Perseverance and Faith

If you hold to the ceremonial law of the old covenant you are denying what Jesus suffered, died, and rose again to establish: "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (Gal. 3:23-25). Sounds kind of like a scripture I offered on my last post: "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are NOT under the law" (Gal. 5:18). "For if that which is DONE AWAY [OT law] was glorious, much more that which remaineth [the Spirit] is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to THE END of that which is ABOLISHED: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart" (II Cor. 3:7-15). The old covenant carnal format of the law is 'done away' in Christ, as the apostle plainly stated. To continue to observe it is to fail to believe that Christ is "the end of the law for righteousness," as the Jews have done (Rom. 10:1-4). That failure is simply a failure to trust in Jesus Christ for the true righteousness of God to be imparted to the heart and soul, which is his Spirit; which IS the law in its true spiritual form (Heb. 10:15,16). You cannot practice and regard the old covenant format of the law with its carnal forms and symbols, and be led into true holiness at the same time. The only way to be led into true holiness is to be led by the HOLY Spirit, and we have seen that the scripture plainly says that we are NOT under the law IF we are led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:13,14). Where that leaves you, if you hold to your old testament guns, is firing blanks in terms of holiness; because the law could not impart true holiness before Christ, and it is certain that it cannot do so now (Heb. 10:1-4; Heb. 7:19).

The scripture plainly tells us that Jesus definitively ended the ceremonial ordinances of the law: "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross" (Col. 2:14). If you continue to regard the ceremonial law all you will have is self righteousness, because that is all that the law could give, as Paul explained: "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, BLAMELESS. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having MINE OWN righteousness, which is of the law, BUT that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God BY FAITH" (Philip. 3:6-9). I don't think you are going to keep the law more completely than Paul did before his conversion to Christ. As he said, he was "blameless" in the law, but it only left him with his own righteousness, and NOT the righteousness of God. If you want his testimony before he was in Christ, then here is what you get: "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do" (Rom. 7:14-19). Myself, I prefer his testimony AFTER he was baptized with the Spirit into Christ, and put all his trust in JESUS' righteousness: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).

The law is not for those who are following after the Spirit, but rather it was for those who had no access to the Spirit as of yet; and they were ALL under sin: "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine" (I Tim. 1:9,10). And, "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law" (I Cor. 15:56). To 'obey' the old covenant format of the law, meaning the carnal ordinances, days, etc, is to keep one's self under the power of sin; for the only power OVER sin is in the holy Ghost, and it DOES NOT lead one under the law (Acts 1:8; Gal. 5:18). So to 'obey' the old covenant is to DISOBEY Christ by going backwards from the leading of his Spirit, plain and simple. He did not die and raise again to re-establish the things that only led the way TO HIM, but never imparted life or true righteousness. He died and rose again to BECOME our righteousness, IN US! (Rom. 8:3,4; II Cor. 5:21). If we try to keep the old covenant law while trying to live for Jesus, then we are confessing that he has imparted sin to us, and we need the law to get rid of it somehow: "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid" (Gal. 2:16,17). It's really a lot simpler than all of that anyway: "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16). That is what God is looking for from us, and that is where the true joy is at; and that's good enough for me. Amen.