ECT what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God
- Thread starter Jacob
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As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.
If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, Handle not, nor taste, nor touch (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh. (*Colossians *2:*6-7, 16-17, 20-23 ASV)
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.
If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, Handle not, nor taste, nor touch (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh. (*Colossians *2:*6-7, 16-17, 20-23 ASV)
Unt,
Here is the guide for victory:
1. Present our bodies as living sacrafices
2 Let not the sun go down on our wrath
3. Confess our sin every night
4. Wake up and recognize the war wages on against us
5. In love use the spiritual gifts at our disposal to help one another walk in the spirit.
6. Allow others to curse us by forgiving by suffering willingly
7. Repeat steps 2 - 6
This is how we overcome the sin nature and become slaves of righteousness. If we try to live sanctified lives by rules to be placed on ourselves, our flesh will take the opportunity to excercise itself.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. I can never be in the flesh again because of my newborn regenerated spirit. But my flesh continues to strive for the control of my will. Since the law of Moses was aimed at the flesh, attempting sanctification by the works of that law will not succeed it cannot please our Father.
But faith can. Even a mustard seed of faith can.
Faith in what?
Faith in Him who is able to keep us from stumbling and present us a pure and spotless and perfect believer to the Father.
If you live by law to earn sanctification you have fallen from grace. You no longer operate in the realm of faith (in grace sanctification) but now have re subjected yourself to the curse of the law.
Here is the guide for victory:
1. Present our bodies as living sacrafices
2 Let not the sun go down on our wrath
3. Confess our sin every night
4. Wake up and recognize the war wages on against us
5. In love use the spiritual gifts at our disposal to help one another walk in the spirit.
6. Allow others to curse us by forgiving by suffering willingly
7. Repeat steps 2 - 6
This is how we overcome the sin nature and become slaves of righteousness. If we try to live sanctified lives by rules to be placed on ourselves, our flesh will take the opportunity to excercise itself.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. I can never be in the flesh again because of my newborn regenerated spirit. But my flesh continues to strive for the control of my will. Since the law of Moses was aimed at the flesh, attempting sanctification by the works of that law will not succeed it cannot please our Father.
But faith can. Even a mustard seed of faith can.
Faith in what?
Faith in Him who is able to keep us from stumbling and present us a pure and spotless and perfect believer to the Father.
If you live by law to earn sanctification you have fallen from grace. You no longer operate in the realm of faith (in grace sanctification) but now have re subjected yourself to the curse of the law.
My understanding is that the Law of Moses or keeping kosher is not what was involved here, because the Law came to us by God. It is not man's precepts or doctrines.
Each of us should live our lives unto God, and not live after our own carnal desires. Our desires will become what God wants for us if we surrender or submit to Him with all that we are. God has put the desire for good within us. It says He has set eternity in their hearts that they would seek after Him.
So I'm not into talking about a renewed or new human spirit. Rather our spirit is informed by the Spirit of God when we choose to live the way God wants us to rather than the way of the world, the flesh, or the devil.
The Law of Moses is good and righteous. The problem is what the law had to work with - the sin nature. The reason the law made nothing perfect is because the flesh uses the law as a base of operation. Unless one thinks that the flesh can be of any virtue then the law was a waste of time as a means of maturing the saved Israelite or sanctifying him. It could not do that in that it was weak thru the flesh.
If my friends choose to keep Passover and other neutral laws they are free to do so and there is nothing wrong with it. However the moment that they make keeping these laws mandatory or if they claim to be sanctified by keeping kosher or keeping torah they are guilty of legalism and are failing to live the life of faith.
The law worked like this - Do this and you shall be blessed
Grace works like this - You have been blessed therefore do
This sounds true but has error that needs correction.
UNT SAID: Our desires will become what God wants for us if we surrender or submit to Him with all that we are. God has put the desire for good within us.
IN2: our desire? Who's the our? Is it that which is born of God and does not sin? Or our old man the flesh that was crucified and circumcised and put to death?
