Rightly dividing the word by Grace.

Believer, see Christ's word in Matthew 22-

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Now see WHO Christ directs His word about "the greatest commandment in the law" to and WHY He did so in Matthew 22:

The Saduccees (who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead) posed a question about who would be the "resurrection husband" of a woman who had married seven brothers successively after each one died without producing children. Christ responded:

31 “But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So He is the God of the living, not the dead.”

Verse 33 tells us "When the crowds heard Him, they were astounded at His teaching."

Then the Pharisees -another religious sect - decided to do their own testing! See the very next verse 34--

"34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The Pharisee, an expert in the LAW, tested Jesus with a question about the LAW OF MOSES: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Christ gave them a response based on the LAW OF MOSES that they followed:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

IN CHRIST WE ARE NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE.

Believer, don't be fazed by religious people who think that they can "at least try" to keep even a tittle the Law like the Pharisees and so try to interpret Jesus' response above to mean that we have to do these things by human effort (arm of flesh) in order to be godly and heaven-worthy. Galatians 5 says of those who tow this path of (self-)righteousness yet claim to be in Christ who is Grace-personified:

"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.

Christ's response to the Pharisees above is for those who are under Law: trying to get right with God by obeying the law, even the two greatest Commandments on which hang the Law and the Prophets. It is not to get we who are under Grace to start depending on our ability to keep these two commandments in order to be godly and saved. Of ourselves, we've all failed in both and so failed in all: James 2:10-

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law yet stumble at one point he is guilty of all."

Just think what you would do if two buildings were on fire and the child of your nasty boss was in the one closer to you while your own child is in the one that is further away. Who can die for his nasty neighbour? Only Christ who died for this sinful world. Let's not even begin to talk about the first and greatest commandment. God's word says "The arm of flesh will fail" but many depend on it to attain even a smidgen of godliness- as Eve was deceived into doing. The one who is trying to keep these laws in order to please God is cursed:

Such who think that they can keep even a tittle of the law aka Christ's response to the law expert-Pharisee have no idea about its severity. You have to obey ALL for any of your efforts to matter or else the entire curse of Deuteronomy 28 follows.

Always, behind the seemingly godly facade of those who think they can "at least try our best" to love God and love our neighbour as the law commands, there is a hankering after self/the arm of flesh aka "I can do it, I have some good in me," attitude like Peter who just knew that he could obey a commandment that is not even listed among the greatest: "You shall not bear false witness..."

Peter was so sure of himself that he told Christ that Christ was wrong about his upcoming denials. What better representation of "exalts itself against the knowledge of God." Beloved, this subtle deceit of putting confidence in one's self for the attainment of good is how Satan subtly puts people into Judas' depression and suicide mode. Has been since he deceived Eve in Eden. Satan knows better than many that "the arm of flesh will fail" so he and his pastor agents are constantly goading man to trust in the arm of flesh in the bid to attain godliness and promoting a self-worth/good in man that God's word says is non-existent. Their doctrine seems like the right thing to do- but it is no different from that of the Christ-hating Pharisees.

God's word is still telling us the same thing that Christ let Peter know before his denials - "the arm of flesh (human effort at keeping the Law) will fail, is powerless and cannot; there is no good in man of himself. See this in 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."

But Pride in the arm of flesh (human effort at keeping the two greatest commandments) that will fail says: "No, I can. I still have some good in me. I can keep the law and do good all by myself. I can at least try to do my best to love God and love my neighbour..."

See the typology of Hagar and Sarah as the two covenants of Law and Grace in Galatians 4. Hagar is a picture of human strength at bearing fruit aka law-keeping. Her fruit (Ishmael) was not recognized by God for the blessing of Abraham. The promise of God - Isaac (much fruit) - did not come until Abraham (Faith) and Sarah (Grace) were utterly POWERLESS to bear fruit.

Isaac was NOT jointly birthed by Hagar and Sarah. Law and Grace don't mix. Recall the Pharisee asked Christ:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Christ's response is for those who are "in the Law." Those two greatest commandments are "the Law." There is nothing like "We should try to do our best to keep the two greatest Commandments by God's Grace" in the equation of our salvation. Grace is undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour. If an atom of human effort aka "at least try" is in it, it is no longer Grace (Christ Himself.) See Roman's 11:6-

"But if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace [it would be meaningless]."

See the NLT: "And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved."

