Common Legalist Arguments - Part II

In my last post in this series, I went over the idea that "The law is harder to keep; the Spirit helps you to keep it, grace makes up for your failures." We saw the flaws hidden in that approach of partial law-keeping. Now, I would like to investigate the next argument that I commonly hear from legalists. I believe this one is much craftier and more likely to trip us up.

Argument #2

"God wants people to be obedient."

This is a well crafted argument; very sly in its design. After all, who wants to be seen as DISobedient? The legalist playbook is filled with these clever little traps. But nevertheless, is this the right approach to a New Covenant relationship with God?

Answer: absolutely, positively not!!

You're taken aback already, I'd wager. My answer hinges on what is hidden in the word "obedience". When one group says "obey", they understand that to mean "keep the laws of the Old Covenant". That is the catch here. That is not obedience in the New Covenant.
Let's investigate.

One can always go to the Old Covenant, which we have as an example to us, and see exhortations to obey. Regulations and restrictions controlled, from the outside, almost every aspect of a person's life. The inside, however, rarely changed. Israel as a majority did not obey, and they received the punishments prescribed in the law. God predicted it from the very start that they would fail and be carried away (DEU. 31: 16). Now it becomes all the easier to distract a person and claim that unless we obey then we will draw the wrath of God on us as we see in the Old Testament. That is precisely what the Pharisees did, they doubled down on law-keeping, yet Jesus called them "lawless" (MAT. 23: 28).

But in contrast, in the New Covenant, God does not want obedience in the same manner.

(JOHN 15: 15) 15 No longer do I call you servants... but I have called you friends...

He wants people to be faithful and believe in His Son. That is the very core of the Good News! Our salvation is already prepared; we need merely accept and confess it. That work of salvation already is complete, once and for all time, from Jesus' death, forward into all eternity. If we are faithful, God will then grant us His Spirit. It is that Spirit which causes God's will to be fulfilled in us.

This argument that God wants an obedient people betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the very nature of the New Covenant. Why?
First, because as we saw in the last post, the righteousness God wants is not our righteousness. It's His righteousness.
Second, because the law, as holy and righteous as it was, controls from the outside, whereas the Spirit of God in us transforms from the inside.

It is not about us. It is not about what we do or fail to do. It is not about control. It is not about legal obedience. It's not about law at all. It is about a relationship. It is about Jesus Christ. It is about God replacing the sinful persons we are. Out of sinfulness creating righteousness. Who besides God can do such a marvelous thing? It is He who does the work, not us. He does not control, He transforms, not from the outside but from the inside. The difference is likened to a child learning to obey, and a mature adult who has already learned well to the point where the lesson is now nature. He puts away the childish things.

We are re-born. We are not reborn into the same Old Covenant, or even a modified Old Covenant, but a glorious New Covenant. Not subject to the old letter of the old law and ordinances, but to the spirit of a Spiritual law, a Royal law, of faith and love.

This new Way, this spiritual way, replaces the old way in its entirety. The old way isn't brought forward, it isn't altered slightly, but is destroyed completely. That is the nature of Covenants. Even so, the new way fulfills the righteous requirements of the old way. The new is not without righteousness, even though there is no law written in stone. The new way fills up the old way and overflows it; tearing it like an un-shrunken patch on old clothes; bursting it like new wine into old skins.

That being the case, we have to ask, what do you mean when you say "be obedient"? You say "obey", but you don't obey (GAL. 6: 13)! Only one Man has ever been sinless. So, "obey" what? The Old covenant law? The Old Covenant is gone (ROM. 7: 6; II COR. 3: 7, 11, 13). Do you seek to earn through obedience to it? You cannot earn anything from God; it is a gift (ROM. 5: 16-18; EPH. 2: 8). What good comes of your partial "obedience", then? Righteousness? Your righteousness is like filthy rags (ISA. 64: 6). Righteousness is not of the law anyhow (GAL. 2: 21). What does make a man righteous?

(ROM. 5: 19) For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

It is Christ! And Christ alone. You can't be "obedient" to the law and receive this. You can't be obedient to the law at all. Men tried for 1,500 years under the Old Covenant and failed. It's not about you. To even think that you can do anything is to steal from Christ.

(GAL. 3: 2-4) 2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

To think you know anything, let alone do anything, you do not yet know as you should (I COR. 8: 2).

(ROM. 10: 2-3) 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God

Romans 8: 3 says people seek their own righteousness. How do they do that?

(PHP. 3: 9) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith

This expressly says God does not want us to pursue our own righteousness from the law!! This completely smashes the second legalistic argument! People say "God wants obedience." Yes, but not by law. God Himself says that He doesn't want you to pursue your own failed righteousness by law, He wants His own righteousness in us by faith! This is a profound difference not to be taken lightly!

This is why I said, "absolutely, positively not," when speaking about obedience. Because I know what is really meant by "obedience" is "obedience to law." That is not what God wants.

The law was brought in to condemn you so that you could clearly see how hopeless you are, see how inadequate you are to this task, see your need, and see how you must depend entirely on the grace of God. He has saved you. God doesn't want condemnation, He wants humility. He doesn't want obedience to law, He wants you to let Him give you what he has prepared for you. And that is the length, breadth, width, height, and depth of the good news! In what way is that insufficient?

(ROM. 5: 15-18) 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

God wants people to be faithful. He will take care of the obedience on His own.

(ROM. 9: 30-32) 30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law.

There is obedience, but not by law. To "obey the Gospel" is to have faith. If people were actually obedient to what God says He wants, they would have faith. Once faith has come in, they would have the Spirit. Once the Spirit has come in, they would have love. Love is the fulfillment of the righteous requirement of the law. And once love has cone in, the actions in life - the works - would be a response to faith and love, not a cause of it. Works are a byproduct of grace, not a cause of it! And it would all be because of God's grace, and nothing of your own. As I once heard, "Jesus Christ did not come to make you better, He came to replace you." (GAL. 2: 20)

CONCLUSION

What was argument #2 again? "God wants people to be obedient."

There is an obedience, and it is to the truth. God's word is truth, and it desires faith. If there is a commandment, it is to love. God is love. The law for the New Covenant is faith and love.

It is about God, not us. In all sincerity, invite Christ in to do these things from the Spirit within you, and you have fulfilled ALL righteousness.

Deeply loved by God, I hope you all come to fully understand what the New Covenant entails. I pray you are completely transformed from the inside by the indwelling of the Spirit of God. If the Spirit is in you then you are the temple of God, and are made holy by His presence, not by anything at all that you can say or do (or not). Be transformed! Step into the New Covenant!

(I PET. 1: 22-25) 22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the LORD endures forever.”

Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

[Also see Part I, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, & Part VIII]

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom.

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Israels 61st birthday

According to Joel Rosenberg, April 28th is when the Jewish people mark their national birthday as apposed to May 14th when the rest of the world does. So I’d like to say a few words in appreciation of the Jewish people to mark the occasion.

Israel is the gift of God to the world. The punishment of Judah and its dispersal throughout the nations of the world, and eventual re-gathering to the holy land, take up a significant portion of the old testament i.e. Zech 8:7 “I will re-gather you”, Zech 8:13 ”So will I save you and you will be a blessing.”

Through the suffering and ubiquitous presence of the Jewish people, no one can truly avoid seeing the reality of the word of God. People may deny and make excuses to disbelieve this monumental sign from God, but every one knows of the Diaspora; and because of the Palestinian conflict, no one can remove the specter from before their eyes and plead ignorance. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is alive, and has plans for this planet.

The Jewish people did not fail, but performed an unprecedented service, through their suffering, to all mankind; to reveal our maker, give us proof of his word by the fulfillment of copiously repeated prophecies, so that we may believe, and through all of this, give us hope.

The fantastical idea of the reality of God relegated to the genre of fairy tails and legends by so many intellectuals, is given reason for reconsideration, and in a snowstorm of contradictory opinions, the reality of Israel breaks through with its crystal clear message: we must keep our eye on Israel.

The Jews are still serving us to this day as a beacon on a hill. They are prevented from accepting their Messiah, and the universe shaking implications that he is, until they have completed their service to the world when in their defense, God will introduce himself to that world in the most spectacular way (Zech 12 and 14), and then the Jews will know their Lord and become his ministers to the nations as the law goes out from Jerusalem, Zech 8:23 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you’."

For now you could say that Israel is bait to lure the forces of Satan to try ever harder to exterminate them. Ezek 38:4 “I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army--your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. V5 Persia (Iran), Cush (Aria including Ethiopia) and Put (Libia) will be with them, all with shields and helmets,”

The resurrection of Israel is the super sign that God’s victory is at hand. Satan can’t win, but like a child having a tantrum, he will break and deface anything belonging to the one he failed to destroy; this means Israel, but in this he will also fail, and the Messiah will certainly destroy him.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom.

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HEBREWS 4: SABBATH OR KINGDOM?

What is Hebrews 4 about? Is it about the Sabbath? What if I  told you it is about the Kingdom of God? What’s interesting is that this is the very thing Paul is trying to clarify. These people think he’s talking about the seventh day Sabbath, and Paul tries to explain that he’s not, but that he’s talking about the Kingdom of God.

