Thesis: Are Christian believers under, above or equal to the Holy Law of God?
Text. 1 Timothy 1:8-11 I. If Christian are under the Holy Law of God
Then the power of the Cross of Christ had no effect in the change of the spiritual status of a Christian. The christian is still lost in his sinfulness. If the christian is convinced that he is still lost in his sins, then Jesus's sacrifice on the cross was in vain.
The whole purpose of Jesus dying on the cross was to destroy the power of sinfulness in the lives of Christians. So what serves the Law of God? It only serves as an instructor to those who without Christ seek to live according to its requirements, allowing it to point out the adherents sinfulness and exhibiting God's righteous will.
So if Christians are under the authority of the Holy law of God, then each christian must earn his own salvation according the just requirements of the Law. The Bible states that no man can be justified by keeping the law. So Christians can not be under the Law, because their justification does not come from keeping the Law, but by faith in the resurrection of Christ.
II. If Christians are above the Law of God...
Then what is the usefulness of the Holy Law of God? Did God waste his time in creating a law that would not be observable or enforceable? How would God convince and convict each person of his own sinfulness outside the provision of his matchless salvation? Who could God persuade to live a holy life? If a man has no knowledge of the degree of depravity of his own sinfulness, how can a person become convinced and convicted of it? Where there is no law to correct a man of his transgressions against God, there lies no judgment against a man's sinful actions.
If this be true, then it follows that the necessity of Christ's Sacrifice was in vain and without purpose. Jesus was born to save men from their sins, but if there is no transgressions because the Holy Law that would judge them is now of none effect because without any law you can not have a transgression. The power of the transgression is the Law.
Since Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law of God, what governs us now who believe? The text clearly illustrates that believers in Christ are no longer under the Holy Law. Christ by his death on the Cross, by his own shed blood, blotted out all the ordinances (laws) that were against us.(Colossians 2:14) I ask again what constrains us, who believe in Christ from ever sinning again? I suggest two things God grace and God's power. God removed the Holy Law that was not observable nor enforceable by any one and put in its place the power of his Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4) Being a wise and just God he has also given us Grace because it is going to take time for each of us to adjust to His Holy Spirit living inside of every one who believes in Christ Jesus. He knew that we would not come out of our sinful behavior easily, but as each of us surrenders to the power of His Holy Spirit that is alive in each one who believes in Christ, we become more and more sinless everyday. (2 Corinthians 4:7,16,5:11-17) We have this treasure, the power of God's Holy Spirit, hidden in earthen vessels ( our bodies, our flesh) that no matter what we go through in this life, we believers in Christ have the power to endure, out last and overcome if we hold on to the hope of the promise of God in Christ Jesus that is laid out in his divine plan and will before us.
So to conclude we are neither above or under the Law of God who believe in Christ Jesus for we are now are new creatures in Christ governed not by an unenforceable Law but by the power of the Spirit of God. To quote the Apostle Paul " If ye then be led (governed) by the Spirit of God, ye are no longer under the Law" (Galatians 5:18)
III. Are Christians equal to the holy Law of God?
-If Christians are equal to the Law of God, a few things must be established.
One; the righteousness of obedient and submitted to the Spiirit of God Christians must be an extention of God's righteousness in Christ Jesus. Thusly the role of the Holy Law of God moves from the role of that being our instructor to that of an Advisor. What is the difference? An Instructor points out errors in a given action, then teaches how that action ought to be done correctly. Also an instructor when not obeyed by the student is punished according to the level of disobedience. An advisor warns you of the errant action before you commit it. If you make the mistake of not following its advise, the advisor will counsel you out of the mess you got yourself in. An advisor will give you direction but, it is up to you to follow the direction it advises that you take. So it is with Christians, who have the understanding that they are not married to the Holy Law of God any longer, but find the Holy Law beneficial in that it gives guidance it areas of question. So that every christian may continue to grow in the grace that was provided by God through Christ.
