Here is what I believe. I believe the law and all the good works in the world cannot save us.
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Notice in these verses, it teaches we are saved by grace alone not works. But, we also read in verse 10 God created us for good works, BUT these good works are HIS good works that HE ordained us to do before we were created.
Now, let's look at what the Bible teaches. Let's go back to the beginning, in the garden with Adam and Eve. When God created Adam and Eve, there was neither laws to follow or good works to keep; the only work was to tend the garden. But tending the garden did not save us. The reason tending the garden does not save us is because God told Adam to tend the garden before the fall. After the fall, God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden.
After Adam and Eve sinned by eating from the tree of life, and they saw they were naked, what did Adam and Eve do? They covered themselves with fig leaves, (works by their own hands). What did God say? This is not good enough, so God killed an animal and covered man and woman.
Then, if we move onto Chapter 15 in the Book of Genesis, we read the story of God making a covenant with Abram. The thing about this covenant is this: it was one- sided. God put Abram into a deep sleep and God walked through the pieces by Himself. This way it is on God only, not Abram or man. This shows us that God knows we will fail. This shows GRACE ALONE.
Now, let's look at the law compared to the fiery serpent. Here is law number 2 from the ten commandments God gave.
Exd 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:
Num 21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for [there is] no bread, neither [is there any] water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
Num 21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
Num 21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
Num 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
Num 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Here are a few things to compare in this story. Many of the Jews died and refused to look upon the fiery serpent to live. The question is why? Here's why. I posted law number two. God gave the law, but God also told Moses to make this fiery serpent. Now, in order to live, the Jews must believe God spoke through Moses and told them to disobey the law. The law cannot save us and never will save us.
The issue with the fiery serpent is also a type of Christ. Jesus was to come and be lifted up upon a cross. All who look and believe will be saved.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Then, there is the passover, yet another type of Christ. We see the cross being made by putting blood on the door and sides. A lamb was slain and only the blood would save you. You could put up the blood upon the door and the posts, but if you left the home where the blood was, you would die. This passover applied to both the Jews and the Egyptians that enslaved the Jews that were with them. God was showing love, mercy, and grace to the people that harmed the Jews. But any Jew who left the protection of the blood covered doors was slain as if he/she were a non-believer.
Then, we read about Abram in the OT. He was a pagan who worshiped false gods and idols. God called him to be the father of a great nation that would bring in the Messiah through birth. When God called Abram to be the father of many nations, this was grace alone. There were no laws (Ten Commandments) and Abram was not doing good works to save himself and his family.
Let's go back to Exodus Chapter 20 for a minute. We read in Exodus 20:24-26:
Exd 20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
Exd 20:25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
Here God tells Moses to make an altar, but no tools shall ever come upon this altar lest it be polluted. Jesus is our altar, and our works from our hands will pollute that altar.
We read in these verses in John, people are saved by believing in Him (Jesus). They are not saved by keeping the law or doing works. On the other hand, it says, people are condemned for not believing in Him, (Jesus), not that they are condemned for not working or keeping the law.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Jesus Died because He knew we could never keep the entire law.
Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
I asked once before, and I will ask again, can you keep the entire law like the Scribes and Pharisees tried doing? Jesus makes it even harder and more impossible to do by saying:
Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Mat 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Mat 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Mat 5:25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Mat 5:26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast [it] from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not [that] thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
Mat 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Mat 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
Mat 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
Mat 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
Mat 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
Mat 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have [thy] cloke also.
Mat 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Mat 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Mat 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
Mat 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so?
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
So, are you perfect? Are you keeping the entire law as the Scribes and Pharisees did? If not, why not? Rick b
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