agreement  (Acts 15:22-16:5)
Part of the precise requests of Acts 15:20 have fallen aside for the modern Christian, and today the concessions about the kind of food we eat are no longer directly relevant.  Yet there is a principle here which still stands.  When relating to people who have some cultural restraints or some excessive sensitivities, one might have to go along with them for a while until the ‘weak brother’ comes to a clearer mind. Christians should be sympathetic to those who have cultural inhibitions; they should be kindly to those with such inhibitions, even where they themselves have freedom.
1.  One way of resolving disagreement is discussion by church conference.  It is a matter of joy when dispute comes to a happy conclusion.  The meeting at Jerusalem agrees with James’s conviction, and they write a letter to the Antioch church.  The letter comes from the entire leadership of the Jerusalem church, with the involvement of the people (15:22).  It is addressed only to the area around Syrian Antioch (15:23).  They explain that the trouble-makers who had come to Antioch had no authority from Jerusalem (15:24).  The letter commends Barnabas and Paul (15:25-26), and it is to be taken to Antioch by people who will explain it more fully (15:27).  The Christians at Jerusalem are resolved not to ask for the Jewish law to be kept by gentiles (15:28), but they do have three requests to make (15:29).
The letter is taken to Antioch and the gentiles Christians rejoice at what has happened (15:30-31).  The ministry of the Jerusalem prophets is received (15:32) and friendly greetings are sent back to Jerusalem (15:33).  The ministry of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch continued (15:34).
So the dispute came to a happy conclusion.  This Jerusalem consultation between two churches is a model of what churches need to do from time to time.  When there is doctrinal dispute, when there are cultural perplexities, there needs to be inter-congregational consultation.  Churches need to cooperate well with other churches, in so far as it can be done.
2.  Another way of resolving disagreement is for both sides to follow different procedures while maintaining friendship.   Immediately after the agreement at Jerusalem, another kind of disagreement springs up between Paul and Barnabas!  Paul wants to visit the church in Cyprus and south Galatia again, but refuses to take John Mark.  Barnabas refuses to go without Mark (who is Barnabas’s cousin – Col.4:10).  The disagreement between the two men is sharp (15:35-39).  In the end they divide the mission into two. Barnabas takes the Cyprus section of the trip.  Paul takes the Galatian section.  The dispute did not cause permanent bitterness.   Although the disagreement was sharp for a short time, eventually a good solution was reached.  They made two missions instead of one. Insoluble disagreements do arise in the church.  God may bring good out of them if they are handled with wisdom and love.  Sometimes an amicable parting is the best way to handle the matter, in which case great care needs to be taken that good relationships are preserved after the separation.  Love can find a way of separating in a friendly manner, and good may come out of it despite bad appearances. Paul speaks well of Barnabas in 1 Corinthians 9:6, and later Paul and Mark were colleagues again (Col.4:10; 2 Tim.4:11; Philem.24).
Because of the dispute the evangelistic team became two teams.  God gave Paul some new colleagues.  Silas took the place of Barnabas (15:40-41).   He was als0 (like Barnabas originally) from the Jerusalem church (15:22) and was a prophet (15:32).  It appears from what we read later that (like Paul) he was a Roman citizen.  Although Paul would probably not have replaced Barnabas if it had not been for the dispute, yet it is likely that Silas was a more suitable co-worker for Paul at this point.  Sometimes God pushes us into decisions that we would not have taken for ourselves.
When the two men got to Lystra (16:1), Paul found a replacement for John Mark also.  Timothy had been in Lystra as a young believer when Paul and Barnabas.  He was one of the Christians who had received Galatians.  Presumably he was in heart agreement with what Paul said in Galatians.  As someone who was half-Jew, half-gentile, he was a useful man.  Such people can relate to Jews as a Jew, and to gentiles as a gentile.  He was just the kind of colleage Paul needed.  Paul was very firm about salvation through grace, but so long as grace was clearly established he was a very yielding and gracious man.  He had Timothy circumcised.  It was a step taken to make thing easier for Paul when relating to Jews.  As long as no one thought Timothy received grace from God by circumcision, than Paul did not mind Timothy’s being circumcised as a concession to culturally touchy Jewish Christians.
3.  The important matter is the preaching of the gospel.  One can see that behind both of these disputes (the conference at Jerusalem, the forming of two evangelistic teams) is a concern for the preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Ways are being found to overcome difficulties in the way of preaching.  The kingdom of God is not circumcision; it is not disputes over opinions.  It is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  It is Jesus.   The apostles settle these matters as speedily as they can, and then the outreach teams get on with the work of building up the churches.  The decisions made at Jerusalem are told to the churches (15:4-5).  Paul is now ready for a further step in taking the gospel of Jesus to areas where the message is unknown.

