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The Gift of God! "For by grace you have been saved"

A Study by Richard P. Duffield - 02/01 (Written offshore Mexico) (Please feel free to e-mail me for the MS Word document in it's entirety!)
Salvation, the greatest gift of God to an undeserving mankind, no conditions, no requirements, no strings attached for those who understand the grace of God. For those who don't please read on!
I pray that God opens the eyes and hearts of all those who read this to receive what the Spirit has to say!
Man, in his never ending search to pacify, to earn, to establish through his own toils a way to God, a type of self-righteousness, never ceases to strive and work for his salvation. In Paul's epistle to the Galatians he addressed a problem that was creeping into the church even back then! It could be described as a form of Gnosticism, a type of Jewish legalism attempting to corrupt the purity and simplicity that was proclaimed in Jesus' gospel message. In John's epistles he addressed the same problem as well.
Jesus showed that it was by faith alone and the grace of God that man could or would be saved!
One can ague that we are to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12) but often we stop with that verse, the following verse 13 says, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure." It's His work, it's His will, not ours!
The word of God clearly states, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--9 not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8, 9 But you say, "Read on!" vs.10: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." At which time I say, "Keep going!" 11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)-- 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. The argument could easily continue by quoting James 2:18-24, "18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. 20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. Looks like a great argument for man's striving to please God through keeping Sabbaths, eating requirements, bowing and praying towards the East 6 times a day or what have you If such is the case, why then does Paul continue as follows: "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? And referring to the same Abraham spoken of in James above, "vs. 6 Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Lets jump ahead a little to vs. 16, "16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise." So then, what was the purpose of the law? The scripture clearly answers that question: "vs. 19 What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. 20 A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one. 21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. 23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Wow, the word says that we are heirs of Jesus Christ! It says that we are justified by faith and grace alone! He says by faith we receive the promise of adoption and salvation, this promise solely a gift from God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son! Thank you Lord! To further clarify the subject of law and grace, the Apostle Paul penned, "Gal.4:1 What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir." No longer a slave to the law but an heir, sharing in the grace of God through faith and what Jesus accomplished on the cross! Isn't it evident that attempting to "earn" our salvation or trying to "appease" God's righteous requirements through self sacrifice or other efforts simply make a mockery of what Jesus did on the cross. Had there been any other method of gaining our salvation, Jesus would not have had to die an excruciating death on the cross at Calvary's hill! His loss was our gain, by His divine design! It was a gift to those who had no chance of paying a debt to a Holy and Righteous God!
Hear these words of the Apostle Paul, "Gal. 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." And "13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. By attempting to further justify ourselves through things that appear to be good, we in fact take away from what Christ has already done on our behalf! Why did He say, "It is finished." In John 19:30? Not because His job was done, not because He had nothing else to do He said it because He had fulfilled all of the requirements that our flesh had to fulfill as long as we were under the law! He stated it again through Paul in his epistle to the Colossians, "2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Don't these "ordinances" or "laws" resemble some of the things "religions" today are expounding? Why would we who have partaken of such a glorious and divine grace be trapped into works that definitely lessen the importance of what Jesus did on the cross? Legalism was clearly addressed, Paul said, Col. 2:9 "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins (past, present, & future), 14 having canceled the written code, (the law!) with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
Most specifically, one ordinance (the 4th commandment of the Old Testament) specifies that we are to rest from our toils on the Sabbath. It is known as the seventh day or Saturday on modern calendars and it was the day that God rested after having created the earth and man. (Gen. 1:1- 2:3) The word Sabbath however means rest, not a specific day. All throughout the Old Testament Jews tried to "keep the Sabbath" with such sacrificial ordinances as to not allow them to raise their hands over their heads, not make a fire, they were unable to enter into any type of physical activity on that day. The Jews worshipped the Law and Ordinances more than they did God Himself for even when God walked among them, (John 1:1 & 1:10, 14) they didn't notice Him! They even overlooked His great miracles and actually wanted to stone Him for healing on the Sabbath! The 12th Chapter of Matthew's Gospel is full of the Pharisees' accusations of Jesus' breaking of the Sabbath! (For crossing a field and picking and eating grain, for healing a man's shriveled hand, etc) whereby how did Jesus reply? Read the words of Jesus, "vs. 3 He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread--which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. 5 Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Aren't we heirs of Christ, adopted into His royal bloodline? (Romans 8:16, 17) Aren't we in fact a part of Christ's very own body? (1 Cor.12:12- 27)
Doesn't the word of God declare that we are priests? (1 Pet. 2:5, 2:9, Rev. 1:6, 5:10, 20:6) Weren't the priests exempt from "keeping the Sabbath" in God's Old Testament Law? Well, isn't that what Jesus said above in Matthew 12:5? (Referring to Numbers 28:9, 10)
Why so much about the Sabbath? Primarily because of the emphasis many place on keeping it while overlooking the absolute truth that God's grace alone is more than sufficient to save lost mankind! Much of the scripture above shows the problem that legalism, if allowed to creep into the pure and simple Gospel of Jesus Christ, can cause. Our focus must be on the love and grace of God! Yes, one cannot overlook the fact that God is Just and God is Holy, to overlook that is a mistake of the grandest proportions, however man in his own ability or by his own means cannot please God and in trying we take away from what Christ was made to suffer on the cross!
