Should believers keep the Law of Moses as a "guiding principle" for morality after being justified by faith through Christ?

Believer, the letter kills, whatever the purpose it is used to achieve. Moral excellence is a godly character. A believer seeking his moral excellence from the law is in essence, aspiring to attain godliness (be like God) through the law, after we have been made perfect and complete in Christ (Hebrews 10) by faith. Perfect. See Paul's typology of the forbidden fruit as a picture of the law that many who profess Christ are trying to keep in a bid to have moral excellence (to be like God) in Romans 7. The MSG version brings it out well:

"8-12 Don’t you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of “forbidden fruit” out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me."

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is a picture of the Law which provides the same knowledge of good and evil. No matter what part of the law one eats of, no matter the purpose for which one eats - whether it is used as a guiding principle or as a reference for good and bad or for justification before God or as a means of hanging on to morality after receiving Jesus- the one that feeds on the law for whatever purpose shall surely die. Same result from eating from the tree. Like the tree, the letter kills, even if one is only trying to keep it for moral justification after being saved.

Romans 7:12 says:"So then, the Law itself is holy, and the commandment is holy, right, and good."

Some religious people quote the above verse out of context, using it to justify their pride (non-existent ability to obey the law) and making it look as if Paul is saying we who believe have to keep the law for whatever reason. But Satan cannot quote the bible in its right context. This will be counterproductive. People will be saved. The law is good, but it is not for us to keep in order to attain a life of moral excellence after we are saved. We are completely free from it, and not so that we should go on sinning sprees. See the bible verse in its context: Romans 7:1-13:

Verses 1-4:

"1 Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living? 2 For example, when a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. 3 So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries. 4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the One who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God."

Explanation: Before we became born-again, we were married to Mr. Law. As believers in Christ, we are DEAD to Mr. Law and are now MARRIED to Mr. Grace. Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2 says of Him: “God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone.”

Remember in Christ we are not under Law but under Grace: "For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace." Romans 6:14. Paul is saying in Romans 7:1-4 that getting back under our ex-husband (Mr. Law) for anything at all while claiming marriage to Grace is ADULTERY. It does not matter whether one is using the law as guiding principles or for moral excellence or as a reference point for good and evil like the tree of same name: it is adultery to sustain any kind of relationship with Mr. Law while claiming marriage to Christ. 

Verse 1 says "Now, dear brothers and sisters—you who are familiar with the law—don’t you know that the law applies only while a person is living?" But satanic ministers say you who have died to the power of the law should apply it in your daily living and use it to achieve moral excellence?

Worse, those who hold the belief that Christians have to maintain a relationship with the Law in order to be morally upright imply that our Husband Jesus Christ, Grace-personified, cannot impart morality to us! Such are saying that we need to go under our ex-husband the Law to get morality and to be able to live a life of moral excellence since Jesus Christ has none to give us! No friend! Never! Christ Himself is moral excellence! Beware of Satanic ministers who preach this adultery. See Paul's typology of Hagar and Sarah as the two covenants of Law and Grace in Galatians 4. Sarah (Grace) did not need Hagar (Law) to raise Isaac (the church.) Grace is enough!

Verses 4-6:

"So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. 5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death."

Explanation: First, we need to understand what it means to be "controlled by our old nature." Romans 5:19 says: "By one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous."  The "old nature" is the sinful nature that all mankind inherited from Adam. Committing acts of sin is not what made mankind sinners. Adam made all of his descendants sinners through his disobedience. By the same token, Christ's obedience is what makes the believer righteous in God's sight.

The one with the "old nature" does not believe that he has been made righteous (moral, good- as if he obeyed the law perfectly) by Christ's obedience. The old nature is characterised by trying to keep the law in order to be righteous. Committing adultery with the law in order to be morally upright after after claiming marriage to Christ is a symptom of the old nature. Such are not "dead to the law." Even some who profess Christ can have the old nature. The result is the Law that such are trying to keep for whatever purpose "aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death." Sin has dominion over such.

Imagine a woman who wants to bear fruit. Can you imagine the same woman leaving her perfect husband and going to be in union with her ex-husband who can only make her give birth to dead children aka “a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death” in order to achieve her goal? Believer, only in union with Christ can we bear fruit to God: “And now you are united with the One who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.”

