Post by logic on Jul 24, 2010 11:53:59 GMT -5
My Theology
By: Darin Edgington
By: Darin Edgington
Salvation is in this order:
1: Faith
All mankind has faith in one thing or another, but must put it in & on what Jesus has said & done. This is the first & primary step.
2: Repentance/conversion
This stems from faith; it is a fruit from faith. Faith without this primary work is dead.
3: Reconciliation
After steps 1 & 2, we are reconciled to God Father through Jesus, because of what He had done.
(3.1): Justification/being made righteous
We are now counted righteous because of our obedience of faith.
This is basically in the same process of reconciliation, these can not be separated.
(3.2): Regeneration/Adoption
We are now counted as sons (& daughters), because we have been reconciled to God the Father, we can have a relationship with Him, which is eternal life (John 17:3)
4: Sanctification
This is a lifelong process which we are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2Corinth 3:18)
5: Glorification
This is also the finality of our sanctification process when this ''vanity'' (temporariness) along with the ''bondage of corruption'' (which is spoken of in Romans 8:20-21) is put off which we read in 1Corinth 15:42-44, 46-54. We must know that it is not because of Adam's sin and the curse that followed, but because of Him (God) who has subjected it in hope of the adoption, that is, the redemption of our bodies which is the glorious liberty of the children of God.
(Sorry if this next part is confusing, it still needs professionally edited)
Now, There are a few factors we need to look at.
1. God's law
2. The difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law
3. Justice
4. Punishment for a crime; Penalties for breaking the law (which is actually apart of #3)
5. Sin & The working of sin
6. The Atonement
7. Forgiveness
8. Repentance
9. Justification
10. Jesus
11. Death
12. Our Righteousness
At the start, I want to remind you that God created us in His likeness and image (Gen 1:26), this is because He wants us to reflect Him in every way; our purpose is to reflect the character of God.
#1 The Law:
The law is not founded on mere randomness; it is not anything just arbitrarily made up from a capricious whim, but is founded upon the personhood of God and of reality. The law is a representation of who God is and is from the standard of goodness and righteousness.
Even they who deny God know what is good and righteous because it is evident from reality. This leads to my next point; the law being based upon reality because it is what it is in and of its self. That which is good and righteous will always be what it is even without God saying so because it exists independently of any ideas concerning it; it exists independently of all other things. Goodness and righteousness is an aspect of reality in which God dwells in. In other words, God did not create the aspect of goodness and righteousness; God did not make it to be what it is, but God, by His intelligence knows its quality &/or essence and agrees with it, making that the basis of His law.
In other words, God chooses to conduct Himself according to goodness and righteousness and based His law upon this standard. His law is founded upon what He knows is true and He identifies Himself with it and He personifies it in Christ. Even when anyone thinks of God they automatically think of law; that is because God and the law are so closely related. Our conscience is the law written in our hearts; it bears witness with God in His judgment (Romans 2:14-15). God gave mankind a conscience because we are created according to His image and likeness. Just as God knows what is good and righteous from His intelligence, so do we.
The law was added because of transgressions (Galatians 3:19), it exists for the reason of making unlawful affections to be evidently unlawful.
In other words, the law exists so that our unlawful affections would be evidently more wicked in contrast to the specific commands of the law (Romans 7:13).
The purpose of the law is to teach one of the character of the Lawgiver also to guide us and to guard us while directing us to mercy of the Lawgiver (Galatians 3:24).
• The law guides by showing us a boundary.
• The law guards us with Justice and with penalties of breaking it.
• The law directs us with conviction of guilt that we may seek forgiveness.
#2 The difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law is that the letter relates to the outward action; the spirit relates to the motive or intention of the heart and from which the act should proceed.
The spirit of the law requires impartial goodwill or benevolence, and is all expressed in one word--love. The letter of the law requires strict adherence to every precept, it is all expressed in one word--obey.
