The Law is Good if Used Lawfully

In the Body of Christ, you rarely hear anyone teach about the Law, except to say that we are free from it, since we are under grace.  But there are few teachers of the Word, who seek to explain to us what place it has in our lives today as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.  I'd like to share with you from the apostle Paul's epistle how the Law is meant to be used.

Paul wrote to Timothy:

"But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted." (1Ti 1:8-11)

First of all, Paul taught that the Law is good, provided one uses it lawfully.  He himself used it lawfully (e.g.,  Eph 6:1-3; 1 Cor 14:34,37)! So there is a lawful way to use it for good.  The problem is that most people don't understand how to use it lawfully, being unable to handle it correctly, so they are unable to do any good with it, nor can they understand how anyone could do so.

If you are interested in a more detailed explanation about the role of the Law or the importance of obedience for the disciple of Christ, I recommend reading the following articles below, beginning with the ones in the left column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship Faith Works! Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? The Obedience of Faith Remember the Eternal Law of God

Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit What Then Must We Observe Listen to Jesus

Secondly, Paul taught that the Law is not made for a righteous person.  The reason is that the righteous person will have the Law written in his heart and will be living a holy and godly life that is spotless and blameless (see 2 Pe 3:14; Heb 12:14; 1 Pe 1:15-16).  A righteous person will be led by the Holy Spirit, who will always have us do that which is holy and good.

Thirdly, Paul taught that the Law is made for certain people, namely for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers.  Such people need to see in the law that the way they are living is detestable to God.  They need to see that God hates what they are doing.

Here is where (in my opinion) most Christians miss it.  They assume that all Christians, including themselves, are righteous people, who do not engage in such a lifestyle as Paul described here.  They assume that they are neither lawless nor rebellious, neither ungodly nor sinners, neither unholy nor profane.  But this is a big mistake!  If the people of God have gone astray, then they most certainly are practicing certain things that are either unholy, profane, lawless, rebellious, ungodly, or sinful.

In many of the divine revelations I have posted on Eternal Destinations, the Lord is warning His Church that we have gone astray, and He is calling us back to holiness, righteousness, and truth.  He is addressing things that are making his Church "dirty," like wearing ungodly attire and adornment, watching secular television, listening to rock, reggae, and rap, cross-dressing, worshiping idols, and not keeping Sundays holy.  Many people are hearing what the Spirit is saying to the Church in these revelations. They are waking up, repenting, and getting right with God before it is too late.

However, there are many more believers who reject these revelations as legalism and deception from the enemy, as if the devil would want to call us back to holiness with God.  And when we try to show them that the things the Lord warned us about in the divine revelations are found in the Bible, including the Law and the Prophets, some of them argue that these Scriptures are not for those of us today, who are living under the New Covenant of grace.  They argue that anyone who cites a verse from the Law is being legalistic, and sometimes they even ridicule us. But they are badly mistaken.  The Law is good if used lawfully.

Lastly, in Paul's epistle to Timothy, he taught that the Law is also for "whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted." (1 Tim 1:10b-11).   I want to highlight this phrase, which Paul added in addition to the other things he already mentioned the Law was made for, namely "for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers."  Let's now look more closely at this "whatever else" phrase.

In this phrase, Paul taught that: 1) Those who are lawless and rebellious, the ungodly and sinners, the unholy and profane, those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers are all living contrary to "sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God." 2) The Law was made not only for such people as he specified here, but for "whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God." The term "whatever else" covers everything else in that category without the need for Paul to specify it. 3) When the Law is used lawfully, it is not contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel, but rather it is in harmony with it. 4) When Paul said the Law is for such people and whatever else, although the word "for" is not in the Greek, it is implied.  And in saying the Law is for such people, he did not limit this to non-believers, who are outside of Christ.  He taught that the Law is made "for" all of these situations, regardless of whether the person calls himself a brother.  The reason the Law is established for such people, and whatever else is contrary to the gospel, is that it is a means of rebuking, correcting, teaching, or training in righteousness.

All of these are lawful purposes for which the Law is good to use, since Paul taught that the Law is good, provided one uses it lawfully.  The Law is a lamp, a mirror, and a safety net.

Putting it All Together
Those who reject the Lord's message to the Church in the divine revelations, and those who reject anyone citing from verses in the Law (e.g., to validate such revelations), fail to realize that living a lawless life, or an ungodly life, or an unholy life, or a profane life are all contrary to "sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God."  They also fail to understand that the sexually immoral, the homosexuals, the liars, and the perjurers are all contrary to "sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God," along with those who kill their fathers or mothers, and with murderers.  They incorrectly assume that no Christian, including themselves, would engage in anything that is "contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God."  They incorrectly assume that the Law would never be necessary as a means of reproof, correction, instruction, or training in righteousness for such so-called believers.  They forget that "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Tim 3:16).

