Let us see what is being said in Galatians 2:21
Galatians 2:16-21
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Faith has always been the foundation. Even under the law of Moses as it came from God faith was the cornerstone. Works without faith are dead. What Paul is saying is that works void of faith does not justify. He instead points to Christ instead of the old law. But faith in Christ comes with a heavier burden of personal behavior than the law of Moses. Read carefully what it says. It says that "we might be justified by the faith of Christ". It does not say we are justified in our faith in Christ. It is Christ who said:
Mat 5
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
and
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.
and
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.
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.
and
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;
and
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
The faith of Christ allowed Him to live a life that followed the law, loved His enemies, turned the other cheek, did not lust after another man's wife, lived the perfect life. So if we have the faith of Christ we to can walk as He walked. We can be justified by our faith because our faith would be His faith. But how can we acquire the faith of Christ? Paul tells us.
Gal 2
17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
Here Paul is telling us that those who seek to be justified by Christ yet sin should not blame Christ for the sin. The sin did not come from Christ.
18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
In the act of baptism we destroy the old man because of our faith and the act which we engage in. At that time the bonds of death are broken and sin is washed away. But we can choose to take one of two paths. One path is the spiritual path in which the Spirit of Christ can indwell in us and we sin no more. But if we rebuild the connection to the world we do not have Christ in us and sin is at our door. Thus we become a transgressor.
19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
Now Paul is talking about himself. If you have the Spirit of Christ in you then you no longer have to think about the law. The law is dead to Paul and anyone who walks with Christ. It is his statement "live unto God" that describes a level of faith and behavior.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
The act of atonement of Christ allows us to share His Crucifixion to remove our sins. Where Christ died for our sins we still live after we are cleaned. Yet if we take the spiritual path Christ is in us. It is His faith, the faith of the Son of God in us. This is what allows us not to sin.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Paul is saying that to turn back to the world and sin will frustrate the grace of God. We are to respect grace and not abuse the act of forgiveness. Righteousness comes from accepting the atonement and then acquiring the Spirit of Christ in us so we do not sin. Paul ends by saying that if the law could have provided a path so we could walk with God then Christ would have died in vain. But the law provides no such path. The path is to accept Christ in us so His faith can lead us to a sinless life leading to eternal life.
Commentary on Romans 1 through 9
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_Albion
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Re: Commentary on Romans 1 through 9
Clearly, FT, we have a major disagreement here. I think if perfectly normal that prideful man would think himself so important before God as to think that he can impress God with his works and deeds and that salvation just can't be a "free gift" because that would be just too simple. There are no degrees of justification. One has either been made just before God...perfectly right in his eyes...righteous, just as if you have never sinned, and this through faith and as a free gift, or one hasn't. There are no degree for it...you don't become more justified, more righteous in God's eyes...you can't earn more justification. Through faith the believer is made perfectly right before God, cleaned and figuratively washed in the cleansing blood of Christ shed for him at Calvary to live a life that demonstrates the saving power that has taken place in him. It is a free gift...free means it can't be earned...it can't be worked for...you don't deserve it by anything you can do other than simply believing to a life lived out in faith. A person can either go through life struggling to please God by his own effort, never knowing if he has done enough or if it is acceptable to God, or he can rest in the assurance of salvation received as a free from a wonderfully gracious. Clearly and without doubt Paul's writings are shot through with this wonderfully freeing good news of salvation.
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Re: Commentary on Romans 1 through 9
Albion,
Thank you so much for taking the time and actually reading what I posted. I know we have different views and that is fine. We both love our Savior and we know that only through Him we can be saved. It is only some details we disagree.
I have posted this same data on another site and I have been attacked beyond measure. I am sure that if they thought they could get away with it I would be burned at the stake. But then again many good people were burned at the stake.
Your view is consistent with most of Christians. And I do have respect for that position. But I personally I have moved along. We may disagree on that.
You have a great Christmas.
Frank
Thank you so much for taking the time and actually reading what I posted. I know we have different views and that is fine. We both love our Savior and we know that only through Him we can be saved. It is only some details we disagree.
