TOPIC: BELIEVER’S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD’S LAW

MEMORY VERSE: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith”-Galatians 3:24.

TEXT: Romans 3:27-31,Ephesians 2:8, 9; Romans 11:6

INTRODUCTION

Our introduction on this topic is set out to explain the proper scriptural perspective as explained by Paul on the question of Justification through Faith and not works of the Law. We also need to understand the different between the Law and Torah (Set of Biblical Instructions) in other to carefully differential their application. We cannot find forgiveness from sin by keeping the Law, but we can find God's direction through careful study of His Word, and, in that sense, the Scriptures in general are Law.

The place of the law in this gospel dispensation has for some time now been a subject of controversy. There is however, an argument on the abolition of ceremonial and sacrificial aspects of the Law because Christ, the Lamb of God has, once and for all, been sacrificed for us. But the crucial issue had been the moral law. This controversy had generated some questions which we will do well to know. What are these questions?

  1. Has the moral law any value to the believer who has been saved through faith?
  2. Is lawlessness, to be condoned or condemned in the gospel?
  3. Does disobedience to God’s law carry any penalty in this gospel dispensation?
  4. Is faith opposed to the Law?
  5. Are believers secured in Christ while working contrary to God’s law?
  6. Does grace give believers a license to be lawless and ungodly?
  7. Does love cancel the law or fulfil it through faith in Christ?

Paul answered these questions in out text today. He consistently established the fundamental truth of the gospel-universal depravity or sinfulness, the inclusion of the Gentiles in the Church of God, justification by faith-proceeds next to show the Jews that boasting is excluded. We escape condemnation through justification extended to us on the ground of our Redeemer’s merits; therefore we are excluded from boastingexcept only in the Lord. The “deeds of the law”, the good works, do not enter into the question of our justification. Good works come in the Christian life as the effect of our pardon and acceptance.

Q1: What necessitatedPaul to emphasize on the teaching of justification by faith amongst the Jews and Judaizing instructors?

Paul laid special emphasis on the necessity of faith in Christ to show that something more than good works or Law was needed for justification,more so that we cannot be justified by our own deeds because our best deeds come far short of the standard of righteousness.

A man is justified by faith without the deed of the Law. Man’s unaided effort to keep God’s law fall short of meeting God’s high and holy, perfect standard. Man’s righteousness (self- righteousness) cannot be equated with God’s righteousness. The religious Jews and the irreligious Gentiles could not be justified through their personal efforts. It is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in the accomplished work of Christ stands alone as our means of obtaining salvation and righteousness from God. It is not faith and good deeds, faith and self- righteousness from God. It is not faith and good deeds, faith and self- righteousness, faith and religious act, faith and morality, faith and denominational affiliation that save.

Q2: Why is man’s deed and effort not good enough to earn him justification?

  1. SALVATION FOR BELIEVING JEWS AND GENTILES - Isaiah 11:10; Psalm 68:31; 1 Kings 8:43; Isaiah 60:3; Hosea 2:23; Romans 1:16;10:21, 13

Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith and uncircumcised through faith”(Romans 3:29, 30).

Paul here strikes at something which was of great importance then and which is no less vital today. The pride of the Jews is the exclusive privilege of son-ship while other people and nations are shut out of that privilege. They reckoned they had a monopoly of God and all the blessings that come along with that relationship-grace, mercy and forgiveness, fatherhood of God, peace and relationship with God. But here Paul wanted them to understand that He is God of the Gentiles too.

Q3: Is the salvation Christ offers through His accomplished work limited to a race and why did the Jew thought they had the monopoly of God’s grace?

The Jews were blinded to the truth that God had a plan to save the Gentiles through Christ, the Messiah of the world. Besides, some Gentiles also exclude themselves from God’s plan and provision of salvation through faith in Christ’s accomplished work. They reason, wrongly though, that Jesus is the Savior of the Jews. That is why Paul posed the challenge “Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also”(Romans 3:29)

Q4: What are the objections people have for rejecting Salvation through Christ?

