If you ask any random ‘believer’ today who professes to be a follower of Jesus what their thoughts are regarding ‘the law’ that we hear so much about in our Bibles, chances are you may get a variety of answers that all lean in the direction of dismissing the law, or at best setting it aside, given we live in the ‘dispensation of grace....and are no longer under the law’. (Or so you have been told)

If you point out to them that Jesus Himself, said that He did not come to ‘do away with’ or ‘abolish’ the law, then they will be quick to point out that “But Jesus fulfilled the law”! (Matt. 5:17)

Now most will admit that the Ten Commandments are ‘important’, and would even like to see them hanging in public schools, if not being ‘taught’ to our kids. But they will also be quick to point out that the ‘law’ has nothing to do with our salvation in relation to ‘inheriting eternal life’. Yet, when asked on several occasions by others when Jesus was going about preaching what one must ‘do’ to inherit or receive eternal life, He clearly answered them and told them to ‘keep the commandments and they will live’. (Matt. 19:17; Luke 10:25-28)

And just to clarify here, when we speak of the ‘law’, we are no longer including or talking about dietary restrictions and blood sacrifices of which both were indeed done away with. But the law of God itself, still stands today. Paul writes, making it known that not only is the law ‘holy’, (Rom. 7:12) but he also states that the law is ‘good if one uses it lawfully knowing the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and ungodly and sinners, etc.’. (1 Tim. 1:8-10)

I would also suspect that if the bulk of your Biblical education has been primarily focused on how we are ‘saved by grace alone through faith’ (Eph. 2:8), then other passages you come across might pose a problem for you in understanding them. Take for example Rom. 2:13 where Paul explains that it is not the ‘hearers of the law who are just, but the doers of the law who will be justified’. Why, he even adds that there is no conflict between ‘faith’ and the ‘law’ saying that the law is not made void through faith, but that faith actually ‘establishes’ or ‘confirms-upholds’ the law’. (Rom. 3:31). Read that through again if you need...because this is important for you to see and understand this.

Now here is a question you may have not given much thought to, but should:

IF...the law has little relevance to us NT ‘believers’ today, then why would God have made such a point to foretell of the day that was coming when He would “put My laws in their mind and write it on their hearts.”? (Jer. 31:31-34). Hebrews echoes this passage as well in both chapters 8:10 and 10:16.

What is interesting about this is when Paul is trying to get through to Jewish believers who are struggling to sort through a lot of previous teachings, (which can be a real challenge for not only them, but many NT believers today who have been ‘mistaught’) that the recent Gentiles who had been converted and ‘saved’ were actually demonstrating, by their changed lifestyles, that the law indeed had been “written down upon their hearts”. (Rom. 2:13-15). Isn’t that interesting!? Because they were not raised with...hearing the law.

And if that is not enough to have you doing some serious pondering, then consider this: God spoke through Ezekiel announcing of a day that was coming when He would “put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and keep my judgements and do them!” (Ezek. 36:25-27) He was referring to the future time, after Jesus came, which is now.

So if you proclaim to be a ‘Spirit filled believer, yet...continue to ‘sin’ (break God’s law- 1 John 3:4) then either you have a ‘defective spirit’ within you, or maybe God is not as powerful as we all thought He was; or could it be that folks received ‘another spirit’ which Paul warns could happen in 2 Cor 11:3-4?

Because the bottom line here is this: IF...you are a true born-again, believing child of God, then you will be following the leading of His Spirit (Rom. 8:14), no longer fulfilling the lusts of the flesh nature (Gal. 5:16, 24) which then explains why you are no longer ‘under or subject to’ the law (Gal. 5:18) and the wrath and judgments it brings because...you are actually fulfilling the law through Christ as you walk just as He walked. (Rom. 8:14; 1 John 2:6; 3:9). You might want to read that one through again as well, real slow. You need to see this clearly. Just pray now...and ask God to make it real to you...He will, I promise.

