Slade wrote: > Sadly, some people will say that the saints in the Older > Testament exercised their faith by keeping the Mosaic > Law while we [the Renewed Covenant saints] exercise > ours by obedience to Christ
I think you have to be careful not to project your approach to the law as being the same way that Torah Observant Jews of the Older Testament approached the law. Paul contrasted the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of faith with the following words: Romans 10:5-10 (5) For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. (6) ** BUT ** the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise ... The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; (9) 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. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. The point is that the Bible teaches two different ways of approaching righteousness. One approach is taught by Moses and the other approach is taught by Jesus Christ. They are not the same thing. Now you might merge them together in your approach, and see a newer covenant concealed within the older covenant, but that does not mean that those who perceive two different approaches are misinterpreting Scripture or are making it up in order to deride the older covenant. As you can see in Romans 10, Paul contrasts Moses and the law with faith in Jesus Christ. John Smithson wrote: > On a good day, we are nothin like > Him, right? Nothing. > ... I am sorry, but if we do thus and so, > how close to Being Like God (Be ye > perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect) > are we? If you are talking about us when we were outside of the covenant of Christ and without the Holy Spirit, then I would agree with your words. However, if you are talking about us when we are inside Christ and he is living through us by the power of the Holy Spirit, then our righteousness is exactly like God's righteousness. There is no difference because it is not OUR righteousness, but HIS righteousness. To say that the righteousness that we manifest is somehow inferior to God's righteousness is to denigrate God's righteousness (if we proclaim that we cannot be righteous apart from God). I have shared the following passage before with you numerous times, but it seems to need to be repeated yet again. 1 John 3:7 (7) Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, EVEN AS HE IS RIGHTEOUS. So for those in Christ Jesus, who have received the power of the Holy Spirit, when they have a good day, are they anything like Him? YES! Of course they are. Peace be with you. David Miller. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
