Paul in Galatians is dealing with a very common problem. Believers struggling with the issue of grace. Our natural tendency is to just want the necessary rules or guidelines to follow. I remember thinking when I first got married, I wish my wife would just write down all the things she wanted me to do to make our marriage work. Now I realize if she had done that it would only remind me of how inadequate I was as a husband. That would lead to resentment, which then leads to unfaithfulness. So in this section of our study, we are taking a deeper look at the proper role God’s law plays in the life of the believer.
In Galatians 3:23-26 the foundation statement of this text is, “The Law was given to prepare the way for Christ.”
Paul’s Illustration:
In many Roman and Greek households, well-educated slaves took the children to and from school and watched over them during the day. Sometimes they would teach the children, sometimes they would protect and sometimes they would even discipline them. This would be like our modern day nannies or au par. Paul uses this example to explain the role the law plays in the life of a Christian. Here are several fundamental truths about the law.
Several Truths about the Law:
- The Jews were not born through the Law but rather were brought up by the Law.
Taking Paul’s example, the slave or guardian was not the child’s blood relative, not the child’s father; he was the child’s guardian and disciplinarian. So to expand on that analogy the Law did not give life to Israel; it regulated life.
- The Law was put into place only for a certain period of time.
The work of the guardian was to prepare the child with a foundation that would serve them well into maturity. Once the child came of age, they no longer needed the work of a guardian. So the Law was a preparation for the nation of Israel until the coming of the promised Seed, Jesus Christ. Paul clearly spells that out in Galatians 3:22-23,
22 Scripture has subjected the whole world to sin’s power so that the faithful obedience of Jesus the Anointed might extend God’s promises to everyone who has faith. 23 Before faith came on the scene, the law did its best to keep us in line, restraining us until the faith that was to come was fully revealed.
The ultimate goal in God’s plan of salvation was His Son, the promised seed, but “…before this faith (Christ) came…” (Gal. 3:23), the nation was “…imprisoned by the Law”. The Judaizers taught that the Law was necessary for life and righteousness. Paul warns the church that to elevate the law above its role as guardian gives the law too much power and takes away from Jesus’ work on the cross. So because the law was there to prepare the nation for the coming of the Messiah, now that the promised seed Jesus Christ, has come there is no longer the same need for the law to be a guardian. The role of the law has now been to remind people of their need for a savior.
A good example is when I was a parish pastor, I had an older member say to, “I wish you would stop reminding me that I am a saint and a sinner. I am too old to sin now.” I respectfully reminded her that she nor anyone was too old to sin. She was just too old to remember that she sinned.” That did make her chuckle.
The Law fails to do what the Promise Can Do
The Law could reveal sin. It may even curb behavior, but the Law has its limitations.
- The Law could never justify the guilty sinner.
- “…I will not justify the wicked,” said the Lord (Ex. 23:7); yet Paul states that God “…justifies the ungodly…” (Rom. 4:5).
- King Solomon, at the dedication of the temple, reminded God to condemn the wicked and justify the righteous (1 Kings 8:32); and this was a proper request in light of the holiness of God. The trouble is, nobody was righteous! It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that the sinner is justified—declared righteous—before God.
- The Law does not make us one w/ God or others.
- The Pharisee would pray each morning, “I thank Thee, God, that I am a Jew, not a Gentile; a man, not a woman; and a freeman, and not a slave.” Yet all these distinctions are removed “in Christ.”
- Faith counters, but through faith, we are baptized us “into Christ” (Gal. 3:27).
This baptism of the Spirit unites the believer with Christ and makes him part of His body (1 Cor. 12:12–14).
12 Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. 13 We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. 14 Certainly, the body isn’t one part but many.
This baptism of the Spirit unites the believer with Christ and makes him part of His body (1 Cor. 12:12–14).
12 Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. 13 We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. 14 Certainly, the body isn’t one part but many.
Water baptism attached with God’s promise makes us people of the promise, a new nation. It seals our adoption as sons and daughters in the new family of faith. Through this baptism we put “on Christ”, we change out of the dirty garments of sin and by faith receive the new white robes washed in the blood of the Lamb of righteousness. The Law created differences, distinctions, and hostility, but through our adoption, we are now “All one in Christ Jesus”, what an empowering claim. Jesus Christ came, not to divide, but to unite.
Becoming Bridge Builders 
Hi Keith This is a good word! May I address one concern, though? It’s regarding your having reminded the older believer that she IS a sinner. If she is in Christ, she IS not; she WAS, but she not is NOT a sinner any more.
So many Christians are not living in the power of Christ’s resurrection because they don’t apprehend that the old sin nature has already been crucified with Christ “so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin… so count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Ro. 6:6,11). Satan does NOT want Christians to understand this glorious gospel! (Please realize there is NO condemnation here! Many pastors make this error.)
Along these lines, when the Lord prompted me to read 1John 3:6, 9 and 5:18 aloud in my Sunday School class, the majority literally straightened up in their seats and loudly said, “No!” as if I had just blasphemed. The Lord had me gently remind them that this IS His truth! I will include 3:8 here: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning because he has been born of God.”
We can see how when people respond incredulously to that Scripture, it reveals that they are living (falsely) on the basis of self-righteousness, and not utterly dependent on Christ for His!
God bless you, righteous man!
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Please forgive me for calling you Ken, Keith! 😣
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Thank you for your comments. However let me clarify somethings. W are sinners, every last one of us. And no matter what our age, sinners die. And the result of the fact that we are sinners is we face the judgement of death. But through faith not the full impact and weight of sin eternal damnation. Paul makes it clear that “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). What is ever more telling is that we can’t save ourselves, we can’t pull ourselves out of the mess sin creates. That is what Paul is telling the Galatians, do go back and put on the chains the Jesus freed you from.
The purpose of this biblical teaching is simple. It explains what is wrong with us, yes. But even more, it shows our great need for Christ as Savior. The Bible says “was made to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). Only Christ could deal with the real horror of our sin. And He could do it only by His horrific death on the cross, where He fully suffered sin’s punishment, as well as by His resurrection, where He forgives sin and gives us life.
I hope this clarifies the point I was making. Blessings and love the discussion.
