You and I are incapable of keeping/fulfilling the ‘law’ of God by our own efforts, no matter how hard we try. This fact cannot be emphasized enough.

But that does not give us some free pass suggesting that because we are ‘believers in Jesus’ that the law has been dismissed or abolished, and that we are ‘exempt’ from it. Jesus was quite clear in stating that He did not come to ‘do away’ with that very law that God has set in place centuries earlier; (Matt. 5:17; Gal. 3:17,19) ...far from it. He actually came to fulfill it in every way . And everyone who ‘abides in Him ought themselves to walk as He did’. (1 John 2:6). Would you let that sink in for a moment?

For all the talk we hear about how we (‘Christians’) are ‘not under the law, but under grace’, I’m telling you once again- we’ve not been taught all there is to know on this subject. (Rom. 6:14)

Let’s be clear as to ‘who’ are no longer ‘under the law’... and Galatians 5:18 spells it out for us exactly: “IF...you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Repeat the 3x’s please.

The ones who are not impacted by what the law brings when transgressed,(which is wrath – Rom. 4:15) are those who are following the leading of the Spirit which is what the true ‘sons of God’ do. (Rom. 8:14). And IF...they are following in obedience to His leading, then they are ‘by the Spirit putting to death all the deeds of the flesh (carnal nature)’. (Rom. 8:13)

This is why there is ‘therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ, who no longer walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit’. (Rom. 8:1) And in doing so, we are told in verse 4 there that “all the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit’.

Many have been led to believe, and/or deceived...into thinking that one becomes ‘righteous’ simply by ‘professing’ or ‘saying they believe in Jesus’ . I know the word ‘deceived’ can be strong, but it’s the same word John used when he wrote: “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness ...is righteous, just as He is righteous.” (1 John 3:7; 2:19)

Once again, the reason I am compelled to repeat and circle back and address this topic over and over is because it can be quite challenging to have to ‘unlearn’ things first... that we might have been taught, especially when it comes to Biblical truths found in scripture.

But this I can promise you: if you open your heart to the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17; 16:13) and then study to see if there be any truth found in what I am sharing here (Acts 17:11) then you will begin to see the scriptures opened up to you, and so many verses that have puzzled, if not bothered you over the years will begin to make more sense. Verses like Romans 2:13 that declares: “for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God but the doers of the law will be justified’.

And who are the ones who are ‘blessed...and have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the eternal city’? Those who ‘do His commandments’. (Rev. 22:14) You might also reference Rev. 12:17 and 14:12.

I mean, think about it...if this ‘new dispensation of faith & grace’ was all about ‘accepting Christ as personal savior’, stating in so many words that you ‘believe Jesus is the Son of God who was crucified on a cross for our sins and raised from the dead on the third day’, in order to ‘keep you out of hell and on your way to heaven’, then why would Jesus have bothered to even introduce a ‘new commandment’ in John 13:34-35?

And why would Jesus have made it a point to clarify so clearly: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who DOES THE WILL of My Father in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21)

Has the question Jesus asked in Luke 6:46 never given you pause when He said: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’...and not do the things which I say?”