THE LAWGIVER IS JESUS and we are not free from Law

WE ARE UNDER THE LAW OF JESUS….. 1 Cor 9:21 “……being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ.”

God The Father twice announces. “This is My Son…. to hear HIM. (Mark 9:7) Again the Spirit witnesses in Hebrews 1:1,2 “God, who at sundry times and divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.…”

“….one is your teacher, Christ….” (Matt 23:7,8)

“The law and the prophets were until John…. (Here Christ gives the time of the critical distinction and to whom a Christian is to follow) ….since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” (Luke 16:16) The Old Covenant was presented through Moses. “For the law was given by Moses, (in the OC) but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (in the NC).” (John 1:17)

And as it relates to this truth…. A kingdom coming that every man must press to enter: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” (Matthew 11:12-13) The Son prayed and the Father sent another Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to indwell a Believer in Jesus Christ. “If I go I will send Him unto you: and He shall guide you into all the truth: for He shall not speak from Himself for He shall take of Mine, and shall declare it unto you.” (John 16:7)
That indwelling “Grace”, the gift of the power of the Holy Spirit into our spirit, being the Divine influence on our character, THE VIOLENCE BY WHICH THE VIOLENT TAKE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVENS. That is the purging of the carnal soul/flesh through our conscience as we yield to the truth. What is truth? Truth is the full revealed meaning of the law of Moses and prophets as it relates to God’s entire salvation plan.

The sermon on the mount is the Christians’ Decalogue

It is the expounding and filling with fullness of meaning the Laws given through Moses. He refers to the Law and then expounds and thereby makes the Law uniquely His own. Thus relegating the Laws of Moses to an inferior position.
NOT doing away with the significance, that is to say: its worth in instruction, typing and shadowing or prophetic meaning, or historical value, or its vital purpose in leading unto Jesus Christ. But to confuse the two is to be in danger of falling from Grace. (Galatians 3) Examples and warnings are plentiful. “How turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments? Ye observe days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid of you.” (Galatians 4:9)
Now later, the Epistles are given by the Spirit unto the Apostles and Disciples. This is that “…..He shall take of Mine, and shall declare it unto you.” The Epistles are expanding Christ’s Words in the Gospels where Christ had already (1) instituted the NC rites of Baptism and Communion (2) ordained the ministry “…go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand…” (3) declared “the Body understanding” John 17:21-23, (4) introduced and outlined its future mysteries (Matt 13), (5) laid down legislation for it (Matthew 18:14-20) (6) foretells its apostasy (Matthew 13:33, 5:13, 24:12) (7) on the mount of Olives, lays out the End Times and Judgments (Matt 24:3-26:1)
Look how The Holy Spirit by the Epistles further explains and applies the Laws of Christ from His discourse or Sermon on the Mount, where He (1) prohibits oaths (James 5:12), (2) commands a non-resistance in 1Corinthians 6:7 to fellow believers as well as other God appointed authorities (Rom 13:2), (3) commands love towards enemies (Romans 12:20,21), and fasting (2Corinthians 6:5), (4) the danger of unforgiveness (James 2:13), the extreme danger of wealth (1Timothy 6:17, James 5:1), and His command for Christians to seek the Kingdom of heavens (Heb 3:1; 1Thess 2:12 RV). “As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”

THE TWO RIGHTEOUSNESS(ES) OR THE TWO SANCTIFICATIONS OR THE TWO HOLINESS(ES)

“For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Romans 10:4) This Scripture of Romans chapter 10 speaks again to that Paul laid out in Romans chapters 3 & 4… to justification in the righteousness of Christ through faith.

God called Abraham, and he believed. (Genesis 15:6) God proved Abraham, and he endured. (Genesis 22:16-18) The two justifications were then complete. For his justification by faith, Paul points to the moment of his regeneration. “…he believed in the Lord; and he accounted it to him for righteousness.” For his justification by works, James points to his final act of accomplished obedience “….because thou hast obeyed my voice.” Both justifications are demanded from every human soul.  First, justification by blood, then justification by obedience; first, justification by faith, then justification by works; first, justification for the gift of eternal life, then justification for the PRIZE, a participant in the 1st Resurrection and a part in His Millennial Kingdom.

For blessed is “the man unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works” (Rom. 4: 6, Eph 2:8): but the greater blessing is “the man that endureth temptation [testing]; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive THE CROWN OF LIFE [“more abundant”] (James 1: 12; Phil 3:14)

PART 2

The Jew looks for the rise of Israel and the advancement of the Nation and the restoration of the Aaronic priesthood with temple ritual. Israel’s destiny of preeminence in the earth is sure. The restoration of the Temple is also sure. BUT IT APPEARS SOME CHRISTIANS ARE CONFUSED, ENAMORED WITH THE MESSIANIC MOVEMENT AND HEBRAIC ROOTS TEACHING…they have, in many cases, put the emphasis on the wrong Law-giver, and confuse the Covenants to their own harm.
But significantly, it is not the order of Aaron that will serve as priest but another order, that order of Christ. That order typed in Melchizedek. (Hebrews 7:14 and 5:10) Christ was of the Tribe of Judah, not Levi, and shall reign over the earth from His first heaven’s throne. On earth, David resurrected, will reign as Christ’s priest over Ezekiel’s Temple. Israel is without sacrifice and without ephod. (Hosea 3:4) Christ came not in the order of Aaron, as that order was superseded by that of Melchizedek (the lesser being blessed by the greater as seen in Hebrews).

