Each time Jesus was questioned and spoke about the law, he not only supported and justified it, he reinforced it; he strengthened it; he took it further than the Law of Moses. He took it to its intended end, to our hearts. Jesus took the law from the written law and applied it to our hearts. Jesus wants us to subject ourselves to the very spirit of the law, and not only the letter of the law. Here is the huge misconception: Observing the letter of the law is death. Observing the spirit of the law is life. God’s words are law. God’s words are life.
There are preachers today teaching grace without repentance. People love to hear this! This is the preaching for itching ears. The speaker becomes very popular. The only problem is, he is leading them into damnation. This teaching is mostly sound doctrine, as quoted from the bible, but it is the twisting of the scriptures. It takes the subject out of context. Scripture cannot be against itself. God’s word will not disagree with itself.
2 Timothy 4 2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
The scripture Romans 3:28 is used to justify the grace without repentance theology. This scripture does not stand alone in the bible, no more than John 3:16 can stand alone. There is a host of scripture exhorting us to obey the law, and to carry on the work of the father, to sow into the kingdom of heaven. This age of grace teaching will take many to hell. Telling people all they need to do is believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved is a lie because it is not the whole truth. There is no salvation without repentance. Many people go to church once, get saved, go home, never turning from their own ways, which is sin, never follow Jesus Christ, and are not going to be saved. Jesus will say to them, “Depart from me. I never knew you”. How can he know them when they are not with him. The word “know” is being applied here in the biblical sense of the word; the intimate knowing. They were not intimate with Jesus.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say,Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mark 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Luke 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
God created the universe by enacting the laws of nature. These laws of nature cannot be repealed until the heavens and earth are passed away. These laws are necessary to hold everything together. Jesus death on the cross did not change the laws of nature. The laws of the Old Testament are still in effect today. Eating pork is just as unhealthy as it was then. Is it a sin to eat unhealthy? Since your body the tabernacle of God, what do you think? Will you abuse the gift God gave you? This is just one example.
John 7:49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.
1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works
James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Acts 13:15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying,Yemenandbrethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
Acts 21:24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shavetheirheads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
Romans 2:13 (For not the hearers of the lawarejust before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Romans6 14For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Romans 7 6But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. 7What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Galations 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
Galations 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Matthew 5 17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18For 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. 19Whosoever 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 teachthem,the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5 21Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22But 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.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him,If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Matthew 22 37Jesus said unto him,Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the secondislike unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
John 14:31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
Luke 10 25And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26He said unto him,What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28And he said unto him,Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
I do not want people to focus exclusively on sin. Too much negative focus can cause your downfall. Remember the story of Peter walking on the water? While he looked to Jesus he conquered, but when he looked down, it troubled him and he fell into it. The focus must be on the kingdom of God, and Jesus. This is where the strength comes from to endure, and to overcome. Focusing on the problem is a focus on the carnal. But don’t take this out of balance, or go too far the other way with this. Don’t stick your head in the sand, not wishing to see anything.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.