Two; We have been made through Christ the righteousness of God. (Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21) Since the Law is Holy, good and just (Romans7:12) and every Christian has been made the righteousness of God in Christ. The Holy Law has no power over the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Since this be true, should we believers disgrace the righteousness of God so willingly provided by the Sovereign Lord of all Creation out of love for mankind? No. Rather we should strive to live as Holy as He is Holy, be as righteous as He is righteous, be just as He is just and most of all loving as He is loving. Did God give us his Holy Spirit so that we may remain in bondage to our sinfulness? No. He gave us His Holy Spirit so that we can now live in the righteousness of God,
Three; Now the question is, does this righteousness that God has provided in Christ continue with us if we practice sin? No. Anyone who names the name of Christ as his saviour and continues in sin, does not know who and what he is in God. What do you think will be the judgement of those who run the righteousness of a Holy God into the filth of sin? The bible says that if the righteous will be scarcely saved, where will the wicked and sinner appear? Be not decieved God is not mocked whatsoever a man sows that he will also reap. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If a man who calls himself a believer in Christ and choses to continue in sin, he is blinded by the sin that posseses him. In that he cannot see the benefit and the pleasure in living in the will and righteousness of God. Let not that one person believe that he will be blessed by God, except to draw him out from his sinfulness and into a life of righteousness in God, lest his self deception will taint a whole community of potential believers who witnesses his hypocrisy and assign it to the futility of the power of God. My last point is that for those who walk after the flesh after experiencing the power of Spirit of God, they will remain under an instructor untill they learn who and what they are in Christ and what God has done for them. Even in their most carnal state, God will save them through Christ, for Christ saves to the uttermost.
Testimony: I know a man, a friend of mine, which I met in a homeless shelter. This man confessed Christ but was in bondage to drugs. I watched as his finacee prayed for their deliverance. One day he approach me in the shelter and asked me how could I remain holy when everything you worked for was taken from you. I told him that I learned that the definition of my life in Christ is not measured by God by the things I posses but by the faith I have in his deliverance power. That my present does not define my future. Soon after that God provided a way for me to leave the homeless shelter but in his full view. Soon after that I was restored to ministry and to a level of prosperity that I once enjoyed. He became a disciple of Christ and truly surendered to God. God lifted him out of homelessness shortly there after and delivered him and his now wife of their addiction problem. He is now growing in ministry enjoying a level of prosperity he never enjoyed before in God. Why? Because he found out who he was and what he was in Christ. That his present condition does not define his future. Most of all he found out that Grace does not allow you to stay in sin, for it is God giving you time to get it right.
Text. 1 Timothy 1:8-11 I. If Christian are under the Holy Law of God
Then the power of the Cross of Christ had no effect in the change of the spiritual status of a Christian. The christian is still lost in his sinfulness. If the christian is convinced that he is still lost in his sins, then Jesus's sacrifice on the cross was in vain.
The whole purpose of Jesus dying on the cross was to destroy the power of sinfulness in the lives of Christians. So what serves the Law of God? It only serves as an instructor to those who without Christ seek to live according to its requirements, allowing it to point out the adherents sinfulness and exhibiting God's righteous will.
So if Christians are under the authority of the Holy law of God, then each christian must earn his own salvation according the just requirements of the Law. The Bible states that no man can be justified by keeping the law. So Christians can not be under the Law, because their justification does not come from keeping the Law, but by faith in the resurrection of Christ.
II. If Christians are above the Law of God...
Then what is the usefulness of the Holy Law of God? Did God waste his time in creating a law that would not be observable or enforceable? How would God convince and convict each person of his own sinfulness outside the provision of his matchless salvation? Who could God persuade to live a holy life? If a man has no knowledge of the degree of depravity of his own sinfulness, how can a person become convinced and convicted of it? Where there is no law to correct a man of his transgressions against God, there lies no judgment against a man's sinful actions.
If this be true, then it follows that the necessity of Christ's Sacrifice was in vain and without purpose. Jesus was born to save men from their sins, but if there is no transgressions because the Holy Law that would judge them is now of none effect because without any law you can not have a transgression. The power of the transgression is the Law.
Since Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law of God, what governs us now who believe? The text clearly illustrates that believers in Christ are no longer under the Holy Law. Christ by his death on the Cross, by his own shed blood, blotted out all the ordinances (laws) that were against us.(Colossians 2:14) I ask again what constrains us, who believe in Christ from ever sinning again? I suggest two things God grace and God's power. God removed the Holy Law that was not observable nor enforceable by any one and put in its place the power of his Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4) Being a wise and just God he has also given us Grace because it is going to take time for each of us to adjust to His Holy Spirit living inside of every one who believes in Christ Jesus. He knew that we would not come out of our sinful behavior easily, but as each of us surrenders to the power of His Holy Spirit that is alive in each one who believes in Christ, we become more and more sinless everyday. (2 Corinthians 4:7,16,5:11-17) We have this treasure, the power of God's Holy Spirit, hidden in earthen vessels ( our bodies, our flesh) that no matter what we go through in this life, we believers in Christ have the power to endure, out last and overcome if we hold on to the hope of the promise of God in Christ Jesus that is laid out in his divine plan and will before us.
