Bible Studies
This study reveals the truth that going back to the law is not the way to stop sin. The Bible teaches that a firm belief in your complete and totally forgiveness and God’s love for you, is the only way to produce the fruits of the spirit necessary to stop outwards acts of sin in our life.
If as a Christian you are caught in sin, going back to the Law is not the answer to your problem.
You may not realize that the Bible teaches we were made sinners, born with an inherited fallen nature, due solely to Adams disobedience. Our outward acts of sin are the symptoms of our inherited nature.
“For as by the one man’s disobedience (Adam) the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience (Jesus) the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19).
While the Law is holy, just and right, the law is not for the believer, the righteous in Christ.
We also know that the law is made not for the righteous (Those who believe God and by faith trust in Jesus)… 1 Tim 1:9a
Many are not aware that the Law is the only thing that gives sin its power to condemn and kill us. Paul explains this.
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law” (1 Corinthians 15:56).
The Law (including Ten Commandments) is called the ministry of death as in this passage: “Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end (2 Cor 3:7)
Notice the bible says we are under the curse of the Law and not the curse of sin.
For all who rely on works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them” (Gal 3:10).
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”(Gal 3:13).
The Law is contrary to our inherited fallen nature and stirs up our fallen nature to sin.
“The Law was brought in so that the trespass might increase” (Rom 5:20a).
But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the Law, sin lies dead (Rom 7:8).
Once I was alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life, and I died (Rom 7:9).
So we see the Law makes us conscious of our sins and Hebrews 10:2 tells us that if we have made Jesus our Savior, we should no longer be conscious of our sins.
While the law is a guide, and is holy, it cannot make us holy. It was given solely to guard us from each other’s fallen nature, arouse and reveal our sin to show us our need for a savior.
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, ” (Gal 3:23-25)
The Law cannot make you right with God. Only faith in Jesus, God’s promise to save us makes us right with God.
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the Law, for “The righteous shall live by faith” (Gal 3:11).
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the Law; rather, through the Law we become conscious of our sin (Rom 3:20).
Because the law was the only thing that gives sin its power (1 Corinthians 15:56), in Christ you have been set free from the Law and placed under grace where sin will have no dominion over you.
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under Law but under grace (Rom 6:14).
You do not need to fear God’s wrath. You are under grace and the Bible is very clear, where there is no law there is no sin counted against man.
because the Law brings wrath. And where there is no Law (under grace) there is no (sin) transgression (Rom 4:15).
But now we are released from the Law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code (law) (Rom 7:6).
For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Rom 10:4).
Apart from the Law is the only place sin lies dead. I recommend you leave it dead by not mentally placing yourself back under the law.
For apart from the Law, sin lies dead (Rom 7:8b).
In Christ, every sin you have committed is paid for, and you have been placed under grace where sin is not counted against you. You are set free from any and all condemnation the Law can bring.
Through him (Jesus) everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the Law of Moses (Acts 13:39).
Focusing more on the Law WILL NOT HELP you stop sin. As we have just reviewed: the Law will actually stir up and arouse sin in your flesh. The only place the bible says sin is dead is apart from the Law. For a believer the entire Law is summed up here. If you love people you will naturally not commit sins that would hurt them.
The apostle Paul writes: “For the entire Law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’" (Gal 5:14).
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Rom 13:8-10
To love your neighbor, you must first know and believe that God loves you.
“We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. (1 John 4:16).
To stop sin dead you need to be able to love much. The only way you will believe God loves you and love much, is if you fully believe you are totally forgiven.
“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Luke 7:47
To stop sin you need these fruits that your flesh cannot manufacture.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, virtue, virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1: 5-8).
If your life is not manifesting these fruits there is only one reason why you are not seeing them in your life. You have forgotten or do not really believe you have been forgiven. You doubt Gods word about forgiveness.
For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins (2 Peter 1: 5-9).
A primary reason a person will doubt God’s forgiveness is by beliving they are still under the law. Then when they fail, they use the law to condemn themselves for sinning. The doubt comes from looking at one’s own obedience and not Jesus obedience alone that made us righteous.
…by the one man’s obedience (Jesus) the many will be made righteous… (Rom 5:19).
If you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus, you are no longer to be conscious of your sin because his sacrifice worked.
Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? (Heb 10:2).
The law is what gave you a consciousness of sins as an unbeliever. In Christ you are not under the law, you are under grace.
through the law comes knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20).
God does not want you us to be conscious of sin where we remain in bondage. Instead of being sin-conscious we are supposed be righteousness- conscious, Jesus conscious, forgiveness conscious because Jesus is our righteousness. Being conscious of Jesus and what he did honors what he did. Being focused on our sin is blasphemy because it is conveying the idea that we do not believe he actually paid for all of our sins. Think about it. This is why the Holy Spirit (Helper, Comforter, Advocate) convicts believers of their righteousness and not of their sin.
And when he comes, he will convict the believer concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer … (John 16:8-11).
In the above passage, Jesus is talking to the disciples and clearly states that the Holy Spirit convicts the believer of righteousness. He only convicts the non-believer of sin, the sin of non-belief according to Jesus himself.
But I do trust in Christ, and I do believe I am saved by grace alone. If this is all true why don't these fruits just manifest no matter what?
Have you ever borrowed money from someone and been unable to pay them back? If you have, you know that this debt stood in the way of your relationship with that person. You probably even avoided them or worse—ended the relationship through avoidance. You surely were not seeking them out and wanting to hang out. They knew you owed the money, and you knew, too. The debt weighed heavy on your mind. Now what if someone paid your debt in full? What if they told you they had paid the debt, but you did not believe them? The truth is: even though your debt had been paid in full, you would still act as if it had not been paid—because of unbelief.
The same is true with God. If you are trusting in Jesus, your debt is paid in full, and you are saved. But the only way you will fully open up to all God has for you in this life, is when you believe beyond any shadow of doubt that your debt is paid in full by the perfect Lamb of God.
It is not sin that gets in the way of our relationship with God; it is unbelief. God has solved your sin problem, and he wants a close relationship with you. He is waiting for you to just believe him so you will want the same close relationship with him.
For the Law was given through Moses; GRACE and TRUTH came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under Law but under grace (Rom 6:14).
The bible tells us grace is our teacher, which leads us to renounce sin. Note this passage in Paul’s letter to his apprentice Titus.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14).
We will only reign in life over sin when we receive the abudance of grace and God's free gift of righteousness.
For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Rom 5:17
Conclusion: Doubt in God’s love and forgiveness leads to fear and this leads us to sin. The only place sin lies dead is apart from the law. God has placed us in Christ under grace where sin will have no dominion over us. Do not go back to the law in your thoughts and efforts. Simply believe God’s word that you are totally forgiven and loved in Christ. The Father loves you as much as he loves Jesus (John 17:23). He wants a relationship with us like a Father and child. He does not want us in fear.
To go deeper and walk in the complete freedom Jesus has given you go here: http://faithwritersjesuspage.weebly.com/freedom-in-christ.html
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...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
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