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I love the discussion also, but please clarify what you are saying, starting with 1 John 3:6, 9, and 5:18 and Romans 6:6,11 (because “we [Christians] are sinners” refutes these Scriptutes and MANY others.) Thanks.
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B Newman explains the Romans text in this way, “In some languages our old being may be rendered as “what we used to be,” “the way in which we used to live,” or “as far as our being what we used to be.”
There are certain complications in translating put to death with Christ on his cross. In some languages it is best to take with Christ on his cross as being temporally related to the phrase put to death—for example, “what we used to be was, as it were, put to death at the same time that Christ was put to death on the cross,” “… when Christ was crucified,” or “… when people crucified Christ.”
The power of the sinful self (NEB “the sinful self”) is literally “the body of sin” (Goodspeed, Moffatt, JB “sinful body”). Here “body” is used as a means of speaking of one’s total being, and so self seems to be a more adequate translation than “body.” The TEV takes the phrase “the body of sin” with the extended meaning of the power of the sinful self; this assumes that Paul is speaking of the power that the sinful self holds over one’s person rather than of the sinful self itself.
The power of the sinful self may be equivalent in some instances to “our strong desire to sin” or “we who desire strongly to sin.” The passive expression might be destroyed can be made active, in which case God would have to be the agent—for example, “in order that God could destroy our strong desires to sin.” In some instances “the old man” may be translated as “the old heart,” and therefore one may render this clause as “in order that our old heart might be destroyed” or “in order that the old heart which sins might be destroyed.”
There is a special complication in verse 6, since there are two purpose clauses. The first purpose clause depends upon our old being having been put to death with Christ, and the second purpose clause, so that we should no longer be the slaves of sin, is the purpose of “our sinful self having been destroyed.” In some languages it may be necessary to make a break between the first and second purposes and recapitulate briefly—for example, “our sinful self has been destroyed in order that we should no longer be slaves of sin.”
The expression the slaves of sin is rendered in some languages as “to have sin boss us,” “to have sin command us,” or “to do what sin says, just as slaves do what their masters say.”
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First John 3:6,9 and 5:18 please…
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I will get that one tomorrow when my mind is fresh😀
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Hi Keith, as you know I have generally agreed with you enthusiastically since I have followed you. So I say that as a way of introducing what I’m about to say, and to emphasize that we agree on most things. However, I fundamentally disagree with every aspect of your analysis of Galatians that you have brought forth here. There are some weighty assumptions that you are working with that don’t hold up to biblical scrutiny, concerning Paul’s intent and meaning in these passage. However, I don’t want to bomb your site with comments and sound controversial. May I write a good-natured and friendly response to your post on my own site, and we can compare notes? Perhaps we will sharpen each other. It’s your call. I thought it would be fun to have some “cross-blog dialog”, as it were.
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Hi David good nature disagreement is good. Blessings me friend
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very good. It’s important that my writing reflects my attitude, which is full of support and appreciation for any sincere fellow worker in the kingdom. Sometimes I have not always come across the way I would like and I have inadvertently hurt people, which grieves me.
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You are right David, the Law has not been deleted…
Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the Law through Faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the Law.(KJV)
Blessings – Anne.
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I like your comment on the checklists. Sometimes, this idea of checklists also creates two types of people: those who do the bare minimum and those who seek to self-justify. God wants us to rely on his grace and he wants us to give while-heartedly. Checklists sort of block that. God desires that we continually explore and discover His will and purpose.
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Great points. They don’t allow us to have intimacy with God.
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Brother Keith,
Great article!
That saint/ sinner identity is a tough one for many Christians.
Martin Luther describes Christians as “simultaneously saint and sinner.” This both/and approach is a distinctly Lutheran understanding of who we are in God’s eyes.
Luther calls Christians “simultaneously saint and sinner” because he defines “saint” as a forgiven sinner. We are called saints not because we change into something different but because our relationship with God changes as a result of God’s grace. Luther said: “The saints are sinners, too, but they are forgiven and absolved.”
Thanks be to God that my PRIMARY identity is as a forgiven child of God!
Together in Christ!
Steve Maske
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Thanks for the great comments brother. We walk that fine line trying not to fall off the horse on the side of the Law and becoming Judaizers or on the side of Grace and denying that were are still sinners in need of God’s grace.
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Hello again, Keith! The way your comments are set up, I am unable to reply to your references to what other men have written about Romans 6, and so I am offering this here.
“May the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…” (Col. 3:16). 😊 In that spirit, I lovingly draw to your attention to this: in addressing the Scriptures I referenced, you quoted other men. Jesus spoke as one with authority because He knew His Father intimately and quoted the Scriptures; Jesus never referred to the opinions of men. The scribes and Pharisees constantly referred to authorities and quotations from others, but not our Lord.
The Lord Himself is my teacher and your teacher (see Matt. 23:8-12; John 16:13-14; 1 John 2:27), and I lovingly encourage you to resist the worldly religious way of referring to the opinions of other men about God’s word. He has enabled me to do so; He will certainly do the same for you!
Now, having said that, I encourage you to forget all the confusing gobbledygook written about Romans 6:6,11 above and spend time alone with the Lord meditating on the passage; see also 2 Cor. 4:8-12; 5:17. The bottom line: God has procured tremendous riches for us in Christ that are not being apprehended yet: we must press on and apprehend them, that His Son may be manifest through the members of His glorious Body for the salvation and sanctification of all the souls in our midst! 😊
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Do not take my silence as offense I need to focus on a personal family crisis. My wife’s brother passed away and I need to be there for the family. Blessings
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No offense taken in Christ. May you all know His presence in you and surrounding you, going before you at all times, but especially now. May you experience NO confusion, no complications, as you minister Christ to each other. May the God of all comfort prevail. Amen.
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Thank you. It does make it harder to think creatively right now as well.
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Praising Christ that He is your Sabbath, and praying the Lord cause you to remain at rest in Him; may NOTHING disturb your peace in Him. He has given you His peace. Xx your sis, deanna
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Thank you deanna. Today’s blog stretched me. Did not feel like writing but God provided the words as he always does. Thanks for the prayers and the encouragement.
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It’s difficult to trust in “only the words of Jesus” when you don’t have the cultural and religious context of his words and teachings. Most people have no idea how to interpret him.