An example, the letter of the law says, "Do not commit murder!" but the spirit of the law says, ‘‘Anyone who is angry with his brother without cause shall be liable to Judgment.'' (Matthew 5:21-22)
The spirit requires that certain conditions to be examined in their proper place.
The letter of the law is unyielding and sentences “guilty” all violators of its precepts, without regard to the purpose of the violation. Just as the speed limit is 55 mph and one exceeds the limit, the law says, ''guilty''. The spirit of the law, on the other hand, sees the purpose of the excess speed for an emergency and says, ''keep speeding until purpose is met.
Furthermore, when speeding for the purpose of an emergency, the spirit of the law is not broken, but fulfilled.
#3 Justice
Justice is the satisfaction of the person who's law was broken; or the satisfaction of the person who was criminalized is called justice. Justice is the vindication of the offended, vengeance being given, retribution, recompense...etc...
It isn't really the law that needs to be proven valuable, but who it serves and protects, which are God's character/image and His creation that are created in His likeness and in His image. This is the very reason why all mankind has a personal worth; even they who sin, even though they are tainting that image.
Justice is meant to teach that whoever it serves and protects has personal worth; so if one is offended by a crime, or even commits a crime, he will be judged as someone who is worth equal to but not greater than the criminal, or the victim if being the criminal.
In other words, Justice is to keep the establishment of both, the victim and the criminal as being equal in worth and in value.
It is a fact that we are not equal to God, but we are shown that we are of as much worth as He is; this is proven by God giving His only begotten SON who is GOD Himself. We are not equal with God, but we are deemed as such in value, what a revelation, praise HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#4 Punishment
Punishment for a crime against the law is not for the purpose of rehabilitation, but to satisfy the victim; in other words, crime requires justice.
Punishment for transgression against (God's) law or the act of satisfying the victim (God) is used as a deterrent for crimes by law enforcement.
In other words, the purpose of punishment or penalties is law enforcement; or justice enforces the law.
The punishment (the enforcement of the law or justice) is to communicate to the sinner that God is not anyone to profane or defile in any way, for He is holy and righteous and He created us for the purpose of reflecting Him. Since He chooses to be holy and righteous from His own volition, therefore, we by order of the purpose of our being created must do the same. If we do not act like God to reflect Him properly, He must punish us so that the witnesses will not conclude that He agrees to His perverted reflection. If there is no judgment for sin, God would be essentially agreeing to the behavior and thus claiming that sin is also a reflection of Him; the silence of judgment implies the character of God as sinful. If there is no judgment of sin, there is licensed to do the same as it would imply that sin is also within the character of God.
The corporate judgment of sin is physical death which is only the circumstance of the way to the Tree of Life being cut off from humanity (Gen 3:22-24). This was caused by Adam being cut off from the Tree of Life himself.
The personal judgment of sin is spiritual death, which is actually a severed relationship from God. All who have sinned have died spiritually because of their own personal choice to sin at their own age of accountability, for that is the wage of sin (Romans 6:23).
The last and final judgment of sin is eternal death which is damnation. Since spiritual/eternal life after death is to be in the presence with God eternally, then to die without spiritual/eternal life is eternal death, which is eternal punishment. This is because if one does not stay in the presence of Christ, there is no other place to be but in outer darkness where there is gnashing of teeth.
#5 Sin:
Keep in mind that we are created to be reflections of God who created to us in His image and likeness.
• Whatever is not of faith is sin. Romans 14:23
• Knowingly transgressing the law is sin. 1John 3:4
• Knowing (and able) to do good and not doing it is sin. James 4:17
• All unrighteousness is sin. 1John 5:17
There is another aspect of sin which is spoken of as in Romans 7; this is the unlawful desires which are in the flesh (Romans 7:23, 8:3b) which is not condemnable unless acted upon.
Sin has a dual concept which needs to be understood. There is intentional sin and unintentional sin. Unintentional sin is called objective sin. Unintentional sin is objective because it is evident to others as sin, but the one who commits it is not aware of it. Since he is not aware of it, he is not accountable to it, and therefore, he cannot be condemned for it.
