Radio Broadcast Monday 10/17/2022

Classic Christianity – A Closer Look at Law & Grace P13 (10-17-22)

How Am I Going to Be Righteous in The Sight of God? Only Through Faith in Jesus.

~ “We know that whatever the law says, and all of course, all of this teaching in this particular lesson is what is the purpose of the law? In other words, why did God give us the law? Well, it says, Well, you know, that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world held accountable to God. So if you want to be under the law, you’re going to have to be accountable to God, not to one another, but accountable to God, and what the accountability to God is, have you violated the least of these my commandments in your entire lifetime? Because if you have, you’d better hope you’re not under the law, because the wages of sin is death. And it says, later on, you’re under a curse. But he’s saying this, folks, to those of you who are under the law, you’ve been taught under the law, you’re under legalism. You think that your righteousness before God is predicated upon your obedience, instead of his obedience. And so you’re gonna have to come to grips with that as to what God says, we know what man has been saying, we know that that’s religion. But have you heard what God has to say about this? And he says that the purpose of the law is to silence your mouth, and to make you accountable to God under the law. Therefore, now look at this, verse 20, no one that includes you, the most law abiding citizen on the face of the earth, no one will be declared righteous in His sight, by observing the law, in man’s sight? yes, in His sight, no. Rather it says, it is through the law, that we become conscious of sin. Well, how in the world, then am I going to be declared righteous in the sight of God? Because how can an unrighteous person go into the presence of a righteous God? Well, he’s going to tell us verse 21, but now, a righteousness from God, apart from the law has been made known to which the law and the prophets testify. And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. there is no difference. Whether you’re a Hebrew or Gentile, All have sinned, all of you have fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.”

Listen in to today’s lesson with more in-depth teaching, from the Bible study booklet, A Closer Look at Law & Grace, available for purchase from our online Bob George Ministries ecommerce store.

Jesus asked how does God love and accept us? And how does he expect us to live the Christian life? To answer those questions, this insightful study explores a vital issue at the heart of the Christian experience, the biblical relationship between law and grace, understanding their role in our relationship to God will bring joy, freedom and spontaneity to your Christian life. Now, let’s take A Closer Look at Law & Grace.

Bob George 0:39
Last week, we did a very extensive review, as we were working through Romans three where we’re trying to get into the passage before we left off in Romans seven, but it’s hard to get there if you don’t understand what’s in the first six chapters. So once again, in chapter three, beginning in verse 19, it says, We know that whatever the law says, and all of course, all of this teaching in this particular lesson is what is the purpose of the law? In other words, why did God give us the law? Well, it says, Well, you know, that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world held accountable to God. So if you want to be under the law, you’re going to have to be accountable to God, not to one another, but accountable to God, and what the accountability to God is, have you violated the least of these my commandments in your entire lifetime? Because if you have, you’d better hope you’re not under the law, because the wages of sin is death. And it says, later on, you’re under a curse. But he’s saying this, folks, to those of you who are under the law, you’ve been taught under the law, you’re under legalism. You think that your righteousness before God is predicated upon your obedience, instead of his obedience. And so you’re gonna have to come to grips with that as to what God says, we know what man has been saying, we know that that’s religion. But have you heard what God has to say about this? And he says that the purpose of the law is to silence your mouth, and to make you accountable to God under the law. Therefore, now look at this, verse 20, no one that includes you, the most law abiding citizen on the face of the earth, no one will be declared righteous in His sight, by observing the law, in man’s sight? yes, in His sight, no. Rather it says, it is through the law, that we become conscious of sin. Well, how in the world, then am I going to be declared righteous in the sight of God? Because how can an unrighteous person go into the presence of a righteous God? Well, he’s going to tell us verse 21, but now, a righteousness from God, apart from the law has been made known to which the law and the prophets testify. And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. there is no difference. Whether you’re a Hebrew or Gentile, All have sinned, all of you have fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.