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I would say that was an issue for many who don’t seek to grow in God’s word. I don’t know how you can faithfully preach and teach the Word of God if you don’t understand the context of the message. I regularly have a Jewish man tell me that he appreciates that I understand the Jewish context.
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You do better than most but I’m going to help you dial that in even more if you hang in there with me. I’m hopeful that my post on Galatians will help you and your readers…many people in the church get so very confused about the law because of a misreading of Paul and also because the church has taught people to focus on the “formula” for personal salvation instead of the real focus of the gospel which is the kingdom of God…the Bible makes literally no cohesive sense if we think that the Law has been done away with
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By the way I never said the law was done away with. I said Christ fulfilled the law.
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Hello David! Such persons have not spent the time at His feet, have not consecrated themselves to Him, do not “waste” themselves on Him as Paul and the woman with the alabaster jar did. He calls many to do so, but many do not answer His call in the affirmative!
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By the way on the less controversial side what are you thoughts on my discipleship post today.
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First, please know that all this in in Christ’s love! Secondly, know that God made me to be honest and forthright, valuing truth above all things.
So, in response to your question: you sought the opinions of people, and so I only skimmed over the rest. I have to discipline myself (as Jesus modeled for us) to “do only what the Father is doing” and “say only what the Father is saying,” because anything else I do is going to be burned up at His Bema seat!
So, dear brother on fire for Jesus as I am 😊, you may want to read some of my writings to know the person you ask such questions of 😊. I have given ALL up to follow Jesus: I retired from practicing medicine (lacking what most Westerners consider sufficient or sound reserves) in order to fulfill His calling on my life. How many Christians do you know today who have done such a thing, unsalaried? (He told me regarding the writings and my intercession – my “service” to the Body – “what is freely received is to be freely given.”)
I recommend that you read “Key Experiences and Characteristics of Effectual Leaders” under the “Menu” tab at the upper right corner of “The Lord Is With Us.” The Lord originally gave it to me in nine parts (blogged), then He led me to consolidate the nine into one long article. The Holy Spirit revealed precious gems therein…
Your sis, deanna xx
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The problem with this forum for conversation is the ease at people misunderstand. I am not upset with anything you have said but somewhat distracted by family concerns
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Just saw this, Keith…it seemed that it was referencing a previous post that I hadn’t read so I got a little lost about halfway through. Plus I was rushed reading it. I’ll have to look at it again.
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You are right David, the Law has not been deleted…
Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the Law through Faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the Law.(KJV)
Blessings – Anne.
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Hi David, understanding God’s Truth which is Spiritual and not of the flesh, does not come from worldly man’s wisdom or knowledge. We need to ask for God’s Wisdom and empowering which none of us were Born with and we don’t doubt that we have received them but give Thanks and than we Trust Jesus Christ our only Teacher, He will give us full understanding of what is needed.
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
James 1:5-6 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Blessings – Anne.
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Essentially the same thing….I know what you mean…you are quoting Matt 5 but “fulfill” means “uphold”…it doesn’t really mean what the church commonly thinks
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I agree the church confuses terms and we need to take time to unpack terminology. Gotta fly for a while. I maybe silent for a few days. Blessings
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The paradigm shift which people need to make is to understand that law and grace are not opposing concepts in the Bible…the Law wasn’t a “problem” that Jesus came to “fix”…nor is there a provision given in the Torah whereby someone “fulfilling” it releases us from the obligation to obey it. We need to understand the atonement and the purpose of the Law…the Law was not given to show us that we couldn’t keep it in order to bring us to Jesus…that’s not its purpose nor is that what Paul means by the pedagogue metaphor
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We will disagree on this one respectfully.
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lol….hang with me brother. I get it, I get it. I told you I’d write a blog to explain so I should do that instead of giving little tidbits. This will be fun…if I do my job right you’ll be very excited when I’m done.
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Can’t bail on you now until I convert you.😀
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You’re funny
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I am a funny guy. Thought you knew that?
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Just checking in with you, Keith. You all Ok?
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Yes, my wife’s older brother died. It is the third major loss of a loved one for our family is a year. A time to mourn, while still celebrating the power of the resurrection. Thanks for asking.
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I know we just met, but I’m concerned and here for you all in prayer, so let me know if there’s something specific you’d like for me to pray for your family. ❤️
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Just peace…It has been a rough year.
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Thanks – I will be praying that for your family tonight and all this weekend.
Meanwhile, for you and the believers with you: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”
“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” “…in me you may have peace.”
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Thank you. God’s riches blessings to you.
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Prayers for your wife and family, Keith. I’m sorry to hear.
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Thank you.
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Continuing in prayer for you and your family during this difficult time, praising the God of all comfort, the God of peace, for keeping you Himself.
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Thank you.
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Hello Brother,
I have been working through the sanctified life and new obedience with my my youth. Thank you for your care and balance in describing our freedom in Christ. As followers of the way we read Colossians 2:20-23 and hear a release from the laws that bind us in this world. Yet you hear in your heart and mind, where the law is written, another wrestling with our sinful nature. My youth have enjoyed Paul’s words in Romans 6. Our landing sport now is Matthew 5. What is the spirit of the law. Also, 1 John 5 to show love to God is to obey his commands. I look forward to your next post.
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Thank you for that. I know what a fine line we walk when we talk about this delicate balance. Blessings.
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Keith, Thanks for this post, and the comments are curious to me.
David is making some points which I’m not sure I understand, which in turn is having me question some of the points which the two of you are BOTH making.
The following questions quickly come to mind:
– What are the ‘implications’ of adopting either your perspective on these points, or his? How does this impact me? (relationship with God, with other people, etc.)
– They way both of you are addressing the subject, it would appear that your disagreements of the ‘doctrine’ (is that the right word to describe what you are discussing?) are ‘primary’ vs ‘secondary or tertiary’ issues. Would you agree?
Reason this is important: I’m wired toward always trying to ‘get things right’; and certainly would not want to engage others with the wrong products of the scriptures. As the bible holds those who teach to a higher accountability, this ‘wiring’ is reinforced.
Your thoughts?
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Hi Steve, Thanks for engaging in the conversation. David and I do disagree on what I would consider doctrine. His understanding of the role of the law differs greatly from our view. We view the law has having three basic purposes, 1) to serve as a fence, 2) a curb to regulate behavior, and 3) a mirror to point out the fact that we are both saint and sinner at the same time but that mirror always points us back to the source of that help Jesus. David does not from what have read so far think that the law was something that needed fixing. He believes Martin Luther got it all wrong.