Intentional sin is both objective and subjective because it is evident to both the witnesses and the one who commits it. Moreover, intentional sin may not even be a sin to others even though it is sin for the one who commits it, thus the reason being subjective. It is subjectively sin because while others are not aware of it being sin, the one who thinks it is, feels condemned in his own conscience because he did something against it; and for that reason it is sin (Rom 14:23).
The reason for these distinctions is because God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). He cares if the heart is involved or not. As with unintentional objective sin, one’s heart is not involved and he thus remains innocent and not liable for judgment while intentional, subjective sin has the heart involved and one is guilty, liable for judgment.
There are Scripture references for unintentional sin such as Leviticus 4 & 5:15-18. With these Scriptures, the reason for the sin offering is not that the one who sins in ignorance is condemned and needs atoned for, but that he needs to acknowledge the law as being broken once he finds out that he did sin. However, if one never finds out that he has sinned, there will never be an offering for that sin.
Leviticus 4:14 When the sin...is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin...
Leviticus 4:23 Or if his sin...comes to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering.
Leviticus 4:28 Or if his sin...comes to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering.
The questions are; how does one make an offering for sin if he does not know the need for it? How can he repent from the unknown? And if he doesn't know that he sinned, how is his heart involved to be guilty? When sin is unknown, how could one repent?
Even though someone did unintentionally sin and is objectively guilty, he remains subjectively innocent and that is all God cares about. However, when the sin is found out, he remains uncondemned but he still must repent as to never doing it again.
For example:
Job 42:3 ...therefore have I uttered what I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
This means that Job spoke only of that which he had knowledge of at the time of utterance; he did not understand yet what he was to learn latter on. One is only accountable to the knowledge of which he has vat that moment.
If Job spoke against what he did know, then he would be guilty, but he didn't do that.
According to Scripture, hearing and seeing are often the antithesis to each other.
Job 42:5 I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear: but now my eye sees you.
In other words, Job is saying, "I have only heard before of thee by tradition or from imperfect information, but now I have such a discovery and revelation of thee as I have never had before."
Job (42:5) did not know God before as he does now. He was only speaking from the knowledge of which he possessed at the time and this is not condemnable. It would only be condemnable if he knew better at the time of utterance.
Sin which is condemnable is always intentional, but unintentional sin is not condemnable, therefore Job was blameless.
Job 42:6 Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Since Job was innocent when he spoke from only the knowledge which he had, the knowledge of what he now learns does not become held against him. However, as he learns the truth of God in a brighter light, his repentance is only implying that he will not say what he had said before, knowing what he knows now.
With Job, we may understand the sin of ignorance is not condemnable, but it is still important to realize the gravity of it to never do again now that it is known to be such.
The working of (intentional) sin:
In regards to man sinning against God, we must know that we are not sinning against any moral governmental judicial structure; there is no atonement for sinning against such. All sin is against God personally and His law is only to show us what and how we accomplished by breaking it.
All mankind has brought damaged to Gods image or has tainted His holy Name by breaking His Law, disobeying His Commandments, rebelling against His Word & authority, and are worthy of judgment. However, a sin as to the degree of stealing a shoe lace does not require the death penalty, which would give the message of the sinner being as worthless as the shoe lace. The punishment must fit the crime. None the less, the theft of a shoe lace is still a breach of the same law includes such heinous crimes as rape, murder, or those similar in degree; all of which are a total tainting &/or maligning of personal worth and character of the Law Maker which is God.
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:8).
Steeling a shoe lace is only breaking one aspect of the whole law which includes the greater aspects such as the heinous crimes.