I have posted this same data on another site and I have been attacked beyond measure. I am sure that if they thought they could get away with it I would be burned at the stake. But then again many good people were burned at the stake.
Your view is consistent with most of Christians. And I do have respect for that position. But I personally I have moved along. We may disagree on that.
You have a great Christmas.
Frank
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Re: Commentary on Romans 1 through 9
I had a pastor once who ended every prayer by saying: "May you be restless, O so restless, until you rest in Christ." Therein, I think, is the discovery of the meaning of Christmas and the proclamation of peace on earth to all men, the peace of reconciliation with God. The peace of Christmas to you.
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Re: Commentary on Romans 1 through 9
I will now post a short version of my interpretation of scripture in support of multiple probations. It is an unpopular idea but one which I hold to be true.
The idea of reincarnation in the flesh or probations (a better term) is one that I resisted for over fifteen years. So only after a deep rejection of the idea was I forced to accept it. The idea of grace and belief as the cornerstone was much easier to accept and understand. I was brought to these ideas kicking and screaming no, no, no. So I know from personal experience how unlikely it is that I will be able to turn anyone to this kind of thinking. It is my personal belief that all must come to this understanding before substantial spiritual growth can happen.
I can not in two verses describe what I refer to. But I will try and make it as short as I can.
Romans 5
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
Here we see that before the law of Moses sin was in the world but sin was not imputed. Or another way of saying this is that sin was not accounted to the individual. Yet we see in verse 14 that death reigned from Adam to Moses. So everyone was bound to death. So we are left with some details about those who lived before Moses that we must reconcile with the rest of scripture. The question must be asked, what happened to those who sinned yet were not held accountable? And the bigger question is what does it mean to die in the flesh and be bound to death?
Romans 6
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Paul is describing the mechanics of how baptism works. This is necessary for us to understand so other scripture will unfold before us. To get started; We know the gospel and have chosen to be baptized. Before being baptized our soul is tied to death and the flesh. We are bound by sin and death is bound to our soul. When we enter the water a spiritual event happens. The bond to the flesh and death is broken. That part of us that was tied to death remains in the water as we rise out of the water. Now our soul is free. It was the grace of God that allowed the spiritual event to happen. No work was required on our part, it is a free gift. It just takes a belief in Christ as the Son of God.
Now later in Romans Paul describes how we can choose to follow the spiritual path without sin unto eternal life or we can fall back to sin and return to death. To fall back into the flesh is to fall back into corruption and sin. Once we do that death is bound to us again.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
This verse ties it together nicely. We have a choice. If we tie our self to the flesh we reap corruption, sin, and death. But if we tie our self to the spirit we reap life everlasting. So corruption is death, sin, and flesh.
Now that we know how baptism works and we know the relationship of corruptible flesh verses the spirit we can move to a comparison between David and Christ found in Acts.
Act 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
Act 13:34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
Act 13:35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
In these verses Paul is describing Christ and how after He died He would see no more corruption. Christ would not be in the flesh again that was bound to death and sin. Whatever body Christ would have it would not be corruptible flesh and He would be eternal not to suffer death again.
Act 13:36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
But now Paul contrast David with what happened to Christ. David did sin and fell back to being bound by the flesh and bound to death. He fell back to corruption. The key here is when did David see corruption. After he died and was laid unto his fathers then David saw corruption. But corruption is the flesh and being bound to death. So the soul of David came back into the flesh to see corruption. To attempt again to walk in the spirit and to finally break the bonds of death and not fall back.
With these ideas in mind let us see how those who lived prior to Moses were dealt with. They were bound to the flesh and death. So they all came back in another life until they could be exposed to the law and then to the gospel. Under the law they learned about sin so they were accountable for their sins and could be punished. But the law could not break the bonds of death. They too also came back to have an opportunity to walk a spiritual walk with Christ. To go through baptism and then choose between the world and the flesh which leads to sin and death or to walk in the spirit and not sin and obtain eternal life by dying just once while in the spirit. As Christ died but once in the spirit.