So today, we’re going to examine the word “rest” in Hebrews 4. At the bottom of this first section are the Greek word definitions for the various words translated as “rest”.

 

1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his abode (G2663) still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

[He says the promise of entering His abode. What promise have we received? The promise of the Kingdom through the Holy Spirit, which is a deposit, a guarantee. He’s not speaking of the promise of a Sabbath. Clearly this is his Kingdom that is promised.]

2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.

[Ron Weinland says in his sermon, God’s plan through the Sabbath (3.15.03): “They couldn’t believe it because it wasn’t mixed with the Holy Spirit.” The problem with that statement from God’s supposed “final witness” is that what he says is, again, contrary to the Bible, as are many of his teachings. It’s not required that you have the Holy Spirit before you can believe! You get the Holy Spirit AFTER you believe! Scripture says we believe by faith. It does not say we believe by the Holy Spirit! How can God’s “final witness” be so wrong? Why does he teach a different gospel? Why does he teach a different Jesus?]

3 Now we who have believed enter that abode (G2663), just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my abode’ (G2663). ”Although (G2543) his work has been finished since the creations of the world.

[So what’s going on here? Is God saying they shall never enter his Sabbath, with Paul following up with: although his work has been finished since the creation of the world? Well that doesn’t make sense. Remember what I said about fractals in my Bible Symbology article? That is a helpful tool in understanding scriptures: does it fit the fractal, the symbology? God was talking about the Israelites in verse 3, right? And he was talking about them not being permitted to enter His abode, speaking of the promised land. They wondered the desert for 40 years because of there disobedience, because of their lack of faith. So this statement isn’t about Sabbath. So Paul is saying here that these guys are thinking he is talking about the seventh day, and say he’s not, because God’s work has been finished since the creation of the world, and then in verse 4 reminds them of what that scripture says:]

4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: ‘on the seventh day God ceased (G2664) from all his work.

[He then refers again to the above mentioned verse, pointing out the difference, and that he’s not talking about Sabbath.]

5 And again in the passage above he says “They shall never enter my abode (G2663).

[Now in verse 6 he tries to explain the point: that the promise still remains, that the physical promised land wasn’t all there was.]

6 So it STILL REMAINS that some will enter it [the spiritual promise land], and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in [to the physical promise land], because of their disobedience.

7 God again marks out a certain day, today (G4594) [this day, current or just passed, now, at present]. When he spoke through David: (Ps. 95:7) ‘Today (G4594), if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’

[i.e. whenever you hear his voice. Whatever day it is that you hear his voice.]

[Ron Weinland, in the above mentioned sermon, tells his congregation that this word, ‘today’ G4594, means Sabbath. This is not true. Look it up for yourself. This is one of the reasons I tell people that it’s their responsibility to find out if what someone tells them is true or not.]

8 For if Joshua had given them “THE” settling down to colonize rest (G2664), God would not have spoken later about ANOTHER day.

9 So there STILL remains, a Sabbath-rest, a repose (G4520) of Christianity (as a type of heaven) for the people of God – the spiritual promised land; [not the seventh ‘day’ but, the seventh ‘thousandth year’.]

10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. For Joshua, having entered into His abode (G2663), settled down to colonize, ceased from his occupational work (G2664) (of leading the Israelites). [i.e. it’s not the physical promise land that promised land that he is talking about, but the spiritual promised land,] just as (G5618) God did from His own (work, of creation). [i.e. and it’s not the Sabbath. But rather, the spiritual promised land. This physical promised land isn’t “THE” promise, there remains another].

11 Let us be eager therefore to enter into that abode (G2663) [of rest] [the spiritual promised land], that no one will fall in the same example of disobedience.

GREEK WORD DEFINITIONS ( for the words translated in this chapter as “rest”):

2663: katapausis (noun) reposing down, i.e. abode

2664 kata pauo (verb) settle down, I.e. (literally) to colonize, (figuratively) to (case to) desist

4520 sabatismos (noun) repose of Christianity (as a type of heaven)

4594 semeron    This day, today, current or just passed, now, at present

There is a link on the right to an online Interlinear, one Greek, the other Hebrew. Please take advantage of it.

 

So, essentially, Paul is saying:

I’m not talking about the Sabbath. I’m not talking about the physical promised land. I’m talking about the the fact that there still remains a promised rest: “THE” rest, the spiritual promised land, the Kingdom of God.

1 Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest/kingdom still stands, let us be careful that none of you  be found to have fallen short of it.

2 For we, also, have had the gospel preached to us, just as the Israelites did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard it didn’t have faith.

