“The letter (law) kills but the Spirit gives life"

Teaching kids or adults to follow or try to obey moral codes in order to be godly and have eternal life is an effort in futility that has dire consequences- the letter kills. The law was not given for us to obey in order to be godly/righteous. The law was given to show everyone up as guilty before God, to show us how sinful we are: Romans 3-

“19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”

21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.

27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.”

---

“Pastors" and churchgoers who boast in their will-power aka arm of flesh or their ability to obey the law as Peter did before he fell foul of “You shall not bear false witness…” three times try to compartmentalize the law into moral law/oral law/ceremonial law. Such teach that we who believe are still subject to some of these compartments of the law. What a horrid antichrist teaching! The law is a whole and just like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (a type of the law which many are eating of in a bid to be godly/be like God - see Romans 7:8-12 The Message) which has many parts, eating of any part of the law (letter) kills, whether moral, oral, ceremonial or the one with which man privately judges himself in his heart (see Romans 2:12-15)

Romans 7 also shows us that the law that we who believe in Jesus are dead to includes the Ten Commandments; Paul used the 10th Commandment (You shall not covet) as an example in this chapter. In Christ, we are not under law but under Grace where sin does not have dominion over us-

“For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace.” Romans 6:14

But false doctrine teachers preach this in reverse, promoting the attainment of godliness (be like God) or getting right with God by human strength at obedience aka law-keeping. This is the same seemingly good but false doctrine that Satan preached to Eve in Eden. Following this deceit has dire consequences:

“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 5:9

This is smack where Satan wants everyone to be. You see, God's Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11 says of Him:

"God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."

Verse 14 of the same Titus 2 says: "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

Also Matthew 1:21 says of Him: “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Recall Galatians 5:4 above tells us that the sure way to get cut off from Jesus Christ (who is the Tree of Life and Grace-personified) is to try to be right with God/godly by keeping the law? Satan and his agents know this. This is why they are constantly pushing for churchgoers to depend on their will-power/ability to keep the law to make them godly (be like God.) Such who follow their false doctrines have been cut off from Christ so no Saviour to save them from their sins. The letter (law) kills. The Ten Commandments that such look to to make them godly causes them to produce a harvest of sinful deeds that lead to death: Romans 7:5-6-

“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. 6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.”

The old nature is the sinner nature that all mankind inherited from Adam:

“By one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19.

The one with the old nature is not yet a new creation in Christ. He might profess Christ but he does not believe that he has been made right with God through Christ's obedience. Like Adam and Eve whom God made to be “like Himself" but tried to be godly by doing something using their human strength, the one with the old nature disbelieves Christ and His sacrifice of making him godly. He depends on his will-power/ability to obey the Ten Commandments/do righteous works to make him righteous/godly. But see how God sees those human effort-driven righteous works in Isaiah 64:6-

“We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in Your sight.”

See the typology of the forbidden fruit as a picture of the law that many are being led to try to keep in order to be godly (be like God) in Romans 7:8-12 (MSG)--

“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…”

Just like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that kills, the letter (law) which gives the same knowledge and which kills is a whole. It does not matter what portion of the law one feeds on; eat of the tree (bark, leaf, fruit, root) and death is the result. No matter what part of the law one feeds on- whether moral, oral, ceremonial - the letter kills. Whatever a person feels that he has to do by human strength (arm of flesh) in order to be godly (be like God) or in order to “not perish but have everlasting life" is law and it kills all those who depend on it for the attainment of godliness.

Satan's strategy has not changed since Eden. He deceived Eve into believing that she was not godly (like God) and that there was something that she could do by her own power to make her be like God.

She and Adam were made in God's likeness. See Genesis 1:27-

“So God created human beings in His own likeness.

He created them to be like Himself.

He created them as male and female.”

They were already "like God" but Satan deceived then into believing differently. We who believe have an even better covenant in Christ of whom Isaiah 53:11 says:

"After He has suffered, He will see the light of life. And He will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what He will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins."

