Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
For those who see radical separation between gospel and law the law of the Spirit of life in Christ appears to be an exception if not a contradiction of their radical separation.
.... funny how you always seem to eliminate The Savior, how you always just delete Christ Jesus. HE is the one who saves...... not you by keeping the Law.
.... funny how some Catholics can quote a verse but by training just delete "Jesus" from it.
..... SO conditioned to be obsessed with what self sees in a rose colored mirror, and ignore that One on the Cross
The LAW:
What is the Law?
The Law is the will of God - flowing from His absolute perfection and justice. It is, in essence, that we be as He is - not in terms of essence but character.
Psalm 51:5 "I was sinful at birth"
Genesis 8:21, "Every inclination of man's heart is evil from childhood."
Romans 5:12, "Sin entered the world through one man's sin, and death through sin, and therefore death came to all men for all have sinned."
First John 3:4, "Sin is lawlessness"
Romans 3:12, "There is no one who does good, not even one."
Mark 10:18, "There is none who is good but God exclusively."
First John 1:10, "If we claim we have no sin, we make God a liar and His word is not in us."
What does the Law mandate?
Essentially, that our character be identical to His.
Matthew 5:48, "You must be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
1 Peter 1:16, "You must be holy even as God in heaven is holy."
John 15:12, "Love all people just as I (Jesus) first loved you."
Ephesians 4:32, "forgiving one another, just as God in Christ first forgave you."
First John 2:6, "Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."
Philippians 2:5, "You must have the same attitude that Christ did."
The word "sin" literally means "to miss the mark." In ancient Greece, if an archer missed the target, the therefore "sinned" because he missed the mark, missed the target. The Bible says "ALL fall short." IF you have absolutely, perfectly, divinely, 24/7 "hit" all the targets above, then you are obedient and free of sin. Otherwise...... Well, the Bible would be correct and not lying when it says that "NO ONE is righteous, no, not even one." "For ALL fall short." "NO ONE is good." "If you claim to have no sin (you hit the mark), then you lie and call God a liar."
The GOSPEL
What is the Gospel?
It is the heart of God, the mercy of God, what God has done FOR us, the gifts from God, the promises of God - all in view of CHRIST alone: the Cross, the Blood, the Empty Tomb.
Galatians 2:21, "If justification were through the Law then Christ died for no purpose."
Philippians 3:9, "Not because of our works, lest anyone can boast."
Romans 3:20, "No human being will be justified in God's sight by works of the Law."
First John 4:10, "Not that we love God but rather that He loves us."
First John 4:8, "God is love."
John 3:16, "For God so (unconditionally) love the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but has everlasting life."
Romans 5:8, "God shows His love for us in that while we were enemies of God, Christ died for us."
First John 2:2, "Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins."
Titus 3:5, "God saves us not because of our deeds of righteousness but rather in view of His own mercy."
Romans 6:23, "The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing but rather it is the free gift of God."
John 3:36, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life."
This Gospel also applies to our lives as Christians....
Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave you or forsake you."
First John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, God is faithful to His promise and will forgive our sins."
.... and so VERY much more.... all entirely because of the heart of God, the unconditional love of God, the mercy of God.... in view of the Lamb, the Blood, the Cross, the Christ, the Savior.
LAW: You NEED The Savior!
GOSPEL: God gave you The Savior!
The Law does not negate or cancel or diminish the Gospel.... nor does the Gospel negate, cancel or diminish the Law... both are real, both are true, both stand in ALL their force and truth... and they can only accomplish their task if we allow them to stand FULLY - not watering them down, not confusing them, not entangling them, not misapplying them. A Christian (one who is justified, narrow - by Christ ALONE, by the SAVIOR, via the Cross, because of the Gospel!) is still called to absolute, total, divine perfection, holiness, obedience, love... still called to always, perfectly HIT THE MARK, right on, every time, 24/7, as much as God does, in our nature, our being, our attitude, our thoughts, our words, our deeds: both for civil reasons AND so that we realize we fail and need Gods' mercy. We strive forward because we love God and because this is the will of God..... but we never fully attain it, we miss the mark, we fall short more often and more greatly than we realize. And so, thanks be to God, the Gospel remains (FULLY, completely, in all its' power and force and beauty): God is merciful, God forgives, because of the Lamb, because of the Cross, because of the Blood, because of His unconditional love, because of His Son, because there is the SAVIOR - Jesus Christ.
Pax Soli CHRISTI
- Josiah
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