Freedom from Mosaic law, Acts 15

There is a Grace Revolution in the earth today…

Short commentary on Acts 15 (Please read the whole chapter)

How many of you want Freedom and Love Freedom? How many of you want freedom from religion, rules and traditions of men? There is a war going on between the ‘control spirit’ and the ‘Spirit of Grace’.

I believe Acts 15 is key turning point Scripture to understanding that we as New Covenant believers are FREE from the Law of Moses.

Acts 15:5  But some from the religious party of the Pharisees who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and to order them to observe the law of Moses.”

The story says that some of the legalist became believers but still held onto the law of Moses. When the Gospel went to the Genttiles, it was a surprised for the Jews becasue they thought that God only wanted to save the JEws. Even Peter on the rooftop had no idea and had to convince the other brothers that salvation also went to the Gentiles. So the problem they had now was that they realised that God wanted to save the Gentiles as well.

So in the early church they had this problem: What do we do with the Gentile beliveres? Do we convert them to Jewish proselytes and keep the Law?

The answer was Peter stands up in

15:11 So now why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are”

Peter states that, that not even Jews have to keep the law of Moses now, so the Gentiles definitely don’t have to keep the Law.

Then what happens?

15:19 “Therefore I conclude that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles who are turning to God, 15:20 but that we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things defiled by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood. 15:21 For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, because he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

V21 states that the law of Moses has been proclaimed everywhere in ancient, meaning that we as believers have to be sensitive to the unbelieving Jews who have been scattered everywhere so that gentile believers don’t offend and so win them to Christ. (More on that later)

Remember the Law of Moses was only given to the Israelites at ONE TIME in history, in ONE PLace, through ONE man MOses, and it was NEVER given to the gentiles. (Psalm 147:20, John 1:17)

For a commentary on the purpose of the Law, please goto:

http://gracerevolution.tv/grace/gracerevolution/2008/04/29/what-was-the-purpose-of-the-law/

So these are the three rules for Gentile believers:

1) Abstain from things defiled by idols

2) Abstain from Sexulal immorality

3) Abstain from what has been strangled and from blood.

He doesn’t add anything else such as:

4) Remember to Tithe as gentiles, (For detailed explanation on Tithing by bible theologian Michael Eaton, please goto:

http://gracerevolution.tv/grace/gracerevolution/2008/12/05/beyond-the-tithe-chapter-by-michael-eaton/

5) Keep the sabbath

6) Don’t eat this and don’t eat that

7) Can’t drink alcohol

8) You can’t watch tv or goto the movies

9) ADD YOUR OWN ONE HERE in modern Christianism that you know ain’t right

10) Or any other religious rules, laws and traditions of man that you might have in your churchianity

Gentile believers are free from the Law of Moses – 613 commandments!

15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules:

What are ‘These necessary rules’?

These are the rules they delivered to the believers in Antioch.

What do those 3 rules possibly mean to the believers in those days?

1) Abstain from things defiled by idols

There is only One God. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… the whole of Genesis is all about people Worshipping the One True God!”

