Quote:
Originally Posted by mfblume
The key to this is not to think avoidance of lawkeeping means we can break laws and sin. It's just the MEANS of accomplishing the same END of righteous living above sin that lawkeeping was purposed to accomplish is fulfilled without lawkeeping. The Spirit in us is leaned upon to empower us to serve God. And the Spirit does not cause one to sin. Hence, the letter to the Galatians contrasts lawkeeping with grace and says there is no law against the fruit of grace. That does not mean we do not count sin as sin if we do commit sin. It simply means the results of Spirit empowerment are nothing the law of God forbids. The results of living by the Spirit is a life that does not commit sin. And it is only so long as one walks after the Spirit. The moment one ceases to do that, sins will occur again in one's life.
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Starting to sound like much of the issue in dispute is one of terminology. By 'law keeping' I understand 'doing that which was commanded'. Thus, if a person honours their mother and father, they are 'keeping' the fifth commandment, because they are actually doing what was commanded.
So when I see 'avoidance of lawkeeping does not mean we can break laws and sin,' it strikes me as contradictory. If law keeping is doing what is commanded, then avoidance of law keeping would be 'not doing what is commanded', which would be the same as 'breaking laws and sinning'.
The law outlined or demonstrated, defined, marked out 'righteousness'. It identified 'sin', as Paul said 'I had not known lust except the law said thou shalt not covet.' Doing what the law of God commanded (actually performing that which was commanded) is 'doing righteousness'. Under the old covenant, however, the law could not CAUSE performance. The law was weak through our self-centered flesh. The cross of Jesus, however, was designed to accomplish what the law could not: righteousness. Not just in the sense of justification, or being pardoned and declared righteous. But also as in
Romans 8 in the sense of actually being manifested or 'worked out' in the daily life of God's people. The Spirit of God takes the cross (death) of Christ and makes it a reality to us, so that through faith we follow after the Spirit and not the flesh, and thus the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us.
I deny that there is a natural or constitutional inability to obey the commandments of God, to do what was commanded, because that would necessarily absolve everyone of guilt. But I also very clearly say that unless the Spirit secures a person's voluntary cooperation with the gospel, that person will, in point of fact, never actually obey God.
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