As believers in Christ, We are united with Christ, not the Law. Going back to the law for whatever reason is adultery. We don't need the law in order to live a life of godliness. 1 Peter 2:3 tells us:

"By His divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the One who called us by His own honor and glory."

If Christ has given us EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness, why do we need to be committing adultery with Mr. Law in order to get the same things? Believer, doing this is a show of unbelief! This is the ONLY Way to live a life of moral excellence: "And now you are united with the One who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God."

Verses 7-13:

"7 Does this mean that the Law is sinful? Certainly not! But if it had not been for the Law, I would not have known what sin is really like. For example, I would not have known what it means to want something that belongs to someone else, unless the Law had told me not to do that. 8 It was sin that used this command as a way of making me have all kinds of desires. But without the Law, sin is dead.

9 Before I knew about the Law, I was alive. But as soon as I heard that command, sin came to life, 10 and I died. The very command that was supposed to bring life to me, instead brought death. 11 Sin used this command to trick me, and because of it I died. 12 Still, the Law and its commands are holy and correct and good. 13 Am I saying that something good caused my death? Certainly not! It was sin that killed me by using something good. Now we can see how terrible and evil sin really is."

Explanation: The Law is good, but can do us no good. "The very command that was supposed to bring life to me, instead brought death." The letter kills, no matter what one is using it for, worse, committing adultery with it by having a relationship with it while claiming to be married to Christ. The law gives sin strength over those who try to keep it: See 1 Corinthians 15:56- "Death gets its power to hurt from sin, and sin gets its power from the Law."

Christ died to remove us from under law. Under grace is where "sin shall not have dominion over you." But many who profess Christ still struggle to be under the Law of Moses that condemns the best of us in the name of achieving morality. So Jesus Christ (Grace-personified) has no morality to give? No friend. God's grace is sufficient for us in every way. Knowing Him is enough. 1 Peter 2:3 tells us: "By His divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the One who called us by His own honor and glory." But the knowledge of the Law, for whatever purpose it is being used has this effect: 1 Corinthians 15:56 "For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power."

The law strengthens the grip of sin over all who profess to be married to Christ (justified by faith) but jump back in bed with Mr. Law to get morals for living a life of godliness, as if Jesus Christ- Grace Himself- is stingy with morals or incapable of of causing us to live a life of godliness after we are saved.

Believer, the letter kills, whether it is used to attain justification before God or for attaining to living a life of moral excellence after being saved.. Romans 7:6 above says: "Now, however, we are free from the Law, because we died to that which once held us prisoners." Going back to the Law for whatever reason after one is saved is saying what Christ did to make us perfect before God and the power of the Holy Spirit to transform even the vilest offender who believes to live a godly and morally upright life is not enough. Paul was so passionate about getting Christians to reject this false doctrine that he called the Galatians "foolish" and "bewitched" for falling for it: Galatians 3:

"Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of His death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? 5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ."

This was written to people who received the Good News of justification by faith. They were deceived into believing that they had business in the Law's house/bedroom after they got married to Christ, whether for moral justification or whatever. No friend, in Christ, we are DEAD to the Law. Wherever the dead Sani Abacha is now, the law of Nigeria cannot reach or prosecute him. He is dead. If he should somehow return to life and subject himself to the law of the land for whatever reason, in a perfect world, he will go to prison, no matter how well he tries to use the law to be moral or to guide himself. Romans 7:6 above says: "Now, however, we are free from the Law, because we died to that which once held us prisoners." The law makes prisoners of all who try to use it to live a godly life.

Being justified by faith in Christ without having works of faith to show for it/living a life of moral excellence is as impossible as jumping into the sea naked without getting wet. Believer, Grace -our Husband Jesus Christ- is full of moral excellence! Everything we need for life and godliness, we have in Him. Good works are evidences of our salvation, not conditions. God works His salvation in us and these good works come about “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.” Philippians 2:13.

Hebrews 10;14 says: "And by His one perfect sacrifice He made us perfectly holy and complete for all time!"