Later Paul writes about it in 1 Corinthians,

10:14 So then, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 10:15 I am speaking to thoughtful people. Consider what I say. 10:16 Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ? 10:17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread. 10:18Look at the people of Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? 10:19 Am I saying that idols or food sacrificed to them amount to anything? 10:20 No, I mean that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. 10:21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot take part in the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 10:22 Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we really stronger than he is?

Romans 14

14:1 Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions. 14:2 One person believes in eating everything, but the weak person eats only vegetables. 14:3 The one who eats everything must not despise the one who does not, and the one who abstains must not judge the one who eats everything, for God has accepted him. 14:4 Who are you to pass judgment on another’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord ² is able to make him stand.

14:5 One person regards one day holier than other days, and another regards them all alike. Each must be fully convinced in his own mind. 14:6 The one who observes the day does it for the Lord. The one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God. 14:7 For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. 14:8 If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 14:9 For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

14:10 But you who eat vegetables only – why do you judge your brother or sister? And you who eat everything – why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 14:11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.??? 14:12 Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Exhortation for the Strong not to Destroy the Weak

14:13 Therefore we must not pass judgment on one another, but rather determine never to place an obstacle or a trap before a brother or sister. 14:14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean in itself; still, it is unclean to the one who considers it unclean. 14:15 For if your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat,you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy by your food someone for whom Christ died. 14:16 be spoken of as evil. 14:17 For the kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 14:18 For the one who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people. Therefore do not let what you consider good

14:19 So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another. 14:20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. For although all things are clean, it is wrong to cause anyone to stumble by what you eat. 14:21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 14:22 The faith 14:23But the man who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not do so from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin.The faith you have, keep to yourself before God. Blessed is the one who does not judge himself by what he approves.

2) Abstain from Sexulal immorality

In the begining God made them male and female

Gen 2: 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife, and they become a new family.

3) Abstain from what has been strangled and from blood.

1 Cor 9:19 For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people. 9:20 To the Jews I became like a Jew to gain the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) to gain those under the law. 9:21 To those free from the law I became like one free from the law (though I am not free from God’s law but under the law of Christ) to gain those free from the law. 9:22 To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.

9:23 I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it.

I believe this rule has to do with evangelism purpose for reaching out to those under the Law.

Below taken From the Commentary from net.bible.org

Three of the four prohibitions deal with food (the first, third and fourth) while one prohibition deals with behavior (the second, refraining from sexual immorality). Since these occur in the order they do, the translation “abstain from” is used to cover both sorts of activity (eating food items, immoral behavior).

Telling them to abstain. These restrictions are not on matters of salvation, but are given as acts of sensitivity to their Jewish brethren, as v. 21 makes clear. Another example of such sensitivity is seen in 1 Cor 10:14-11:1.

What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mosaic law (Lev 17:13-14), Jews were forbidden to eat flesh with the blood still in it (note the following provision in Acts 15:20, and from blood).

In conclusion, the New Covenant believer whether Jew or Gentile, we are FREE Specifically from the LAW of MOSES with its commandments and its conditions. The New Covenant believer lives from and by a new heart (changed by God- He writes His Laws on our hearts by His Spirit so that we will know how to live from the inner guide) not from following some external rules and laws on tables of stone.

Please meditate on this Acts 15, I believe this is the Key passage to freedom!

1Corinthians 10:23 “Everything is lawful,??? but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful,??? but not everything builds others up. 10:24 Do not seek your own good, but the good of the other person. 10:25 Eat anything that is sold in the marketplace without questions of conscience, 10:26 for the earth and its abundance are the Lord’s.10:27 If an unbeliever invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is served without asking questions of conscience. 10:28 But if someone says to you, “This is from a sacrifice,??? do not eat, because of the one who told you and because of conscience ¹⁸ – 10:29 I do not mean yours but the other person’s. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? 10:30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I blamed for the food ¹⁹ that I give thanks for? 10:31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. 10:32 Do not give offense to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, 10:33 just as I also try to please everyone in all things. I do not seek my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.

