For as many as are of
the works of the law
are under the curse;
for it is written,
"Cursed is every
one who does not continue
in all things which
are written in the book of the Law,
to do
them." (Deuteronomy 27: 26).
But that no one is
justified by the law
in the sight of God
is evident, for
"the just shall
live by faith."
(Habukkuk 2:4; Romans
1:17; 3: 28).
Yet the law is not of
faith, but
"the man who
does them shall live by them"
(Leviticus: 5).
Galatians 3: 10 -- 12
Faith, what
is it? We speak often of faith, but do we have a clear understanding what is
meant by the word faith? Defined by
Webster's dictionary is: 1. That faith
is to have confidence or trust in any person or thing. Also mean: 2. To have a belief not based on proof. Which one then come of those two definitions, applies to our
Christian faith? Is our Christian faith, not based on proof, or is it? Or come
is our faith based on a person from which we have confidence to base our faith?
our faith and is meeting number one, for our faith is based upon a person,
Jesus Christ, and we have a real person with real history and testified as a
living person by many people both of the Christian faith and of the
non-Christian faith. Furthermore, we
have historical evidence that Jesus Christ was the Messiah promised to the
Hebrews, and it is Jesus Christ who died upon the cross, was buried, and then
resurrected Himself and was seen by more than 500 people, then ascended into
heaven as a witness by those people.
Therefore, our faith has a foundation of fact, so when it said that we
are justified by faith, then our faith has real substance and meaning. Law, a legal system or legal action,
therefore one seeks justification by works then legalism is to be applied to
that one and legalism, the law, does not justify a person in the sight of God.
Law is not faith! Is there a keeping of the law that a Christian is to follow?
Yes, the Law or Moses, or the Ten Commandments as it was not given to make one
legal, rather to bring one into the presence of God and to live a moral life. There
are no set rules, that is, do this or that outside of what God wrote when He
wrote for Moses and the Hebrews His Ten Commandments. Each person must work out
those Ten Commandments in their lives. We have help in our effort by what God
inspired men to write. First of rituals, sacrifices, etc., then after the
incarnation of Jesus Christ and the New Covenant God no longer required
anything other than the Ten Commandments, that is we are to live a moral life
according to Scripture and not by our own interpretations, or ideas as to what
is moral or not. God supplies the answer in His word. Abraham’s life is the
picture that we can look to so as to understand what faith is, and how it is to
be worked out in our lives. The Covenant given to him by God stands before the
Law given to Moses, and that covenant supersedes all other laws, rituals,
sacrifices, etc., and is the picture of the Messiah and redemption, and faith.
Justification by faith is not a new doctrine as it stands all the way back to
Abraham. Nothing new is being taught
here, and while the law of Moses, not the 10 Commandments, all those rituals
and sacrifices were done away and opening the door for this New Covenant by
which men and women, and children, must live by faith. Did it take faith for the old Hebrews to do
all those rituals and sacrifices, yes!
God judges the heart, even though He allowed the institution of those
rituals and sacrifices, and all this could lead the people of Israel to remain
faithful to him, obedience to what he allowed, instituted, and the 10
Commandments was required: "You shall
observe My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep My judgments, which
if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD" (Leviticus 18:4 --
5). The principle behind all of
that has never change for we are still to keep the ordinances, precept, and
commands of God and he has outlined them for us in the New Testament,
therefore, we are without excuse if we do not keep them. The practices may have been done away with,
but the reason for those actions are not transferred to simply hold fast to the
moral law of God. Win a person does not
keep the law of God, His moral commands, which are not suggestions, rather they
are commands, and if a person had to what God has revealed to us how to worship
him and live for him then we may be and are often led into fanaticism. What is a fanatic? A fanatic is a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm
more zeal, and that may in itself not be all bad. A fanatic or often has more than ordinary enthusiasm, or support
for a cause, believe or activity. It is
easier to be a fanatic than to be a faithful soul. Often fanaticism is confused with loyalty to God. Fanaticism suggests extreme or excessive
devotion and implies unbalanced or obsessive behavior. Often every scene is in churches who have
substituted the simple moral law of God with all kinds of legalistic ideologies
and theologies as those things make them pious and justified before God. The
Galatians as well as other churches of the day were following after a number
foundational substances, and those substances, found its foundation in their
past Celtic, atheistic, and Gnostic, and even the Hebrew religion. They left behind what had been taught to them
in favor to be led by the past in their present an attempt to find
justification which in the end led them to be fanatic, and unacceptable to
God. Paul had the work and the
responsibility to return them to the truth.
We too have that same responsibility for after we have examined what we
believe, practice, and how we live our lives, if they are not in harmony with
the Scripture, to bring them into harmony with Scripture. God justifies His children: His children are
to lead and live lives according to the justification, and that justification
is by faith.
I will wash my hands and innocence;
so I will
go about Your altar,
O LORD,
that I may proclaim what the voice
of
Thanksgiving,
and tell of all Your wonderful works.
Psalm 26: 6 -- 7
God is your help
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