Now, folks, as we’re dealing with this, that no one will become acceptable in the sight of God to obedience to the law, the law was given. It says, to make you conscious of your sin, so that you would turn to the one, the Righteous One, the One Only one who ever was righteous, and that’s Christ Jesus, and through your acceptance of him, your your understanding of your own spiritual need, that I cannot produce righteousness, I am born into this world, unrighteous, and I need the righteousness of God. And I can’t get that through obedience to the law because I can’t obey the law. And so I must receive that righteousness. It’s what’s called imputed righteousness, to receive that righteousness from God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe. Now, Paul is now going to go into chapter four. And explain that, again out of the Old Testament scriptures as it related to Abraham. It says, Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Verse four, now, when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but an obligation. If you go to work for somebody and work for a month, and you’re ready for your paycheck. The boss doesn’t come and say, Here’s your gift. It’s not a gift you earned that you work for it. It’s an obligation. However, verse five, to the man who does not work, but trusts God who justifies the wicked, who’s that folks? that’s you and me, that’s even you and me as law abiding people called wicked, All have sinned all have fallen short of the glory of God. It says that our own righteousness is as filthy rags. And folks, that is a very descriptive terminology, that you ought to look up some time to get the true meaning of it. All of us He justifies the wicked see, we don’t see ourselves as wicked. We think we’re good people. And and especially if we’re religious, we think we’re good people. God says, no, no, your hearts are wicked and deceitful above all things, and who can know them, but I’ll justify you by faith in my Son. And so that’s how our hearts get changed. That’s how our hearts get molded, softened, is when we receive his heart into into our own lives, his mind, into our own lives. Now, his faith in Jesus Christ, it says, is credited as righteousness. It says David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man whom God credits righteousness, apart from works. And he quotes the Psalms 32 That bless it are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him. Is this blessedness? only for the circumcised or also for the uncircumcised? In other words, is this blessedness for the Hebrew? Or is it also for the Gentile? That goes ahead to say, we have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised or before? It was not after but before, and Abraham didn’t even have the law.

And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. It’s the same thing folks that we’re dealing with here today, no outward sign brings about something, it was a seal a sign as to what had already been brought about. Baptism, as an example does not bring about salvation. It can be a picture or a sign of what has taken place as a result of your salvation. But it cannot bring about any more than circumcision could bring about your righteousness. Abraham’s faith was credited him as righteousness. After that, he gave him this the act of circumcision as a seal of that righteousness. In other words, it’s an outward proof that he had been declared righteous in the sight of God, by faith and faith alone. Well, it says, Then is he the Father of all who believe, but have not been circumcised in order that the righteousness might be credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcise, who not only are circumcised, but who also walked in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. It was not through the law, that God and his offspring received the promise that he would be the heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes through faith, for if those who live by the law are heirs. In other words, if the way you’re going to be an heir and a joint air with God, in other words, the recipient of God’s blessing, if those who live under the law are the recipients of that, then faith has no value, and the promise is worthless. Because law brings wrath, and where there is no law, there is no transgression. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all of Abraham’s offspring, who are Abraham’s offspring, those who are born Hebrews, Gentiles, no, those who have come to God, by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, who have received the righteousness from God. That did not come from what we were doing, but came through what he was doing.

We’re gonna go for a moment now to chapter five, verse 12, therefore, just as sin entered through in the world through one man that was Adam, and death through that sin, and in this way, death came to all men because all have sinned. For before the law was given sin was in the world, but sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned, from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, that’s when the law was given, even over those who do not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was the pattern of the one to come. But it says the gift that’s Christ is not like the trespass, for if the many died by the trespass of the one man and that’s Adam. How much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man Christ Jesus overflowed to the many. Again the gift of God is not like the result of one man’s sin. Judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation. But the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if by the trespass of one man death reigned for that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace, and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Christ Jesus? Folks, righteousness is a gift from God. It is imputed by God. It is something that we do not have and cannot earn, we can only receive.

Now, it goes ahead, then to say that the law was added, we’re dealing now with the purpose of the law, the law was added, so that the trespass might increase. But were sinned increased, Grace increased all the more, so that just as Sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness, to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So folks, the law was added, in order to show you and to make you conscious of sin, the law was added, so that that sin might increase. So that when that sin increases, you can see your need for the grace of God that is bigger than all of your sin. And therefore being freed from the bondage of Death, The wages of sin, being death, and be freed from that by the gift of God, which is eternal life and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now, let’s pick up in Romans seven, and we’re going to pick up on the on the page, and I think, in our workbook, we’re picking up on Roman seven page 22. And we’re gonna we’re gonna get into that in just a moment picking up in chapter 11, verse seven. But before I’d like to read up to that, do you not know, brothers that for I’m speaking to men who know the law, that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? Now he’s gonna give an example, out of the Hebrew law. The law has authority over a man only as long as he lives. And for example, by law, a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he’s alive. But if her husband dies, she’s released from the law marriage. So then if she marries another man, while her husband is still alive, she’s called an adulterous. But if her husband dies, she’s released from that law and is not an adulterous, even though she marries another man. So if you don’t want to be called an adulterous, why don’t divorce your husband kill him. Not really. Well, you know, this is Hebrew law. And that’s, that’s what the law was. So So in other words, under that law, and think about that for a minute, you’re married to someone, and you’re married to them until death, okay. But if the person dies, you’re released from that. Now, so my brother’s he’s given a wonderful illustration there. So my brothers you also died to the law through the body of Christ. In other words, you were married to the law, Paul said it was through the law that I died to the law.