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What does God expect Keith of those who are Perfected in Love having put their Carnal flesh to death by The Spirit and being Born Again of The Spirit.
He tells us in Scripture that not only does He expect that we will but He knows that we will keep the Law because as we see confirmed below we have His seed not Adams, the Old has gone the New has come and we have been Set Free from the slavery of Sin, No Temptation will be greater than we can bear.
John 8:34-36 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who Sins is a slave to Sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed.
1John 3:9 No one who is Born of God will continue to Sin, because God’s seed remains in him he cannot go on Sinning because he has been Born of God.
Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the Law through Faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the Law.
Romans 6 :1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in Sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein?
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:5-7 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: Knowing this that our old man is crucified with Him that the body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin. For he that is dead is freed from Sin.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
1 John 3:2 -5 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this Hope in Him purified himself, even as He is pure. Whosoever committeth Sin transgresseth also the law: for Sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that He was manifested to take away our Sins; and in Him is no Sin.
1 John 3: 1-11 ( 6-7 ) Whosoever abideth in Him Sinneth not: whosoever Sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth Righteousness is Righteous, even as He is Righteous.
1 John 5:18-20 We know that no one who is Born of God Sins but He who was Born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.
Romans 6:18-20 Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness.
Ephesians 4:23-24 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the New Man, which after God is created in Righteousness and True Holiness.
1 John 2:4-6 He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the Love of God Perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith hebideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.
Romans 8 :12-15 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation but it is not to the Sinful nature, to live according to it. or if you live according to the Sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons/daughters of God.
Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
I have more Scripture Keith if wanted that confirms we do not continue to Sin when we are Born Again of The Spirit and Perfected in Love, which we are to aim for.
Christian Love Always – Anne.
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We teach that while we are free from the condemnation of the law we are never free from sin. Romans 7:21-25 Paul describes his constant struggle with the flesh. We probably won’t agree on this. But I pray you will keep following.
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To believe that we go on Sinning until we die Keith you have to reject all the Scriptures I shared above, it is not what I think, it is what God tells us and that is we no longer Sin when we are Perfected in Love and Born Again of His seed and this we are to aim for as Paul and others Christians did, we work out our Salvation but not meaning work for it.
1John 3:9 No one who is Born of God will continue to Sin, because God’s seed remains in him he cannot go on Sinning because he has been Born of God.
In Romans 7 Paul is describing the battle with his Carnal flesh that we all have until we are Perfected in Love and Born Again. he called himself wretched but than said Jesus would rescue him.
1 John 3: 1-11 ( 6-7 ) Whosoever abideth in Him Sinneth not: whosoever Sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth Righteousness is Righteous, even as He is Righteous.
In Romans 8 Keith and in other Scriptures as confirmed below Paul tells us to put to death our Carnal flesh so we can walk as Jesus walks in this world.
Romans 8 :12-15 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation but it is not to the Sinful nature, to live according to it. or if you live according to the Sinful nature, you will die but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons/daughters of God.
Colossians 3:4-6 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
2 Timothy 2:19-21 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man/woman therefore purge himself from these, he/she shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
Romans 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
1 John 4:17-19 Herein is our Love made Perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because AS HE IS, SO ARE WE IN THIS WORLD. There is no fear in Love; but Perfect Love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made Perfect in Love. We Love Him, because He first Loved us.
Galatians 24 -26 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
There are more Scripture Keith if wanted that also confirm God’s Truth that we don’t continue to Sin, we are a Holy Nation.
Blessings – Anne.
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I don’t agree with your interpretation of these verses. And I think we will fundamentally disagree
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As I shared before Keith it is not my interpretation it’s God’s Truth that you are rejecting but if you doubt this than perhaps you would like to explain each of the Scriptures I shared in your own understanding.
I have asked for God’s Wisdom and empowering Keith which none of us were Born with and I don’t doubt that I have received them and I thank Him often that I did. Have you asked? or perhaps you have not been taught to do this like many others haven’t so they Trust in what Man tells them or what they think instead of in what Jesus our only Teacher tells them and confirms in Scripture or Creation which are always in agreement.
I will leave a link for you that will help you Keith understand the Scriptures below and provide more.
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
James 1:5-6 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Wisdom- http://freedomborn.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/the-gaining-of-wisdom/
Blessings – Anne.
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John’s word order in the Greek (pas ho gegennēmenos ek tou theou hamartian ou poiei, lit., “everyone having been born from God sin not is doing”) puts emphasis on the phrase “born of God.” The importance of this is found in the word order. By affirming that the child of God “cannot sin, because it is of God, and of no other that he has been born.” Because the child is born of God, he does not practice sin. This concept is a restatement of found in v. 6, where “abiding in Christ” explains one’s abstinence from sin. Here the indicated source of power over sin is the regenerating power of God. John’s point is clear: there is not a single regenerated person who lives a life of habitual sin. The key here in the original Greek is that we do not habitually sin. As in v. 6, the writer’s use of the present tense accentuates that the child of God does not continually engage in sin. John is not suggesting the believer is completely free from sin, but that the Christian’s life is not characterized by sin, which is the mark of the follower of Satan, who has been sinning from the beginning (v. 8). The child of God does not behave in a manner that has the nature or character of habitual sin.
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Anne,
This is interesting to me.
Perhaps because it is different than I’ve heard before, but you are saying that there are people here on earth (believers) that no longer sin, transgress, etc?
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Hi Steve, I’m sorry for the delay in responding to your comment but I had some catching up to do.
Of course I don’t know all those who no longer Sin on this earth but I do know that I’m where Paul was when he said he hadn’t been Perfected yet but like him I want to be before I die so I’m aiming to be as he did and others have done.
But True the Churches today are not Preaching the full Gospel so many are still in darkness or unaware of God’s Truth concerning the freedom we have over the Slavery of Sin
1John 3:9 No one who is Born of God will continue to Sin, because God’s seed remains in him he cannot go on Sinning because he has been Born of God.
