If I was to pick the one defining and most important point of our discussion concerning mankind and sin we’ve been having, I would say it is this:
Since the Law defines what sin is, it would logically follow that minus the Law, there can be no sin.
Since we now understand this, we’re in a much better position to be able to decode one of Paul’s more cryptic statements.
“It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.“-Romans 4:13-15
I would have no problems with the first part of the statement.
Paul is basically saying no one is saved by means of the Law.
This is something I have always taught from the very beginning.
Never forget that God saved Israel first…
…and then AFTERWARDS gave them the Law.
In other words, God didn’t design the Law as a vehicle for salvation.
It’s only when we come to the second half of Paul’s statement that Christian interpretations reach shall I say levels of creativity that are just simply beyond belief.
I’m referring specifically to the part where Paul says…
“…because the law brings wrath.
And where there is no law
there is no transgression.”
It is this verse coupled with some other sayings of Paul that Christian pastors and Bible teachers just love to use to argue that…
…the Law in and of itself is a bad thing…
…AND since Jesus nailed the Law to the cross…
…there are now no longer any laws for the believer today to follow.
Well, I’m here to tell you today that this teaching is just a bunch of booooool sheeeeeet.
Paul is no way in any shape or form telling us that we believers no longer have any rules to follow.
Rather he is simply pointing out what I’ve already explained over the past couple of posts.
Namely, that the only way sin can ever cease to exist is when God’s laws cease to exist.
Because by definition, sin is a violation of the law.
Hence, if there’s no law, there ain’t nothing to violate and thus there ain’t no sin.
It’s actually pretty darn simple if you think about it.
Heck, I would think that even a newly born again gentile believer regardless of the brainwashing he or she will receive concerning the Law of Moses will instinctively grasp that there are certain boundaries established by God that they’re expected to follow.
I mean, come on, if you’re a typical Christian who’s been taught that the Mosaic Law has been done away with, do you honestly now believe that you’re free to murder, commit adultery, and lie, steal and cheat minus any consequences simply because Jesus has nailed the law to the cross?
Even the most immature or fleshly believer understands (or at least I hope they would understand) that if you violate God’s holy laws, you are sinning against God…
…simply because the only Scriptural definition of sin we have…
…is that sin equals breaking God’s Law.
This however does lead us to the interesting question of when will sin ever cease to be?
The Scripture does talk about a time when sin and death will no longer be and every tear will be wiped away from our eyes.
Let’s take a look at Matthew 5:17-18.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
Well, there’s our answer.
The Law ain’t gonna disappear until the heavens and earth disappear and the last time I looked out the window, it was pretty apparent that the heavens and earth hadn’t yet disappeared.
Heck, I wouldn’t even be able to type up this article on my MacBook if the heavens and earth had disappeared.
Joking aside, there are some teachers who will teach that Yeshua’s statement about the heaven and earth passing away is something we should take literally.
They say that the existing heaven and earth passing away will mark the end of the 1000 year reign of Messiah.
When that happens, apparently conditions will be similar to the state of creation just after Adam and Eve were created but right BEFORE God gave them that one-Torah rule to not eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
In other words, we’re talking about a return to a time when there will be no sin…
…and this makes sense, because as we’ve just learned, minus Torah there can be no sin.
So there you have it.
Only when the new heavens and the earth are created will God’s Laws cease to exist.
But understand, that hasn’t happened yet folks.
Even then the law will continue, written on our hearts.
Amen!
This illustrates the situation when the early believers met in Yeru’shaliam, and Ya’Akov 1/2 brother of Yeh’shua said, “lay no burden upon them except abstain from sexual immortality, and blood”. (Yes I know that my quote from memory is incomplete). The point here was what was needed to let people into fellowship, without having rampant pagan sinful practices infiltrate the assemblies. They were expected to learn, how to live/walk, by being in fellowship learning as they went, from others in the assemblies. How has this changed? I submit that it has not. I have been to dozens of fellowships, in dozens of denominations including ones who refuse any affiliation with anybody. But all have unwritten rules, everyone are expected to conform to, and the ones that rub parishioners/congregants the wrong way most often are these non codified rules.