Sin insults God to a degree that His image is darkened and He is defamed and virtually dethroned by the offender. Sin defiles the image of God; as we sin who are created according to His image and likeness, we are not reflecting that character as it truly is. We did not sin however, in a way as to owe God a debt as in the form of a sum, but in the way of disbelief and unfaithfulness, which deems God to be a liar on our behalf and in doing so, we slander His character; this is elevating ourselves over God and putting ourselves in His place. We owe God the repair or renewal of His character which we maligned and have not reflected His image as we are created to.
Whenever we disobey God in any way, we are virtually not trusting God calling Him a liar, stating by our actions that God cannot be trusted and that He is in no authority to make any boundaries. As we sin we are proclaiming that God is not good in providing what is needed for staying within His boundaries. In doing this we sin. Whenever we sin worthy of condemnation, we are willfully transgressing what we know to be true (that there is a law which is being broken) which proclaims that we are autonomous, self-governing and in no need of support from anyone &/or anything apart from ourselves. We are basically saying, "I am that I am". Doing this we are making our own reality, opposing and exalting ourselves above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that we deem ourselves as God (2Thessalonians 2:4).
Now, to understand how the sacrifice of Jesus (The Atonement) replaces justice so that judgment is not needed while still satisfying God, we must know what God says concerning the Atonement.
#6 The Atonement
Heb. 9:22 "for without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin"
In other words; without the clearing the Name of God; or without showing the severity of sin, there can be no giving up the punishment (the crime being a defilement of His character which His law reveals).
The Atonement incorporates the concepts of:
1: propitiation satisfaction of God being vindicated
2: forgiveness of the offender
3: reconciliation between God and the offender
The sacrifice of the atonement must be of equal severity as to the offence of the crime committed, which is death; the punishment must fit the crime for it to give to the sinner the understanding of what he actually did. For, if the sacrifice was meager, the sinner would get the impression that his offence was nothing and the forgiveness wasn't much of a loss. With this impression, the sinner wouldn't think that repentance was very important to continue.
The only one able to atone for the damage that is done to God's Name must be equally great, not only in worth but in all aspects to Him whom we offended (not just deemed as valuable as mankind is); this is because anything else would not be equivalent to Who He is enough show the true value of what has been ruined which is His image (we, being made in His image & likeness, as we sin, it defiles that image & God takes it personally). The one who makes atonement cannot be a mere mortal, for then he would only be able to atone for just one man; flesh for flesh and skin for skin (Gen 9:5-6, Exodus 21:12-14, Lev 24:17, Numbers 35:31, Deut 19:11-12). Furthermore, He must be eternal so that He may atone for all & throughout history (Hebrews 7:3, 9:14). Therefore, it is God Himself in the likeness of "sinful flesh" who must make atonement (Roman 8:3, Philip 2:7-8); for Jesus is the only one who has met all the necessary criteria to satisfy the Father in redeeming His image from us who perverted it.
It must also be known that there is no possible way that anyone to have a substitute for punishment of a crime such as murder in a moral government judicial system as we have in society; For example, a father could never take a son's place in his execution for murder. And a King could never let a law breaker go free as in the case of Daniel and the lion's den. However, Jesus did die so that we don't have to. He died so that God won't have to enforce the law in justice by punishment of the guilty. Jesus could do this because sin is only against God personally and not against a moral governmental judicial system. And He could also do this because He isn't taking our place in judgment but only dying as an example or symbol of our judgment. Jesus freely laid His life down to show the magnitude of the offence; and as we look at Him, we see it.
Representational Atonement (not Substitutional) is instead of justice; it serves the same purpose as justice so that God can truly forgive us. The difference between the atonement and justice is that justice condemns the sinner while the atonement pardons/forgiveness the sinner. With justice, the sinner still receives judgment even though he repents. With the atonement, the sinner receives pardon/forgiveness only IF he repents. In the same way that justice clears the Name of God of what we have done; the atonement does the same.