3 Now we who have believed enter His rest/abode (the promised future spiritual event), just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest/abode (the past promised physical event).’ You’re thinking I’m talking about the “seventh day Sabbath rest”, but I’m not, his work has been finished since the creation of the world.

4 You know what I’m talking about…   the scripture that says ‘on the seventh day God ceased from all his work.

5 And then we have the passage above that says “They shall never enter my abode. This is speaking of the ‘physical promised land’, not the ‘Sabbath’.

6 See what I mean? Do you see the difference? There is still a promised land, a future promised land, a spiritual promised land. So it STILL REMAINS, that some will enter His abode/rest… that is; the ‘spiritual promised land/rest’ (future), and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in to the ‘physical promised land/rest’, because of their disobedience (past).

7 God again marks out a certain day, today, when he spoke through David: ‘Today, right now, whenever, …if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.’

8 I’m not talking about the ‘physical promised land/rest,  for if Joshua had given them '”THE” ‘settling down to colonize’ rest, God would not have spoken later about ANOTHER day; the day we enter the ‘spiritual promised land/rest’.

9 So you see; there is STILL a Sabbath-rest for the people of God – it’s the ‘spiritual promised land’ at the seventh thousandth year; 

10 For Joshua, when he entered into God’s abode/rest, (the physical promised land), rested from his work of leading the Israelites, just as God did from His own work of creation. So I’m not talking about the ‘Sabbath day’ rest, rather the ‘Sabbath millennium’ rest, the ‘spiritual promised land’ rest. This physical promised land isn’t “THE” promise… there remains another… that of the spiritual promised land. God’s Kingdom.

11 Let’s be eager therefore to enter into that spiritual abode of rest, the spiritual promised land, that no one will fall in the same example of disobedience.

 

I hope this helps you to understand what Paul is actually trying to explain here.

I know you see it every time you read an article here, but please, read again my close that I add at the end of each blog, because it IS very important that you are aware of it.

God bless you in your quest for truth.

 

Picture credits: Boat – unknown

planet picture – Vlad Gerasimov of VladStudio - http://www.vladstudio.com/home/

Prophecy in reflections and types

Prophecy in reflections and types

Prophecy provides a means by which we can become aware of what God is doing. Loving God should stimulate an interest in these things, as love always stimulates interest in the interests of the object of love; and for God to clue us in is a gift. Being in a relationship with God is all important, he is our father. Being in a relationship with Jesus is central to our existence as Christians; otherwise the term Christian is misapplied. To be Jesus follower is to have been called by the father and chosen to be the bride of Christ; and of course, having answered the call in the affirmative.

If prophecy becomes our focus instead of a relationship with Jesus, then even this becomes an idol. Knowing anything about prophecy is not a salvation issue, but it is a courtesy, extended by God, that can promote faith, and it serves as evidence of the validity of Gods word for anyone who is interested. It is a communiqué that tells us that the message that has been delivered, he has maintained in spite of all attempts to bury it in false gospels, and a snowstorm of misinformation composed by its opponents over the centuries.

If knowing what God is doing only promotes fear, then where is the faith in the bridegroom and anticipation of the bride; where is there any relationship at all with the Lord.

The Prophecy in the story of Isaac and Rebekah (Gen 24)

There are an amazing number of prophetic types in scripture; I’m often surprised to learn of a new one in an event that I just took at face value. The reflections in type are always debatable when there is no absolute statement to confirm their meaning, but interestingly the picture of the whole can be seen in the fractals within fragments. Most bible readers catch the clear message in Abraham as being symbolic of the Father, and Isaac as the Lord Jesus, and the implications of Abraham nearly sacrificing Isaac. Isaac must have lay down on that alter without a fight, a strong young man not being able to escape seems unlikely. Correspondingly, Jesus went to his death willingly at his fathers bidding.

The nation of Israel itself is a prophecy of the Kingdom of God in that Israel is the product of the union of Isaac (Christ) and Rebekah (the church, bride of Christ). Rebekah, like the Lords bride, was not Isaacs’s choice, but was the choice of his father. Abraham didn’t go and personally call Rebekah to be his son’s wife, but sent his chief servant to a far away place, just as the father sends the Holy Spirit to call those who should become a part of the Lord’s church. And like Isaac, the Lord remains with the father while his bride is being called.

When Abraham’s servant was shown which young women was Gods choice, it wasn’t a done deal until permission was obtained; the family gave it, but wanted Rebekah to remain for ten days, Rebekah didn’t want to wait and chose to go immediately, demonstrating her willingness. When the Holy Spirit calls some one to come and be the bride of the Lord, those who are willing respond with anticipation, as you could imagine Isaac did, and as Jesus did, Heb 12:2 “Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.”

