Legalism is hypocrisy; that is, insisting that another strictly abide by laws, rules, regulations, when they them self fail to obey those same rules. In theology, legalism is the enemy of the Gospel as legalism insists one must obey laws and edicts and rules and traditions in order to establish a relationship with Elohim when Elohim has clearly told human kind that relationship with Him is established by faith, not works; that is, faith in Jesus as one’s Messiah (John 14:6)…we trust in the “work” of Jesus for us at the Cross and not in our own efforts or “goodness” to earn favor with Elohim.
Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
Why has the Holy Spirit included Jesus’ discourse with the “rich young ruler” in Matthew 19? What is Jesus teaching?
A theological response to the confusion…
In Matthew 19:17, Jesus is in a theological discourse with a wealthy young man who approached Him asking “What must I ‘do’ to ‘inherit’ eternal life?”
Why do you call me good?
The very first thing Jesus did, out of compassion, was to provide the young man an opportunity to acquire eternal life by “faith” in Jesus as Messiah-Elohim; that is, Jesus asked, “Why do you call me ‘good’ seeing that no one is good but Elohim?” Had the young man possessed the faith, spiritual insight, to acknowledge Jesus as Elohim the Messiah, eternal life would have been granted immediately (Romans 10:13). Unfortunately, the young man did not recognize or acknowledge Jesus as Messiah; therefore, Jesus, knowing the young man’s thoughts, provided the only other alternative to eternal life, Jesus commanded, “Keep the Commandments.” The young man then assumed himself on fertile ground as he felt himself to be righteous due all of his efforts to keep the Commandment; therefore, he asked Jesus, “Which ones?” Jesus recited a number of moral commands to which the young man boldly and proudly stated that he had kept them; then, Jesus proceeded to demonstrate to the young man that he had NOT kept the Commandments but had failed to keep the Greatest of Commandments; Jesus, once again, provided the young man a second opportunity to find eternal life by faith and commanded the young man to “follow me.” Jesus told the young man to sell all of his wealth, distribute it to the poor and “follow me!” Had the young man complied by faith, eternal life would have manifest in the young man’s life.
The relevance of the young man’s wealth?
The young man walked away sad and disheartened because he loved his wealth more than Elohim thus demonstrating that he did not keep the Greatest Commandments to love Elohim above all else and to love your neighbor as yourself but the young man had made an idol of his wealth (Matthew 22:36-40).
I tell you this protracted story because you are DEAD WRONG if you think anyone but Jesus keeps the Commandments in perfection (Romans 3:23) which divine perfection is absolutely necessary if righteousness (a right standing) with Elohim is to manifest (James 2:10) through works of the Law (Galatians 2:16) and you are DEAD WRONG if you think the Law does anything but CURSE the one who seeks righteousness (a right standing with Elohim) through it (Galatians 3:10). As a result of the Adamic sin-nature (Romans 5:12) the Law is a curse to all of humanity; therefore, mankind requires a perfect Intercessor if righteousness (a right standing) with the Father is to manifest with purity and authenticity (1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:6).
If you desire eternal life,
IF YOU DESIRE ETERNAL LIFE YOU MUST HUMBLE YOURSELF AND APPROACH ELOHIM (Genesis 1:1) BY FAITH AS AN UNWORTHY SINNER THAT YOU ARE AND ASK FORGIVENESS, REPENT OF YOUR SIN, TRUST FULLY IN JESUS AS YOUR MESSIAH WHO SHED HIS BLOOD FOR THE ATONEMENT OF YOUR SIN AT GOLGOTHA! John 3:16; 1 Peter 1:18-19
Humanity finds righteousness with Elohim NOT by what we do but in Whom we “believe.” John 3
Christians “work,” they produce divine “fruit” (Galatians 5:22-23), “subsequent salvation” by faith in Jesus as Christians “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16) in faith as they love Elohim and honor Him through obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit, not enslavement to a bygone law covenant given specifically to Israel’s children for eschatological purposes (Romans 7:6; Hebrews 8:7). The Law curses one to death; Jesus saves you through His death at Golgotha (Romans 8:1-7)! Know the difference and LIVE!
1) God said, I will teach you to obey My Laws. Be ye
perfect because the Father is perfect.
2) God’s Laws stands fast for ever.
3) Obey that, grace will stop. Obedience to God’s law will save us. Sinners can’t inherent the kingdom of God.
Discussion,
The legalistic statement above is the perfect example of the Devil’s subtle deception in Judaism and religion in general as divine Truth is commingled with demonic deception that deceives the soul into Hell via self-righteousness via works.