For all time. By His one perfect sacrifice. In Christ, we who believe have been made perfect and complete in God's eyes. Our righteousness in Him is not in question, even though we don't have it all together. In the same way, our morality in Him is not in question before God, even though, of ourselves, we don't have it all together.

Imagine that a woman has no car (aka righteousness including morality, obedience and every good virtue) to ease her transportation troubles. Can you imagine her going to an ex-husband's house to be in union with him so she can bear the fruit of using his rickety car that will get her killed when her own husband has uncountable posh and safe cars that He bought just for her? Believer, we don't deserve it but in Christ, we have the same standing as Christ in EVERY way:

"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." 1 John 4:17.

This is Grace- underserved, unearned, unmerited favour. How can God's righteousness exist without morality? Have you ever seen an immoral but righteous man? No friend! 1 Peter 2:3 tells us: "By His divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the One who called us by His own honor and glory." Through Christ (Grace-personified) and not through the Law.

Many religious people think that we "True Grace" children say these things just because we want an excuse to wallow in sins after we got saved; that we don't want to live right. But can you imagine feeling great guilt and condemnation because you said "she spilled water all over the floor" when the water didn't really cover the entire floor? Can you imagine being fearful of God's judgment because you responded with "12 o'clock" when it was really 12.02 after someone asked you for the time? Let's not even begin to talk of "big sins" like telling your mom that you are almost at her place when you are just leaving your house:) That is how we Grace children "want to sin."

For we who are in Christ, we don't need to go back to the Law in order to live a life of moral excellence. The letter kills, whether it is used for justification before God or for "morality." This is how we who depend on Grace alone get to live a life of moral excellence, yet not us but Christ in us: Romans 5:17.

"For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ."

But try to keep the law (eat the forbidden fruit) for whatever reason, even as a guide for living a life of moral excellence which is a godly character, and death is the result. No matter how nicely Satan tries to dress it up, using the Law as a guiding principle for morality after justification by faith still points to trying to be like God (attaining moral excellence) by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that kills, which brings us to the futility of the venture itself:

Churchgoers who preach this demonic doctrine of "we have to keep the law for morality after we are justified by faith" presume that they have the power to choose right over wrong when faced with temptation. They presume they have some strength in them to live a life of moral excellence! Some churchgoers believe that they can "never" commit adultery or steal by their own power and human restraint and that they can "at least try to obey the law for moral purposes." I recall someone named Peter who once boasted and even knew 100% that he would never deny Jesus and that he would follow Him to prison and to death. Peter wasn't looking for justification before God here. It was an issue of morality. He knew that he must not bear false witness as it is written in the Law but he didn't think his not-denying Jesus would justify him before God. Then, his circumstances changed and he sang a different tune…three times. Proverbs 16:18 counsels us:

“Your boast becomes a prophecy of a future failure.

The higher you lift up yourself in pride,

the harder you’ll fall in disgrace."

Never trust yourself. Believer, this is why you and I in Christ are not held captive by sins and addictions; this is why we are not wallowing in heinous sins right now; this is why we have not thrown morality away and it has nothing to do with our non-existent ability to obey the law for the purpose of morality: 1 Corinthians 10:12-13-

"12 So beware if you think it could never happen to you, lest your pride becomes your downfall. 13 We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously."

This is written to believers, not heathens. If God left you and I to our own devices and let us rely on our human effort at "not throwing morality away by keeping the law after being married to Christ," like Peter, we will do the very thing we swore not to do because the arm of flesh will fail. This boasting in the ability to do what is moral by human effort that will fail is what gives Satan the chance to sift a person like wheat. We could not keep the law in order to be godly before we became born-again. Now we presume to be able to do same in order to be morally upright and by human effort after we got saved? This is the height of pride and foolishness - to trust in human effort at keeping the letter that kills in order to be morally upright.

The reason why we are not committing particular sins is because we have not been tempted beyond what we can bear in those areas. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think that they can keep the law for whatever purpose and desist from throwing morality away and use the law as guiding principles.

But we tend to think that we did good all by ourselves when we are able to desist from commiting some sins. Not so. It is because we have not been tempted beyond what we can bear in those areas. If God lifted His hand that restrains us from committing sin, even the one that is like unbreakable Titanium will be crushed into powder if the right amounts of weight and pressure are applied. 

