While under the Law of Moses, the Law ruled. The people lived by works, and the idea of walking by faith and not by legal requirements was new. In Galatians 2:20-21 [ESV] Paul writes, 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the Law, then Christ died for no purpose.
I believe the Apostle Paul is attempting to show that there is not a legal way to get to Heaven. The new Paul, the Paul who had been reborn in Christ, lived by faith in Jesus the Christ Who loved him. The question of love encompassing the two greatest commandments had already been answered. We should love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and we should love our neighbor as our self. This thinking was a foreign concept and new to the legalist, even though it should not have been, for it was taught in the Book of Deuteronomy. The new creature in Christ Jesus Paul now lived by faith in the Son of God Who loved him and died for him. Paul is doing his best, I believe, to convert the legalist to a life of living by faith in the Son of God Who loves us and loving Him back for what He has done for us. The new immersed into Christ Paul now lives by faith in the Son of God Who loved him and gave Himself for him. He lived by faith in Him and loved Him with all his heart for what He has done. Nothing that the Law of Moses requires was going to be of any value to the new creation. Eight times in this little book Paul mentions his readers of God's grace. There is absolutely no value in trying to achieve any favor or even Heaven itself, for works of the Law nullify the grace by which we are saved through our obedient faith. We are new creatures and we live and are saved by grace through faith in this Son Who loved me and gave himself for me by going to the cross of Calvary and shedding his precious blood. And I love Him for that. Only Satan thought creation was over with. But God had plans for the cross to create a relationship with man and God that law could never accomplish. And this new creation would life by faith in the Son of God because He loved us so much to do this. This causes us to relate to Himself by faith working through our love for Him. We are the new man that Satan did not understand would be there when he thought he defeated God by seeing Him nailed to the cross. Satan had no idea that a new and right relationship with God of living by faith and love would ever happen. I feel strongly that the new creation is a product of the cross that makes all this grace and faith and love working together so that we can be a new creation. If we could not be made new, then sinners like me would have no hope of ever being able to change or be changed. It is my joy to be in love with this Lord of mine and to be so eternally thankful to wake up every morning knowing I am forgiven. I believe that all legalism would stop if this little letter of Paul’s would be understood with the simplicity with which it is meant. We, in all our intelligence, sometimes try to make the meaning of the Scriptures something too difficult to understand. But God would not dare to in any way, shape, form, or fashion give us a word that by His Spirit that even the most common of man cannot understand. I believe this with all my heart. But by faith, dedication to His Word, prayer and a relationship with His Spirit to reveal the truth to us, and a genuine love for Him all these things are possible.
I believe the Apostle Paul is attempting to show that there is not a legal way to get to Heaven. The new Paul, the Paul who had been reborn in Christ, lived by faith in Jesus the Christ Who loved him. The question of love encompassing the two greatest commandments had already been answered. We should love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and we should love our neighbor as our self. This thinking was a foreign concept and new to the legalist, even though it should not have been, for it was taught in the Book of Deuteronomy. The new creature in Christ Jesus Paul now lived by faith in the Son of God Who loved him and died for him. Paul is doing his best, I believe, to convert the legalist to a life of living by faith in the Son of God Who loves us and loving Him back for what He has done for us. The new immersed into Christ Paul now lives by faith in the Son of God Who loved him and gave Himself for him. He lived by faith in Him and loved Him with all his heart for what He has done. Nothing that the Law of Moses requires was going to be of any value to the new creation. Eight times in this little book Paul mentions his readers of God's grace. There is absolutely no value in trying to achieve any favor or even Heaven itself, for works of the Law nullify the grace by which we are saved through our obedient faith. We are new creatures and we live and are saved by grace through faith in this Son Who loved me and gave himself for me by going to the cross of Calvary and shedding his precious blood. And I love Him for that. Only Satan thought creation was over with. But God had plans for the cross to create a relationship with man and God that law could never accomplish. And this new creation would life by faith in the Son of God because He loved us so much to do this. This causes us to relate to Himself by faith working through our love for Him. We are the new man that Satan did not understand would be there when he thought he defeated God by seeing Him nailed to the cross. Satan had no idea that a new and right relationship with God of living by faith and love would ever happen. I feel strongly that the new creation is a product of the cross that makes all this grace and faith and love working together so that we can be a new creation. If we could not be made new, then sinners like me would have no hope of ever being able to change or be changed. It is my joy to be in love with this Lord of mine and to be so eternally thankful to wake up every morning knowing I am forgiven. I believe that all legalism would stop if this little letter of Paul’s would be understood with the simplicity with which it is meant. We, in all our intelligence, sometimes try to make the meaning of the Scriptures something too difficult to understand. But God would not dare to in any way, shape, form, or fashion give us a word that by His Spirit that even the most common of man cannot understand. I believe this with all my heart. But by faith, dedication to His Word, prayer and a relationship with His Spirit to reveal the truth to us, and a genuine love for Him all these things are possible.
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