The bible doesn’t elaborate on what Abraham’s servant had told Rebekah, but I can imagine when he was finished describing Isaac to her, about the kind of person he was, she was convinced that although she had never seen the man, he was the man for her, she was anxious to go and meet him. In the same way, we hear the word of God describe the Lord Jesus, and without seeing him, we love him (1Pet 1:8). Rebekah knew that Isaac was the heir of his father’s estate, and we know that Jesus is the heir of his fathers; the bride becomes a co-heir by marriage.

A wife in the Hebrew custom was property of the husband, and a dowry was paid by the husband, Gen 24:53 tells of gold being given to Rebekah’s family. The metaphor of the dowry was lived by the Hebrews without understanding what it portrayed in how the Lord would purchase his own bride i.e. Rev 5:9 “with your blood you purchased men for God.”

David

King David is an interesting metaphoric type of Jesus. David was rejected and scorned by his brothers, but it was he who was anointed king. Jesus was the stone rejected by the builders that became the capstone (Ps 118:22); and Act 4:11 “He is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone”.”

When David was anointed king, he didn’t immediately take his rightful place on the throne, while Saul continued to rule. Jesus is the right full king of the earth, yet Satan remains its ruler. Luk 4:5 “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.v6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to”.”

David had only around 600 men who followed him, recognizing him as king (1Sam 23:13) just as in Jesus case, the majority don’t recognize him as the true sovereign. David’s men followed him out into the wilderness just like Jesus church was driven out and persecuted; and one who follows Jesus today must be willing to endure some hardships, and perhaps be looked down upon as a member of a minority of fools, 1Co 1:23 “but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.”

When David finally became king, there’s no doubt that his men shared in the kingdom, and his enemies were put out. And so shall it be with those who now recognize the true king; and if need be, follow him out into the wilderness and suffer hardship on his account.

Lastly, after David finally became king, it was up to him to conquer the Promised Land just as it will be up to Jesus to subdue the earth for his kingdom when he comes.

In these prophetic reflections, Rebekah and Davids men are the called to Christ; these two illustrate how it can be so 'easy' to qualify for salvation, i.e. say yes and believe Jesus is who he says he is.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom.

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Shoot us both Mr. Spock

I once was inclined to reject everything HWA said just because he said it; but I eventually came to the place where should I come to a similar conclusion independently, I wouldn’t automatically hit the reset button, and demand another solution. It’s helpful for me to realize that HWAs idea’s were rarely his own; he was just a very good liar, and unashamed when he took credit. One idea is the way of looking at the statement of Jesus: Many will come in my name saying I am Christ, and shall deceive many. Herbert maintained that Jesus was saying that people would be telling the truth, that he Jesus was who he said he was, but they would foist off some other notion as being his teachings that would be untrue. Herbert himself indicted himself by pointing this out, and then misrepresenting Jesus.

Jesus said that if one wanted to be great, that person needed to be a servant, in other words have a heart to serve because of genuine caring for the ones served. Herbert glorified himself, this is not service, and a long way from genuinely seeing the value of others, and a longer distance from actually loving others, which was Jesus command. In the church of Armstrong, he had every one literally wash each others feet; I believe, few ever really got the message. They imitated the act, but the principle went right past them without pausing to say howdy. The principle was that pride, rank and pecking order was an unacceptable barrier to serving. If any one at the old WCG got the principle, it didn’t much show in action. We, the invisible people, can testify to how the high and mighty looked right through us as if we didn’t exist, if they bothered looking our way at all.

Now for those who believe Jesus to be an imaginary friend of those with a predisposition to believe in leprechauns and fairies, most would still agree that the golden rule is a wonderfully simple ideal that could supplant a mountain of do’s and don’ts which fill law libraries, and that reduce human relations to impersonal avoidance of stepping across boundaries instead of what could exist with the more proactive principle of treating some one how you would like to be treated.

I don’t want to be treated impersonally, like a thing. Anyone who has been processed by the legal system has a whole different view of that term “impersonal” than those who haven’t. The Indigenous people of the Yukon meted out justice in a circle of justice where the community and the victims could confront the offender; a personal relationship was maintained and restitution and sanctions would be agreed upon, and forgiveness may be extended to one who was repentant, depending on the offenders attitude, which could be more accurately determined because the judgment would be rendered by those who knew the individual. I would rather be treated like that. I would rather be ruled by that one principle reputed to be the teaching of Jesus: treating others the way we would want to be treated, and being treated in that manner. It is interesting that some people know this without it being taught, and a few cultures have employed it because it just seemed logical to them. I should try to do a mental walk in some one else’s shoes because I’d like them to do this for me.

