NO, Christians are NOT under the Law. The only way anyone could get to heaven before Jesus died on the cross was if they fulfilled the Law and obeyed it perfectly. A lot of what Jesus taught while He walked on this earth was how impossible it was for anyone to measure up to the Law. This is why we needed a Savior.
Many argued with me when I wrote about tithing and the reason they believe in tithing is because they still believe we are under the Law. Even my post about modesty, some wrote me rules for modesty from the Law. Yes, if you live under the Law, you must keep the rules of the Law but I just want to inform you that no matter what you say, you are not going to convince me that we still live under the Law.
Jesus fulfilled the Law completely for us. When He died, we died to the Law. "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" {Romans 7:4}.
In the whole book of Galatians Paul is exhorting Jews who became Christians and began living under the Law. "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?...Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed {Jesus} should come to whom the promise was made...Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster {the Law}." {All from Galatians 3}
Then in Hebrews 8:13, we are told, "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first {the Law} old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." You'll also find this teaching in Romans and other books of the New Testament. Hebrews was specifically written to explain the superiority of Christ over the Law and sacrifices.
I don't know how anyone who studies the Bible can really believe that we are still under the Law. Just these few verses prove it but all of Galatians was written to explain it clearly to us. I'm not going to be publishing any comments that disagree with me. I have heard them all before but I believe the Bible is very clear about this topic and no one is going to convince me that I live under the Law. Christ died to free me from the Law and the punishment of the Law and I intend to stay in the freedom the Lord provided for me! No one's going to put this baby under the Law! :) {Taken from the woot woot lady!}
If you're interested in doing an in-depth, amazing study of Galatians,
Michael Pearl's study on this is eye-opening!
helen · 527 weeks ago
People seem to want to be half under the law and have under grace.......Paul was very clear in his teachings on this matter and I don't see how they can be misinterpreted?!
Blessings to you and Ken as ever
Helen UK
Lori Alexander 122p · 527 weeks ago
Martha · 527 weeks ago
Applicable to your post was my quiet time of the study of 2 Corinthians, chapter 3 this morning. It continually amazes me how my scheduled Bible reading will echo what I read other places. He is so very good to me! In 2 Cor. 3: 7-11, Paul writes:
"7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory." (ESV)
In Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, he writes of verse 11:
"The law is done away, but the gospel does and shall remain, v. 11. Not only did the glory of Moses's face go away, but the glory of Moses's law is done away also; yea, the law of Moses itself is now abolished. That dispensation was only to continue for a time, and then to vanish away; whereas the gospel shall remain to the end of the world, and is always fresh and flourishing and remains glorious."
I loved this quote so very much that I felt compelled to share it with you and your readers! Praise God, I'm free from the Law!
In His All-Sufficient Grace,
Martha
Lori Alexander 122p · 527 weeks ago
Psalm1Wife 22p · 527 weeks ago
Maria · 527 weeks ago
Lori Alexander 122p · 527 weeks ago
http://www.jcblog.net/hebrews/4/9-10/true-sabbath...
We can definitely learn from the OT but everything we need for life and godliness is in the NT. Proverbs and Psalms are not part of the Law and we can learn a lot from them also; wisdom in Proverbs and encouragement in the Psalms. We now have freedom in Christ, the Holy Spirit living inside of us and the ability to walk in righteousness because of the work that Christ accomplished on the cross for us! Yes, we will still sin but all of our sins were forgiven the moment we believe. They were all taken care of on the cross; past, present, and future.
FREEINDEED! · 527 weeks ago
Katie · 527 weeks ago
Colossians 2:13-15 - When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, mailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Paul seems to warn against legalism and how rules that we consider "spiritual" can actually be harmful to a person's relationship with God. True fullness is only found in Christ!
I admire your steadfast faith and patience with others, Lori! Have a good day.
Lori Alexander 122p · 527 weeks ago
HisHelper · 527 weeks ago
I would so much rather live unto God than live unto the law! HIS yolk is easy and burden light! I will always choose the perfect righteousness of Christ than to choose the unbearable burden of putting myself back under the law only to flail, strive, fail...and die. God tells us that if our righteousness is found in the law, then Christ's death was in vain---completely useless! (I'm referring to Galatians 2:19) In Christ alone there is LIFE! We walk in the Spirit, so that we do not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) That is completely different than keeping the Law!
Much love, HisHelper
P.S. I love the verse you posted, Martha!
Lori Alexander 122p · 527 weeks ago
Roxy · 526 weeks ago
I am so glad you made the statement that the books of Proverbs and Psalms are not the Law!
As I think we need others to know that it is filled with wisdom as how to live as a Christian under grace! But we need the whole counsel of God!
Blessings, Roxy
Sue B. · 526 weeks ago
Cathy 44p · 526 weeks ago
Me, I am under the Law, no question. I accepted the Covenant at Sinai, and I have a place in the World to Come. Yep, I'm Jewish. Fridays can be pretty hectic, making sure all is ready for Shabbat by sunset. But the Law is not the onerous burden Paul makes it out to be.
Ken · 526 weeks ago
One who is under the law is bound by all of it, yet there are crucial laws of God that the Jew cannot fulfill, such as temple worship and regular sacrifice. Keeping the Shabbat is an impractical exercise if one is to truly follow all of the law, so hence, most Jews find ways around it, keeping the letter of the law but not what God intends for today... freedom and liberty in Christ Jesus.
If you are still under the law you ignore a huge section of Biblical teaching given to Jews and Greeks alike that Christ has fulfilled the law, breaking its hold on us that we may walk in the Spirit and not in fleshly fulfillment of laws. The Believer dies with Christ so that the law has no hold on us, but instead we are to walk in the Spirit.
"For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” (Gal. 2:19-21).
If you as a Jew want to keep certain Jewish customs and traditions, you are welcome to do so. But to assume that keeping any part of the OT law for the purpose of keeping the law is profitable before God, or merits you anything, is not Biblical. Paul speaks through the inspration of the Holy Spirit, and Peter stood corrected by him when this discussion took place many years ago. Enjoy your traditions, but don't consider them the law, because the law has no hold on you anymore if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Desiree · 526 weeks ago
Cathy 44p · 526 weeks ago
Lori Alexander 122p · 526 weeks ago
Lisa · 526 weeks ago
In Christ,
Lisa <3
Desiree · 526 weeks ago
moebergeron 0p · 524 weeks ago
Jon · 462 weeks ago
Did the sanctuary service instituted by Christ Himself point to something? Was there a series of processes? If so, where did the cross come into play? Was it at the end of the service, or was it among the 1st steps taken in an endeavor to accomplish and end overall goal? The lamb, goat or bulluck was slain, but was that the end of the story? Would it have made sense to slay the innocent victim, and then afterwards, continue the very act(s) that were instrumental in bringing about the manifested end result of their indulgence?
Perhaps we could study the book of Hebrews extensively to get a better view of what was accomplished at the cross, as explained by the Apostle Paul. As students of the Scriptures, let us not pick and choose which of the books best makes us feel released from the possible duty that is ours by privilege—possesion and knowledge of the entirety (New 'and' Old) of the Word of God.
-Jon-