If God was not filtering and screening the temptations that come our way, we'd all be wallowing in heinous sins. But we often think we did good all by ourselves. To the person who thinks that he is “good,” can keep the law for the sake of morality and can overcome temptation by himself: you think you can never be gay or steal or murder or marry your daughter because of moral principles- you who don't know what will happen within the hour? Peter too thought he would never deny Jesus, until his circumstances changed and he was burdened with a weight that he could not carry. After his boast in the arm of flesh (human effort at not denying Jesus,) Satan asked for him to sift him like wheat, and he lied profusely.

Never trust yourself. Anyone, especially the believer, who is boasting or depending on his own ability to avoid doing the unthinkable or be moral by keeping the law, is making himself into a target to be sifted like wheat by Satan, just like Peter after he boasted in his own strength. Failure is always the result. Only when we receive God's abundance of Grace and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ do we get to "live in triumph over sin and death through the One, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17.

Law-keeping, for whatever reason, whether moral justification or justification before God or to make ourselves "better people" is a pointer to dependence on the arm of flesh (human effort) that will fail in a bid to be what God wants us to be. It all points to trying to be right with God by human effort. Christ is no longer in this equation, "For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace." Galatians 5:4.

Someone responded once that Abraham and Joseph were under Law. Neither Abraham nor Joseph were under law for whatever purpose yet Abraham is known today for his work of faith. The law is not of faith. Without the Law, Joseph knew that sleeping with Potiphar's wife is great wickedness. The law of Moses wasn't given until hundreds of years after they died. What they had was a conscience, which everyone has. The law condemns all who try to keep it to be godly or moral or whatever. To try to keep it or use it for anything in any way (be in union with the Law) while one is married to Grace is ADULTERY. It speaks of human effort at doing right and always, the arm of flesh will fail.

Abraham was righteous in the sight of God; no one under law is righteous in His sight, whether for the purpose of moral justification or otherwise. All who are trying to keep the law in order to attain the godly character of moral excellence in the sight of God are cursed according to Galatians 3:10. All such efforts point to trying to be godly, after Christ died to make us godly in God's sight. Such here are trying to be like God by human effort, like Adam and Eve did. This an effort in futility that leads to death. For we who are in Christ, the life of moral excellence that we live is not by the law but a product of "It is no longer I that live but Christ lives in me."

Believer, this is the gospel of Christ. The religious law-toting people of Paul's day heard it and could not abide it. Paul preached this so boldly that people started falsely accusing he and his companions of preaching that it is okay to do evil since it presents an opportunity for God to show kindness! See this in Romans 3:

5 “But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for Him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) 6 Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would He be qualified to judge the world? 7 “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights His truthfulness and brings Him more glory?” 8 And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned."

Peter too spoke of those who tried and are still trying to twist the gospel of Christ that he and Paul preached to mean what it does not in 2 Peter 3-

15 "And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction."

But Paul kept on preaching boldly hence his statement in Romans 1: "16 I refuse to be ashamed of sharing the wonderful message of God’s liberating power unleashed in us through Christ! For I am thrilled to preach that everyone who believes is saved—the Jew first, and then people everywhere! 17 This gospel unveils a continual revelation of God’s righteousness—a perfect righteousness given to us when we believe. And it moves us from receiving life through faith, to the power of living by faith. This is what the Scripture means when it says: “We are right with God through life-giving faith!”"

The law is not of faith. Using the law as a guiding principle for morality after justification by faith in Christ is being faithless.

Believer, by grace, don't let anyone who is bent on being under Mr. Law under the guise of attaining morality while professing to be married to Christ deceive you with what Paul calls "doctrines of demons" in 1 Timothy 1:4. Paul and the rest of the apostles preached strongly against this demonic doctrine. We are saved by Grace through faith. The law is not of faith. Law and Grace cannot not mix.

Believer, Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. He is enough/sufficient for all we need. 1 Peter 2:3 tells us: "By His divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the One who called us by His own honor and glory.” By grace, let’s believe Galatians 5:1- 

“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

Right believing always produces right living