Well after realizing the General discussion area will be closing and we are to put our question here....that is IF I understood that correctly. I mistakenly put this question first in the General discussion....so I am now placing it here...hoping it is in the right place....whew!!! Have I confused anyone yet?
My question was...
I know Ray has probably wrote about this, but I have not run across it and would very much like to know.
An explanation of Jesus not coming to abolish the law to to fulfill.
I am very confused.
If someone can point me in the right direction I would very much appreciate it.
Thank you for at least reading my confusion and correct me if I am in the wrong place again.......
This is my understanding, to me, the law written in stone for the carnal man results in one thing, the administration of death. Fleshly man, no matter how hard he tries to follow the law; failes. Self effort to follow the law always fails.
The law is good, it is Holy.
Rom 7:12 Wherefore the
law is holy, and the
commandment holy, and just, and good.
The problem is in carnal man, it doesnt' change us; it only shows us our shortcomings. And it stimulates sin (anything not of faith is sin); so it stimulates increased self effort. The wages of sin is death. Death is good, it leads us to giving up on self effort.
Rom 7:13 Was then that which is
good made death unto me? God forbid. But
sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become
exceeding sinful.
Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came,
sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life,
I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by
it slew me.
Christ, fufilled the law completely (not externally by self effort, or carnal effort), but internally by trusting/fatih in the Father. Internal fufilling of the law is only completed by trust/faith. Christ lived a life of complete trust/faith in God the father, therefore fufilling the law.
This is to me, why it is the faith
of Christ that saves us. Christ by living in complete faith, never relied on self effort for his righteousness and holiness.
We are to never rely on self effort either; we have our elder brother to trust and have faith in. Once self effort leads to death; we can cry out Oh wretched man I am, and turn to the faith of Christ.
This is why the law is our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ; external effort to do the law, leads to exceeding sin (self effort) and sin's wages is death. Death is a good place to be; from their trusting in Christ will lift us out of death.
Hope this makes sense.