QUESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO WOULD
PUT US UNDER BONDAGE by George Zeller
Here are some questions for those who would try to make the LAW the believerÂ’s rule of life:
If the law is a "MINISTRATION OF DEATH" (2 Cor. 3:6-9) than how can it be the believerÂ’s rule of life? If the law has been "done away" (2 Cor. 3:11) and "abolished" (2 Cor. 3:13; Eph. 2:15) and disannulled (Heb. 7:18-19) and "taken away" (Heb. 10:9 and compare Heb. 8:6-13), then how can a believer be under the law as a rule of life?
Why do you accuse those who teach that the believer is not under the law of promoting LAWLESSNESS and antinomianism? Does not Paul teach that GodÂ’s grace teaches us the very opposite? "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" (Tit. 2:11-12). Was not Paul, the champion of the doctrine of grace, also falsely accused of teaching a doctrine that would promote lawlessness? See for example, Romans 6:14-15.
[Ro 6:15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be!]
How can you place the believer under the law when the New Testament in at least four places declares that the believer is not under the law? See Romans 6:14; Romans 6:15; Galatians 5:18 and 1 Corinthians 9:20 (NASB). If the law is "the strength of sin" (see 1 Cor. 15:56), how can it be the believerÂ’s rule of life? If the believer has died to the law and has been delivered and released from the law (Rom. 7:1-6), then how can the believer be under it as a rule of life?
Why did Paul give credit for the success of his Christian life to the grace of God instead of to the law of God (1 Cor. 15:10)? Why did he say, "I live by the faith of the Son of God" (Gal. 2:20) instead of saying "I live by the Ten Commandments"?
If the law cannot justify us, why should we think that it can sanctify us? If we were saved by the hearing of faith and not by the works of the law, then should not progress in the Christian life be made in the same way (see Gal. 3:2-3)? If we were saved at Mount Calvary, why should we abandon Mount Calvary and go to Mount Sinai for sanctification?
IS THE BELIEVER UNDER OBLIGATION
TO KEEP CHRISTÂ’S COMMANDS? by George Zeller
"And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:3-4). "If ye love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Yes, commandment keeping is essential!
The believer living under grace whose focus is on Mount Calvary must keep GodÂ’s commands. Obedience to the Word of God is essential. The key question is this: What commands are we to obey? What commandments has Christ given to believers living in this present Christian age of grace? Here are some examples:
"And now, little children, ABIDE IN HIM; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at his coming" (1 John 2:2
.
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT" (Ephesians 5:1
.
"This I say then, WALK IN THE SPIRIT, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
"Likewise RECKON YE ALSO YOURSELVES TO BE DEAD INDEED UNTO SIN, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:11).
"Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but YIELD YOURSELVES UNTO GOD, AS THOSE THAT ARE ALIVE FROM THE DEAD, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Rom. 6:13).
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, SO WALK YE IN HIM" (Col. 2:6).
"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye WALK WORTHY of the vocation [the believerÂ’s high, heavenly, holy CALLING] wherewith ye are called" (Eph. 4:1).
"And that ye PUT ON THE NEW MAN, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. 4:24).
"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT" (Eph. 5:
.
"If ye then be risen with Christ, SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Col. 3:1).
"PUT ON therefore, AS THE ELECT OF GOD, HOLY AND BELOVED, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering" (Col. 3:12).
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and LET US RUN WITH PATIENCE THE RACE that is set before us, LOOKING UNTO JESUS the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12:1-2).
As believers living under grace we need to have our minds baptized and immersed in the EPISTLES, becoming more and more familiar with the great GRACE-ORIENTED COMMANDS that are found therein. Yes we are certainly to obey GodÂ’s commands, but the commands which God has given to us are based upon the believerÂ’s glorious position in a crucified and risen Christ. These commands do not flow out of Mount Sinai, they flow out of Mount Calvary.
