Rom
4:13-14 (Complete Jewish Bible) For the promise to Avraham and his seed that he
would inherit the world did not come through legalism but through the
righteousness that trust produces. 14 For if the heirs are produced by
legalism, then trust is pointless and the promise worthless.
NOTE: I like the way
CJB translates theses verses. The issue
is legalism toward the OT law and it is contrary to trust. In my opinion, it is not possible to live by
faith (trust) and also live legalistically to the OT law. I grant that a believer who is legalistic to
the OT law may argue that his salvation is not dependent on the law, but that
he proves his devotion to God by keeping the OT law. There is a certain truth in that statement,
since John 14:21 says something similar.
But how does one know that keeping the entire OT law is correct? And if
you do not keep the entire law (which most adherents of that view don’t), why
do you keep any of it? If one can pick
and choose how he shows his love for God, why can't he choose none of it (the
OT law)? But you might reply, what of
the moral laws (although the OT Law makes not distinction itself)? And I would agree, because Jesus himself
taught those laws and they are what we count as the law of Christ (Gal 6:2) and
the law of the spirit of life (Rom 8:2).
And so my focus is on what the NT teaches as law, not what the OT says. The OT provides principles and lessons to
teach us (Rom 15:4). But am I not under
the burden of the OT law, I have taken on a lighter burden (Matt 11:28-30) of
Jesus' commands, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
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