LAW Versus CHRIST

Galatians 3:18-29, “For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

I absolutely LOVE the Epistle of Galatians, because it clarifies the Gospel so well. I really love the Apostle Paul. RIGHT DOCTRINE MATTERS!!! Paul was a stickler for right doctrine! That is why I love him so much as a preacher of the free grace Gospel. Unlike 99% of shameful pastors today, who are cowards that merely go along to get along with their ministry peers, the Apostle Paul prioritized RIGHT DOCTRINE above and beyond any human relationship. Galatians 4:16-17, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.”

Evangelist Billy Sunday (1862-1935) got it 100% right...

“The law tells me how crooked I am. Grace comes along and straightens me out.“ —Billy Sunday

So many preachers today are foolishly mixing LAW and GRACE together, which is another gospel. I love what Pilgrim's Progress author, John Bunyan (1628-1688) said:

“If you do not put a difference between justification wrought by the man Christ without and sanctification wrought by the Spirit of Christ within, you are not able to divide the Word aright; but contrariwise, you corrupt the Word of God, and cast stumbling blocks before the people.” —John Bunyan (1628-1688)

Everyone is Either Under Law or Under Grace

My friend, you are either under the law of God or under God's grace, and there is nothing between. Romans 11 is speaking about the Jews. Most Jews were unsaved, still under the curse of the law; but a remnant of Jews were saved, under grace. The Bible makes clear that there is nothing in between. Romans 11:6, “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

Here's a great MP3 sermon by Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold titled, “Caught Between Grace And Works.” The Scriptures are abundantly clear that salvation comes without works, without keeping the law, without self improvement, without following Christ as “Lord,” without turning away from sins. Eternal life is a free gift, paid for by Jesus' precious blood (1st Peter 1:18-19). There is no requirement in the Scriptures to “turn away from sins” to be saved. That is not what “repentance” means. To “repent” means “to think differently.” Repentance is unto the Gospel itself! There is not even one Bible verse that teaches “to turn away from sins” as a prerequisite to receiving the gift of eternal life.

Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Again, there is no mention of forsaking sinful bad habits, nor of inviting Christ into one's life, nor of making Jesus one's “Lord” to be saved. Romans 3:20b makes very clear that “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.” I hear many corrupt, but sincere, pastors preaching a distorted plan of salvation. They tell the Gospel while simultaneously telling people to “ask Jesus to take control of their life” to be saved, which is not the Gospel. Effectively, they are building a bridge between the Gospel and works salvation.

Pacific Garden Mission's “UNSHACKLED” is a major offender in this area, telling people to turn away from sinful ways and surrender control of their life to Christ to be saved. Sadly, UNSHACKLED could be renamed to SHACKLED. Granted, it does sound really good to tell sinners they must depart from sinful behavior, and believe the Gospel to be saved. It appeals to our carnal human nature that a man ought to have to forsake his sinful ways if he expects God to save Him! However, this is what religion teaches, not the Holy Bible. To include forsaking one's sins as part of salvation, is no different than trying to keep the works of the law to be saved. To say that God will not save a man who is unwilling to forsake his sinful ways, is to say that “works” are required to receive the “gift” of eternal life. How absurd! A gift is a gift is a gift!

The very doctrine of God's imputed righteousness to the believer obliviates all such teachings of declaring Jesus as one's Lord to be saved. The truth is that JESUS IS LORD, you don't make Him Lord. To be saved, you simply receive Jesus as your Savior. John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” 1st Timothy 4:10, “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” Jesus is the Savior of all men, but you must receive Him personally to be saved. The way to be saved is to BELIEVE THE GOSPEL!!! The apostle Paul declared in 1st Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” Notice that the Gospel is rendered ineffective by men's “words of wisdom.” Intellectualism is an enemy of soul-winning!

I know you've heard them. I have heard them—preachers who ramble on for hours, lacking any real substance. By the end of their sermon you're utterly frustrated, because there was nothing to grab onto in their message, nothing to sink your teeth into! I love porcupine preachers—because YOU GET THE POINT!!! The apostle Paul warned of balloon-preachers, who are filled with hot air, diluting the truth in never-ending displays of worldly wisdom. One such preacher is Dr. Ravi Zacharias. Religious radio is filled with dry preachers, deadbeats, who avoid offending their listeners for the sake of donations. They are a sure cure for insomnia (unable to sleep)! The great need of the hour is PREACHING PREACHERS! Today's religious ministers are teachers who appeal to the MIND, not Bible-preachers who appeal to the HEART!

Oh how we need men of God today, who walk with God, and who preach the truths that God's Word burns into their heart. God's Word burned in Jeremiah's heart!!! Jeremiah 20:9, “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” Preaching is truth set on fire!!! The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah (known as “The weeping preacher”) had quit preaching in frustration. Jeremiah's message was one of doom for Israel. It was too late for them (Jeremiah 25:11)—no matter what they did, the Jews were going to be humiliated by the Chaldeans (Babylon). Yet, even in his frustration, Jeremiah couldn't withstand the burning conviction of God's Words in his heart, and he returned to preaching the inspired Words of God to the people. Amen!

In God's simple and wonderful plan of salvation, there is LAW and CHRIST. Dr. Law diagnoses us with terminal cancer (imminent death) caused by of sin; but Christ (Dr. Grace) has the eternal cure for us, which we can have through faith alone in Him.

When some corrupt preachers tells you that to get to Heaven, you must first “repent of your sin” or “turn away from your sin” or “forsake a lifestyle of sinning,” he has been inspired by demons!!! Nowhere in the inspired King James Bible are we taught to do any of those things. Bible repentance is a simple “change of mind” from UNBELIEF to BELIEF. Mark 1:15, “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” The Greek word for repent here is metanoeo, a verb, meaning: “to think differently.” A literal interpretation of this passage would be: “Think differently and BELIEVE the Good News that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried and bodily resurrected three days later.” That is “the Gospel” according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4!!!

God's LAW shows us our sinnership, our desperate need for redemption. What saith the Scripture? Romans 3:19-20, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Galatians 3:24-26 teaches that the LAW then brings us to CHRIST, to be saved by grace along through faith alone in Christ alone (i.e., the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified, buried and risen). 1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” I love that Bible verse!!!

So there you have it my fine non-feathered friend, LAW and CHRIST (or, respectively, OLD and NEW Testaments; or, LAW and GRACE). Please don't ever get stuck on the law, like infidel pastors' John MacArthur, Adrian Rogers, Chuck Phelps, Billy Graham, Ray Comfort, Paul Washer, Joel Osteen and other cult followers of the damnable Lordship Salvation and wrong repentance Calvinist movement in America. Calvinism (i.e., the heretical teachings of a man named John Calvin, 1509-1564) is NOT the free grace Gospel presented in the Holy Bible (1st Corinthians 15:1-4).

When asked how to be saved, Paul and Silas simply told the Roman jailer to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:30-31).