The believer is FREE from all laws that bind him so that he can live for God from his heart out of God’s Grace!

But one note about freedom:

Galatians 5:15 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh,but through love serve one another.

Don’t use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature but to serve one another and to reach the lost! This is the year of Jubilee where God sets us slaves free through Jesus so that we come back to Him out of freewill and serve Him because we want to not because we have to!

Sometimes we wonder, “What is God’s Will for my life?”

God’s will is that you are free!

Acts 15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: 15:29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled ⁹¹ and from sexual immorality.If you keep yourselves from doing these things, you will do well. Farewell.

Essentially what the apostles were saying to the Gentile believers in antioch was this:

“Hey guys, you are free man! it seems best to the Holy Spirit and to us that you Remember only 3 rules:

1) Abstain from things defiled by idols

2) Abstain from Sexulal immorality

3) Abstain from what has been strangled and from blood.

Because you are Already a New Creation, this is how a New Creation lives. You don’t have to live like this to Become a New Creation, but this is Already Who You Are.

You don’t have to obey any Scriptures from the bible (it would mean from Genesis to Revelation in our day) because you are a slave set free by Jubilee and you obey your master not because you ‘have to’ but because you ‘want to’. but you obey God because you want to.

That maybe a shock to you, but that shows you how good God is and His ways of making us Holy is not through laws but it’s through Grace.”

Only 3 guidelines that fits in with New Creation nature,  that’s pretty simple isn’t it!

When the Law of Moses got cancelled at the Cross, all the “Have to’s” are gone. Jesus never forced anyone to follow Him, people followed Him because they wanted to.

When the Spirit of God and the new creation you are rises up from within you as it shakes off the chains of religion and laws, you will automatically desires to obey God because you want to (New Covenant mindset) not because you have to (Old Covenant Law of Moses mindset).

We obey the bible not because we have to. Freedom is Not True Freedom unless you are Free to do whatever you want to do. We obey God because we are Free to do so!! our New nature when its been liberated from the chains of religion and rises up out of revelation of who we are in Christ, just wants to live for God.

Grace is Not Freedom TO SIN, but Freedom FROM SIN!!

I have seen legalism operate in my own life, when I live by rules and laws I make up for myself, I end up in living in frustration and anger, unhappiness and critical of others. That’s what the ‘law’ will do to you.

God wants to change us from the inside, not the outside. If you put laws on people, you will change them externally on the outside for a period of time. But if you change people’s hearts from the inside, you will change them forever. External behaviour modifications have an apperance of Godliness but has no ability to restrain the sinful nature.
Col 2:20
If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why do you submit to them as though you lived in the world? 2:21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!??? 2:22 These are all destined to perish with use, founded as they are on human commands and teachings. 2:23 Even though they have the appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship and false humility 45 achieved by an 46 unsparing treatment of the body – a wisdom with no true value – they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.

I welcome your comments!

All Scriptures taken from the net.bible.org

Check out Michael Eaton’s commentary on Acts 15:19-

Redeemed from the Curse of the Law

08/11/09

Yesterday was sharing a message to a group of believers about how God spoke to me about on Galatians 3:13 about Christ redeeming us from the curse of the law so that we might receive the blessing given to Abraham.

Here is a quick list of the notes and I will update it again soon in more detail- i made a couple of small mistakes in my talk.

Feel free to give any feedback, questions, challenges and answers because it helps us all to grow and expand our understanding of the truth.

Galatians 3 10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”*11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”*12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”* 13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”*14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised* Holy Spirit through faith.

Deuteronomy 2123 the body must not remain hanging from the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone who is hung* is cursed in the sight of God. In this way, you will prevent the defilement of the land the LORD your God is giving you as your special possession.

Obedience to the law results in blessings Deut 28:1-14

Disobedience to the law results in horrible curses Deut 28:15-68

Law is one unit

James 2 10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.”* So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

In our day, what else can the ‘law’ refer to?
The ‘law’ not only stands for the Mosaic law, but it can also stand for church laws/traditions, denominations laws, or any requirements you put on yourself in order to obtain righteousness before God, right standing before God.

What is legalism? or does it mean to be ‘living under the law’?
i.e. if you don’t do this or dont’ do that, then God won’t love you anymore and He will be angry with you. God will only love you if you do this and that- conditional love.

What is the purpose of the Law?

1)To reveal our sin.

Romans 3 19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God.20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

2)To Stirup sin. Romans 7:8-13; 1 Corinthians 15:56

3)To stop the mouth. Romans 3:19-20

4)To lead us to Christ. Galatians 3:24

Are Christians under the old covenant law?

No. We live by the Spirit by Faith in Christ’s blood, we don’t live by external rules and laws written on tablets of stone but an inward guiding of the Holy Spirit of Grace that doesn’t bring any condemnation, guilty or curse but brings freedom and spontaneity.

Galatians 2:19; 5:18

Romans 6:14; 7:4

1 Timothy 1:8-11

We live by faith in Christ and we are made right with God through a Gift.

Galatians 2:20

Romans 3:21-26

Genesis 15:6; Habakuk 2:4

God swore an oath to never be angry with us again

Isaiah 54:9-10;43:25, Hebrews 8:8-13

We overcome the devil, the accuser of our brothers and sisters by the blood of Jesus given to us by God because God is FOR us not against us!! He is our Defender not our accuser!!

What was the Purpose of the law?

Last updated 26th of May, 2008

What does the bible mean when it talks about the ‘law’?

The word ‘Law/law’ can mean 3 different things in terms of the Old Covenant depending on the context it was used in.

1) It can mean the first 5 books of the bible, known by Jews as the Torah.

2) It can mean the entire set of 613 commandments given by God through angels to Moses to the people of Israel at one time in history.

3) It can mean the 10 commandments given by God to Moses. The ten commandments is basically the summary of the 613 commandments.

Here’s an example of the law meaning 2 different things in 1 Scripture:

Romans 3:21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed – 3:22 namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The first time the ‘law’ is mentioned in this Scripture, it’s talking about the commandments of God under the Old Covenant. The second time the ‘law’ is mentioned, it’s talking about the Torah, the first 5 books of the bible written by Moses in the Old Testament. The phrase, ‘the law and the prophets’ or ‘the law, prophets and psalms’, when used, refers to all the books of the Old testament. Here it’s talking about the prophecies mentioned in the Old Testament that testifies that Christ, the Messiah is our Righteousness.

The law given through Moses is the 10 commandments, or a single complete/composite system consisting of 613 commandments, set of rules, laws regulations given to the Jewish people at ONE time in history, through ONE man Moses, and was never changed again in history- the Old Covenant.

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but ⁴⁴ grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.

It was only given to the Jewish people, never the Gentiles:

Psalm 147:20

He has done this for no other nation;
they do not know his laws.
Praise the LORD.

However, the requirements of the law such the moral aspects of doing good and loving people are written on the hearts of every human being on this planet (Romans 2:12-16). Even though the Gentiles never had the law, but in their hearts they lived under the law. The 613 commandments in given through Moses was never given to you and I Gentiles, so why become so obsessed by it? Just be FREE, LIVE FREE! we gentile believers are priviliege to be able to live in the New Covenant without NEVER ever having to UNDO the legalism under the Old Covenant; we Gentile believers are PRIVILEGED! when we believe in Jesus, we go straight into the New Covenant. Whenever someone tries to put you under the Old Covenant again to obey the 613 commandments, just tell them “I’m a kiwi, or I’m Chinese, or I’m australian… the law was never given to my ancestors! so back off!!!”

Gentile believers are not only SET FREE FROM THE LAW but THEY WERE NEVER UNDER THE LAW given through MOSES! but their own laws they created for themselves through their own cultures, belief systems and religious traditions and superstitions.