And the Old Testament affirmed time and again that Christ and the salvation He brings is for all-Jews and Gentiles. “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thus shall be a blessing”(Genesis 12:3)“That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations”(Psalm 67:2)So it is clear that it is not being Jewish or Gentile that excludes one from the salvation of the Lord, but unacceptance of the revealed truth. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”-(Romans 10:13). Jews and Gentiles have equal opportunity of being reconciled to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

  1. GOD’S LAW ESTABLISHED THROUGH FAITH - Psalm 119:126; Matthew 5:17-22; Galatians 2:16; 3:6-14

“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law”Rom 3:31.Paul here drives home his argument and strikes a balance between faith and the law. In this, he deflates the inflated ego of the Jews and their boast in the law. Quite naturally, the Jews boast in the law. “Behold, thus art called a Jew, and resteth in the law, and maketh thy boast of God”-(Romans 2:17). Though they rested in the law, they have not been able to obey the law. No one, Jew or Gentile had been able to obey the Lord by self-effort. So, Christ came to do what law could not do for us. He died and shed His blood to cover and atone for all our offences against the law of God-(Galatians 3:13; 4:4-5).

Q5: In what sense does the law establish faith?

It is crucial for all believers to study the Torah of Moses (Instructions). True, we are not held accountable to obey the national, dietary, nor ritual commandments, but we can learn much about God, about His plan for the people of Israel, and about treating others fairly and justly. Additionally, many of the rituals and religious practices of the Law of Moses prefigure the Person and Work of Christ, like the Tabernacle and the Feasts. Conversely, the Law of Moses gives us wisdom, and its principles are often applicable to a host of contemporary situations.

Q6: What does it mean to be under law? What does it mean to be NOT under law? What does it mean to be under grace?

The Jewish worshipers wonder if the apostles’ reasoning was not making the law void or inconsequential. In resolving this, the apostle then replied: “God forbid: yea, we establish the Law” (Romans 3:310). While the Jews labour to uphold the law and relegate grace and faith, some others today strive to relegate the law and exalt-grace and faith. Neither of the two groups of people isright in their position. While the Scriptures establish the Law, the truth is that the Law can be kept only through grace and by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Those who relegate the Law and give themselves to licentious living do that law. Christ affirmed that He has come to establish the Law“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil”-(Matthew 5:17).

Q7: How does the attitude of the New Testament believer makes futile the grace? Rm 6:14.

Just as the teachings of the Pharisees undermined and destroyed the Law of God.“Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye”(Mark 7:13),Jesus condemned the Pharisees for this ungodly act and similarlywarned believers not to make void the law of God under the dispensation of Grace.

  1. THE LAW ESTABLISHED THROUGH CHRIST- Galatians 3:22-24; Romans 7:14-25.

The Old Testament Laws falls under some prime distinctions. The Ceremonial and Moral Laws are on one cluster while the Torah meaning general instructions falls under the second category. Note that the Mosaic Laws is very often the basis of New Testament teaching. Additionally, we cannot deeply understand the New Testament without understanding the Old. The New Testament writers assume that their readers already had a background in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Q8: How can we categorize the Old Testament Laws of Moses?

There are two practical ways the gospel establish the law.(1) We are brought under conviction by the law of God. It made us to know our failures and spiritual lapses. It is the law that shows our spiritual nakedness and drives us on to seek pardon and salvation through Jesus Christ.“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: thus shaft not covet” Rom 7:7 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin” Romans 7:14.(2)The law is established through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus who is the only Person who ever perfectly obeyed the law of God and through Him we receive grace to live in obedience and humility. Now being indwelt by Christ, He grants us power and the inner strength to live righteously. As He lives within us He works.

A good Law cannot be satisfied by bad people. A holy Law is bad news for unholy people. A just Law can only condemn and slay the unjust (2 Corinthians 3:7-9). A perfect Law (Psalm 19:7) demands perfection and cannot justify a fallen race of totally ruined sinners (Romans 3:20). It is for just this reason that the Law never saved one single Jew in the 1500 years of its reign; it couldn’t. Sinai cannot save (Galatians 2:16). Sinai can only warn ruined sinners that they have offended Infinite Majesty. Calvary must save if we are to be saved at all.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 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: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”–(Romans 8:1-4).

The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us and the law is thereby established. This is why we can say with the apostle:“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live’ yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”Gal 2:20. Moreover, when we believe on the Lord and receive Him through faith, He translates the Law which was on a table of stone and puts it in our hearts. “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them”(Hebrews 10:16).

Q9: How does the law act as a schoolmaster to us?

This work of grace enables the believer to live in obedience to the Law of God. This is why the apostle teaches that ‘we established the Law”. We are consequently dead to the law (Romans 7:4). And now we are delivered to serve in the Spirit of liberty in Christ (Galatians 5:1). “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin”(Romans 7: 25).

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ECF Bible Study-May@2015