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Originally Posted by mfblume
The Bible teaches law came to prove man cannot make it without divine empowerment.
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There is no verse which says or even hints at such a thing. The law was a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, and it was added o the Abrahamic Covenant 'because of transgressions'. Nothing in the Bible says 'the law was given to prove man cannot make it without divine empowerment'.
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No one can keep law with natural ability.
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See my post above for the refutation of this claim.
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And I means consistently. That's the key.
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Where does the Bible speak about 'keeping the law consistently' as being what cannot be done? These statements are made from a paradigm that is unrecognised by the Bible. It is common Protestant/Evangelical theology, it is very popular, but it is wholly unbiblical and should be re-examined in light of scripture.
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That's why we read offending in one point ruins it all.
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No, that is not. The Bible does NOT teach 'if you offend in one point you ruin it all because nobody can keep the law consistently'. That statement doesn't even make any sense, actually.
The Bible DOES teach that if you offend against one commandment you are a law breaker, you have offended against the law, you are just as guilty as if you had broken some other or a multitude of other commandments. And this is common sense and plain to be seen. For some reason, people can see clearly many subjects. But when it comes to religion, all of a sudden they get into a fog and everything gets all twisted and confused.
If you do not rob banks, but you kidnap people, you are a criminal, a felon. One cannot pick and choose which laws they will obey and then say 'see, I am law abiding.' Either you obey the law, or you don't, regardless of which commandment (statute) you violate. If you don't kidnap people, but yet you rob banks, you are still guilty, in fact you are guilty of 'the whole law' meaning you are not excused, you are in rebellion against the entire system of law and the against the lawgiver. As applied to scripture, this should be plain to see: the same God who said 'do not steal' also said 'do not commit adultery'. So if you abstain from stealing, yet you commit adultery, you are not excused, you are a criminal, a transgressor of the law, a transgressor against the one and same Lawgiver. The law, as an entire system of legislation, stands against you and condemns you.
There is nothing in there about 'obeying consistently', whatever that means.
Again, I challenge anyone to point to any commandment of God that CANNOT BE OBEYED.
Further, think about this: if you can go one moment without violating ANY of God's commandments, you can go two moments. If you can go any one moment without violating God's commandments, you can go any other moment, or all of them altogether.
The question is not 'can you', the question is 'WILL you'...
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When Paul wrote Galatians 3 her said those who keep law are under a curse because law said we live by doing all that the law said. That implies no one can faithfully keep it.
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Nonsense. First of all, Paul said no such thing. He did NOT say 'those who keep law are under a curse'. If that's true then Paul and Jesus were under a curse. Here is what he actually said:
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 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.
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Galatians 3:10-12 KJV)
He is not talking about people who obey God, he is not talking people who 'keep the law of God'. He is talking about those who seek to BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW. Those who seek to be justified by the law are under a curse, because 'cursed is everyone who continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them'. And the fact is, NOBODY CAN SAY THEY HAVE KEPT THE LAW OF GOD IN ALL THINGS WITHOUT FAIL in such a way as to BE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD. This is Christianity 101, this is so basic it is amazing people get confused about this. Paul's doctrine is clear, it's all through his writings - justification does not come via the law, but via faith.
The law's declarations say nothing to suggest 'no one can faithfully keep it'. Again, there is not one verse that says such a thing. Imagine, God says 'here is my law, you shall keep it on pain of death. Guess what, by the way, you cannot keep it. Prepare to die.' What is this?
Ridiculousness, is what it is.
The law itself declared 'the just shall live by faith', meaning that the RIGHTEOUS shall LIVE (have life, eternal life, covenanted life with God) BY FAITH. The law itself declared 'there is none righteous, no not one' and Paul reminds us that 'whatsoever the law says, it says to those who are under the law'. This means the law itself condemns everyone under the law. It has nothing whatsoever to do with anyone's 'natural inability to obey the law of God'. It has everything to do with justification and being declared righteous.
Again, the fact is, everyone has sinned. Everyone has transgressed the law of God. Everyone OUGHT to not have sinned, but they did anyway. This requires the ability to obey, otherwise there is no 'ought' involved. And this is why sin is punished, this is why God hates sin, this is why sin and sinners are odious in God's sight - they CHOOSE TO DISOBEY GOD. And nobody can claim they have never chosen to disobey God. At least not honestly.
And that is why justification is not and CANNOT POSSIBLY be 'by the law'. The code of legislation you and I have broken cannot possibly be the basis upon which we are found 'not guilty' in court! Therefore, there can only be two ways to be justified - either the law is abrogated, and there is no such thing as sin anymore because the law has been repealed, and the government has been abdicated...
OR the King issues a pardon.
The Bible teaches that God issues us a pardon, and this is how we are justified. It is by GRACE through FAITH. It is not by 'the deeds of the law'. If you are judged by your deeds, you will be found guilty. You have to be judged by whether or not you have been given a pardon.
Now, suppose you have been given a pardon. Who in their right mind would ever suppose a pardon is a license to break more laws, and continue a criminal lifestyle? Who in their right mind would ever suppose that the Governor's pardon is a declaration the individual is 'not subject to the laws and is not to be detained' for any of their actions?
Only in religion do people lose their right minds, it seems... Well, that and politics.