“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit� – Romans 8:4.

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,…………..which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe….� – Romans 3:21,22.

By walking after the Spirit, the righteous demands of the law is fulfilled in us.
Living by faith in Christ, God righteousness without the law is manifested in our life.

From both verses I see that Christ’ believers that is led by the Spirit might achieve a righteous-ness that fulfill the demands of the law WITHOUT being under the law’s jurisdiction. Being under the law’s jurisdiction means we are oblige to keep and obey the law and would be judge by the law.

Thus, being not under the law means, the law has no authority whatsoever upon us, in other word we may say, there is no law for us to keep and to obey. We are a free man, we are not subject to obedience of any law. At the end, there is no law that would judge us, that stands as a standard of judgment and righteousness. The only judgment against us is: Do we have the love of God in our heart and fruit of the Spirit in our life?? And those love / fruits of the Spirit is the evidence of living by faith.

“Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Romans 3:30.

Justification by faith is based on a judgment without the law. God doesn’t need the Ten Commandments to judge us whether we are his faithful believer or not, God doesn’t need the Ten Commandments to judge us whether we are FIT for heaven or not.

If this idea is true, than why SDA enforced so many laws to be kept and observed??

In His love

James S.

James, you're right, we cannot work our way to heaven by keeping the law without faith, without righteousness by faith. If we attempt to experience the "righteousness of the law" without Jesus, we are condemning ourselves in judgment, because without Jesus all our righteousness is nothing but filthy rags, nothing but condemnation, fuel for the fires of hell. We cannot live in harmony with the principles of the law without faith in and through Jesus.

The only way we can experience the "righteousness of the law", unto the honor and glory of God, is through faith that works by love and purifies the soul. By faith in the righteousness of Jesus we are justified, we are forgiven, it is as though we have never sinned. But more than this, through faith in Jesus we are empowered to partake of the divine nature, to partake of His holiness, to experience the "righteousness of the law" through faith.

In judgment, the example of Jesus, who perfectly obeyed the law, is the standard of judgment. No one will be rewarded with eternal life if their record reflects they refused to imitate the law-abiding example of Jesus. If we insist the law plays no part in judgment we are in essence saying the example of Jesus means nothing.

But the truth of matter is, the example of Jesus is proof that, by faith, it is possible to live in harmony with the requirements of the law, that the law is holy, just and good. In judgment, the law serves as an unbiased, impartial witness as to whether or not we imitated the law-abiding example of Jesus, and our eternal destiny is based on its testimony. God cannot justify anyone who refuses to imitate, by and through faith, the example of Jesus.

Being "under the law" means being under its condemnation. Those who obey the law aren't under the law. They're under grace, having been forgiven of past transgressions.

But those who continue to break the law, continue to be "under the law."

SDAs talk about observing laws because God does.

Yes, Tom, I'm referring to the freedom to choose in the context of salvation. Regarding judgment, I believe certain people will be saved based on the life they would have lived had they known all truth. Otherwise, alot of Sunday keeping Christians will not be in heaven.

.

[ January 01, 2005, 07:32 AM: Message edited by: Doug Meister ]

Tom, essentially I agree with you, that is, our reward in judgment is based on the traits of character we develop in this lifetime. But what about those people who did not keep the sabbath, or who ignorantly worshipped false gods and idols? Or, who held false views regarding hell?

You see, since the law is the standard by which our eternal reward is determined, none but justified and sanctified believers can be saved. The uninformed Gentiles Paul talks about in Romans 2:13-15 would not survive the test of scrutiny. In other words, even though they unwittingly obey certain facets of the law, they do not, however, obey every facet of it.

This being the case, how then does God justify rewarding them with eternal life? Are they saved on the merits of their good works, or their good characters, or their unblemished obedience, or their perfect likeness to Christ, or what?

Being "under the law" means being under its condemnation. Those who obey the law aren't under the law. They're under grace, having been forgiven of past transgressions.

But those who continue to break the law, continue to be "under the law."

- - - - -- Quoted from John post - - - - - - -

How could “being under the law� mean only under condemnation?

Some one is condemned by the law because he breaks the law, which mean he is under the law’s jurisdiction. And the law judge him as guilty.

So, “under the law� means: under the law jurisdiction, judgment and if you break the law, you are condemned.

Are there anyone who obey the law perfectly? Only Jesus Christ! That’s why he was the only Person ever born that received the law’s justification that brought life, he was resurrected from the death as a reward for his perfect righteousness in keeping and obeying the law.

All of Adam’s descendants who were under the law, were all guilty of breaking the law and are all under condemnation (Romans 3:19).

That’s why, Christ believers were not under the law in the real sense; they were not under the law’s jurisdiction, judgment and of course condemnation. Only those who thinks and accept the law’s jurisdiction, would be judge and condemned by the law.

How about Paul? Was he under the law?

To the Jews I became like a Jew………………To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) – 1 Corinthians 9:20

Who are those who were under the law? They are those people who must do whatever the law says, who were under the jurisdiction of the law and under it’s judgment – Romans 3:19.

Of course I follow Paul, I myself am not under the law WRITTEN ON STONE TABLETS, a law that kills, a ministry that brought death – 2 Corinthians 3:6-9.

In His love

James S