Some who know not the Lord obey him anyway. To bad that some claiming to know what Jesus taught, busy themselves with do’s and don’ts, regulations and requirements, and never attend to the weightier matter; the heart of the matter. The fact that some just do the right thing by nature is pointed out by the apostle Paul in Rom 2:14 (which is clearly referring to intent, not keeping of days and seasons) “Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, v15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them. V 16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets.” What fulfills the law? Rom 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.”

So many go on and on about Jesus, and likely saying things that are true; and many make Jesus look stupid hopping on one foot screaming Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, or some other ridiculous antic using the name to make a buck. With others the deception is more subtle, and it occurred to me that the situation is like one from the old Star Trek series in which captain Kirk has an evil double. Spock knows one of them is the evil fake, both Kirks are saying I’m the real one, shoot the other. Spock keeps them both covered with his phaser until one of the Kirks finally says: shoot us both Mr. Spock; save the ship. Mr. Spock immediately shoots the other knowing that only the good captain would be willing to sacrifice himself. I say that a true follower of Jesus is at least willing to attempt putting the interests of others ahead of his own, and to make a sacrifice; I say that the proof of the believer is in actions and attitude. What Jesus taught is an ideal to shoot for, but pretenses of measuring up look phony and drag Jesus name through the mud.

The apostle Paul demonstrated an attitude of self sacrifice which should serve as an example: Rom 9:3 “For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race,” So when confronted with multiple claims of legitimacy as being of Christ, this is the identifier to look for.

Jesus said that the day would come when some unspecified ‘they’ would kill you (his disciples) and think they do God service (Joh 16:2). It doesn’t matter who they is. The principle thing is that people would do bad things thinking that they are doing something for God. People have done evil in the name of God, people have done evil in the name of Jesus, to hold that up as legitimate examples of what must be in the heart of every believer or Christian doesn’t really logically follow.

I have met African Americans who hate every white person because: "they’ve been responsible for every evil on the planet for the last 500 years, every major war has been perpetrated by white people; the kidnapping and slavery of the Africans is the greatest of holocausts and was perpetrated by white people. African culture didn’t employ corporal punishment; white slave masters beat their slaves and taught them to beat their children which resulted in the current culture of violence. To top it off, it was white people who invented the atomic bomb, and as if that wasn’t enough, the hydrogen bomb; it is white people that threaten the very existence of the planet!” You know what? The arguments they make hold a lot of water; but I also know that there are white people with a great deal of compassion and humanity. Some people stinging from their own legitimate experience with racism don’t believe it. And you know what? I couldn’t convince them otherwise regardless of any evidence I might offer.

Jesus never told a certain ‘Christian’ to keep me, for the most part, isolated for the first 6 years of my life; or to make every break from isolation a “privilege” contingent upon earning it through “proper behavior”, a line that I somehow rarely seemed to be able to reach in spite of church people always praising her for “the most well behaved child they had ever seen.” My ears still ring with the smack, smack, smack of the strap lashing my bear flesh leaving bruises all the way up the back of my thighs to the small of my back; so not only did this “Christian” deny me my socialization period, but applied torture that an adult would find difficult to bear. You have to understand something here, this “Christian” wouldn’t let me cry, she’d be screaming: “I guess you want more, just keep it up, the more you cry, the more you get.”This “Christian” wouldn’t allow flinching, or it would result in the same.

To top it off, these sessions would only end after she stood there looking at my face, for however long it took, to note any sign of resentment, or any other resistant emotion, and the pounding and lecturing would continue until I could look like I had enjoyed it. Years later, commenting on how I had run him out of my life, my dad said that she was better at brain washing than the North Koreans, this is legitimized by the fact that I never told anyone; and never even admitted (even to myself) that anyone had ever done anything to me that I didn’t deserve until many, many years later.

Neither this, nor any other impropriety by people taking the name of Jesus Christ need be white washed. I have reason to hate if any body does. I have to be medicated daily to help me deal with the results of what a “Christian” did; but I know one thing: Jesus didn’t tell her to do this, nor advocate it in any writings reporting his teachings. Jesus taught something quite opposite of what I might have believed if my example of a “Christian” was taken as true.

Historically, many atrocities have been committed by people claiming to be followers of Jesus, and not everyone in the supposedly civilized US have experienced it to the extent that I have; but the evil duplicate is the culprit; the one who is true would at least try to follow Jesus example of self sacrifice, of putting others needs ahead of his or her own, and would at least recognize their error, and apologize upon some critical self introspection.

