A LETTER TO MY JEWISH MESSIANIC
AND NETZARI IVRI FRIENDS
Part
2
Mike Blume
August 2003
Law ended with Calvary.
Netzari_ivri, do you believe Jesus Christ was God manifested in flesh, unlike
you and I who can have God's Spirit indwelling us? If not, then I request
of you to think of what Jesus meant when He said He was the Holy Ghost, the
Comforter in John 16. He also said that He was with them but would
be in them, in the context of being the Holy Ghost that filled the disciples
in Acts 2. The Holy Ghost is Jesus Christ in Spirit form.
You said, " 'What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the Torah but
under grace? Certainly not!' (Rom. 6:15). So then, Shaul was misunderstood
as teaching that because we are under grace, we need not observe the Torah."
I disagree. Paul
did indeed teach we are not under law.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over
you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become
dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another,
even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit
unto God.
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law,
that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of
spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
The letter and the law refer to Old Testament covenant lifestyle. While
it is true that Paul did not teach we can commit sin, the truth is also that
Paul said that a life outside of the Law, that is, outside of rule-book keeping
of the ten commandments and Old Covenant observances, is there to be had
for those of faith. We will actually live according to the same righteousness
that Law tried to instill within mankind, but could not. Someone already
quoted Romans 8:3 that teaches that Law could not do what it was set out
to do with mankind since our human flesh obstructed that purpose.
But look at what Paul said law came to accomplish:
1Ti 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity
out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
That was the goal and aim of Law. Get mankind to have true faith, a
pure heart and a good conscience. But Law could not do that.
Rom 8:3-4 For what the law could not do, in that
it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (4) That
the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit.
And Paul picks this up again in 1 Timothy.
1Ti 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding
abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
So he is teaching that the grace of Christ, which is attaining righteousness
by faith, as opposed to the law which leads us towards righteousness through
works, succeeded where the law could not. Grace was full of love and
faith which 1 Tim 1:5 taught was the goal of the law of Moses.
Paul did not keep Torah. The reason he resorted to the ordinance in
Acts 21 was to quiet the Jews. They thought, as you well quoted in
Romans 6, that Paul taught a life contrary to the tenets of law. But
that was not the case. And it was easily mistaken for that, because
the truth is that Paul taught we do not keep ordinances of the Law.
However, that does not mean Paul taught a life of lewdness. No.
The work of God's Spirit in our lives, allowing His Spirit to live through
us, will result in seeing us live lives that the law cannot speak against!
And yet we came to such a lifestyle without even resorting to Law!
Had we resorted to law-keeping, we would not have been able to ever live
righteously.
But since Paul said we do not need to go the route of law to attain such
a righteous life, people thought he meant we should violate the righteousness
of the law.
This is what Paul taught! He did not keep law. He lived a life
of faith, believing for, and allowing Christ within him to live through him.
And THAT is how Paul was righteous and how he behaved righteously.
Paul did the things you list in your first response to me not as indication
he kept Torah. He did them to show he did not hate nor detest Torah,
while he taught one need not keep Torah to be righteous. Paul taught
that righteousness comes through faith in Christ alone. And if you
say you do not need the New Testament, then you must not believe righteousness
is a gift freely given to those who have faith in Christ's crucifixion as
them.
Netzari_ivri, Christ died because you and I had to die, due to our sin.
Its as though we died, when Christ died. Paul taught this strongly!
Baptism into Christ is claiming His death as our own. And it is a wet
baptism! Not dry at all. And that death counts as my death!
The soul that sins must die. Law said so. So grace agrees with
Law, and claims Christ's death is intended by God to be our deaths.
And that frees us from the death penalty that Law placed upon man for his
sins.
So upon dying with Christ, Paul taught that we are removed from Adam's race
of sinners. And We are put into a new creation race headed up by the
Last Adam, Jesus Christ. We are actually new creatures. God deems
us as having died by way of Christ's death. And the old "me" is now
gone forever, judged by Christ's death on the cross as though it were my
death.
And without Christ nobody, neither you nor me, is going to be redeemed and
enjoy eternity with our God. You simply will never get to the Father
aside from Christ's work on the cross in our places.
Without Christ's blood, there is no true atonement.
Paul was indeed speaking against keeping the Torah of Old Covenant, because
he plainly stated that the writing and engraving of the commandments in stone
was the letter and ministration of death. I had hoped you would respond
to 2 Cor 3's reference to the Ten Commandments as ministration of death.
Also, please respond to my words in Gal 3:10. Paul lists off scriptures
from Torah to show how Torah itself indicated that it could not make man
righteous through urging man to exert works of obedience.
In Galatians 3 we find a worked-out reasoning of Paul’s system of faith that
I pray every law-keeper under Moses would read carefully. Paul uses
Law to prove that Law-keeping was never meant to make us righteous.
Abraham was made righteous before he lifted one single finger of effort to
obey God outwardly. Now, we know Paul is indeed referring to Moses’
law, and not a trendy style of some new religion in Christ’s day, due to
the words Paul uses in quoting Law, itself.
Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the
law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth
not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Notice that the work s of the law that Paul is speaking against are the same
works that Law itself is proposing to Israel! Paul cited ...
Deu 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all
the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
So the works of the law are the works listed in Deuteronomy! They’re
not the works listed beneath some other extrabiblical text or belief system!
Moses spoke of “this law”. And Paul cites that in reference to his
context of what works he is speaking about. Paul said all men are thereby
cursed! Now, that is a fact.
And even if you don’t believe Paul preached against keeping law, you must
admit that Paul taught that every man is cursed due to the fact that Law
claimed all who confirm not all the words of Moses’ law in actually doing
them will be cursed.
Why would you think Paul believed that meant all men are cursed by default,
my good friends?
And then Paul proceeds to cite more Law, when he writes:
Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the
law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
So , first of all, a man is cursed who is unable to keep all the works of
the law. Law said that, and Paul is not giving his opinion, but simply
quotes law to show us that law said that.
Secondly, Paul says that Law also testifies, itself, that nobody who keeps
law is ever going to be justified in God’s sight. Paul quotes ...
Hab 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is
not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
There, we read that Old Covenant teachings proposed that one who will be
just will be just by faith, and not works. All men are cursed, but
all men can be justified by faith , as law itself said!
Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The
man that doeth them shall live in them.
But here we read that the Law is not of faith! In other words, men
cannot be justified by living beneath the law. Paul substantiates that
claim by, once again, quoting LAW, itself!
Lev 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes,
and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them:
I am the LORD.
This verse claims that Law encouraged men to LIVE BY LAW. And this
is tied into Deut. 27:26, which claims that if a man who tries to live by
law cannot succeed, then that man is cursed.
Now, this is not my reasoning, here. This is what Paul said.
Follow Paul’s logic carefully from Gal 3:10 onward.
When Paul quotes Lev 18:5, he is showing us that law, itself, urged people
to live by statutes. But Paul showed us how Hab 2:4 said we will only
be just by living by faith. In other words, living by statutes was
never said to make us righteous. Law told us that living by faith makes
us righteous.
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every
one that hangeth on a tree:
And that curse that all mankind is beneath, because Deut 27:26 claimed that
all who cannot keep law will be cursed, is removed from all mankind through
Christ’s death. And Paul makes this bold claim by , once again, citing
the Law itself!
Deu 21:23 His body shall not remain all night
upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he
that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled,
which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Paul teaches that this idea of hanging is to be applied to Christ’s hanging
on the cross. And Paul taught, therefore, that His crucifixion was
absolutely necessary in order to remove the curse upon all mankind.
These are not my thoughts, but Paul’s. They’re right there!
So Paul established that cursed men cannot try to keep law to be justified,
because while the law curses those who cannot live up to it, the law also
gave the loophole, itself, in saying we are justified by faith.
But what sort of faith? Faith in what, specifically?
Gal 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the
curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is
every one that hangeth on a tree: (14) That the blessing of Abraham
might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the
promise of the Spirit through faith.
Paul taught here, as well as in Romans, that Abraham’s blessing would never
come until Christ came, and died on that cross in order to necessarily redeem
us from the curse that was upon all mankind. All mankind was unable
to keep the law, let alone Israel.
And then Paul begins to explain that Law of Moses was only meant to be a
temporary issue, until the promise to Abraham was fulfilled when Christ came
and died on the cross to redeem us from the curse proclaimed by the law.
Gal 3:15-17 Brethren, I speak after the manner
of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man
disannulleth, or addeth thereto. (16) Now to Abraham and his
seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but
as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (17) And this I
say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law,
which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should
make the promise of none effect.
God made a covenant with Abraham. It cannot be nullified. Moses’
covenant at Sinai is the entire issue here, and not some perversion of it,
because Paul is speaking of it in that context. Moses received a covenant
from God that could not nullify the covenant given before to Abraham.
It could not make the promises to Abraham of no effect.
Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law,
it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
And the inheritance we receive, which is Abraham’s promise fulfilled, is
not attained through adherence to Moses’ law. Moses’ law is the issue,
and not a perversion of it.
Receiving an inheritance by keeping works of Deuteronomy’s law would violate
the entire principle of inheritance! You are promised something.
And working for what you have already been promised will not cause
you to obtain the promise! And again, these works are works listed
in Deut’s law.
Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was
added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise
was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
So why did law come? Law of Moses! Not a Pharisaical perversion
of it. It was because of sins that law came for a temporary time.
With all due respect, if you adhere to Mosaic Law and do not recognize Christ’s
crucifixion as the only way to redeem us from the law, then you are still
beneath the curse that Deut 27:26 said men are beneath.
God planned for the crucifixion in order to redeem us to God by His blood,
and free us from the cruse of the law. For he that is dead is freed
from sin. And Christ’s death counts as our own! So only through
Christ can you be redeemed from the curse of the Mosaic law.
This has nothing to do with Pharisaical perversion of law.
And that is Paul’s teachings, not my own.
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