The Gospel is actually good news and here is why.
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No, Paul makes no mention whatsoever of the law in Romans 7, or 8 as he clearly died elsewhere.
Paul teaches us in Romans chapters 7 and 8, that after we have been saved there is a continuing conflict between our flesh and our Spirit - between temptation to walk in the flesh and live in sin - and our desire to walk after the Holy Spirit that now dwells in us: and the apostle Paul warns us in Romans 8, that choosing to live in sins (works of the flesh), will keep us out of heaven:
Romans 8starts off with a conditional statement:
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH, BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT.
Half of verse one is frequently quoted, absent the qualifier - that it’s those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit who are in Christ Jesus and have no condemnation.
Romans 8 then goes on to explain the consequences of letting our flesh win the conflict between our Spirit and flesh:
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is - DEATH, but to be spiritually minded is - LIFE and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is - ENMITY against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:6, above, is talking about spiritual death - not physical death - as proven by the prodigal son, who died spiritually while he was out in the world sinning:
In the prodigal son story, the father represents God, thus the son represents believers who are Gods sons.
He’s already a son when the story starts.
He leaves the father to live in sin
When he returns to the father in repentance, the father says: this is my son WHO WAS DEAD, but is now alive AGAIN, he WAS LOST, but now IS FOUND.
Luk 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother *was dead*, and is *alive again*; and *was lost*, and *is found*.
He obviously wasn’t dead physically and resurrected.
How then was he dead?
He was dead in his sins.
Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened,who WERE DEAD in *trespasses and sins*
Thus the son was alive, left his Father to live a sinful life, became DEAD in his sins, then returned in repentance, and became alive AGAIN.
Therefore Romans 8:6 contains a warning to the brethren not to live carnally, after the flesh, or they will die spiritually, as the prodigal Son did.
And Verse 8:7 of Romans warns us that believers having a carnal mind is ENMITY against God, meaning you actually become Gods ENEMY.
So does James:
Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is ENMITY with God? whosoever therefore will be a FRIEND OF THE WORLD is the ENEMY of God.
The verse above says sexual sins and being worldly, makes you Gods ENEMY, and the verse that follows proves the Jas 4:4 warning above, is to believers, not the unsaved:
The next verse is irrefutably proves that warnings against living a lifestyle of sexual sins is to the BRETHREN:
1Th 4:3 For this is the will of God, YOUR SANCTIFICATION: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
1Th 4:4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,
1Th 4:5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
1Th 4:6 that no one transgress and wrong his BROTHER in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly WARNED you.
1Th 4:7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
1Th 4:8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Our sanctification is to abstain from sexual immorality, verse 3, above.
We are expected and required as believers, to live the most sinless life we can, and to repent when we know we’ve sinned.
Shalom Aleichem
CharismaticLady
Well-Known Member
Wow, you honestly can't tell that the struggle in Romans 7:14-23 is because of sin in the flesh? You really don't know that Jesus frees us from sin? Okay, then Curtis. Nice chatting with you. Good luck. Let me know if you ever see the light. Until then we haven't anything further to discuss. Bye.
Instant
Active Member
The 2 laws Jesus gave us include the entirety of the law. He was not saying that loving God and our neighbor makes us free from everything else. He was saying everything else is included in those 2 laws. There is no mention of legalism in the Bible because the Bible never comes against legalism. If you look up the definition of legalism in the Dictionary, it simply means strict adherence to the law, and Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount that those who live by and teach the least commandments will be great in His Kingdom. By definition, that means Jesus was encouraging legalism.
Instant
Active Member
You will never be saved by deciding to obey the law. It is not possible for us to keep it in absolute perfection. We are saved by grace, but the Bible never says anywhere that once we are saved, it is not possible to lose salvation. Jesus Christ expects us to take up our cross daily and follow Him. He expects us to be disciples and obedient children. That simply means that we do our best to do what he teaches in the scriptures. The idea that people can get saved and then continue in willful sin and remain saved is not Biblical. There are many scriptures that give a whole host of sins that will guarantee we will not have any inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven. Faith produces works. Those who truly believe in Jesus will do their best to obey him. Those who do not are not disciples and not going to heaven, period, whether they believe Jesus is the Son of God or not.
But it does in fact make you free from everything else. Focus on Mosaic Law, or other codified Law, different people have different versions, is focus on something less than the Law of Love, and the command to trust Jesus. In seeking to fulfill the law of love, and the command to trust Jesus, we do all those things which the Law would require were we under it, and we are not, but even so, we will go beyond the requirements of the Law, even it's own law of love.
The Law commands to love your neighbor as you love yourself, but Jesus commands us two commandments. Believe in, or, trust Him, and, love others as He loves us, a far higher love.
The point isn't that now you go out and purposefully violate commandments or some such to prove you can, rather, our life just isn't Law-centric any longer, and to go back is to go backward.
Much love!
Instant
Active Member
James uses the example of the devils believing and not being saved. They believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Look at how they trembled in His presence. True faith produces a changed life. You will believe Jesus' warnings about hell, like where he tells people they would be better to lose an eye or hand than go there. Those who do not believe will continue living in sin, because they do not really believe Jesus' warnings or the warnings of the Apostles.
Instant
Active Member
It is about having your house built upon the rock, which means not only hearing Jesus' teachings, but obeying them. That means we are paying attention and following. Those who do not regard what Jesus says have built their house upon the sand, and that house will fall. I am not sure what you mean by "Law-centric?" If you mean following the Law of Moses to the letter, of course we do not do that today. Some of the laws were dealing with the Levitical Priesthood and some were laws showing the Jews separate from the idol worshipping Gentile nations. Of course we do not follow them, but we do care about obedience to Christ and the teachings in the New Testament.
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