The Law and Faith (Compilation) — Compilations

Jesus Condemns Outward Religion and Neglected Justice

This is the commandment to men, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay a tithe of mint and anise and cumin and you have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith.

These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone, blind guides to strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. Woe to you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, for you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, the inside of the floor with abhorsion and self-indulgence.

Blind pharisees, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may also be cleaned. Mark 7 talks again. Mark 7 starting in verse 8. Mark 7 verse 7 says, well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites?

Jesus Rejects Human Traditions and Legalism

These people honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me and in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. That's it, they're teaching the commandments of men. And it says for laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men.

That's legalism. That is legalism. The washing of pitchers and cups and many other such things you do. He says to them, also too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your traditions.

And then in verse 13, he says, you make the word of God no effect to your traditions which you have handed down. And many such things you do. Many of us in a church can do that by having a form of godliness.

It can be just going to church once a week. If I go to church once a week and I do this religious practice, or three times a week and I do this religious practice, then I shall be white and clean on the outside.

That's legalism. That's religion, that's not life. Doing things. Perhaps if I take communion once a month, perhaps if I be baptized, just the act of it, perhaps if I do these certain things, this is a form of godliness.

Righteousness by Faith Versus Human Righteousness

I started thinking about the righteousness that comes from Allah and the righteousness that comes by faith. And these are two very distinct differences. The righteousness that comes from Allah and the righteousness that comes by faith.

The righteousness that comes from Allah, we count it as dumb. Paul counts that righteousness as dumb. Verses, the righteousness that comes from Allah says there is none righteous, no one not one. And it says also that our righteousness is as filthy rags.

When we do these things and keep the traditions of man and so things and we don't do it by faith, that's the righteousness that comes from Allah. The righteousness does not produce the righteousness of godliness.

That's not the righteousness of life. Righteousness by faith produces a changed heart where, what does it say? Righteousness by faith speaks in this way. It says, no longer shall we, who shall ascend into heaven for us.

That then brings, let's say the gospel down to us. Or the good news or Jesus Christ himself, who may descend into the abyss to bring that up to us because it's so far off, it's so far, we need to go to the sea, across the sea, we're searching here and there, who's going to bring the gospel to us?

It says, no. It says, the gospel is, it says the word is near you, it's in your mouth and it's in your heart. Because that's to bring Christ down from above and to bring Christ up from the dead. Because he has done it.

He's the one that brought the gospel to us. That's the righteousness of faith speaks in this way. And that's the gospel which Paul preached. And he says, if anyone brings another gospel, let him be accursed.

Christ Bears the Curse of the Law

Because curse is everyone who is under the law. But Christ, he says, is the one in the tree that kicked that curse from us. He didn't have to bear the curse of the laws. Because curse is everyone who hangs from a tree.

He got under the tree and he took that curse for himself. And he made up the righteousness and the guilt of my faith. That produced his life. That produced his peace. That produced the bridge of the spirit.

Dying to Sin Through the Law of Love

Paul says, I through the law died through the law. What does that mean? I had some brothers who encouraged me and teach me that. And it says, I through the law, the law of the spirit, the law of love.

What is the royal law? It says in James 2, I believe, it says the royal law is love. Love your neighbor as yourself. That's the royal law. I through the law died to the law. That's the law of sin and death.

We died to that law in Jesus' name. We died to it. Now we have the law of love right here as if we embraced Christ. Think of our cross as if we crucified Christ. It's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me in the life that I know, if I live by faith in the Son of God.

Ordinances Cannot Conquer the Desires of the Flesh

The life that I know, if I live by faith. Abolish in his flesh the commandments contained in ordinances. He's abolishing his flesh the commandments contained in ordinances. Do not taste, do not touch, do not handle, which have an appearance of self-imposed wisdom, that have no profit against the adulterers, that the only thing that profits against the adulterers is the flesh.

Pick up your cross and allow the law of liberty, the law of life, the law of the spirit to come and burn in our hearts that love, because love is the fulfillment of the law. Love is the fulfillment of the law in Jesus' name.

Everything, the whole law, the prophets, do not adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, whatever it may be, everything is all summed up in one word, love. What is the purpose of love?

From a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith.