Romans 3:19a
"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law;…"
I don’t think there’s a person out there that doesn’t know who was an are under the Law? The Hebrews. The Hebrews were an are still by way of ignorance and hardness of heart under the Law, not the Gentile world. Though the nations be they Hebrew/Israel or what ever are under the yoke of sin or religion because it opposes what God has revealed through His Son Jesus Christ. But, Only the Hebrews practiced the Temple worship with its sacrifices and religious performance and had the priesthood. Which they are working to bring about even now.
All right, but the power of the Law to condemn didn’t stop at the borders of Israel; it went to the whole human race. To every last human being that’s ever lived, the Law condemned. Now this law was spoken to Adam by way of commandment before the Law of Moses came into being. Just as the Covenant of God to Abram was given four hundred thirty years before the Mosaic Law was given to Moses. When the commandment and the Mosaic Law were violated they became to all a law of sin and death, to which all are guilty. But Jesus as the end of days fulfilled both laws requirements by being hung on a tree and therefore they were ended as the finished works of the cross of Christ in Christ. Reading on:
Romans 3:19b
"…that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."
Now, you know I repeat and repeat and repeat. And over and over people say, keep repeating. So I’m not going to apologize for that. But again, how many people, even right here in the Bible Belt, in Southeastern Tennessee have got the fouled up idea that the Ten Commandments are somehow a means of gaining entrance into Heaven.
The Ten Commandments are just the opposite. They’re God’s reason for not letting any human being into His Heaven. Because they are all guilty. And that’s all the Law or teachings as we've shared sometime back can or could do was show men their guilt. And this verse says it plain as day. That "all the world may become guilty." Not saved. Not made ready for Heaven, but made guilty. Because it requires the Holy Spirits teaching of us the ways of God as Seth, Noah, Shem and Abram/Abraham knew Him. The question of Matthew chapter 11 verses 25-30 comes into play here. For Christ's yoke is easy and His burden is light, unlike the yoke of religion which is heavy because of its religious legalism. His yoke is freedom or liberty from religion and all its accompanying legalism for freedom He has set us free. For this is the teaching of the four gospels as He resists the legalism of the rulers of Israel and their false demands of slavery to its religion. Now continuing in verse 20.
Romans 3:20
"Therefore (since that was the purpose of the Law, to condemn mankind.) by the deeds of the law (deeds, self efforts or keeping the Law) there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: (Jew or Gentile. Nobody. And then he repeats the reason.) for by the law is the knowledge of (not salvation or eternal life, but what?) sin."
Paul knew this through his personal experience of life as a Jews Jews and a Pharisee's Pharisee who had excelled above his brothern as a religious zealot who sought out those of God's Family and through them in jail or killed. So he says, 'That’s all the Law can do is show us our sin.' Every time you read the Ten Commandments or the expansion on it of the Beatitudes, all they can do is just bombard you with what? You’re guilty. You’re guilty. There’s not a one of us that can say I’m not guilty. Then the Lord Himself really made it tough with one of His remarks. "Even if you think it in your heart you’re guilty." James says, "If you’re guilty of one, you’re guilty of how many? All of them." I mean, we don’t stand a chance. That’s how condemning the Ten Commandments and the Mosaic Law is. But look at verse 21, what’s the first word? One of my favorite words in Scripture.
Romans 3:21a
"But now…"
Oh yeah, that’s all the Law can do is condemn – but – there’s a tremendous loophole. Big enough for the whole world to come through if they would, and what is it?
Romans 3:21-22
"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:"
No comments:
Post a Comment