I will visit your Blog soon Steve – Blessing Anne
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Keith 1John 3:9 reads; No one who is Born of God will continue to Sin, because God’s seed remains in him he “cannot” go on Sinning because he has been Born of God.(KJV)
The word “cannot” in the original Greek, as confirmed by Strong’s Concordance, means absolutely never and when we are Born Again and Perfected in Love, we have God’s seed not Adams, the Old has gone the New has come and God cannot Sin, so having His Nature through The indwelling Holy Spirit means we also cannot Sin.
As I shared before Keith it would be very beneficial if you asked for God’s Wisdom and empowering and stop Trusting in Man for your understanding but if you still wish to reject all the other Scriptures I shared confirming we do not continue to Sin until we die, than I can only Pray that you will come to your senses before you die and seek Heart repentance for the wrong you teach.
Wisdom- http://freedomborn.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/the-gaining-of-wisdom/
Blessings – Anne.
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We will disagree and do not assume I am trusting in man because we disagree. To quote Strong’s definition (which is a man’s interpretation of that Greek Word by the way) and ignore the linguist points I made would be to ignore the context, ignore that word order in the Greek defines emphasis and changes meaning would be erroneous interpretations of the original text. I have studied the original languages of Greek and Hebrew for over 20 years. I am not relying on others, I am relying on divine revelation and good sound textual exegesis. You wrongly assume also that if I don’t agree with you then I am trusting in man. Have you considered that maybe your reading of King James is in error? I have learned that we all approach Scripture with a lens. I can disagree with people who see things differently and continue to allow iron to sharpen iron.
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God tells us Keith that there will be differences in the Church but we are not to argue or even to agree to disagree, both cause division, we are to take our differences to Him and He will confirm His Truth through His Word when understood with His wisdom and empowering through The Holy Spirit.
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
James 1:5-6 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in Faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Luke 11:13……. how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?
1John 2:26-28 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is Truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.
Colossians 2 :2 -3 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in Love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
1John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is True, and we are in Him that is True, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the True God, and eternal life.
John 15:14-15 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.(KJV)
Matthew 10:26-28 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops (KJV)
Psalm 32:8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shall go. I will guide you with Mine eye.
1 John 4: 17-19 Herein is our Love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in Love; but perfect Love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made Perfect in Love. We Love Him, because He first Loved us.
Perfect Love does not sin!
Blessings – Anne.
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We are at a crossroads where I think this back and forth will not result and any progress. In Christ peace I pray for your journey of faith and that God bless your ministry.
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From Learning the Bible: I know this is long but it is excellent and might just help clear up a few points above.
How Our Sins Can Be Forgiven
The Doctrine of Propitiation
How can you know your sins are forgiven? How can you make perfect peace with God and be assured of a home in heaven? This booklet deals with this important subject. It does so by looking at the Bible doctrine of propitiation. Please do not be put off by this word. If you do not know what propitiation is, you are in the majority. However, by the time you get through with this booklet, it should make perfect sense to you. It is a powerful picture of salvation and a powerful Bible lesson in forgiveness and exactly how we get it. I encourage you to read on.
The word propitiation is a term that occurs in the King James Bible three different times. Unfortunately, many of the new versions leave the word out entirely. This omission, and others like it, is not taken seriously because people do not know what propitiation is. You may think that someone should take those long words out of the Bible. But these words mean something. There are not that many long words in the Bible, but the ones that are there have a special significance. God is trying to teach us something very important.
Bro. Luther Adkins, the founding pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, liked to tell a story about a new pastor who took a church. Shortly after he began his preaching there, a lady caught him after the services and complimented him, “You know, I really like your preaching. It don’t have any doctrine in it nor nuthin’.” He loved telling that story because some messages really do not have any doctrine in them “nor nothing.” The doctrine of propitiation tells of eternal salvation from God’s point of view. Please, do not take it lightly. It contains the key to eternal life for you.
1 John 2:1-2
says, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Notice the word propitiation here. It is also used in 1John 4:10
and Romans 3:25. We will go to these verses later. Propitiation means to satisfy the demands for justice . Propitiation teaches us that man is a sinner and that God hates sin because God is righteous. Therefore, sin must be judged and judgment was assigned to me by God the Father. The wrath of God is on all those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Saviour. However, when I trusted in Jesus Christ as my Saviour, He stood between me and the wrath of God. He took that wrath upon Himself, paid the price of my judgment, and gave me eternal life! That is a blessed truth. It means that Jesus Christ satisfied God’s demand for the righteous judgment of my sin. That is the doctrine of propitiation in simplicity. Let us look at it in further detail.
First of all, we must see the need for propitiation. In all of the places where propitiation is mentioned, the context is dealing with sins. We have a sin problem. The trouble is that we keep sinning. Even when we are not sinning, we lean towards sin because we have a sin nature.
1 John 2:2
says, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
1 John 4:10
says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Notice that propitiation takes care of our sins.
Romans 3:25
says, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”
This use of propitiation also deals with sins. In fact, this verse is a continuation of a sentence that began in verse 23, which says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
There is a sin problem in this world and that sin problem infects every individual who lives in this world. You are born with a natural tendency to sin. You like to rebel. Watch children as they grow up. When mommy and daddy tell them not to do something, what is their natural tendency? Do they automatically want to obey? No! They have a sin nature that goes all the way back to Adam. They, and you, like to sin. Your flesh likes the things of this world. It likes to eat too much and look at things it ought not look at. It likes to fuss and complain. It likes to listen to gossip and pour it out of your mouth. It enjoys those things! Praise God for salvation, but we need to understand where we come from.
We like to take atheists to Psalm 14:1
where it says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” We say, those fools say there is no God, and they are corrupt, and there is none of them that do good—but read a little further.
In verses two and three, it says:
“The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
God applies this to all men. You cannot get saved until you realize you are lost. You cannot realize you are lost until you know that you are a sinner and that your own sin condemns you. Many false teachers are telling people that they are good and that everyone is good in his or her heart. The Bible does not say that. It says that everyone is evil in his heart by his own nature. People do not like to hear this but it is the truth as found in God’s holy word.
The teaching that everyone is good does not come from the word of God. It comes from the evil hearts of men. They say everybody is good because they deny that Book! If you believe the Bible, then you believe that we are sinners by nature and sinners by practice.
