Posted by Searcher on 9/9/2009, 10:31 am, in reply to "Christian Sanctification"
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Dear Ray,
Your list is faulty for several reasons. First, we are not under the law. Secondly, Christ Himself has blotted out the ordinances that were against us. He has also put off our bodies of sin with a circumcision done by Him, we are identified with His burial and resurrection through the faith of the operation from God, made without hands. Third, "sacrament" is not a Biblical term. Today, we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth. We are not to go back to beggarly elements [elementary rules] , ceremonies, ordinances, feast days, etc.(Col 2:20-23) These are only the doctrines and commandments of men and not of God. Is this what you call "backsliding"? - "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Gal 5:4) and "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Gal 2:21)
The need is not to "confess sin". We all know and acknowledge that in the flesh we are in bodies of sin, but we are to put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new man created in us by God when we believe. (Col 3:9,10; Eph 4:22-24) The need is to confess our belief in Him.
Romans 10:9
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth it is confessed [professed] unto salvation.
Ro 3:24-28
Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through the faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission (passing over] of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be Just, and the Justifier of him which believes in Jesus.
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
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There are many things to be learned from all scripture, but we also have to be careful to note who is being addressed and at what time. The small epistles of John as well as James were likely written early on in Acts. You know that James is written to believing Jews who were still zealous of the law of the fathers. John also was a minister of the circumcision and a pillar or teacher of the law. Gal 2:9, "And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me [Paul], they gave me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go to the heathen [Gentiles], and they unto the circumcision."
The primary teaching in 1John is of the love of God and neighbor.(1John 3:23; John 4:9,10,15) The love and life and truth and righteousness of God is contrasted with the characteristics of the devil: darkness, death, lies, the world, and hate. (1John 5:19,20)
Compare James or 1John with 1Cor 5:17-21. This shows the importance of comparing scripture with scripture and rightly dividing the word of truth.
Searcher
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