law

Philippians 3:3-14 

I grew up with 3 brothers, the youngest was 10 years behind me. So my real life experience was with two older brothers. One of them was one of the most gifted guitarist in the land and was known by everyone in high school. The other was part of a high school gang that was known for drinking and fighting. For quite a few years I lived off the reputation of my brothers. All my friends would come asking me questions about music equipment and I would give them advice, even though I didn't know what I was talking about. They just assumed because my brother knew everything and played so well that I also would know. Because of my other brother, a lot of the older boys that normally would've smacked me because of my smart mouth did not, partly because they did not know if I was as tough as my brother…I was not, or they did not want my brother’s wrath down on them.

I was living off of something that was not mine. When it comes to this kind of nonsense, at best, it will turn out to be embarrassing when people find out that “you're not all that”. However, in other matters, like the one we will now discuss, the end will be...

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 1:8-11 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ⁹realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person,but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers ¹⁰and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, ¹¹according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

Application: Here is a clear light into the reason for the Law. The Law is good, but how could someone have used it unlawfully? This was the problem Jesus encountered and the church continues to encounter. The Law tells us to be separated from sin and those that would try and lead us into sin. It did not mean to completely separate from sinners – their the ones we need to encourage toward God. When Jesus walked the earth, the religious leaders had perverted the Law into a set of beliefs that were meant to be steps toward sinless perfection and heaven. Jesus ate with sinners and was confronted by these same leaders. Lk 15:1-2 & Matt 9:10-11. It still goes on today through... 

Only days ago I read where a large number of food producers in America were now sending products to the market, manufactured under Halal-certified standards. Standards that are mandated under Sharia law.

For wanting things to be easy in life, we sure do make things difficult. What is it with us in having to make things hard that is really so easy?

For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. (Galatians 2:19 NET)

Living for God is so easy. It was even back in Moses' day. God's children just didn't want anything to be that easy. How could it?

When God gave Moses the 10 commandments, that's all He expected us to live by. But that's too easy! We had to complicate things!

How many times we act thinking that we are doing God’s bidding. Yet, we don’t realize that we are the tools of the enemy. We destroy thinking that we are building.

But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God’s law. (Galatians 2:18 NET)

There is nothing wrong with tradition and “law”. That is until we replace God with them.

We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15-16 NET)

Rom 3:21  But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

But now a righteousness from God,
Righteousness - The general usage, according to Webster's, is conformity to a standard.
    Whose standard? God's. Is it possible for man to uphold God's standard? Nope, never has been, never will, not while we are living on this earth.