So to conclude we are neither above or under the Law of God who believe in Christ Jesus for we are now are new creatures in Christ governed not by an unenforceable Law but by the power of the Spirit of God. To quote the Apostle Paul " If ye then be led (governed) by the Spirit of God, ye are no longer under the Law" (Galatians 5:18)
III. Are Christians equal to the holy Law of God?
-If Christians are equal to the Law of God, a few things must be established.
One; the righteousness of obedient and submitted to the Spiirit of God Christians must be an extention of God's righteousness in Christ Jesus. Thusly the role of the Holy Law of God moves from the role of that being our instructor to that of an Advisor. What is the difference? An Instructor points out errors in a given action, then teaches how that action ought to be done correctly. Also an instructor when not obeyed by the student is punished according to the level of disobedience. An advisor warns you of the errant action before you commit it. If you make the mistake of not following its advise, the advisor will counsel you out of the mess you got yourself in. An advisor will give you direction but, it is up to you to follow the direction it advises that you take. So it is with Christians, who have the understanding that they are not married to the Holy Law of God any longer, but find the Holy Law beneficial in that it gives guidance it areas of question. So that every christian may continue to grow in the grace that was provided by God through Christ.
Two; We have been made through Christ the righteousness of God. (Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21) Since the Law is Holy, good and just (Romans7:12) and every Christian has been made the righteousness of God in Christ. The Holy Law has no power over the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Since this be true, should we believers disgrace the righteousness of God so willingly provided by the Sovereign Lord of all Creation out of love for mankind? No. Rather we should strive to live as Holy as He is Holy, be as righteous as He is righteous, be just as He is just and most of all loving as He is loving. Did God give us his Holy Spirit so that we may remain in bondage to our sinfulness? No. He gave us His Holy Spirit so that we can now live in the righteousness of God,
Three; Now the question is, does this righteousness that God has provided in Christ continue with us if we practice sin? No. Anyone who names the name of Christ as his saviour and continues in sin, does not know who and what he is in God. What do you think will be the judgement of those who run the righteousness of a Holy God into the filth of sin? The bible says that if the righteous will be scarcely saved, where will the wicked and sinner appear? Be not decieved God is not mocked whatsoever a man sows that he will also reap. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If a man who calls himself a believer in Christ and choses to continue in sin, he is blinded by the sin that posseses him. In that he cannot see the benefit and the pleasure in living in the will and righteousness of God. Let not that one person believe that he will be blessed by God, except to draw him out from his sinfulness and into a life of righteousness in God, lest his self deception will taint a whole community of potential believers who witnesses his hypocrisy and assign it to the futility of the power of God. My last point is that for those who walk after the flesh after experiencing the power of Spirit of God, they will remain under an instructor untill they learn who and what they are in Christ and what God has done for them. Even in their most carnal state, God will save them through Christ, for Christ saves to the uttermost.
Testimony: I know a man, a friend of mine, which I met in a homeless shelter. This man confessed Christ but was in bondage to drugs. I watched as his finacee prayed for their deliverance. One day he approach me in the shelter and asked me how could I remain holy when everything you worked for was taken from you. I told him that I learned that the definition of my life in Christ is not measured by God by the things I posses but by the faith I have in his deliverance power. That my present does not define my future. Soon after that God provided a way for me to leave the homeless shelter but in his full view. Soon after that I was restored to ministry and to a level of prosperity that I once enjoyed. He became a disciple of Christ and truly surendered to God. God lifted him out of homelessness shortly there after and delivered him and his now wife of their addiction problem. He is now growing in ministry enjoying a level of prosperity he never enjoyed before in God. Why? Because he found out who he was and what he was in Christ. That his present condition does not define his future. Most of all he found out that Grace does not allow you to stay in sin, for it is God giving you time to get it right.
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