Personally, that one “Christian” example has never owned up to what was done in the slightest, even after the abuse of another child resulted in international news coverage; Conversely my dad who supposedly was the ‘devil’ (because he took the mark of the beast and went to church on Sunday), lived a clean productive life, served his country and his community his entire life. All I can say is: even though Star Trek is only a story, one who was following Jesus example would have done what captain Kirk did.

I read this to my wife, and she said: yup, Claiming to be captain Kirk doesn’t mean you are captain Kirk.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom.

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Common Legalist Arguments - Part I

I am going to start a series where I attempt, in my own flawed way, to answer common arguments that have been posed to me by legalists.

I am only addressing one argument at a time, and I will only answer that one particular argument. Anyone who expects me to answer all possible tangents will be disappointed. I ask for patience on the part of the reader. Thank you!

Argument #1

"The law is harder to keep; the Spirit helps you to keep it, grace makes up for your failures."

This is a teaching in Armstrongism, that the law was "magnified", and magnified means made harder to keep.

Do a search for the word magnified and see how the one and only thing magnified is Jesus. But let's go with the claim.

OK. How was it magnified? How did He make the law harder? The Bible doesn't say. For example, where is the verse that tells how is the Sabbath harder to keep? Nowhere. How is it harder, then? We don't know. Just trust us, it is? One would no doubt reply, "It's a summary of many things." But I would implore one to consider a few things that appear to have been left out.

First off, making it harder is a change. I thought the law was not to change one bit, not one jot or tittle?

The law cannot save, it only condemns (ROM. 4: 15; GAL. 3: 10), and without mercy (HEB. 10: 28). The law has no provision for saving, it only has provisions that punish. That is, after all, why Jesus had to come. To be fair, most do not look for the law to save, they just feel the law is necessary for Jesus to save. So, let's change the word "save" to "declare innocent". The law has no provision to declare a lawbreaker innocent when the law was legitimately broken. The only people who had a way out under the law were people who broke the law unawares or against their own will. That's it. The law had no provision whatsoever for people who willfully violated it. You know in your heart of hearts and so do I - we all have willfully violated it. There is no provision in the law to declare the guilty to be innocent. It was a one-and-done thing.
Think about this for a minute with me. So, I am to believe, after all mankind was already made guilty, that Jesus then made it far easier to be made guilty? Why? We are already guilty!

No man could keep it perfectly before, so how do you make it harder? You can't make "slip up once and you're dead" harder. If you have no hope then you have no hope. There can't have EXTRA no hope. A purpose of the law was to bring men under condemnation (ROM. 5: 20). The law did that perfectly. So why make it harder after it completed its goal?

Another purpose of the law was to bring Israel to the time of Jesus (GAL. 3: 24). Well, that has come. Why couldn't grace just make up for the law as it was? Think about that.
The only, and I mean only, thing that can declare innocent is The Judge. He cannot do that through law, which has no provision for it. He does it through grace. Why on earth make it harder after grace has come in?

Saying there is both the need for law and an out for violating the law (with grace) is as if God said, "You're already condemned, and I'm going to make it super easy to be even more condemned. But don't worry about that, you can't be condemned because you're under grace." Grace makes the law toothless and therefore pointless. So, I have to keep the law, but it's OK because I don't actually have to keep the law. That's just a fancy way of saying I don't have to keep the law in the first place. Plus it's just confusion.

You cannot keep it! You cannot. You will not. If no one could keep it perfectly before, and it's harder now, you cannot and you will not keep it perfectly. You will be condemned again. And you have! (Be honest, now. You know you've sinned.) It's hopeless. You will need to rely on grace again. So, what is the difference, then, between those who try yet inevitably fail to keep a certain selection of the law, and, say, a Protestant who doesn't even try and just does their best to believe in Jesus and be led by the Holy Spirit? The hopeless attempt?? Really? This is a great place to ask, "Where does it say that?"

How much law do I have to try yet fail to keep in order for my inevitable failure to adds value to me? 1%? 3%? 46%? 72%? If the answer is 100%, then I ask, why don't Armstrongists do that? I have shown multiple times how the COGs don't recognize the whole law. Not even remotely! The reasoning given to me was, "Herbert Armstrong changed the law out of necessity." A man changed the law?? What happened to "not one jot or one tittle"? Believe it or not, a group of guys and I sat down one day and calculated how many of the 613 laws Armstrongism recognizes. We concluded roughly 3%. Three percent!! So, God (or Herbert Armstrong) got rid of 97% of the law, and that somehow makes it harder? 
So, the doomed attempt at keeping roughly 3% of the law is what adds value? What sense does that even make?

