I know you believe you should keep the letter of the law, but Paul doesn't. And neither did John or Peter.
KJV Matthew 5:6
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness: for they shall be filled.
KJV Matthew 5:20
20 For I say unto you, That except your
righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
KJV Romans 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness;
KJV Romans 3:21-26
21 But now the
righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the
righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
KJV Romans 4:3-7
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for
righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth
righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Okay, so far so good. The above scripture everyone would agree tells us unequivocally that righteousness cannot be attained by works of the law... And there are many more in Romans and other letters that are off the same nature. It was a tenet of faith that Paul was determined to make very clear. But this raises the question, if we cannot again to righteousness by our works, then how? And even more important, what is righteousness anyway?
KJV Romans 5:17-18
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the
righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Okay, so righteousness comes as a gift. That's so awesome. It takes away all of our personal foibles, weaknesses, and the sin nature we were all born with, and informs us that no-one need be left out. But that doesn't mean we have nothing to do.
KJV Romans 6:11-14
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Here, right here, in that last verse above, is the key. It does not say what many would like it to say. It does not say, you are under grace so the law in now obsolete. No. What it is saying is that you are no longer under the condemnation of the law, but you have been forgiven, and God has provided
another way to attain to righteousness, apart from the law. Thus...
KJV Romans 6:18
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of
righteousness.
KJV Romans 8:3-4
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Grace creates righteousness... The righteousness of the law... In those who surrender and make themselves available to the Spirit... But does the righteousness of the law exclude obedience to the letter of the law, that is, the written law?
KJV Romans 9:30-33
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after
righteousness, have attained to
righteousness, even the
righteousness which is of faith.
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of
righteousness, hath not attained to the law of
righteousness.
32 Wherefore?
Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
So. What has all this to do with God's Commandments?
KJV Psalms 119:172
172 My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are
righteousness.
KJV Romans 10:1-4
1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the
righteousness of God.
4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
What does this mean? That the law ended when Christ came? No. What it means is that Christ was the goal, the final aim, the ultimate climax of all the law and the prophets. In Christ the law found it's complete establishment. Only in Christ was the law met in every single jot and tittle.
KJV John 15:10
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
KJV Isaiah 42:21
21 The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.
One cannot be justified by keeping the Commandments. But no-one will be in heaven who doesn't keep the commandments.
KJV Revelation 12:17
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Why would Satan make war against those who keeps God commandments if those who keep the law aren't saved?
KJV Revelation 14:12
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Obedience and faith. Grace and law aren't opposed to one another as you infer. Grace established the law.
KJV Romans 3:31
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
KJV Revelation 22:14-15
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