Act 13:37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
Again a contrast between Christ and David.
Now you must ask your self why would the Holy Ghost make such a roundabout explanation of being bound to death and bound to corruption. God knew that the early church would fall and cast out the ideas that did not fit its idea of God. So the ideas of God had to be buried in scripture to be uncovered later when the scriptures started to open towards the end of the age. That is now.
The idea of reincarnation in the flesh or probations (a better term) is one that I resisted for over fifteen years. So only after a deep rejection of the idea was I forced to accept it. The idea of grace and belief as the cornerstone was much easier to accept and understand. I was brought to these ideas kicking and screaming no, no, no. So I know from personal experience how unlikely it is that I will be able to turn anyone to this kind of thinking. It is my personal belief that all must come to this understanding before substantial spiritual growth can happen.
I can not in two verses describe what I refer to. But I will try and make it as short as I can.
Romans 5
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
Here we see that before the law of Moses sin was in the world but sin was not imputed. Or another way of saying this is that sin was not accounted to the individual. Yet we see in verse 14 that death reigned from Adam to Moses. So everyone was bound to death. So we are left with some details about those who lived before Moses that we must reconcile with the rest of scripture. The question must be asked, what happened to those who sinned yet were not held accountable? And the bigger question is what does it mean to die in the flesh and be bound to death?
Romans 6
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Paul is describing the mechanics of how baptism works. This is necessary for us to understand so other scripture will unfold before us. To get started; We know the gospel and have chosen to be baptized. Before being baptized our soul is tied to death and the flesh. We are bound by sin and death is bound to our soul. When we enter the water a spiritual event happens. The bond to the flesh and death is broken. That part of us that was tied to death remains in the water as we rise out of the water. Now our soul is free. It was the grace of God that allowed the spiritual event to happen. No work was required on our part, it is a free gift. It just takes a belief in Christ as the Son of God.
Now later in Romans Paul describes how we can choose to follow the spiritual path without sin unto eternal life or we can fall back to sin and return to death. To fall back into the flesh is to fall back into corruption and sin. Once we do that death is bound to us again.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
This verse ties it together nicely. We have a choice. If we tie our self to the flesh we reap corruption, sin, and death. But if we tie our self to the spirit we reap life everlasting. So corruption is death, sin, and flesh.
Now that we know how baptism works and we know the relationship of corruptible flesh verses the spirit we can move to a comparison between David and Christ found in Acts.
Act 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
Act 13:34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.
Act 13:35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
In these verses Paul is describing Christ and how after He died He would see no more corruption. Christ would not be in the flesh again that was bound to death and sin. Whatever body Christ would have it would not be corruptible flesh and He would be eternal not to suffer death again.
Act 13:36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
But now Paul contrast David with what happened to Christ. David did sin and fell back to being bound by the flesh and bound to death. He fell back to corruption. The key here is when did David see corruption. After he died and was laid unto his fathers then David saw corruption. But corruption is the flesh and being bound to death. So the soul of David came back into the flesh to see corruption. To attempt again to walk in the spirit and to finally break the bonds of death and not fall back.
With these ideas in mind let us see how those who lived prior to Moses were dealt with. They were bound to the flesh and death. So they all came back in another life until they could be exposed to the law and then to the gospel. Under the law they learned about sin so they were accountable for their sins and could be punished. But the law could not break the bonds of death. They too also came back to have an opportunity to walk a spiritual walk with Christ. To go through baptism and then choose between the world and the flesh which leads to sin and death or to walk in the spirit and not sin and obtain eternal life by dying just once while in the spirit. As Christ died but once in the spirit.
Act 13:37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
Again a contrast between Christ and David.
Now you must ask your self why would the Holy Ghost make such a roundabout explanation of being bound to death and bound to corruption. God knew that the early church would fall and cast out the ideas that did not fit its idea of God. So the ideas of God had to be buried in scripture to be uncovered later when the scriptures started to open towards the end of the age. That is now.