In Jeremiah 17:9, the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” The next verse (Jeremiah 17:10) says that God knows the heart. He is the only one who knows just how deep and dirty our hearts are. He knows that the heart is deceitful above all things.
Isaiah 64:6
says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
You may ask, “Where is the blessing in this information?” The blessing is that someone has taken care of that dirty, dark sin. But until you realize it is there, you cannot be saved. You have to be lost in order to get saved. A lot of people have never realized that they are lost.
You must understand the utter sinfulness of man. Man is completely wicked. He is all parts evil. Even when he does good things, he does them for his own selfish nature. He does them to make himself feel good, and to make himself feel a little bit superior to other people. Or, he does them because of what he expects to get out of them. The prideful, sinful nature that makes man commit crimes is the same nature that causes him to do good works! There is no way out for man, unless it is God’s way.
Not only do you need to understand the utter sinfulness of man, you need to understand the absolute holiness of God. In Isaiah 6:3
the seraphim cried out, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. Holiness means that God has no blemish, or evil, or wickedness. Everything is pure, holy and righteous with God. He shines with a brilliant light that would strike us down and destroy us the very second we saw Him. He is that pure and that holy.
Habakkuk 1:13
says, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?” God’s eyes are so pure that He cannot even look upon our sinfulness. God is so holy that you and He could not exist in the same universe apart from the grace of God.
Job 25:4-6
says, “How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?”
Even the stars are not pure in God’s sight; the moon is not pure in His sight. How can man be pure in His sight? We are as a worm. You say that this is not good for your self-esteem. But the best thing for you is to destroy your self-esteem. Your esteem ought to be in God and not in yourself. Even expressions of supposed humility may be pride. You do not need to go around saying, “I am a nobody; I am a nobody.” That is an expression of pride. You are proud of your humility. You say, “Wait a minute, you are making everything a sin.” You are getting it; you are getting it! We cannot do anything right in our own strength.
Some people go around with this false humility. The Bible talks about it in Colossians and calls it a “voluntary humility” (Colossians 2:18). Someone who loves God and has given his life to God does not have to act like a throw rug to be stepped on. He stands up tall, walks straight and goes where he is supposed to go because God is in charge of his life. He knows that he is not in charge of his own life. Paul said, “For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve.” Paul did not go around saying he was a humble Christian all the time. His attitude was more like, “I serve the God of the universe and I have something to say for His sake.” That is not false humility.
You are created by God and your very life depends upon Him. You have no right to live your life as you please. When you get to the point where you realize that you are nothing, but He is everything; that Jesus Christ came and died for you so that He might live in you; then you can begin to realize the joy and the freedom and the liberty and the peace available in the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! We want to hold on to our own righteousness and do what good we can do. We want to hold on to some idea of our own goodness. But any good you have is God in you! If He is not in you, then there is no good in you.
Not only do we see the utter sinfulness of man and the absolute holiness of God, but we also see God’s righteous demand for justice. God demands that sin must be fully judged. The payment for our sin must be made. He cannot “just forgive” (as one modern song states it) because His own righteousness is at stake. He is absolutely righteous. As such, He demands that sinful actions be paid for by righteous judgment. This is where we get our own sense of righteous judgment.
Within you is there not a sense that rights ought to be rewarded and wrongs ought to be judged? Do you not know that people who do good ought to be blessed and people who do evil ought to pay for it? Is there not in each of us that sense of righteousness? We think of Adolf Hitler and say that he should pay for his evil. Where did that feeling of “things ought to be made right” come from? God put that in you. That is part of your conscience. That is part of the nature given to you from God.
God says that righteousness must be satisfied and one of the demands of righteousness is justice! God is going to demand justice from each person one of these days. It does not look too good for us under these rules. We are utterly sinful and God is absolutely holy and now He absolutely demands righteous judgment. That is pretty bad for all of us. In addition to this, judgment is coming soon .
Psalm 9:7-8
says, “But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.” This is one verse of many that establishes the fact that God will judge the world in righteousness. In fact, His righteousness demands that sin be judged and that punishment equal to the sin be applied. This does not only refer to the sins of those who have wronged you; it is required of your sins also. Your sins must receive the righteous and absolute judgment of God.
In the New Testament, we find that judgment will be executed by Jesus Christ. You may think you are alright if Jesus is the One who judges you. But let’s imagine this scene. Suppose that you die and go to heaven and stand before Jesus, sweet Jesus. Surely, He will overlook your little faults. But He is the one who paid the price for your sins and suffered your hell for you. Yet in your life, you said to Him by your actions, “No thanks, I don’t need you.” Exactly what kind of emotion do you expect from Him at that point? If you have not received the mercy of God before you stand before Him; if you have rejected His gracious offer of salvation during this life; you have a place reserved for you in hell.
God is absolutely holy and the only way He can be consistent with Himself is to fully execute all judgment and justice in a righteous way. He cannot just overlook our sins. And He will settle everything in the end. You may wonder why God allows certain things to happen today. But you must understand this: He will not allow injustice to continue forever. God will settle all accounts. I do not know why God lets things happen to people specifically, but I know He will make all things right some day! The trouble is, when God makes all things right, what about your wrongs toward God? What about the things you have done and your guilt before God? We always want Him to make things right and fix the other person’s wagon, but when it is our wagon, we do not want that taken care of in quite the same way. He is going to judge us too! He must judge us in order to be consistent with His own righteousness.
What will it be like to stand before God? Consider these verses:
Joel 2:11
says, “And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?” Think about that word abide . Who can just stay there in the presence of God’s wrath? God will be angry when He comes. Who can abide it?
Nahum 1:6
says, “Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.”
Malachi 3:2
says, “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:”
Revelation 6:17
says, “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
No one will be able to stand before the righteous judgment of God! You may wonder if there are exceptions. Yes, and thank God for the exceptions. But before we deal with God’s provision of propitiation, let me say something to those of you who do not know Jesus Christ as your Saviour. If you do not know the gracious salvation of Jesus Christ, you are not just facing the wrath of God in the future; the wrath of God has already been assigned to you.
John 3:18
says, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” This verse says that you have been “condemned already.” You have already been judged and have been found wanting.
John 3:36
says, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” The word abideth is present tense. That means God has already assigned you a place in hell if you are not saved. We Christians talk about having our mansion in heaven; lost people already have their place in hell. It may be good law on earth to declare a man innocent until proven guilty, but we all come before God guilty to start with. You are not waiting to be declared guilty. You are condemned already.