Christians now days are admonished to seek God daily, minute by minute, second by second, not like the Hebrews who set aside an entire day (the Sabbath) to do their worshipping! Main stream Christianity by and large hold their main service for the gathering of the body together and the Lord's communion on the first day of the week, Sunday. Why Sunday? Now we serve a risen Savior, One who rose from the dead on a Sunday, One who made no mistake about including in the Holy Scripture the presence of a "Lord's Day"! Mark16:9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. John 20:19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 1Cor.16:2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Rev. 1:10 10 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet
Why does one suppose there was made mention this "new" day of worship or as the Apostle John explained it, "the Lord's Day"? Look in the Old testament, many mentions are made of consecrating the First Day as well as the Sabbath day! See Exodus 12:16, 40:2, 40:17, Lev. 23:7, 24, 39, 40, Numbers 28;18, 29;1, Deut. 1:2 and on and on! Ezekiel's visitations from God almost exclusively occurred on the First Day of the week or month! There was and is something VERY SPECIAL about the first day!
We mainstream Christians simply choose the first day over the last day of the week to honor our Lord who rose on that day! It is our duty as Spirit filled and led Christians to worship Him continuously as noted above, minute by minute, second by second! My church for example has a main Sunday service, we also have Wednesday services, Thursday men's meetings, Prayer meetings on Saturdays, Cell Group Meetings on almost everyday of the week, apart from Choir Group meetings on Mondays, Special services on Fridays! There is never a time when we're not "keeping a Sabbath" if the Spirit of our Lord indwells us! Being part of His body and in constant communion with Him, we are a Sabbath unto our Lord! Isn't that what Jesus told the Pharisees that He was? How could He keep a Sabbath when He was the Sabbath? Just as in His day there were those who didn't understand, so today there are those who are missing it! For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath! (Matt. 12:8) The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath! (Luke 6:5) Lord, open their eyes that they might see I pray!
By trying to imply that one day is what God requires would make less of those other important days! No service has seen more deliveries from sin, healings from sickness & emotional distress than Wednesdays at our church! Lord, please let all who read this see that the "keeping of a Sabbath" as was mandatory for the Hebrew children does not justify us in any way in Your sight! What a feeble attempt to justify ourselves through some sort of supposed self-sacrifice! Jesus was and is MORE THAN ENOUGH Lord, forgive us I pray! You paid the price Lord, paid in full! It is finished! Your grace is sufficient! (See 2 Cor. 12:9!)
It is old as time itself, man's feeble attempts to make himself right with God! Today we can count hundreds if not thousands of religions throughout the earth whereby man is trying to make himself right with God through his own means! It's all foolishness! Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man can come to the Father except through Me!" John 14:6! Above we see that we are saved by grace, through faith, not by any form of works! (Eph. 2:8) In the book of John alone we can see the way to obtain eternal life in many instances, none of which have any indication that we have to do anything but believe in the Lord Jesus Christ! John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Jn.3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." Jn.5:24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. Jn.6:40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Jn.6:47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. Jn.6:54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Jn.10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. Jn.11:26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Jn.17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. We're always placing conditions where there are none! Where within the above scriptures can we find any condition for being saved apart from believing in Him and receiving Him as our Lord and Master? Nowhere! Why is that? Could the Holy Spirit have simply overlooked a fact as important as that? I THINK NOT!