The "our" and thus it's desire is the new man the inner man the new nature that which is born of God - it already came with that desire for righteous harmony with God - it cannot have any other desire but perfect righteous unity in Christ period.
So who are you Unt? Are you a new creation in Christ the Lord? Perfected forever by one offering? That shall not come into condemnation? Or are you the flesh that is dead and buried? Because "you" cannot be both my friend.
It's not that it was a waste of time (God does not command time wasters), it is that it is impossible to be saved by the Law. Sanctification is by the blood of Jesus, or the working of the Holy Spirit, or salvation and sanctification are by faith even as being born again is a work of God.
We were told in scripture that we need to crucify our passions. I believe this means our worldly desires have to go.
I am a new creature. And I do keep God's commands.
1 Corinthians 7:19 NASB - Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
Galatians 5:6 NASB - For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
Galatians 6:15 NASB - For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
I am dead to sin. I have been crucified with Christ.
Romans 6:11 NASB - Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 2:20 NASB - "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
And here is the talk about passions, which I believe is evil desires.
Romans 7:5 NASB - For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.
Galatians 5:24 NASB - Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Here is the verse that I believe talks about our desires becoming God's desires for us.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NASB - He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
Here are some more verses about desire, upon closer inspection of my last (just prior here) claim.
Galatians 5:16 NASB - But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Galatians 5:17 NASB - For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
These last two verses are good. Remember also desire in 1 Corinthians 12, 14.
And some more on desire:
Colossians 3:5 NASB - Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
2 Timothy 3:12 NASB - Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Hebrews 11:16 NASB - But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
1 Peter 4:3 NASB - For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.
I'm not sure what you mean by "biblical operational definition".
But I know that Biblically a new creature would be a person who is born again. Another term would be new creation. This term is still talking about a person though. It is the new life we have in Christ. If you are saved, you are completely different now.
Gather together every passage of scripture that speaks to the new man and new creation and make a book report on them.
?
Just read them in the Bible.
You are not the new man. Ephesians 2:15 NASB - by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
There is one verse that talks about "a new creation". Galatians 6:15 NASB - For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Read them in context.
Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth. (*2 Timothy *2:*15 ASV)
It is not enough to merely read them in the bible. To be a disciple is to labor in sound doctrine and teaching.
For example every time Paul uses the words "in Christ" Paul is using this phrase "in Christ" as a theological defining term to build the doctrine of positional truth which defines for us exactly what the meaning of the new creation is.
I read them intojoy. I still don't know why you wanted me to make a report of them.
And if you are a new creation you cannot sin. Only sin dwelling in your old creation can commit acts of sin. Therefore Unt when you keep the Law you are giving your old sin nature its opportunity to fail by breaking laws from time to time. Thus your keeping of the law is not being done by your new creation because it can never sin.
If you are a new creation you don't "have an old creation".
Obeying God's commands is not giving myself opportunity to break God's commands. I don't understand what you want to say or what you are saying.
We have already been over this and I agreed with you. Sanctification is by the blood of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit.
God in His wisdom has allowed each believer our dual capacity.
The old sin capacity that we are told is dead and cannot produce righteousness.
And our new capacity (new creation) that can serve God with righteousness.
Not your righteousness but serve God with the very righteousness of Allmighty God, God's righteousness. You don't see this?
You have no righteousness that was not given you. And if you attempt to produce righteousness thru obedience to the law you have disregarded the imputation of what was required to serve to begin with - the righteousness of Messiah.
The old sin capacity that we are told is dead and cannot produce righteousness.
And our new capacity (new creation) that can serve God with righteousness.
Not your righteousness but serve God with the very righteousness of Allmighty God, God's righteousness. You don't see this?
You have no righteousness that was not given you. And if you attempt to produce righteousness thru obedience to the law you have disregarded the imputation of what was required to serve to begin with - the righteousness of Messiah.