Christ did not die "in our place as us", but He died as a symbol of our judgment; He died so we don’t have to. Just as the bronze serpent on the pole which Moses lifted up in the wilderness, when we look upon Jesus as Israel looked upon that serpent we acknowledge the death which He suffered as what we deserve because we are worthy of such judgment; condemning ourselves before God, it is as we are justifying God in His judgment concerning us. God enforced His law with the atonement without the need for justice.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.
Looking upon the serpent in the wilderness is actually admitting one’s own sin, confessing to be worthy of & accepting the just punishment. To look upon Jesus is equivalent.
I know that some people will be gasping right now because I claimed that. “Christ did not die "in our place as us", but He died as a symbol of our judgment”; so, t I will try to explain further.
With justice, no one can replace the criminal in his judgment. The criminal only must receive the penalty for his crime; there can be no substitute; otherwise, it is not true justice. However, in order to do the same thing as justice; letting the sinner go free without the justice of judgment, Jesus can be a symbol of our judgment by choosing to die and by His death show us the magnitude of our offence. Jesus may freely lay His life down to show us the true loss in His forgiveness (forgiveness is costly). For without the sinner comprehending the loss which God is taking in forgiving him, the sinner will not see the need of repentance. And with repentance, God may expect that the sinner will not sin again to malign His character.
With the atonement, God sent his Son to be the propitiation (His satisfaction) for our sins; in other words, God sent Jesus reconcile us to Himself on account of our sins against Him by faith in His blood (Rom 3:25). God sent His Son as a sacrifice so that all who put their faith in/on Him might be justified as we have reckoned ourselves to be worthy of being in Jesus' place on the cross (our just judgment). We are to reckon ourselves in HIS position as to be united with him in the likeness of His death so that we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection (Roman 6:5). God is satisfied with the result of the atonement in that the defilement of His image/character is cleared.
Now we must understand how God can be satisfied in forgiving those who has broken His Holy Law without receiving justice for Himself; without the guilty being actually sentenced and punished. As I have already shown what punishment, law enforcement, justice, and sin is, we must know that God is required to address these issues; He cannot just “sweep them under the carpet”. God must clear His name without letting the sinner off the hook. How can God totally forgive sinners?
Atonement satisfies God by the sinner repenting; as the sinner agrees to the judgment that is due to him, it vindicates God's Name. When the sinner sees the extremity of his crime and sees the extent to which God went in order to forgive; when the sinner knows the true worth of God, he will not have the mind to return to his sin. This satisfies God as the same as justice would but without the judgment of sin so that He may forgive those who put their faith in/on what Jesus has said & done. This is all because God has mercy on those that He created. HE forgives those who acknowledge their sin and put acknowledge themselves worthy of the death which Christ suffered. God will only forgive on the bases of the sinner being changed by repentance and a new life all together. Just so God does not have people whom He forgives to take it lightly and stay just as wicked as before being forgiven as we read in Matthew 18:28-30, God uses His law of death on the account of sin to implement the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Atonement proves the true worth of God and His character while forgiving the offender of the crime against Him. Atonement satisfies God instead of justice because the one being atoned for must change in order for him to be forgiven. He must first meet the set conditions in order for the atonement to be applied for the forgiveness; these requirements (or “set conditions”) are faith in what Christ has said & done and repentance to prove the faith to be real and genuine. This proves that the one being atoned for understands the true value of the one who is forgiving and that he cannot take this whole thing lightly.
If one refuses to acknowledge the true value and worth of God and refuses to meet the set conditions in order to be forgiven; if he takes lightly all that God has said and done to forgive, he cannot be forgiven. (Matthew 18:23-35, John 15:8)
The atonement is an influence on one’s heart/soul. The selfless, loving sacrifice on our account is to break the heart of the sinner and cause him to acknowledge his sin and the judgment of his sin. A revelation of the suffering of Christ should break and subdue ones heart and bring him to complete surrender to God. The atonement should so affect our hearts that we turn from our disobedience in humble, sincere, and deep repentance, repenting out of a motive of love, remorse, and sincerity (1 John. 4:19). God is drawing all men to Himself through the atonement (John. 12:32), and it is His loving kindness which draws us (Jer.31:3; Rom. 2:4). The Atonement transforms and liberates through reciprocation, when men obey the gospel of Jesus Christ from the heart because God was loving them all along, from the beginning.