First of all,
If perfection were attainable in the flesh, Jesus would not have needed to suffer and die in our place as blood atonement for sin (Galatians 2:21); therefore, Jesus entered Time via the virgin seed circumventing the Adamic sin-nature and walked blamelessly before the Father as the Spotless Lamb who takes away the sins of the World (John 1; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 2:1-2).
The only “perfection” humanity can attain in this life constrained by Time, physics, flesh, is the perfection of Jesus imputed-gifted into the life of the one who believes in Him as Messiah (2 Corinthians 5:21). This was first demonstrated for you in Genesis 3:21 but so few listen and see and find life in what the Holy Spirit proclaims.
Second,
Elohim’s eternal law is the Spiritual Law or the “law of the Spirit of life” (Romans 8:2; 2:14-15) that has been extant as an arbiter of free will subsequent the creation of the angels and infused within the human genome on Day-6 of Creation as Human Kind was created in the spiritual image of Elohim possessing certain divine communicable attributes of Elohim; this, for eschatological purposes going forward (Genesis 1:26-28).
Third, Grace is eternally relevant…
Grace will never be nullified as the very existence of humanity and redemption from sin hinges upon grace (unmerited favor) from the Father; this, both as an element of salvation and during daily sanctification. Grace will be eternally relevant as free will remains eternally necessary, essential, as foundational to authentic love and intimacy with our Creator.
Finally, Concerning Sinai-Torah-Moses,
Sinai-Torah-Moses are but mere, incomplete, fragments of codification relevant to the eternal Spiritual Law and Sinai and Torah and Moses are wholly incomplete, insufficient, inadequate, as instruments of righteousness (a right standing) with the Father (Romans 3:20); Sinai-Torah-Moses were given as elements of sanctification-eschatology concerning Elohim’s efforts to thwart Israel’s compromise with Baal and Molech, pagan compromise that nullified the Adamic and Noahic generations as progenitors of the Messiah, the Gospel message, the Great Commission; these, being essential eschatological elements concerning the “destruction of the Devil’s works” via the Messiah (1 John 3:8b) via the Gospel that was ordained as a divine battle strategy “before Time began“ (2 Timothy 1:8-10).
In closing,
The codified Law you worship, Sinai-Torah-Moses, were both temporary and incomplete and are of no consequence concerning righteousness with the Father or life in the New Jerusalem; Sinai-Torah-Moses were simply eschatological roadmaps pointing to the need for Messiah Jesus by faith (Galatians 3:24); therefore, it is high time that you leave the bygone Covenant of Law (Hebrews 8:7) and find life in the New Covenant of Grace through faith Jesus as your Messiah and the indwelling Holy Spirit as your obedience to the Father’s will via the production of divine fruit (2 Corinthians 3; Galatians 5:16-23; Matthew 7:15-20).
Law and Righteousness (a right standing) with the Father and the persistent, insidious, demonically rooted, foolishness of legalism…
Faith establishes the impotency of the law to save and redeem (Romans 3:31) as the law only defines one’s sin void atonement (Romans 3:20); in fact, the law curses and condemns anyone seeking righteousness through it (Galatians 3:10) as the law demands absolute perfection (James 2:10) and we’re all sinners already condemned by the law (Romans 5:12; Romans 3:23); therefore, anyone who seeks the law to please the Father concerning righteousness is a legalistic fool as they serve the devil, not the Holy Spirit through faith in Messiah Jesus (Galatians 3).
Anyone who desires eternal life, a pardon from the second death in Hell, will NOT attain same through vain attempts to keep a law or a day or a diet or a tradition. If YOU desire eternal life you must first comply with the Father’s will (John 6:29); you must first repent-turn away from your rebelliousness toward the Father’s will for your life and believe-trust in Jesus as your Messiah who died for you (Luke 13:3; John 3). It is ONLY by faith in Jesus that you will enter into New Covenant relationship with the Father through the imputation – gifting of Jesus’ righteousness over your life by faith (John 14:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21). It is only through the New Covenant Gospel that the words of eternal life are clearly and unambiguously articulated and firmly established; this, by grace through faith in Jesus, NOT LAW (John 3; Galatians 2:16).
A righteousness that pleases the Father,
Once you have established New Covenant relationship with the Father through faith in Jesus as your Messiah and received the Holy Spirit as Guarantor of that covenant relationship (Ephesians 1:13-14), it is the indwelling Holy Spirit who methodically walks you in daily sanctification and guides your redeemed conscience (2 Corinthians 5:17) via the law written upon your heart (Romans 2:14-15) to please the Father through the production of fruits of righteousness that actually honor and glorify the Father as opposed to works of self-righteousness through enslavement to letters etched in stone or scratched upon parchment; letters that can never save the soul from death in Hell (Galatians 5; Galatians 2:16; Romans 7:6; Isaiah 64:6).
"RickeyD" Holtsclaw 