Opposites and Equivalents – Part 4
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit [Titus 3:5].
When they obeyed obeyed a set of rules, a list of dos and don’ts, the Israelites outwardly recognized the fact that they were sinners. But inwardly, in the heart, they were good old boys and girls. God certainly must be pleased with them because He chose them and not the Gentiles! Intellectually, you see, they acknowledged they weren’t perfect. But what the hey. Nobody’s perfect! Right?
The prophet Isaiah portrayed this fact of the Law, that it was given to the Israelites because they were spiritually immature and couldn’t as yet handle grace:
To whom would He teach knowledge, and to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast? For He says, “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line, a little here, a little there.” [Isaiah 28:9-10]
Such a flippant attitude betrayed their true heart condition. If they hadn’t such a heart condition, then the Law wouldn’t have been necessary. They could have begun and ended with grace and bypassed the Law altogether.
Hence the writer to the Hebrews declared that the Lord had no pleasure in the outward performance of religion. He gave it to the Israelites, yes. But that was to teach them their need for a new heart, not to engage them in religious exercises for the sake of religious exercise.
The writer to the Hebrews noted that the Lord had no pleasure in the works of the Law. This wasn’t because the works of the Law were evil. The Lord Himself gave the Law to the Israelites. Another reason was behind the words of the writer to the Hebrews. Let’s determine what the reason was.
The Law said, “Do these religious exercises and you will live.” The problem wasn’t in the Law. The problem was in the Israelites. They were sinners and sinners sin, not live righteously, which is what keeping the Law would have amounted to. Compare the phrase, “deeds which we have done in righteousness”. The deeds were righteous because the Lord commanded them. Their source made obedience to the works of the Law righteous.
Grace, on the other hand, says, “Receive a righteous life freely, i.e., by God’s grace. Then you can do righteous things.” See! Sinners cannot do righteous things and earn a righteous life thereby. A righteous life is first needed in order to do righteous things.
Ergo, the Law was given to show the Israelites that they weren’t able to live righteously. They needed a Savior to remove their sins and given them a righteous life in place of their sin nature. Only then would they be able to do righteous things.
This concludes our study for today. We have chewed on much which can stand some more masticating. Let’s do so now in the presence of Jesus, as the Holy Spirit teaches us.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
When they obeyed obeyed a set of rules, a list of dos and don’ts, the Israelites outwardly recognized the fact that they were sinners. But inwardly, in the heart, they were good old boys and girls. God certainly must be pleased with them because He chose them and not the Gentiles! Intellectually, you see, they acknowledged they weren’t perfect. But what the hey. Nobody’s perfect! Right?
The prophet Isaiah portrayed this fact of the Law, that it was given to the Israelites because they were spiritually immature and couldn’t as yet handle grace:
To whom would He teach knowledge, and to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just taken from the breast? For He says, “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line, a little here, a little there.” [Isaiah 28:9-10]
Such a flippant attitude betrayed their true heart condition. If they hadn’t such a heart condition, then the Law wouldn’t have been necessary. They could have begun and ended with grace and bypassed the Law altogether.
Hence the writer to the Hebrews declared that the Lord had no pleasure in the outward performance of religion. He gave it to the Israelites, yes. But that was to teach them their need for a new heart, not to engage them in religious exercises for the sake of religious exercise.
The writer to the Hebrews noted that the Lord had no pleasure in the works of the Law. This wasn’t because the works of the Law were evil. The Lord Himself gave the Law to the Israelites. Another reason was behind the words of the writer to the Hebrews. Let’s determine what the reason was.
The Law said, “Do these religious exercises and you will live.” The problem wasn’t in the Law. The problem was in the Israelites. They were sinners and sinners sin, not live righteously, which is what keeping the Law would have amounted to. Compare the phrase, “deeds which we have done in righteousness”. The deeds were righteous because the Lord commanded them. Their source made obedience to the works of the Law righteous.
Grace, on the other hand, says, “Receive a righteous life freely, i.e., by God’s grace. Then you can do righteous things.” See! Sinners cannot do righteous things and earn a righteous life thereby. A righteous life is first needed in order to do righteous things.
Ergo, the Law was given to show the Israelites that they weren’t able to live righteously. They needed a Savior to remove their sins and given them a righteous life in place of their sin nature. Only then would they be able to do righteous things.
This concludes our study for today. We have chewed on much which can stand some more masticating. Let’s do so now in the presence of Jesus, as the Holy Spirit teaches us.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
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