#7 Forgiveness/pardon
Forgiveness is the remittance of an offense and the release from the obligation of the offender to suffer a penalty, of bearing the wrath of the offended party, or to pay a debt. It does not seek for justice &/or punishment of the offender. The one who forgives does not enforce the law upon the one who broke the law. When anyone forgives, they choose to never bring up the offence again even though it may be remembered. The remembrance of the offence may still cause pain, but, the pain is not held against the offender.
Forgiveness is costly. The one who forgives is taking a loss by not receiving the debt which is owed, or he is not receiving the justice which he is due. The forgiver is taking the risk in being taken advantage of by having that which he has forgiven to happen again, which is why repentance is very important to forgiveness.
#8 Repentance
The very act of repentance is turning away from sin and toward God, and in faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Act 20:21 Testifying to both the Jews and the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Repentance is the actual proof of faith. Faith and repentance cannot be separated; you can't have one without the other. When a sinner repents, he resolves to never intentionally commit sin again. He has settled in his heart and mind that he will always, from now on do that which he knows is good and righteous and to do all that is according to his knowledge of the law.
9# Justification:
There is a lot to say on the account of our righteousness that is imputed to us (not transferred but deemed or reckoned).
For man to be legally pronounced justified, is not impossible, however, there is but one ground of the justification of man, that is by strict obedience to the law from day one of accountability to the law. I repeat; there can be no justification in a legal sense apart from grace, but upon the ground of perfect, and uninterrupted obedience to law. Our sins have offended God because we are able to do what He commands, but we willfully chose to refuse and disobey (Romans 9:31-32). We are guilty criminals, not victims of a bad nature.
Jesus is the only Man that has performed the law perfectly as all mankind is able, which is what satisfies God.
Jesus was required perfect obedience to the law for Himself just as all mankind are, and since He chose to perfectly obey, he did not need to suffer the penalty of breaking the law; there was no need of judgment on His life. Jesus could therefore give His life unto death without the penalty of sin.
God says, in Romans 6:23, "for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
and, Deut.21:23, "His body shall not remain overnight on the tree (cross), but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who hangs on a tree is accursed of God."
Jesus was taken off the cross that same day He died so the curse of sin would stay on Him.
Lev.17:11, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." Heb. 9:22, "for without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin"
When Jesus finished all that needed to done:
(1) Curse of the law to be taken away (2Corinth 5:21, Gal 3:13).
(a) For the setting free of the captive slave of the condemnation of the law (Luke 4:18, Galatians 5:1).
(2) Blood to be shed for the cleansing/purging from the guilt and the clearing of the conscience of the guilt & of remission of sin (Ephesians 1:7 & Colossians 1:14 Hebrews 9:22)
(a) purchasing/redeeming from the judgment of sin which is our forgiveness(Ephesians 1:7 & 1 Corinthians 6:20 & 7:23).
God accepted Jesus' sacrifice and He raised Jesus from the dead in verification of His acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice. The resurrection is the basis of our Faith (1 Corinthians 15:14)
When we acknowledge our place in His death we may also acknowledge our place in resurrection (Rom 6:3-6), only then can we be redeemed & cleansed with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1Peter 1:19, Titus 2:14) and freed from being under the law (Romans 6:14 & 7:4) as being under grace instead (Romans 6:14). We must acknowledge Jesus’ death as our own and reckon ourselves to be dead to sin, and alive to God through Jesus. Not letting sin rule our mortal bodies that we should obey it in its lusts; not yielding our bodies as tools for sin: but yielding ourselves unto God in obedience, as those who are alive from the dead, and yielding our bodies as tools of righteousness unto God. Sin shall not have dominion over us (Romans 6:4 &11-13).
We acknowledge this by baptism, which symbolizes our death and resurrection in Christ, not by the removing of outward filth of the flesh but by providing us with a good and clear conscience (inward cleanness and peace) before God through the [death and] resurrection of Jesus Christ 1Peter 3:21.
Therefore, only when we deserve the penalty of sin and repenting from sin for forgiveness, then we can be born again to live perfectly according to the [spirit of the] law, being brought out from under the letter of the law, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:4
All this is only through faith because of His grace (Ephesians 2:8).
I must repeat; all this is only through faith because it is impossible to please God without faith Hebrews 11:6.
Furthermore, it is only by this faith are we deemed as righteous. (Romans 4:3 Galatians 3:6 James 2:23)
Since, by the deeds of the (letter of the) law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight (Romans 3:20a), that is unless one stayed innocent from day one of accountability: the question remains, then, how is man justified if one cannot be justified by consistently obeying the law after sinning?
It must be by forgiveness of sins by grace through faith which is by the spirit of the law, which Jesus fulfilled and has shown us how to fulfill the law as walking after the spirit. (Mat 5:17-48, Rom 7:6, 8:3 9:31-32, 13:8)
We know that whatever the [letter of the] Law says, it speaks to those under the [letter of the] Law, therefore, in order for man to be justified, man must be taken out from under it having been set free from being under the Law by dyeing to the Law through the body of Christ. (Romans 7:6, Galatians 5:18)
10# Jesus:
Jesus is the only Man that has reflected the character of the Father perfectly which all mankind should have done as in the first place; Jesus performed the law perfectly, therefore, while in His earthly ministry, He would have had a perfect conscience from sin according to Hebrews 9:9
This grace that we may be legally justified is that HE is the propitiation of God (Colossians 2:14) because He Himself, alone kept the law through the spirit of it.
It is true that what a man does through another he does himself.
However, there is a theological theory that the law regards Christ's obedience as ours, on the ground that he obeyed for us.
(this next part is taken from C. G. Finney)
This doctrine of an imputed obedience for righteousness, or that Christ's obedience to the law was accounted as our obedience, is founded on a false assumption. Christ's obedience could do no more than justify himself. It can never be imputed to us. It is naturally impossible for him to obey on our behalf as a proxy.
This doctrine intends that Christ owed no obedience to the law, and therefore his obedience to the law was superfluous. He was born under the law just as every other person. (Galatians 4:4-5).
Christ would have sinned had he not been perfectly obedient, if not, he would have sinned. It follows that He owed obedience to the law, just as any other man.
Furthermore, if Jesus obeyed the law as our substitute, our own return to personal obedience would not be insisted upon us as an essential part of our salvation.
Christ was required perfect obedience to the law for Himself, however, since he perfectly obeyed, he did not need to suffer the penalty of sin. He could therefore die without judgment.
Jesus was God while here on Earth, however, He did not use any of His “Godness” (if you will) to overcome the world.
God defeated Sin, Death and Satan in Satan's own turf (this world), stripping Himself of His divine authority, but He did not strip Himself of His deity. Jesus took on the form of a servant, a mere mortal man. God exposed Himself to all the elements, poverty, hunger and sufferings of this world while remaining God.
Jesus beat Satan with both hands tied behind His back. Jesus did not have any advantage over sin any more than we have right now. Jesus did not use any of His "God powers" to overcome sin and the world; He only made use of His volition. This is the exact same way for all mankind to not sin; He did not remain sinless by any slightest difference than any other man, He was the EXACT same as we are today, but never chose to sin. Jesus remained sinless not because He is God, but by loving His Father; which is exactly how we may not sin. Jesus is our Standard. Standards must be reachable/attainable in order for the standard to be fair & just. IF Jesus remained sinless precisely because he was/is God, then that would be an unjust standard for us to be held to, because we are not god to not sin.