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Bob George 13:53
So you and I were born into this world under the righteous demands of the law, not for the purpose that I can sit there and obey them and declared righteous in His sight by observing them. But rather to see that this law that I’m attached to joined to whether I, whether I like it or not, I’m joined to it that I am under that law, and I am dead. Under that law. I don’t realize that. We’ve just talked about that. In one of the other programs, I didn’t know I was dead spiritually. I knew what the law was, but no one ever told me the wages sin was death. And no one for sure ever told me because no one ever told me that just violating the least of these what was it. So I always kind of thought maybe God graded on the curve, and if I did more good than bad I’d be okay. But literally what literally happened is I just didn’t want to think about exactly. Now it says you my brother’s died to the law through the body of Christ. In other words, when If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live yet not I, but Christ lives in me, I’m crucified with him. So through my identification with the crucified Christ, I died to what killed me the law. Now what, look what it says. So you, my brothers also died to the law, through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to him, who was raised from the dead in order that we might bear fruit to God. So just like the legal illustration that he gave, if you’re married, you’re bound to your husband, as long as he’s alive. But when he dies, you’re free to marry another. You were married to the law, you died. When you died, you died to the law. It was through the law that I died to the law, leave the law where it belongs, it’s done its work. It shows you your death, in order that you might be married to another belong to another, who was raised from the dead, that’s Christ Jesus, in order that we might bear fruit, to God. Now folks that annihilates this theology, that when you’re in Christ, he helps you to obey the law. He is not helping you to obey the law, the law kills, but the Spirit gives life. He is here to lead you internally by His Spirit. He’s here to live his life in and through you. He’s not here to help you stay in Texas gotta help everybody that help you to obey the law. He’s here to teach you how to walk in the newness of life. indwelt by His Holy Spirit of God, leading you into truth, teaching you truth, that will set you free. So my brothers, you died to the law. Now, folks, you hear a lot of conversation about dying to self, don’t you. And what that means is, I’ve got to died, all of my, all of my emotions, and I have to die to all of my desires, and I have to die. And so we’re waking up in the morning trying to go hide yourself. And folks, you any of you have tried that realize, you can’t do that, that’s That’s like trying to commit suicide die to self, you die to the law. The law is what demands self to behave. The law is what demands the self to either listen to the flesh, that says, do evil, or listen to the place that says do good in the energy of the flesh. Both of those are evil. But that’s what the law demands flesh to do, what it is impossible to do, and therefore keep you under fear and guilt, so that you will never be able to walk in the newness of life, and belong to another, the one who was raised from the dead. If God’s goal for you and me is for us to be able to walk in a newness of life, led by the Spirit of God, no longer under the law. Guess what Satan’s desire is to keep you under the law so that you will never ever experience walking in the newness of life. And that’s why we become practical atheists. What is an atheist? One who believes there is no God, what’s a practical atheist, one who does believe there’s a God, but he doesn’t have any bearing in their life. And so I just live as if I’m the only resource to any thing that I need to get done. I can’t trust God, I don’t even know about his power. So I all I can do is trust me. Well, that’s what an atheist does. The only difference between the two is I call myself a Christian, but I live like an atheist. And so we have died to this law, folks. Because you’re never going to be able to walk in the newness of life belonging to another when you’re hanging on to the law. You have to die to the law, in order to come alive to Christ Jesus, so that you may bear fruit, the God not bear fruit demand, but bear fruit to God, the kind of fruit that He alone can produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, long suffering against these things. It says, There is no one law.

