Christ, the Righteousness of God Revealed!
Posted 02-17-2015 at 09:48 AM by NT Fellowship
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ…
for therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith. (Rom 1:16-17)
Contained in the gospel message is the perfect representation of God’s righteousness: the person of the Lord Jesus Christ! For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell (Col 1:19).
The significance of this understanding cannot be overstated. Unless Jesus Christ is the focus of our faith, we fall miserably short of pleasing God. Unless He is the motivating factor of all that we do, we are only serving ourselves and not God.
The controversy in Christendom throughout the ages revolves around the necessity of the saved person to be obedient to the Law. To neglect this necessity is considered rejection of the righteousness of God.
It is thought that because a Christian is born again, and given a new spirit, he is able to obey “God’s full revelation of righteousness” – which the proponents of the Law say are the 10 Commandments.
These teachers of the Law say that since the Old Testament has come and gone, we no longer have to obey the “sacrificial laws” of killing animals to cover their sins. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross has fulfilled this requirement. But, they add, the Christian is still required to obey what they call the “moral law” – the 10 Commandments, following Christ’s example. Because He fully obeyed the law, they say, He has enabled us to do the same. They teach that all Christians are bound with Christ to the obedience of the Law. The difference between Old and New Testament saints is only that Christ dwells within us by the Holy Spirit.
Are we then truly bound to obey the Mosaic Law? Are the 10 Commandments really God’s full reflection of righteousness? No!
Read what the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write: But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the Law is not of faith: but, the man that doeth them shall live in them (Gal 3:11-12).
Paul also said in another place, But we know that the Law is good, if a man use it lawfully; knowing this, that the Law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient… (1 Tim 1:8-9a)
What was the purpose of the Mosaic law, then? Paul said before faith came, we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith (Gal 3:23).
Now here is the deciding point for the necessity of following the law to obey Christ: But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:25-26)
The requirement of following the Law has changed, making the Old Covenant Law obsolete. We are given a new and living way, which Christ has consecrated for us through His flesh! Now He resides over His Temple (our hearts) as the High Priest, sprinkling our hearts from an evil conscience, and washing our bodies with pure water (Heb 10:19-22).
What then is the law that we must follow? It is the Law of faith and love! (Matt 5-7; Rom 3:27-28)
Therefore we must conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law! Do we make the Law void and of no effect? No! God forbid! Rather, we establish the Law through faith in Christ Jesus who put His Spirit in us to guide us! (Rom 3:31) If we do not have the Law, what must we follow? Our Lord Jesus, of course!
The Holy Spirit resides in us, empowering us to obey Christ’s command to love one another, even as He loved us and gave Himself for us (John 15:12). Christ summarized His Law in two commands: love God wholeheartedly, and love your neighbor. The essence and power of obedience is found in the very act of loving as He loves.
Do you wonder how this could possibly be true? All we must do to please God is to love Him and love our neighbor? Well, have you ever really tried to love as He loves? It is impossible without the working of the Holy Spirit’s refining fire!
The emphasis of Christ and the Apostles is love from a pure heart. This is the new law of faith and love; which Christ gave to replace the Old!
The focus of the Christian is not the Ten Commandments. Our focus is Jesus Christ; the righteousness of God revealed!
If the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious...which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech... (2 Cor 3:7-12)
--Pastor David Lee, NT Fellowship
for therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith. (Rom 1:16-17)
Contained in the gospel message is the perfect representation of God’s righteousness: the person of the Lord Jesus Christ! For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell (Col 1:19).
The significance of this understanding cannot be overstated. Unless Jesus Christ is the focus of our faith, we fall miserably short of pleasing God. Unless He is the motivating factor of all that we do, we are only serving ourselves and not God.
The controversy in Christendom throughout the ages revolves around the necessity of the saved person to be obedient to the Law. To neglect this necessity is considered rejection of the righteousness of God.
It is thought that because a Christian is born again, and given a new spirit, he is able to obey “God’s full revelation of righteousness” – which the proponents of the Law say are the 10 Commandments.
These teachers of the Law say that since the Old Testament has come and gone, we no longer have to obey the “sacrificial laws” of killing animals to cover their sins. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross has fulfilled this requirement. But, they add, the Christian is still required to obey what they call the “moral law” – the 10 Commandments, following Christ’s example. Because He fully obeyed the law, they say, He has enabled us to do the same. They teach that all Christians are bound with Christ to the obedience of the Law. The difference between Old and New Testament saints is only that Christ dwells within us by the Holy Spirit.
Are we then truly bound to obey the Mosaic Law? Are the 10 Commandments really God’s full reflection of righteousness? No!
Read what the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write: But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the Law is not of faith: but, the man that doeth them shall live in them (Gal 3:11-12).
Paul also said in another place, But we know that the Law is good, if a man use it lawfully; knowing this, that the Law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient… (1 Tim 1:8-9a)
What was the purpose of the Mosaic law, then? Paul said before faith came, we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith (Gal 3:23).
Now here is the deciding point for the necessity of following the law to obey Christ: But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Gal 3:25-26)
The requirement of following the Law has changed, making the Old Covenant Law obsolete. We are given a new and living way, which Christ has consecrated for us through His flesh! Now He resides over His Temple (our hearts) as the High Priest, sprinkling our hearts from an evil conscience, and washing our bodies with pure water (Heb 10:19-22).
What then is the law that we must follow? It is the Law of faith and love! (Matt 5-7; Rom 3:27-28)
Therefore we must conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law! Do we make the Law void and of no effect? No! God forbid! Rather, we establish the Law through faith in Christ Jesus who put His Spirit in us to guide us! (Rom 3:31) If we do not have the Law, what must we follow? Our Lord Jesus, of course!
The Holy Spirit resides in us, empowering us to obey Christ’s command to love one another, even as He loved us and gave Himself for us (John 15:12). Christ summarized His Law in two commands: love God wholeheartedly, and love your neighbor. The essence and power of obedience is found in the very act of loving as He loves.
Do you wonder how this could possibly be true? All we must do to please God is to love Him and love our neighbor? Well, have you ever really tried to love as He loves? It is impossible without the working of the Holy Spirit’s refining fire!
The emphasis of Christ and the Apostles is love from a pure heart. This is the new law of faith and love; which Christ gave to replace the Old!
The focus of the Christian is not the Ten Commandments. Our focus is Jesus Christ; the righteousness of God revealed!
If the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious...which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech... (2 Cor 3:7-12)
--Pastor David Lee, NT Fellowship