Acts is also full of the same! Look at the instructions for being saved: Acts2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' Acts15:11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." Acts16:31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household." These are but a few of the examples of how one has to come to God for salvation of his soul. There is no long list of requirements, there is no standard that we must meet up to apart from believing in Jesus as Lord and allowing His Spirit to lead our lives from that point forward! That's it! But look here in the Book of Acts, already in this brand new church was there those who sought to add legalism to the liberty God had given us at such a high price: "Acts15:1 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." To this Paul and Barnabas responded as such, "2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question." They brought the whole issue before the primarily Jewish Elders of the newly formed Christian religion whereby the following proclamation was set forth to explain to the gentile believers any 'conditions" that might be attached to the free gift of salvation through God's grace that they'd received by believing in and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord. Acts 15:23 With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. 24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul-- 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. If you look closely you'll find that there is no mention of keeping any type of law, any other requirements than what is spelled out! We can see also that it is more of an admonition than a commandment!
What many are prone to forget is that in these days the written word of God was not even available to a majority of the local churches that were sprouting up around the gentile world! Scribes and Pharisees controlled what was written in those days and remember too that most of these books of the New Testament were not even written then! The Holy Spirit was in control, not man! But even as early as when the book of Acts took place Satan was working through man to water down the Gospel that Jesus lived and died to expound! You see, it's man's pride that makes it so easy to believe that we have to act a certain way, do certain things, all neat and orderly, in order to "assist God" with effecting our eternal salvation! HOGWASH! Again I'll repeat, if we had to meet up to a certain standard, if we had to leap through hoops, earn in any way our salvation, then Jesus died on the cross for naught! That's as simple as one can put it! There was (and is) no way that we can earn or "justify" our salvation, it's simply a gift of God! Any "works" that may come from man can only be feeble attempts to justify such a gift if they are not inspired of the Holy Spirit that indwells us and not done in faith! (Romans 14:23! "whatever is not from faith is sin!") When we strive to keep the law, where is our faith? In the law? In ourselves?
Romans 10 also spells it out for us, there aren't any strings attached! Man always places the strings! Man is constantly trying to earn his way, to corrupt the pure, simple gospel because we know we don't deserve it and it makes us feel better to think we're earning it in some way! Romans10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans10:10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. No hoops, no tricks, no further requirements! Rom.10:13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Still no conditions attached! Simply stated, simply understood for those who have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying! But isn't that just what the Holy Spirit was trying to say through Paul when he penned these words, 1 Cor.1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
Read on to the end of that 1st Chapter of 1st Corinthians to see more of how God uses things that man considers foolishness to prove His eternal wisdom. One thing is for certain, God does not need to impress man and there is absolutely nothing that man can do to impress God! The prophet Isaiah said in Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags."
But isn't that what we're trying to do when we place conditions on God's free gift, we try to prove that we deserve what He has freely given undeserving man? Forgive us Lord for our vanity and pride, we stink of uncleanness in your nostrils every time we attempt to lessen what Jesus has already done for us!
Read some more, judge for yourself! Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Also, Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. These passages tell us specifically that we are free from the law, free from the law I said! Free from trying to keep commandments that none were ever able to keep! To even try is turning your nose up to what Jesus has already done for us! Notice the lack of many so called "important" commandments mentioned! Why would that be? Why are some mentioned and others not? The word above says we are alive now according to the Spirit of God who indwells us! NO CONDEMNATION! Am I saying that we should simply disregard everything ever written to the Hebrews? ABSOLUTELY NOT! The key here is Jesus' fulfillment of the law, not the doing away with it! All of the commandments led us to this glorious salvation we can now partake of because of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice at Calvary's cross! We should forever thank God that His law showed us just how futile it was to try to keep said laws! How futile it was for us to try and "earn" our salvation! In the dictionary there should be such a definition for the word futility: man's feeble effort to keep God's law!
Again, Romans 7:1 Do you not know, brothers--for I am speaking to men who know the law--that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. 3 So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man. 4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. The NKJV says: 7:6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by (the law!); so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. I would think what he's said there is pretty clear!