So how did we end up talking about the law again here today? Well, this is a fine example how modern day teachings have watered down and twisted God’s word into something else, making it of ‘no effect’. (Mark 7:6-16). Jesus explained to previous religious groups there that is exactly what they had done by ‘laying aside the commandments of God’ and teaching in place, ‘their traditions’. (8)

In my message yesterday, we used a hypothetical story of a college student who did not finish his degree plan, and yet was under the delusion that he was going to receive his diploma alongside his other former classmates, who, as Paul might have said,...  did ‘finish the race’. (2 Tim. 4:7)

How does this happen today? Easy....you attend a church, made a sincere step in turning your life over to Jesus and then as time goes by, you hear watered down teachings that maybe omit some things, add other things not really scriptural, and before you know it, a man-made ‘doctrine’ has captured your heart, as you are told that based on your prayer, you are now ‘the righteousness of God through faith in Christ’ and are ‘eternally secure’ and that ‘nothing will separate you from the love of God’. Those are all isolated scriptures for sure. And when you hear them, you just assume they apply to you because you said a prayer and joined the church and so all is well with your soul. But...that is not entirely the ‘whole picture’.

Please note: We are not debating or questioning God’s love for the whole world, which is genuine. (John 3:16). Nor are we questioning His heart’s desire which is overflowing with mercy and patience in wanting all to turn to Him. (2 Pet. 3:9) That goes without saying, or as I like to say...it is His ‘unconditional love’ He demonstrated for us.( Rom. 5:8)

Now take for example one promise we hear all the time that we falsely assume ‘applies to all’ who hear it or maybe just attend church and ‘say’ they are ‘believers’. It’s the one in John 10 and how ‘no one is able to snatch you from the Father’s hand”. (29). If a new convert is taught that is some ‘iron clad promise’ and they need not worry because they are now ‘eternally secure’...you have created a problem. The reason I say that is...who was Jesus making that promise to? His sheep. And He makes it clear as to Who...His sheep are- they hear His voice, and He knows them and (really important part coming up....) THEY FOLLOW HIM. (27)

If you were to come visit me here in the Bay area...and want to go see the Golden Gate bridge but drive in your own car, what am I going to instruct you to do? Follow me. If I pull out of my driveway and you sit there and fall asleep, or decided to stop and grab lunch along the way ...you are no longer following me. Does that make sense? Who does Jesus make the promise to that they cannot be snatched from the Father’s hand? Those who follow Him. And remember this: Saying one believes in Jesus does not equate to automatically ‘following’ Him.

Or how about hearing someone quote 1 John 3:2 that reads: “Beloved, now we are children of God...” Is it safe to assume that everyone who hears or reads that verse is a ‘child of God’? Or maybe you heard John 1:12 that says “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God”; and you say...”But I received Christ when I was 11- years old!” Ok...that is good...But we are also told in Romans 8:14 that those who are ‘led by the Spirit of God...these are the children of God!” So once again, we see where we have a responsibility in this to ‘follow’ Him. That is ...what 'disciples' do you know - they 'follow'.  And 'following and obeying' are NOT 'works'.  Did God command all people everywhere to 'repent'? (Acts 1730). So...if a person actually does that - repents, can they be accused of 'legalism'?  

Chances are that someone might have taught that you are going to heaven and are ‘saved’ because you ‘confessed with your mouth and believed in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead’. (Rom. 10:9). Yet, Jesus was pretty clear when He taught that ‘not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who ...does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21).

Friends...these passages are not in conflict or opposition with one another, nor are they contradicting. They all ‘fit together’ to present a much larger picture than what most of us have been taught to believe. And God is trying to get our attention. Do you think I wake up every morning and am able to ‘produce’ these lengthy lessons on my own? This is nothing but the grace of God wanting to shed light for anyone who is tired of struggling in the darkness and is seeking true freedom. God wants to lift the ‘fog’ and illuminate your path where you can experience the fullness of His power, and love, and grace. But you cannot pick and choose the verses that suit you best, and you sure don’t want to just assume all those wonderful promises apply to you simply because you attend church somewhere.

Sure, John 3:16 resonates with us all, which is why it gets more attention than Hebrews 5:9 that says eternal life awaits those who ‘obey Him’.

I remember years ago, a couple of men who belonged to a particular ‘religion’ knocked on my door, as they are known for doing and wanted to ‘talk Bible’ with me. I was happy to do so. :- ). I will never forget me bringing something up and one of them quickly tried to refute what I had just shared with them. The topic is not important for this story but what I remember most was taking their bible, and opening the book and asking them to read a verse that was just the opposite of what they had just told me. His brow furrowed up and a wave of disappointment washed over him as he muttered to himself: “They didn’t tell me this was in here.”

Yeah...there’s a lot of churches out there with all kinds of labels guilty of doing the same thing today, that is- not telling you what else...in there in your Bibles; only what fits conveniently with what they want you to believe. (Jer. 23:16-20; Mark 7:6-16)