These verses are telling us that Jesus was made human just as we are; as flesh.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
“Sinful flesh” means “flesh which is able to sin”, not that flesh is sinful in & of it’s self, which is a Gnostic belief.
The flesh was created week from the beginning, in the Garden.
It was never meant to be used as strength for resisting sin. It is one of the very reasons that Adam fell, lust of the flesh...
The weakness of Jesus being made flesh, not using His "God Powers" proved that man IS ably to never sin in his whole life, just as the following Scriptures.
Philippians 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not a thing to be grasped to be same as God:
:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
God becoming as one of us in the same kind of flesh with no difference between any other man.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son, came out of a woman, made under the law.
Eve was made of dust just as we all are; Jesus became dust also. "The virgin birth" is to show us that His Father is God and that He was not "created" as we are. There is nothing more to get out of "the virgin birth".
Hebrews 2:14 Since then the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.
Jesus was the same as "the children" with no difference.
Hebrews 2:16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but He took on him the nature of Abraham.
:17 Therefore in all things he had to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
:18 For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help them that are tempted.
What is the nature of Abraham?
Human, made of weak, dying flesh.
In all things he had to be made like us as we are now.
If Jesus had any advantage over sin and the world any more than we have now, Jesus would not have been a perfect priest.
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses; but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.
The "yet without sin" does not mean that He was "born with out sin", but that He always chose not to sin just as we should.
Jesus is our perfect example. Examples are to be imitated. IF remained sinless precisely because he was/is God, then we can not imitate Him; for we aren't God. Since we are not god to not sin, how are we supposed to imitate Him?
11# Death:
The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This must be spiritual death because the free gift is also spiritual, which is eternal life. The penalty of sin is not ''to suffer an eternal punishment''. If the wage of sin is eternal death, Jesus could not have paid the penalty, for He did not suffer death eternally. However, He did suffer physical death.
The only reason why the damned suffer an eternal punishment is because they die without spiritual life. If spiritual life after death is in the presence with God and becomes eternal, then to die without spiritual life is eternal punishment. If one does not stay in the presence of Christ, there is no other place to be but in outer darkness where there is gnashing of teeth.
Now that we are risen with Christ through faith, we now have eternal life which creates good works from faith because of the love of God poured out in our hearts. (Romans 5:5)
12# Our Righteousness
1John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone that does righteousness is born of him.
1John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Imputed righteousness that only comes by faith causes, evokes, induces, influences, inspires, moves, persuades, produces, prompts etc... one toward good works which brings imparted righteousness. This imparted righteousness is our witness to the world that we are of God.
It is known that Faith without works is dead (James 2:26); but, we must know what these works are in order to further understand Imputed & imparted Righteousness.
Works of faith are the fruit of righteousness (Philippians 1:11). In other words, they are a changed life, a new view on life, and a new motive for everything that you do.
One may ask, if one doesn't work for salvation, then how is faith dead without works?
The answer is the new aspects of your life, there will come actions or works that give a testimony of Christ in you (Colossians 1:27).
In other words, just as you don't work to get a job, but that you work since you have a job. So it is that you don't work to be righteousness, but you work because you are righteous; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, 5:14, Hebrews 10:38) or, the faithful will live justly, or the justified shall live faithfully.
Jesus says, ''If you love Me, keep My commandments.'' (John 14:15)
The great commandment in the Law is this:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Deut. 6:5)
This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Lev. 19:18)
Therefore, whoever has the ability to give, and sees one having need, and hardens his heart against him, how is that faith and how does the love of God abide in him? James 2:15-16, 1John 3:16-18
Therefore, love is the work of faith and the spirit of the law, because loving one another is fulfilling the Law. (Romans 13:8,10)
Since sin is the transgression of the law, then every time one sins, he sins against love, & God is love.
Again, I am sorry if this is confusing, it still needs professionally edited.
If anyone has some things to say (correction, critisism, question...etc...) about any of this, please feal free to discuss.