The importance is found in understanding that the old order is removed, never to return. Those who wait and prepare for that old order’s restoration, do it in vain.
For our High Priest is without beginning nor ending: “…having neither beginning of days nor end of life.”  As neither birthday nor death-day is recorded of Melchizedek, so our Lord was not born in the order of Aaron to the priesthood, for He was never born, and thus required no genealogy; and His priesthood is not forfeited by death, for He is eternally alive, never dies; birth and death, to Him, were but incidents in an eternal existence.  Behind His birth lies the eternal existence in the Godhead: beyond His resurrection lies the eternity of His glorified Priesthood – “a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”  The Order of Aaron stopped with the presence of Melchizedek’s anti-type, and the order of Melchizedek stopped with the Eternal High Priest Jesus Christ.  As in the type; Christ is without successor and without predecessor, “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110)

“He, because He abideth for ever, hath a priesthood that doth not pass to another” (Hebrews 7:24) There is a correlation between today’s “wannabes” that presume to stand in His stead or encroach upon His authority only, as did Korah, Dathan and Abiram of old.
We speak of those who through false doctrine presume a power in priesthood that only they may administer the Blood and Body of Christ in a true remembrance and re-union of Him. A grave error for them and their constituent followers…who presume a power not theirs “And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up…. They….went down into the pit… and they perished from among the congregation.” (Numbers 16:31-33)
There is also another group of Christians who have aligned themselves with a “priesthood” that take a condescending position in a so called superior “sacrifice” (that of observing, as a Christian, the Laws of Moses) than that appointed by God in Christ. (Actually in many cases a sincere attempt to guard the Holiness of God in accountability for a Believer, to offset the licentious behavior that was afforded in the “cheap grace” message. This is not a new development as this was the case of many Jewish converts of the Apostles’ days.)
When pressed, this sin not too dissimilar than that of Korah, although Korah’s was a presumption in who was qualified to be a priest, although qualified in Christ as priests, their grave sin is what is qualified to be a sacrifice/offering. It is in the one case: joining an unauthorized priest to an authorized sacrifice, and in the other: an authorized priest to an unauthorized sacrifice/offering. That is to say a joining of the Mosaic Law with the Blood Atonement of Jesus Christ.
They, on the one hand, recognize the Atonement efficacy of the Blood of Christ, as it relates to regeneration, but have little understanding of the Greater Divine influence of the gift of the power of the Holy Spirit in the Atonement and how to walk in its sanctifying power, and its greater accountability in the “(….being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ)” [1Cor 9:21] relying on keeping the Mosaic Law as the definition of sin, and as it answers to continued communion in His favor. In effect, they presume another “sacrifice” other than Christ, outside Christ.

The loss of true understanding comes through the leaven of false teaching. Truly we are sorrowful in warning as was Moses… “Depart, I pray you from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.”
The sin is a contrary message to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, any reliance upon the Law of Moses is a left handed denial of the power of The Holy Spirit, exclusive in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Our offerings are of a spiritual nature when we understand spiritual things, then these offerings of a spiritual kind affect our nature. The first few chapters of the first book of Peter (read in this mind-set) may shed light on the required holy dynamic. 1 Peter 1:2… “Elect (heavenly called) according to the foreknowledge of God the father, through SANCTIFICATION (HOLY-ing) of spirit, unto (into) obedience and sprinkling of blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you…” This is an entirely different means of HOLY-ing/sanctifying than the Covenant of Moses.
That Covenant of MOSES’ RIGHTEOUSNESS HAS TO DO WITH CONFORMITY WITH THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD…. Conversely, HOLINESS HAS TO DO WITH GROWING CLOSENESS IN HIS CHARACTER…. Righteousness has to do with right standing with God…. Holiness has to do with a close proximity to God. Righteousness has to do with keeping the Law PLUS SOMETHING ELSE BECAUSE…. “…. no man is justified by the law in the sight of God”, because the Law does not justify for any reason save obedience. Neither sorrow or repentance is recognized by the Law, and since all break the Law, none may be justified or declared righteous by the Law. “…for, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” Justification has to do with faith.

The means cannot be conjoined as one method into obedient holiness depended upon inferior earthly means for accomplishment and the other method of holiness depends upon a spiritual means for accomplishment. 1 Peter 1:3-9 “……abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.…”
This resurrection of Christ is the basis of our faith to walk in the “newness of life” in a inheritance incorruptible, free from the struggle against OUR OWN corruptible flesh, the cause of our heaviness and much sufferings through many temptations and trials. It is our active resistance against unholiness, in faith, in His Resurrection power, that is being tested in the refiner’s fire that it might be found at His Return worthy of His praise and glory in the salvation of your souls. IT IS THIS SPIRITUAL DYNAMIC OUTSIDE THE LAW THAT WAS IN VIEW.
Vs 10-16…“Of which salvation (the salvation of the soul) the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace (a different more powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit unto holiness that could not accompany the Law of Moses) that should come unto you…….. with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven…….. and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of living; Because it is written , BE YE HOLY; FOR I AM HOLY.”

THE COMMANDMENT IS THE SAME IN BOTH NC AND OC…. BE YE HOLY… IT IS ONLY THE MEANS THAT HAS CHANGED. THERE IS NO FREEDOM FROM LAW AND SACRIFICE. IT IS THE LAW OF CHRIST THAT WE MUST ALIGN OURSELVES WITH THAT WE MIGHT OBTAIN THE POWER INTO OBEDIENT HOLINESS.

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