You must find a solution to your guilt if you are going to be in heaven. That solution is propitiation. God is mad. I want you to understand that. He is very angry. The Bible talks about wrath. Wrath is a very strong word. It means extremely mad. Why is God so mad? Have you read a newspaper recently? If you were God and you were absolutely holy and you picked up today’s newspaper and read through it, are you going to be happy about what is going on down here?
But not only does God know what the newspaper says; He knows what is going on in everybody’s heart and in everybody’s home and in every side room downtown. He knows everything that is going on. He knows what is going on at the Capitol. He knows what is going on with politics and in the Supreme Court. He knows what is going on all over this world. God is angry. We serve a God who loves, but we have taken His love and thrown it back in His face and said, “I don’t need You God.” What are you going to do about that anger and that wrath? The problem is that you cannot do anything about it. You are already condemned. But praise the Lord, He has provided a solution for you. That solution is propitiation. Remember what we said earlier. Propitiation means to satisfy the demands for justice . Look at how this propitiation is provided.
1 John 2:1-2
says, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Please consider four things about God’s provision of propitiation.
First, propitiation is universal. It is offered to all men. And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. You know what? When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He offered to satisfy the wrath of God against every man, woman and child. 1 Timothy 4:10 states, “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” He is potentially the Saviour of all men; He is specifically and especially the Saviour of those who accept Him by believing on Him. Jesus Christ is the Saviour of all men! When He died on the cross, He suffered everybody’s hell all at once. He has suffered that judgment. He offers that salvation to all men; it is not held back from anyone. It is offered to you as it was offered to me! Oh glorious day when I trusted in Jesus Christ as my Saviour. Salvation is offered to all men!
Second, God’s propitiation is offered because of love. 1 John 4:10
says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” There have never been any instances in the history of mankind where man loved God before God loved man. The only reason we love God is because He loved us first (1 John 4:19). God loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Do you see what motivated propitiation? It is motivated by God’s love.
John 3:16
says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Though angry at sin, God could see each of us through that dense fog of sin and say, “That is a soul that will be somewhere eternally and I love that soul despite their sin; I love them so much that I will send my own Son; I will let them beat Him, mock Him, spit on Him, nail Him to a cross, and then I will let Him become sin for them. I will even turn my back on my own Son and turn my presence away from Him when He becomes sin because I cannot look upon sin. I am going to let Him suffer the hell of all those people because I love them.”
Third, propitiation is offered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. In Romans 3:25 we read, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” It is the shed blood of Christ; it is His death on the cross that offered propitiation. I want to take you to Isaiah 53.
Jesus died for your sins and my sins, but He also died to satisfy the wrath of the Father against you. Isaiah 53:3-4
says, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” Consider what this passage is saying: “We thought God was angry with His Son; that He was smitten of God. God was pouring His judgment out on the Son, but it was our sins that killed him.”
Isaiah 53:5
says, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” When Jesus suffered on the cross, He became sin. He suffered and experienced the wrath of God on Himself. It was not because He had ever done anything wrong. No, Jesus was pure and holy and sinless. But His blood paid the price for our sins.
But not only did the blood of Jesus Christ pay for our sins, it is through faith in His blood that we receive the gift of propitiation. God set the Son “forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood” (Romans 3:25). The sinner must believe that the blood of Christ satisfied the wrath of God against our sins and trust in that blood payment. It is no wonder that the old hymn says, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
Fourth, propitiation satisfied the wrath of God against sin. Isaiah 53:10
says, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.” Jesus Christ accomplished God’s purpose. Isaiah 53:11
says, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” According to this passage, the Father saw the travail of His Son’s soul and was satisfied.
Propitiation means the satisfaction of God’s demand for judgment. It requires the pouring out of wrath upon sin. God knows that judgment must be applied. This is the only way that His righteousness can be satisfied. Judgment must be poured out upon the sin of that sinner, but Jesus said, “Father, put it on me.” God then saw the wrath placed on the Son and the Father said, “That satisfies me; justice has been done. Righteousness has been taken care of. Now I can receive that one who is a sinner because they are in my Son.”
2 Corinthians 5:21
states, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” It is as if Christ is in one place and you are in another. Christ puts your sins on Himself and pays the judgment for those sins. Then, He says to you, “Take my righteousness,” and He clothes you in the robes of His righteousness. Now when you stand before the Father, you do not stand in your own rotten rags. No, you stand in the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful gift!
How does this come about? Romans 3:25
reads, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” The propitiation of Jesus Christ satisfied the anger of God against your sin. That provision comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9
states, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” You find all through the Bible that we come to God by faith. Listen to Romans 10:9-10
, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
You must come to a point where you realize that you are a sinner, that the wrath of God is on you, that there is no way for you to stand before a holy God, that nothing in you can take care of your guilt, and that you must have His salvation. You cannot live well enough; you cannot keep the Ten Commandments. Baptism or church membership will not help you. All you can do is look to the One who paid the price on the cross and fall down before Him and believe in Him and the payment He made on the cross. You can say, “Lord Jesus, I believe You paid the price for my sins and right now I want to trust in You; I want you to save my dirty, filthy soul.”
I am not giving you exact words. It is not the words that save you; it is the act of looking to Jesus in faith for salvation. I am talking about what comes from your heart. It is like the story John Bunyan told in Pilgrim’s Progress . When Pilgrim came to the foot of the cross, he had been bearing a burden that had gotten heavier and heavier as he realized the depth of his sins. But when he kneeled at the foot of the cross and trusted in the One on the cross, the burden fell off his back and rolled down the hill. Pilgrim never had to carry the burden around anymore. Pilgrim came to the cross and he looked up. This was a picture of him trusting in the Saviour; in His death on the cross, His burial and resurrection.
Over forty years ago, in 1963, though I was only a child, I felt my burden of sin and realized that I needed a Saviour. Did I understand the doctrine of propitiation? Of course not. But I understood that God did not like sin and I understood that I was a sinner. I knew that Jesus died on the cross for my sins, and I came and asked Him to be my Saviour. I trusted in Him that day. Over 40 years ago that burden rolled away. I have had many different kinds of burdens since that time, but I have never had that particular burden come back because it was taken care of at the cross. Has there been a time when you came to the foot of the cross?