Believer in Christ, don't let any antichrist pastor bully or deceive you into depending on your ability to obey the Ten Commandments towards becoming what Christ suffered and died to freely make us: godly - like God! The spirit of the antichrist is not anti-God. Its carriers are pastoring churches. They seem to be very pious and godly (like the religious Pharisees) and as Satan was with Eve, seem to want godliness for you. They are usually the ones that tell you to be careful about the message of Grace. Grace is a Person- Christ Himself who saves from sin and death! See this in Titus 2:11 below. But as Satan did with Eve, their own means of attaining godliness is always through what YOU must do with your puny arm of flesh (human effort at obedience) and not what CHRIST has done. This is how Satan kills and destroys. First, he has to steal the word of Christ that tells us that all who believe are godly/righteous by faith and not by obeying the Ten Commandments. Romans 3-

"26...for He himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."

“The letter (law) kills but the Spirit gives life" is a very popular Bible verse. With the Spirit of the Lord, it is neither by might nor by power. It is impossible for doers of works of the Law to deceive themselves in this matter: if you knew and believed that it is Christ in you doing the works and not your own might and power, it would be difficult for you to point accusing fingers at others who are still struggling with sin and threaten them with judgment if they don't change. Rather, you would see how helpless man is to overcome sins and produce good works by his human strength (arm of flesh) and point such to Christ who saves from sins and transforms the sinner who truly believes to live right as you say He is doing for you.

Only that God's gift of righteousness that proceeds from Christ's obedience suffices for God to see anyone as righteous and it is free for all who believe in Jesus Christ:

“And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God." Romans 5:9.

Also Romans 5:19- “By one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.”

There are works under Law and there are works done by Grace through Faith. The difference between the two kinds of works (Law and Faith) is the MINDSET or how we believe that these works come about. Doers of works of the Law falsely believe that it is their good sense, self effort-driven obedience, giving and sowing that gingers God to bless or protect them. But under Grace, our mindset is different: for all of our receiving from God and the good works we get to do - loving, giving, obedience, generosity, witnessing and the many exploits that we get to do - we know that of ourselves, we can do nothing. Jesus Christ - The Lord our Righteousness - is the "skeleton" that put and holds us upright. Without Him, we have no life. He makes us strong and able to do exploits. We see by Grace that of ourselves, our will-power to live right is utterly useless and that there is no good whatsoever in us as was Paul's experience in Romans 7:18-

“For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."

God's word says human effort (the arm of flesh) will fail, is powerless and cannot. But Pride in the arm of flesh (human effort at obedience) that will fail says:

"No, I can. God must be wrong. I still have some good in me. I can keep the law and resist temptation to commit sin by my will-power. Faith without works is dead so I must and I can do works to prove that I have faith. Since I can do it, others must too. They are just lazy and love to sin.”

God's mercy - the skeleton that keeps many self-righteous churchgoers from crumpling into the useless and helpless heap of flesh that man is of himself - is why such churchgoers and even pastors can levy the flock with the yoke of the Ten Commandments as well as condemn and threaten people that they have classified as "core sinners" with hell fire, all without considering that these poor sheep are struggling to overcome their sins and are failing because the arm of flesh will fail.

To think that all sinners enjoy their sins and don't want to give them up is akin to thinking that Peter enjoyed denying Jesus and could not wait for another opportunity to deny Jesus. What do we think is the major cause of depression and suicide even among unbelievers? It is guilt for sins, fear, anxiety, hopelessness and sorrow in the heart for sins aka not measuring up to particular standards - no different from what happened to Judas who was full of remorse for his sin. What the lost sheep need is not more Law or Ten Commandments that kills but super(hyper)-abounding Grace: Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd who saves from sins, cleanses us, transforms us and makes us able to produce good works (Titus 2:14.)

The earlier every churchgoer realises that it is God's mercy that makes him able to stand and keeps him from devolving into sins as was Peter's experience after he boasted in his strength to withstand Satan's sifting but fell flat on his face three times, the better. Of ourselves, there is no good in anybody.