The law demands perfect obedience if you want to live in the blessings, otherwise you will be cursed. Please read Deut 28 the whole chapter. The law is one composite set, you either obey ALL, or NONE.

When we talking about ‘living under the law’, what we mean is ‘the legalistic observance of the commandments of the Old Covenant, or any part of the Bible (GOd’s Word) to earn the His blessings and even eternal life.

Under the Old Covenant, namely ‘living under the law’, a man’s righteousness- right standing with God, is attained through keeping the law perfectly.

Deuteronomy 6:25

And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.”

But we are ‘living under Grace’, what we mean is that Jesus kept God’s Word perfectly and earned the Blessings and everlasting life us and all we have to do is to receive it by believing in Jesus. Now that you have received by becoming born-again, what we need to do now is not to ask ‘for more blessings’, but for God to give us the revelations of the blessings we already have, so we can live in it more. It’s about getting MORE Revelation by the Spirit and the Word, not about getting MORE BLESSINGS. Please read Ephesians 1.

1 Timothy 1:8

But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately, 1:9 realizing that law ¹¹ is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 1:10 sexually immoral people, practicing homosexuals, ¹² kidnappers, liars, perjurers – in fact, for any who live contrary to sound teaching. 1:11 This ¹³ accords with the glorious gospel of the blessed God ¹⁴that was entrusted to me

In the “church age”, what else can the ‘law’ refer to?
The ‘law’ not only stands for the Mosaic law, but it can also stand for church laws/traditions, denominations laws, or any requirements you put on yourself in order to obtain righteousness before God, right standing before God.

Here the notes are taken from Derek Prince’s book, “The Spirit filled believer’s handbook.” and teaching from Rob’s LA preach last year.

The purposes of the law are:

1)To Reveal Sin. (Romans 3:19-20)
2)To Stir up sin, to make people sin even more (Romans 7:8-13).

The law doesn’t make you holy, it actually makes you want to sin more. Paul said of himself before he was saved, “by legalistic righteousness, faultless”. On the outside, Paul seemed to be a very ‘HOLY MAN’. But he explained how he struggled with sin so much in his inner self in Romans 7. The law is only externally concerned. The fact that Paul knew by the law that he couldn’t go out there and commit adultery, this truth actually made him commit adultery even more by commiting adultery more in his heart. You may not have committed adultery, but if you lust in your heart you have already committed adultery in your heart.

Romans 7:8-13

But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires. For apart from the law, sin is dead. 7:9 And I was once alive apart from the law, but with the coming of the commandment sin became alive 7:10 and I died. So I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life brought death!7:11 For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it I died.7:12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. 7:13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Absolutely not! But sin, so that it would be shown to be sin, produced death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful

3) To make NOTHING Perfect because the commandment is Weak and Useless.

Hebrews 8:18-19

On the one hand a former command is set aside because it is weak and useless,7:19 for the law made nothing perfect. On the other hand a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

Christians are not under the law, but we live under grace.

Romans 6:14 For sin will have no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace.

Grace gurantees that the sin will not have mastery over us! it gives us victory over sin which the law cannot do- a weak and useless covenant (Heb 7:18-19)

Christ cancelled the law at the Cross (Col 2:13-15) so that we are no longer governed by an external set of rules and regultations to earn God’s blessings or eternal life, and now we live in the new way of the Spirit NOT to earn the blessings or eternal, but to know HIm and His Will for our lives, governed by the Spirit Who lives within us- for he has written His law ‘on our HEARTS’ not on tablets of stone. He lives inside of us so we are governed from within and we instinctively know what to do. (Heb 10:15-18; Jer 21:33-34)

What is legalism? or does it mean to be ‘living under the law’?
i.e. if you don’t do this or don’t do that, then God won’t love you anymore and He will be angry with you. God will only love you if you do this and that- conditional love.

Titus 2:11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. ¹⁶2:12 It trains us ¹⁷ to reject godless ways ¹⁸ and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 2:13 as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing ¹⁹ of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.