That horrific part-Law/part-Grace mixture that promotes human striving at "doing our best to keep the greatest Commandments in the Law by God's Grace" is the "neither cold nor hot" that Christ speaks of in Revelation 3. Those who think that they can keep the law are like Abraham (Faith) and Sarah (Grace) trying to bear fruit to God by having a relationship with Hagar (Law.) They can bear fruit (produce "righteous" works) very quickly - like Peter who at first slashed off someone's ear to defend Christ- an act that Christ did not sanction. Their fruits are like Ishmael - neither sanctioned nor recognized by God. Isaiah 64:6 tells us how God sees such horrid mixtures of "We should at least try to obey the Law by God's Grace so that God can bless" type of righteous works:

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

Even the Pharisees with all of their knowledge of the Law and their dedication to keeping it (which none of us can match today) failed at keeping the Law. Christ called them "brood of vipers" and " white-washed tombs."

Christ Himself said in Matthew 5:20- "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

Even the Pharisees did not qualify with all of their trying to keep the two greatest Commandments. Beloved of God, by Grace, rightly divide the word. The Pharisee's question was:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Christ's answer was for those who are "in the law." We who believe are in Christ. Not under Law but under Grace. He didn't give that "law-full" answer to get we who are a new creation in Him scrambling to keep the law in order to enter heaven. No one can top the Pharisees at this yet the law condemned them. The letter kills. Christ gave this verse to show His hearers then and us today the futility of trying to keep the Law in order to get right with God. He could not pour out all of His heart at this point because the Holy Spirit had not been given. The Church was still a mystery to even the disciples. Remember Christ said to them in John 16:

12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all Truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me."

The church was still a mystery at the time, but Christ gave His hearers glimpses into our salvation in Him through many of His parables, including those of The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin and The Lost (Prodigal) Son- all pictures of God's saving Grace aka undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour. None of the beneficiaries in that parable kept the two greatest Commandments yet they were used as pictures of our salvation in Christ. Beloved of God good works are the EVIDENCES of our salvation. They are not CONDITIONS.

Christ responded to the Pharisee's question with conditions for righteousness and acceptance by God FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNDER LAW:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

For we who are in Christ, "the Law and the Prophets" attest/testify to His Grace that we are made right with God by faith and not by obeying the Law: Romans 3-

"21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

See the NLT: "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."

Does this mean we can now go on sinning sprees as Pharisee-types who deceive themselves that they are "good" and have some will-power to keep the Law say we want to? Certainly not! Why would anyone want to get cancer just to enjoy the cure? Would you really jump in front of a speeding trailer because your Father is the best orthopaedic surgeon in the world?

No one can keep even a tiny part of the Law by human effort. The reason why we are not committing particular sins is because God did not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear- 1 Cor. 3:12-13. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think that some sins are beneath them or boast about their ability to keep the law. There is something about the arm of flesh (dependence on human effort at obedience) that wants to be relevant in the story of our salvation. That something is Pride. As He did to Peter, the Word of God says "You cannot." But man says "You are wrong, Lord. I can at least try." Beloved of God, let's not be found here. God Himself made the Way for us to live free of sin and it has got nothing to do with our puny attempts at keeping the greatest commandments. Titus 2:14 says of Christ:

"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."

Verse 11 of the same Titus 2 tells us that Grace is a Person. His name is Jesus Christ: "God’s marvelous grace has manifested in person, bringing salvation for everyone."

Freedom from every kind of sin (lawlessness) is through Grace alone, but false teachers dish out the Law and tell you to "at least try" to obey the greatest commandments that Christ gave to a LAW expert in response to the question -

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Many of these false preachers know what they are doing. Their mixture doctrine which promotes pleasing God and the attainment of godliness by even a smidgen of human effort cuts one off from Christ (Galatians 5:4) and gives sin dominion over those who follow it:

"For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace." Romans 6:14. Many have this verse backwards.

How can our Saviour who came to free us from every kind of sin use those very sins that He gave His life to free us from as an excuse for not freeing us from the sins He came to free us from?

Believer, godliness/righteousness before God cannot be bought from the market of the Law using the currency of human effort at obedience or attempting to keep the greatest Commandments:

"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." Romans 3:20.

Try to keep the law/the greatest commandments and sins will multiply-

In Christ, God sees us as righteous, even though we are so lacking in keeping these greatest Commandments and so are guilty of all according to James 2:10; This is God's Wisdom in saving us. It is illogical to human reasoning-

"For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God."

In Christ, God sees us as righteous, "even though we are guilty of many sins." Antichrist pastors prey on man's desire to see human logic in everything and describe the Truth of Grace "licence to sin." But the Word of God whose ways and thoughts are higher than man's says this Way is the Way to live in triumph over sin and death:

"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.

The same stumbling block (Christ as our utter Righteousness) that prevented the law-toting Pharisees from receiving from Jesus is preventing many churchgoers from receiving the fullness of His grace today. Like the Pharisees, such think they can at least try to keep the greatest Commandments. Such reject God's gift of righteousness for their own which they strive to get by attempting to keep the greatest commandment. By Grace, let's not be found following their example. Law and Grace do not mix. Try to keep the law in order to be godly and sin will multiply. 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:

Right believing always produces right living