A common refrain of even churchgoers to this truth of Grace is:

"So you are saying once we are saved, because the righteousness of Christ covers us we should continue in sin?”

Beloved of God, beware preachers of the above doctrine of demons that equates righteousness in Christ with lawlessness. Matthew 1:21 tells us what Christ came to do:

"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Christ Himself tells us in (John 6:43-46) what He is doing in the life of every believer:

“Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over Me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent Me is in charge. He draws people to Me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do My work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End."”

Also see Titus 2:14 for what Christ came to do: "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

Beloved of God, how can these two things - being saved from sins/put together by Christ and continuing to live in sin - how can they co-exist? How can the blind receive sight from Christ and continue to be blind while living in Christ? Believers, run from any pastor that posits this kind of horrid antichrist argument that says that righteousness in Christ is licence to commit sin. What a horrid antichrist doctrine it is. Let's take our blessed brains to church.

Those who push this argument of the possibility of “Christians continuing to wallow in blatant or covert sin after being joined to Christ who saves from sins" that is so lacking in God's Wisdom (Christ Himself) imply that Christ cannot accomplish His work as Saviour from sins in the life of the sinner who utterly depends on Him for salvation, even salvation from sins. This false argument belies the fact that its promoters trust in their strength to make them godly (like God) as Eve was deceived into doing. Such see themselves as their own saviour from sins and ungodliness through their puny attempts at keeping the law. This is the very definition of unbelief in Jesus Christ.

Believer, our Heavenly Father in Christ wants us to continually believe and keep on seeing ourselves as He sees us in the mirror of His word- Righteous through Christ's blood (Romans 5:9.) This is what it means to be a doer of the word. This Way, we are transformed by His Spirit and so, get to live right- 2 Corinthians 3:18-

“But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Believer, by Grace, whenever we fail or mess things up, let's not go the way of Judas who turned to his human strength at keeping the law to make things right. Like Peter who also committed a similar sin of betraying Jesus but did not look to what he could do by his own power to make things right with God, let's turn to Christ who perfects, establishes, strengthens and settles us after each trial that He brings us out of, just as He did Peter who fell flat on his face but trusted Christ; he went on to do exploits in His name. Only then can we be strong and do exploits, yet not us but Christ in us.

Trying to keep the Ten Commandments in order to get right with God is the sure-fire way to get cut off from Christ:

“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.

No Saviour from sin here so acts of sin that lead to death proliferate (Romans 7:5,) just as the snakebite victims in the wilderness would have produced more symptoms that lead to death had they rushed off to do things to free themselves of their symptoms instead of looking to the bronze serpent on the pole for salvation- smack where Satan wants everyone to be. See Christ's typology of Himself as the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up for the salvation of the Israelites in the wilderness in the most famous chapter of the Bible- John 3 (v.14-16.)

Our truth is that in Christ, God sees us as righteous ONLY because of the shed blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ, “even though we are guilty of many sins"-

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.” Romans 5:16.

Those sins that you struggle with, your inability to live a godly life and your lack of good works which antichrist pastors deceive you into believing that you can get rid of by your arm of flesh (human strength) and thus be godly (be like God,) Christ came to free you from all of them. Titus 2:14 says of Him:

"He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

Antichrist churchgoers teach law-keeping aka dependence on human strength at attaining godliness as Satan did to Eve. Such place the burden of salvation from sins on the helpless sinner, describe the truth of Grace as license to sin and preach that man can be godly by human effort at doing stuff, thus expressing their unbelief in Christ who came to free us from every kind of sin and cause us to live right. But God's word says differently-

"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 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." Romans 5:16-17.

Only by forsaking our own (self)-righteousnesses aka our useless efforts at trying to keep the Ten Commandments in order to be godly like God and believing Jesus (having Him as our sole and utter Source of righteousness and strength) do we get to live in triumph over sin and death. This is the Good News. Following it is being doers of the word and not hearers alone, and this we do by Grace alone. When your believing is right, right living will follow.