Let me illustrate propitiation in this way: imagine you are on earth and you have displeased God; God is up in heaven and in His anger He throws a ball of fire at you. You look up into the sky and see the ball of fire coming closer and closer and you cannot hide from it. It is aiming right for you. It is as big as a mountain and it is coming at you. You cry out at the last minute saying, “Lord Jesus, I need you.” And, at that very moment in time He appears and steps right in front of you, and that ball of fire representing the wrath of God the Father hits Him with all its might. He suffers tremendously and goes through terrible trials and suffers your judgment for you, but you stand there safe and secure because you have been received into God’s family! He says, “Come my child; you are mine now.” What a wonderful blessing!
Has that happened in your life? Has there been that time when you looked to Jesus and told Him you wanted to trust in Him? Do you believe in His death, burial, and resurrection? Do you know the guilt of your own sin and realize that it makes you fit only for hell? Would you come to the Saviour right now, tell him of your sinful state, and ask Him to save you? Would you trust in Him as your Lord and Saviour right now? Would you trust in His blood for the propitiation of your sins? Do not delay. Trust in Him today. Bow your head right now and call on Him in prayer. Confess your sins to Him. Tell Him that you believe in His death, burial, and resurrection. Express your faith in Him. Ask Him to save your soul. Tell Him that you want to follow Him and be His child. If you will come to him in faith with all sincerity and believe on the Lord Jesus, He will save you in a moment of time. He will satisfy the Father’s demand that justice be served. He will make you a child of God. What are you waiting for? Do it. Do it right now.
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Salvation is a free gift that we will show we have and so God tells us that when we continue to Sin we do not know Him. So no Propitiation because this comes through knowing Him.
1 John 3: 1-11 ( 6-7 ) Whosoever abideth in Him Sinneth not: whosoever Sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth Righteousness is Righteous, even as He is Righteous.
1 John 2:4-6 He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His Commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the Love of God Perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith hebideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.
1 John 2:28-29 And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If ye know that He is Righteous, ye know that every one that doeth Righteousness is Born of Him.
John 8:34-36 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who Sins is a slave to Sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed.
1John 3:9 No one who is Born of God will continue to Sin, because God’s seed remains in him he cannot go on Sinning because he has been Born of God.
Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the Law through Faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the Law.
Romans 6 :1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in Sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein?
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:5-7 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: Knowing this that our old man is crucified with Him that the body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin. For he that is dead is freed from Sin.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
1 John 3:2 -5 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this Hope in Him purified himself, even as He is pure. Whosoever committeth Sin transgresseth also the law: for Sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that He was manifested to take away our Sins and in Him is no Sin.
1 John 5:18-20 We know that no one who is Born of God Sins but He who was Born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.
Romans 6:18-20 Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness.
Ephesians 4:23-24 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the New Man, which after God is created in Righteousness and True Holiness.
Romans 8 :12-15 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation but it is not to the Sinful nature, to live according to it. or if you live according to the Sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons/daughters of God.
Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
1John 1:5-10 This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all Sin. K.J.V
1John2:6 He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. KJV
Romans 8: 8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Christian Love Always – Anne.
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I am sorry but you are not quoting scripture from a King James Bible 1611 and I am not clear nor do I understand your post. May you continue to search the living word of God.
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That was not directed to you but Aussie Christian. I agree with your post
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Thank you and I was replying to Miss Anne and realized you were replying to her. 🙂
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Yes this is getting confusing. This was suppose to be a happy post. It has created much conversation.
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Conversation is good as long as it’s being done respectively. 🙂
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That is my intent. My concern with this one is I think it has reached an impasse.
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I am glad you decided to follow the blog despite all this controversy. 🙂
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I think it’s important to learn about God’s word and keep an open mind when we are challenged. 🙂
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I love the discussion and it has made me dig even deeper. I had to go back and dig into the Greek that is always fun.
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Oh I see you were responding to Aussie Christian..This blog string is getting confusing. Blessings
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Yes I am using the K.J. B and I’m not a Miss, I’m also old enough young lady to be your Grannie.
What you need to do dear is the same as Keith, ask for God’s Wisdom and empowering and believe you have received them and than seek Jesus our only Teacher to lead you into all Truth and not Trust in man’s or in your own understanding.
Blessings – Grannie Annie.
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Thank you Grannie Annie, I will be sure to do this. May you feel blessed each and everyday.
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You too dear and I Love your Heart focus, God’s blessings to you and your family now and for the future.
Grannie Annie.
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Grannie Annie, Blessings to you and well…May God shower you with his love and grace. And thanks for following. Please join me in praying for our nation. Racial tension is running high right now. We need an outpouring of God’s spirit.
Keith
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Keith just as I Love, Lean Not Unto My Own Understanding’s Heart Focus, I very much appreciate yours too, both of you are very passionate not at all lukewarm and you both have much Love and devotion for The Lord.
Christian Love and Blessings Always – Grannie Annie.
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Have a great and Awesome day in the Lord Grannie Annie.
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Hi Keith, I was a bit disappointed that you never engaged with my blogs in response. I was hoping to spark some conversation about it.
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Oh don’t be. I have been swapped with work. I did skim it but need some time to really do a response justice. I have done some more research on your perspective. And even went to another blog of someone else who agrees with that perspective. So I have not been sitting on the sidelines. This race issue too has really picked up steam. I am presenting a paper today on race relations to an all white audience. It is becoming my life’s mission it appears. So I say all that to say I will get back to that. Blessings
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Got you. Thanks for the response. Again, as I state in my piece, it’s not my goal to be antagonistic. The entire point of my blog is to reestablish the Jewishness of Jesus, the theological perspective of the apostles and the validity of the Law for discipleship. I think Satan’s greatest accomplishment was ripping the church away from its roots and creating a false dichotomy between law and grace. And he used well-meaning people to do it.
Anyway, the race issue is outrageous right now. I was thinking of you this past week and wondering how it may be affecting your ministry.
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Since don’t serve a congregation not directly. I serve as a mission executive it effects the some of the 210 congregations i serve. Thanks for thinking and praying for me and them
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Thank you for stopping by!
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You are welcome
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