Robert Belanger,I am responding to your post to David Smith concerning the Law and grace.I would love to be the one to let you in on a great truth that has apparently not yet been discovered by you. I make this assessment of your understanding of our position and challenge concerning the law based on your statement as follows:_____________________________________________________"However, though we cannot meet the demands of the Law, we must strive to do so while we live here in the flesh."_____________________________________________________I want to invite you to consider this statement made by Paul concerning our relationship to the law this side of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.................As I was opening my bible to the scripture that I wanted to quote, I had Pastor Joseph Prince (from Singapore, same as where our host John Tng is) on the TV and to my surprise and delight right at the moment when my bible on my computer found this chapter (Galatians 3) Pastor Prince began to quote from this same chapter this point about how the gospel was preached to Abraham and he believed it and it was counted to him for righteousness:Galatians 3:6. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.It turns out that Joseph Prince is preaching on this very issue and went to the same chapter I went to even as I was beginning to write about it to you though I had no idea what Pastor Prince would be speaking about when my wife began the playback of the recorded broadcast (we tape all his sermons and watch them together). But he said something that perfectly addresses what I want to share with you so I will quote Pastor Prince word for word:"Abraham knew he was righteous but Lot never knew he was righteous. Lot was not there when Abraham heard from God that 'You are righteous' so Lot was righteous but did not know he was righteous. Abraham was righteous and KNEW he was righteous. Are you with me? Why is this important? If you are not taught about righteousness by faith, chances are you will try by performance to become all that you already are."The scripture that I was about to quote when that above was quoted by Pastor Prince is this one:Galatians 3:24. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.That means that we are no longer under the Law and therefore are not to even "strive to keep the demands of the Law".This is why the gospel is called GOOD NEWS! It's great news that we can enter into His rest and no longer strive to keep the Law.Robert, I ask you this: Are you a sinner? Yes, so am I before the Law of God we all are because I see the standard and recognize that I can never keep it, You see this too, correct? GREAT! Then the law has just done all that it was intended by God to do, to convince us of our need for Christ and now that it has done that you and I have just graduated from that schoolmaster! Believe that Jesus paid for all your sins and God gives you His righteousness right now and then DON'T go back and try to please that schoolmaster any more than you would go back to high school or any other school you have graduated from and try to re-complete the curriculum for a diploma that you already have. You are finished so move on. If you re-enroll yourself back under the law after you have graduated, God will require all its demands of you and you are sunk! All it was intended to do it has done, to convince you that you need a savior. But if you now go back again to try to keep the law then you are under a curse for failing to keep it. Our choice is between the Law or faith in God's promise to declare us righteous.Galatians 3:10. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12. And the law is not of faith: but, the man that doeth them shall live in them.If you leave off of faith and go back to trying to keep the law then "you shall live in them" means you shall live according to how well you can keep the whole Law. That will lead to death not salvation.Galatians 51. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. [to the Law]This is a point that many Christians have never received yet and it is what will likely determine who overcomes and who is overcome. When the devil can no longer keep someone from receiving Christ in the first place he will seek to nullify the power of the gospel by bringing in this wrong teaching that God wants us to continue to TRY to keep the Law as a way of showing our love to Him or whatever. This is not true. What God wants from us is to receive the truth that we are already 100% righteous before God right now and rest in that knowledge and know that God does not even look on our flesh because it was crucified with Christ since Jesus died for me as though it was me who died therefore I am dead to sin but alive because of the righteousness of my spirit that is born of Christ. The challenge now is to believe this and NOT go back to striving to keep the law even if a devil inspired preacher says I should. Don't go there, for if you do then you have just left grace and are back under the Law. This is the meaning of the Sabbath Rest and why you were not to WORK on the Sabbath. Enter into His REST means you STOP STRIVING to do what Jesus already did for you and just receive it and rest from your works of the Law.This is what will determine who will be saved and who will be not saved and who will be raptured and who will not be able to enter in. This is what is meant by "Work out your own salvation..." because it requires you to decide whether you want to believe God or these preachers who say you must still keep the Law.This is the difference between the Philadelphia Church and the others because they kept the WORD of JESUS' patience (His endurance) He kept the Law and died as ME and all I have to do is KEEP the WORD of that and let no man (bad preacher) take it from me as in take my crown. Because you have not denied MY NAME, "Jehovah My Savior" etc. To return to the Law is to deny His name.I hope and pray you can receive this.