LAW VERSUS FAITH: WHICH WAS THE WAY TO PLEASE GOD

By Dennis Schmidt 9/2012

This paper discusses the way to please God by faith or keeping God’s laws. All scriptures are from the King James’ version Bible.

RETURN TO THE: BIBLE PAPERS HOME PAGE

{Hebrews 11:1} "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

{Hebrews 11:6} "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

WHY IS THE LAW EMPHASIZED IF THE LAW WAS ESTABLISHED AFTER FAITH?:

Man is a law structured being. Man is taught (from youth) law, such as what to do and not do. God puts the law into the hearts of unbeliever/gentile (Romans 2:12-16). By faith God made everything (Hebrews 11:3). Faith is God's spiritual principals which counters the natural ways of man. It is a gift of God (Romans 12:3, 10:17 & Ephesians 4:7), but not everyone is given faith (Thessalonians 3:2)

See my paper: "What Does God Really Want?" for more information on this subject.

Law given 430 years after faith promise & cannot disannul faith God first gave a law to Adam & Eve of not eating of the fruit of tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam did not need faith since God walked with him daily. Adam did need faith after he sinned since he was looking for the Messiah (Genesis 3:15). Noah also had law in building the ark. He also exercised faith in that no boat was needed before this time. When the law is mention, it usually deals with the ten commandments. When faith is mention, in the Old Testament, it usually is Abraham's faith that is discussed. The ten commandments came 430 years after Abraham's faith promises.

Galatians 3:17-18 "And this I say, <that> the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. {18} For if the inheritance <be> of the law, <it is> no more of promise: but God gave <it> to Abraham by promise." The law did not change God's original plan of faith.

Galatians 3:29 "And if ye <be> Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." The faith promise.

PURPOSE OF THE LAW:

ALL THE WORLD MAY BECOME GUILTY BEFORE GOD

{Romans 3:19} "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN

{Romans 3:20} "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

IS THE LAW SIN? NAY, NOT KNOW SIN, BUT BY THE LAW

{Romans 7:7} "What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."

LAW WORKS WRATH AS WHERE NO LAW EXIST THERE IS NO TRANSGRESSION

{Romans 4:15} "Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression."

LAW WEAK BECAUSE OF FLESH:  No one could keep it except for Jesus.

LAW IS SPIRITUAL: BUT I AM CARNEL

{Romans 7:14} "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin."  God is spiritual & man is carnal/fleshly.

LAW COULD NOT DO..WEAK THROUGH THE FLESH

{Romans 8:3} "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" Man is to weak to keep the law. God as a man, Jesus, fulfilled it.

LAW PRODUCES DEATH:

If some people are told by their pastor not to see a movie, they will go.  The law with the temptations of Satan are enough to move the person to sin.

BY THE LAW..OUR MEMBERS BRING FORTH FRUIT UNTO DEATH

{Romans 7:5} "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." The law showed us what we knew in our heart was wrong.

CURSED IS EVERY ONE THAT CONTINUES..IN ALL..LAW

To try and follow the law will cause man to take their eyes off Jesus as their only way to please God.

{Galatians 3:10} "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Once we attempt to follow law we must do it all.

EVERY MAN ..CIRCUMCISED..DEBTOR TO DO THE WHOLE LAW. CHRIST IS BECOME OF NO EFFECT..YE ARE FALLEN FROM GRACE

{Galatians 5:3-4} "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. {4} Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."

LAW NEVER REPLACED FAITH AS GOD'S METHOD:

PROMISE TO BE HEIR WAS NOT BY LAW, BUT OF FAITH

{Romans 4:13} "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith."

MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH WITHOUT DEEDS OF THE LAW

{Romans 3:28} "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

LAW IN PLACE UNTIL CHRIST WAS MANIFESTED:

CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

{Romans 10:4} "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

THE LAW..ADDED..TILL THE SEED {JESUS}SHOULD COME

{Galatians 3:19} "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator."

LAW WAS OUR SCHOOLMASTER TO BRING US UNTO CHRIST

{Galatians 3:24} "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

LAW IS NOT VOID BUT ESTABLISHED BY FAITH:

VOID LAW THROUGH FAITH?..WE ESTABLISH THE LAW

{Romans 3:31} "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF LAW BY NOT FLESH WALK BUT BY SPIRIT

{Romans 8:4} "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

AFTER FAITH IS COME, WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER LAW

{Galatians 3:25} "But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."

LOVE FULFILLS THE LAW:

HE THAT LOVETH ANOTHER HATH FULFILLED THE LAW

{Romans 13:8, 10} "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. {9} For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. {10} Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

ALL THE LAW IS FULFILLED IN ONE WORD..LOVE

{Galatians 5:14} "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

RETURN TO THE BIBLE PAPERS HOME PAGE

This page is maintained by Dennis Schmidt. Please send your questions or comments to (dennisaschmidt1@gmail.com).