Can't you see that it says that if we were born again, if we died and were buried with Christ, then we were in fact freed from the legal requirements of the law and now led and bound by the Spirit of God who indwells us! What must one do to free someone up from the legalism that has them bound? Isn't anybody getting freed by now? I pray God that His Spirit sets someone free just about now! Apart from the Spirit that indwells me nothing good in me dwells, however please allow me to bombard you with a few more scriptures before trying to wrap this thing up Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. 21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
To fully understand why it is that man constantly battles with this need to achieve a level of self-justification, understand the following scripture: Romans 4: 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." Can you see that it actually requires more faith to simply believe that God will do according to His word regardless of how we act, that it does not really depend on us at all as long as we are in fact led of His Spirit! Continuing with Paul's discourse, Romans 4:13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. It is very clear to see, if we try to pick up parts of the old covenant, if we insist that we will keep God's revealed law as He commanded the Hebrews, then we remove ourselves from His grace and enter back into His wrath! Brethren, hear these words, Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Why would we wish to add to this great gift that God has bestowed upon us? Only our pride and vanity can be to blame! (And Satan of course!) James, who was part of the Elders who wrote the proclamation to the Gentiles, who also wrote that faith without works is dead, also wrote this: "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble In one point, he is guilty of them all!" (James 2:10) Certainly it is possible for me to go on and on, the examples that explain my point are so numerous that I can't understand why those who study God's word and still attempt to appease God by trying to keep His law can't see the truth for what it is.
Quite possibly there are far too many today who are living and basing their theology upon the so-called revelations of others who have gone before them! I won't try to judge those who've founded entire doctrines and denominations through personal revelations but didn't the prophet Jeremiah say, "Jer.31: 33 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD." And then repeated Himself in, "Hebrews 10: 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16 This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." 17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." 18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin." My point is that we've been given His Holy Spirit to spiritually discern the truth for ourselves! (With His help of course!) When we get to the Bema Seat of Christ's judgment, we won't be able to say that it was someone else's fault! Worst yet is if we don't even make it to the Bema and have to stand at the Great White Throne and there try to explain that we didn't enter His grace because of someone else's revelation! What does the Holy Spirit in you say right now? Do you in fact have a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus and His wonderful Holy Spirit? If not, WHY? There is no excuse, neither to me, to yourself, or most importantly to God! Have you entered into His grace? Are you following a doctrine that adds or takes away from what Jesus has already done for us? Read the words herein, ask the Holy Spirit of God, determine for yourself and give no heed to what others say or think!
However, instead of beating a dead horse, allow me to be careful to not appear to be judging! I understand that there are those who are still travelling on their journey to spiritual freedom as only Christ can impart into sinful man, to those I remind you that what God has begun, He will accomplish! (Phil. 1:6, 1 Thes. 5:24!) I really believe that! Having seemingly heaped condemnation on others by writing the above, it was not my intention, conviction maybe, enlightenment surely, but never condemnation! I would hope this would stimulate some to inquire of God through His Holy Spirit as to what God thinks about the subject! Certainly I am not trying to say I know everything, I can only testify that I know and commune with the indwelling Christ and He has set me free from works apart from those inspired of Him! The TRUTH will set you free!
I pray these words touch you and inspire you to seek that which I've found! God's awesome grace!
Less you finish this paper and begin to judge me, or I judge you, allow me to bring forth the following verses to allow us to filter our emotions through the Holy Spirit! "Romans 14:4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." Do you think maybe Paul knew that we'd be discussing these things? I think you'd have to agree that before going overboard with any discussion on doctrine we would be better suited to tell the wonderful gospel story to those who are dying and going to hell! Where is your focus? On proving doctrine or on winning the lost? I pray it's winning the lost!
If you are still mad about what I've written, remember: 11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor? Surely anyone who can read must agree that in God's kingdom there is room for us all, those who feel they must keep the law and those who don't! Certainly Jesus also had this in mind when He prayed in John 17:20 - 26 that we would dwell together in unity just as He and the Father were in unity!
In trying to end this I'll use the words of the late Watchman Nee, it's not my attempt to diffuse what I've said or lessen the impact thereof, but I think if we shift our attention off of points within someone's doctrine and focus on what it all boils down to we'd be better served! 1 Cor.1:30 declares: "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God­and righteousness and sanctification and redemption!" You see, it's not about what we do or don't do, it's not about how good or bad we act or carry ourselves! It's all about what He's done for us and who He has become in our life! We are not now or never will be made righteous on our own merits, no matter how noble they may appear! The above mentioned verse clearly illustrates that Christ alone is our righteousness! Watchman Nee puts it this way, "A Christian's access to God is not based on his righteousness or his unrighteousness!" "I come to God through Christ as my righteousness, not through the righteousness of Christ, before the Lord of course I have my own righteousness as well as my own unrighteousness. It goes without saying that my unrighteousness cannot be reckoned as righteous in His eyes, but my righteousness cannot be reckoned as righteous in His eyes neither! It has nothing to do with me loving Him but with Him loving me! I do not preserve myself; He preserves me! It is not my hands that are holding Him but His hands that are holding me! It is not a matter of my faithfulness but His faithfulness!" "We have to realize that sin has been dealt with by Christ on the cross, and the problem of righteousness has been settled by Christ on the throne. The righteousness that God has given us freely is just Christ! Once He gives us Christ He will never change His mind! My conduct may improve, but my righteousness can never improve! I can advance in holiness but I cannot advance in righteousness, because the righteousness that God has given me is already perfect! This righteousness is just Christ! I am the most righteous person in the world because my righteousness is just Christ! Just as Christ never changes and is well pleasing to God, I cannot change, and I am well pleasing to God! We must see and understand that man's condition before God can be good or bad, but his position before God can never change! We may advance in our holiness, spirituality, maturity, but our righteousness will never change!" Our righteousness is Jesus! Yes, our righteousness is simply Jesus Christ Himself! Staring into the word of God as outlined above and seeing the truths revealed therein, how can we try to prove our righteousness while trapped in these sin-laden bodies? Grace is the simple truth of what it takes to overcome this world! Grace through faith in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on our behalf! Once we understand that our part is miniscule in this great gift of salvation, once we can stop striving and begin to be led by His Holy Spirit that indwells us just for the asking, the sooner we can overcome Satan and all that this world has to throw at us!
Our focus needs to be Jesus, and the fellowship of His Holy Spirit! NOTHING MORE, and more importantly, nothing less!
With Jesus as our focus, where does jumping through rings, bowing 6 times to the East, keeping Hebraic, Mosaic, or Levitical law enter in? IT DOESN'T! Jesus becomes our Sabbath rest, Jesus becomes our righteousness, Jesus becomes our everything! His Spirit leads us onto the right paths, keeps our feet on solid ground, gives us victory as we yield to Him and become obedient to His Spirit!
The Apostle John said, "1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.22 And whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us." Don't forget above when I quoted Paul in Romans chapter 13, ". 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law"
Don't miss it! God's Holy Spirit repeated Himself for a reason! (Not to confuse but to clarify!)
In 2 Timothy, 1st chapter Paul is speaking about Jehovah God, see what he says here: "vs.9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" It's His grace, it's His plan, it's His works through us! It's not about us but Him!
His Spirit produces in us good works of love as Jesus sees fit! Never us, only His Spirit in us!
Hebrews 4:9"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself ceased from his works as God did from His!"Enter His rest today, everyday is a Sabbath!
Can one make a statement more clear than did the Apostle John in his 1st Epistle, fifth chapter, verses 11 through 13? "11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
The biggest question is not if you can successfully jump through hoops, keep certain commandments like the Hebrews were mandated to do, if you pray to the East 6 times a day but DO YOU HAVE THE SON OF GOD? If you do then it all boils down to GRACE! God's revealed Grace and nothing more than our faith in God's grace being sufficient to save us from certain hell and usher us into the kingdom of God! Sound a little scary? Depending on Him and Him alone! Not depending on anything that comes from our toils Not depending on how we act, what we do, but who He is! Dependant on His grace alone...
Brethren, cease from your striving, from your works of the law! Enter into His grace! Depend on what Jesus did and His promises to you if by faith you simply believe! Faith in God's grace, the key to eternity!
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God!!

I pray that somehow this has inspired you, helped you, or even made you mad! Why would I add make you mad? Because God's word sometimes makes us mad before we surrender our pre-conceived notions and with both hands take hold of His! I pray that this study will cause some to relinquish ownership of their self-imposed bondage and that through it they will receive the joy and freedom that God's word promises to those who believe! There are so many who place all kinds of "hoops" and requirements of the salvation which God has freely given us in Christ Jesus. This study is for you! For those of us who already enter into this grace which was provided at such great expense, this is to help you remember and be thankful!

God doesn't need people who've already arrived, He needs common sinners, saved by His grace, like you and I!

Be blessed!

In His service,

Richard P. Duffield

(Please feel free to send comments, suggestions, criticisms, whatever if you read this study!)