When we were controlled by our flesh, or by our old sinful nature, the sinful passions that were aroused by the law, were at work in our body so we bore fruit of death. But now by dying to once what to what once bound us, that’s the law. We have been released from the law so that we serve in a new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. Now, folks, when we’re talking here about these things people will always say about the law. Well, he certainly couldn’t be talking about the 10 commandments. In other words, that must be all the dietary laws and all of those laws that we’re talking about, because no one could ever say to die to the 10 commandments. Well, folks, when he’s talking about the law, he’s not talking about the ceremonial laws, and then the 10 commandment laws. He’s talking about everything it was given from Mount Sinai, and he says, You don’t go to Mount Sinai at all. You go to Calvary, you don’t go back to visit the mountain, you go to the empty tomb, the 10 commandments, anything wrong with it. We’ve talked about that Is the law sin, it’s going to talk no it’s sin. And he’s going to deal with that now. Certainly not i Indeed, I would have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was, if the law hadn’t said, Don’t covet. But sin seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment. In other words, you’ve got the law there. But then we all of a sudden realized that law is a commandment. It’s not just a law. It’s a commandment. It’s a commandment to you don’t do that. So it’s nice to say, Thou shalt not covet and say we I’m See, we’re coveting is not real good. But then you realize, wait a minute, that’s a command. That’s not just a law. That’s a command to me. And I’m coveting. So what does that command do? Well, it’s gonna tell us since seizing the opportunity afforded by that commandment, not just the law, but commandment of the law, produced in me every kind of covenant desire. Well, how come?

We’re getting into some passages there that if you do not do what we have been doing for the last couple of weeks, and that is putting them in context, they’re they’re very difficult to, I believe, to understand. It goes back to what we were saying in chapter seven here, that we have to die to want to what once bound us, we’ve been released from the law, folks, if you don’t come to grips with that, none of this is going to make any sense to you. You see, you can’t serve two masters, you can’t serve the risen Christ and the law at the same time, because you’re serving one thing that produces death, and another produces life. So which one are you going to serve and if I start serving the other, I’m dead. When I serve the other, I’m alive. You can’t serve two masters. That’s what quite frankly, this scripture talking about that a double minded man is unstable in all ways. That is a man who has got one foot in the law and one foot in the grace of God. It is the condition of the Galatians, the Galatian ism, you foolish, idiotic Galatians, who has hypnotized you cast an evil spell upon you? And he asked them the question, Did you receive the Spirit of God by obedience to the law, or by believing what you heard? And after beginning by faith, by believing in what you heard, why are you now trying to perfect yourself a human effort? What was that a person with one foot, the law one foot and grace, staggering down the street on both sides, like a drunk, and unstable in all ways. There’s no more unstable people in the world than people who are under law and grace. At the same time, you have much more stability when it’s total law, no grace, or all grace and no law. But when you try to have a little grace and little law, you’re an unstable person, you don’t know what you believe in. So you have to die. You have to die to the law, in order to serve in a new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. And that’s chapter seven. And we’ve just been reading from verse four, down through the end of that chapter four through six. I didn’t say that, folks, God did. You’ve been released from the law, so that you can serve in a new way.

Now, Bob, it gets back to this what people are so grateful for, and you get a bunch of people who have latched on to grace only from what they’ve been freed from that. I mean, man, I’m free from the law. I don’t have to tithe any more that they’re rejoicing that more than anything, I don’t have to tithe anymore. That is true. You have been freed from the law of tithing, so that you can give in a new way, and that’s out of your heart out of generosity. It never alleviates giving up. A Christian who is not giving is a is a Dead Sea. He’s just taking in and not giving out. We’ve received but we’re not sharing. If you have have received a blessing from God, if you’ve received a blessing from the teaching of the grace of God, and don’t give back to that teaching, you’re a Dead Sea. You’re not helping that teaching to go on. You’re just saying I got it, praise the Lord. And I don’t care about anybody else getting in. So you’re not freed from tithing, to just sit there and go have a ball. You’re freed from tithing so that you can give in a new way. You’re freed from the law, not so that I can just sit down and say, Hey, I’m not under any law. No, I’m freed from the law, so that I can serve in a new way, led now by the Spirit, with no condemnation, but with the constant continual teaching of the Spirit of God, in your in my life, it’s a new way of life altogether. And Bob, many people I have seen respond and sit down and teach the grace of God be involved in ministries, teaching the grace of God, who absolutely understand or think they understand that they’ve been freed from the law, but have not a clue that they’ve been called to walk in the newness of life. To forgive one another how? as Christ Jesus forgave you. Well, they love the idea that Christ has forgiven us and taken away our sins. But that forgiving one another. That’s not a part of their life. It’s just I’ve been freed from condemnation, so that I can condemn others. I’ve been freed from judgment so that I can judge others. That is not what God freed you from he freed you from the law so that you can serve in a new way.

Thank you so much for tuning in to Classic Christianity, with Bob George. We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s program. We truly hope that today’s message has inspired you to walk a life of faith in the Lord, find more information online at shop.BobGeorge.net. There you’ll also find available CDs, DVDs, and bible studies available for purchase. It’s through your help that we are able to spread the good word of Jesus Christ. Until next time, walk in faith, be good to one another and praise the Lord. Amen.