Now the Spirit helps us keep this selection of the law? People in the Old Testament are said to have had the Spirit (Joseph, David, etc). The Spirit didn't cause them to keep the law perfectly at that time. If the Spirit helps you to keep the newer, harder, smaller law, then why can't any man do it even today? Why did they fail? Why have you and I failed? (And be honest, you know you have, and you know you'll do it again.) Is God not able to complete a task?

(ROM. 2: 23) You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?

For one who demands law, breaking the law dishonors God. The little bit that you keep does not honor Him when the parts you break are dishonoring Him! This is the curse of law.

(ROM. 2: 25-27) 25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?

Again, what is the difference, then, between those who try yet inevitably fail to keep a certain selection of the law, and, say, a Protestant who doesn't even try and just does their best to believe in Jesus and be led by the Holy Spirit?

(GAL. 3: 10) ...“Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

Three percent is not all things! You know and will admit to yourself that you often break the law. I did! I broke it all the time! I tried and I tried, and I begged and pleaded for forgiveness, and I promised my heart out that I would do better next time. Yet I failed. So did everyone else. But you expect Christ to make up for that fact. Notice how the uncircumcised (the one without the written code) can fulfill "the righteous requirements of the law".

(ROM. 2: 29) but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter...

How can this be? Inwardly? The Spirit? What fulfills that? Love! (ROM. 13: 8, 10; GAL. 5: 14) Love fulfills the righteous requirements of the law. Not the Sabbath. Not the 10 Commandments. But love. Faith and love.

You don't keep the law, even though you try, and you know you don't. Neither did I. Armstrong taught certain select parts of the law, 3%, yet mankind cannot help but fail. No one has succeeded (but Christ), and no one can. In that, we see that it is the hopeless attempt that counts.

So, let me get this straight... We both have faith in Jesus Christ. I'm condemned if I don't attempt and fail to keep the law. But no one can keep the law, so you're condemned too. Even if you try to keep the law, you're condemned same as me. But it's OK for you because there's no penalty at failing so long as you're trying? So, we both have faith, we both fail, but in order for it not to matter we have to at least try to do something no one can possibly do? That is the same as saying the hopeless attempt at keeping the law counts as righteousness.

That's not what God says:

(ROM. 4: 5) But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness

Faith is accounted for righteousness! Our hopeless and failed attempt, is that actual righteousness? No. Of course not. A failed attempt is by definition unrighteousness according to the law. It is not actual righteousness. So, is it accounted for righteousness? No. But faith is credited as such. Failure is implied as each of us have already failed. But righteousness is a gift accounted to us by faith. It cannot be earned in any sense. So, this earning grace by trying to keep the law is pointless.

Naturally, we ask - whose righteousness? If righteousness is accounted to us by faith, it is not our righteousness. No. Then whose is it? The righteousness belongs to Jesus! It is His righteousness that is accounted to us by our faith in Him. This is the only way to be more righteous than the Pharisees.

(EPH. 2: 8-9) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

One must ask, how does any good come if we are such failures, then? As Paul says, "by promise".

(ROM. 4: 13) For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Jesus Christ was the promise. But we are one body and one bread with Christ (I COR. 10: 16-17) through faith (ROM. 4: 13), and thus heirs to this same promise (GAL. 3: 29). The law is not supplementary to that, but is in all actuality contrary to it!

(ROM. 4: 14-15) For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath...

The law does not bring the grace you seek at all, but wrath. The law voids faith and harms the promise. Is that really what you want? But faith establishes it!

(ROM. 4: 23-25) 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

We are not justified by the law, righteousness is not of law, we are not called to the law, the law is not the Gospel, the law can void the promise, the law can only condemn us.. what good is it, then? What good does anyone hope to gain from it? Especially from a partial selection of it?

(GAL. 2: 16) knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

(GAL. 2: 21) I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.

(ROM. 5: 1-2) Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

CONCLUSION

What was Argument #1 again? "The law is harder to keep; the Spirit helps you to keep it, grace makes up for your failures."

All evidence points to justification by faith, not by the law. The gift is by grace so that no one can boast.

None of the things in the following list comes from the law:

Justification (GAL. 2: 16)

Righteousness (GAL. 2: 21)

The Spirit (GAL. 3: 2)

Perfection (GAL. 3: 3; HEB. 7: 19)

Miracles (GAL. 3: 5)

Inheritance (GAL. 3: 18)

Life (GAL. 3: 21)

Grace (GAL. 5: 4)

Faith (GAL. 3: 12)

So then, what are you seeking to get from the law?

Loved by God, I hope we can clearly see why Argument #1 is simply not feasible. God bless you and prosper you in your studies and prayers into this. I pray He graces you with a clear understanding of the New Covenant to which all Christians hope to attain.

[Also see Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, & Part VIII]

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom.

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