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Philippians 3:7-9 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith…
Incorrect Assumptions • The Law of Moses, and therefore any law, cannot save because law demands perfect obedience • The Law of Moses does result in salvation, without perfect obedience – Matt. 17:3, Acts 13:22, Heb. 11 (Rom. 3:10, 12, 23) • The Law of Moses had an inherent grace built into it, that found its ultimate fruition in Christ's sacrifice – cf. Heb. 9:15; Rom. 3:21-26 • The Law of Moses was not intended to be the fulfillment of God's plan, Christ was – Gal. 3:19-25 (Matt. 5:17-18) • The Law of Moses was a temporary and symbolic measure until Christ came - Heb. 9:6-10; Acts 3:17-26
Incorrect Assumptions • The Law of Moses, and therefore any law, cannot save because law demands perfect obedience • Just as with the Law of Moses… • God demands obedience to Christ's doctrine and even desires perfect obedience to find salvation – cf. Deut. 11:13-23; 30:1-6 with Romans 6:15-19; 1 Pet. 1:22-25; 2 Thess. 1:3-10; Phil. 2:12-13 • And God provides for those times when we fail to obey (i.e., sin) – cf. Ex. 30:10; Lev. 16:15-16 (Lev. 17:11) with 1 John 1:8-2:2
Incorrect Assumptions • That law (generically) and grace are mutually exclusive and even contradictory… • This contradiction is read into a variety of passages, when it was not even close to what Paul was arguing – cf. Eph. 2:8-10 • Law is not contradictory to God's grace, but symbiotic… • Without law, there cannot be sin – 1 John 3:4; Rom. 5:13 • Without sin, we cannot appreciate God's grace – Rom. 6:1, 15, 23; 1 John 2:1-2 • Without works, we will be sinning – Jas. 4:17 • The Law of Moses and Faith in Christ are not even contradictory – John 1:14 • Is not Jesus both Savior (grace) and Lord (law)? – cf. 2 Pet. 3:18
Incorrect Assumptions • That we are saved by faith or by grace, apart from any works whatsoever... • This misunderstanding is demonstrated in language that disparagingly speaks of demanding obedience • The fact is… • We are not saved by grace only – cf. Eph. 2:4-5; Gal. 5:4 • We are not saved by faith only – Jas. 2:19, 24, 26 • We are not saved by works (obedience) only – Eph. 2:8-10; Tit. 3:3-5 • We are saved when all three come together! We are saved when we meet God's grace with an obedient faith!
Hebrews 6:1-2 1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
2 Timothy 2:15 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Peter 3:16 16…as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