But I would like to pose a question.  Is it possible that a born again believer in Jesus Christ could become wayward and engage in the kinds of lifestyles that Paul specified in this passage?  And is it possible that a born again believer could do anything else that is "contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God"? Is it possible that even a pastor or elder could be deceived and could do such things?  I say the answer is most certainly yes, there are plenty of real-life examples we could point to, and the New Testament is full of warnings against such apostasy (see The Apostasy Parables and Drifting Away).

Don't be so quick to say, "I'm not deceived!"  Please let me remind you that the very nature of deception is such that if the person who is deceived knew he was deceived, he would no longer continue to allow himself to be deceived.  So it is certainly possible that you have been deceived, in which case you would not even know it, especially if the majority of so-called Christians are living their lives the same way you are.  But truth is not necessarily in the majority, so don't be fooled by the fact that so many are taking that wide road.  Don't be fooled by those who are conforming to the pattern of this world.

Prayerfully consider whether you have been deceived into sin, into any of the categories Paul specified in this passage, or into anything else that is "contrary to the sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God."  If what you are believing is not true, wouldn't you want to know?  Read the divine revelations I have posted on Eternal Destinations, and diligently examine the Scriptures, including the Law and the Prophets, in order to see if these things are so.  Then if the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin, repent to God, confess your sin, and ask for him to forgive and cleanse you.  And don't forget to warn others, so that they too might wake up spiritually and be saved.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. Richard Harrison's article called God's Ten Commandments.

Author's note:  I invite you to see these related articles of mine: Holy Living in a Perverted World,  "Is Obedience Optional?", "Faith Works!," "Obedience by the Spirit,"  "Righteous Deeds and White Robes,"  "Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshiping Idols," "Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?" "The Flesh vs. the Spirit," and "Doing What is Right", as well as the other posts on the Main Directory for this blog.  And of course, you are invited to visit Eternal Destinations. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus Christ personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what the God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

____________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?

Philip Henry

In this day and age, we have lost some of the valuable truths that were once preached and taught by men like Philip Henry, who was the godly father of Matthew Henry, the author of the famous Commentary on the Whole Bible.  Philip Henry was born in 1631 and died in 1696 at sixty-five years of age.  What follows is an excerpt from The Life of Rev. Philip Henry, A.M. by the Rev. Matthew Henry, V.D.M.

[Excerpt begins]

He preached the Ten Commandments
In the years 1677, and 1679, in the course of his ministry at Broad Oak, he preached over the Ten Commandments, and largely opened from other texts of Scripture, the duties required, and sins forbidden, in each commandment. For though none delighted more than he in preaching Christ and gospel-grace; yet he knew that Christ came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill; and that though, through grace, we are not under the law as a covenant, yet we are under it as a rule; under the law to Christ. He was very large and particular in pressing second-table duties, as essential to Christianity. We have known those, saith he, that have called preaching on such subjects, good moral preaching; but let them call it as they will, I am sure it is necessary, and as much now as ever. How earnestly would he press upon the people the necessity of righteousness and honesty upon their whole conversation. A good Christian, he used to say, will be a good husband, a good father, and a good master, and a good subject, and a good neighbour, and so in other relations. How often would he urge to this purpose, that it is the will and command of the great God, the character of all the citizens of Sion, the beauty and ornament of our Christian profession; and the surest way to thrive and prosper in the world. Honesty is the best policy. He would say, that these are things in which the children of this world are competent judges. They that know not what belongs to faith, and repentance and prayer, yet know what belongs to the making of an honest bargain; they are also parties concerned, and oftentimes are themselves careful in these things; and therefore, those who profess religion, should walk very circumspectly, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed, nor religion wounded through their sides.

Legal Preaching?
[How sensible he was of the dislike frequently felt to practical preaching, as well as of the importance of such preaching, appears in the following extract. Having explained, a course of sermons, the Redeemer’s sayings, as recorded in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew’s Gospel, he pressed, in his last discourse, the importance, the necessity, of doing, as well as hearing, from the divine assurance,-- that a stormy day is coming shortly, when hearers only will be found fools, and suffer loss; whereas hearers and doers will be owned for wise people, and will have the comfort of it. What ado, he remarks, some one will object, is here about doing; doing! If I had preached, he proceeds, these sermons, I know where, I had certainly been called a legal preacher, if not a papist, a Jesuit, a preacher of works; and some would have said, we will never hear him again. If to preach on these things be legal preaching, then our Lord himself was a legal preacher, for you see they were his sayings all along that I took for my text to each sermon. Such a preacher as he was, may I be, in my poor measure. I cannot write after a better copy. I cannot tread in better steps. His sayings must be done, as well as heard, that we may answer his end in saying them, which was to promote holiness, --that we may approve ourselves his true kindred, --that God may be glorified, --that our profession may be beautified, --and that our building may stand. But they must be done aright. The tree must be good. All must be done by faith, and in the name of the Lord Jesus. Hebrews xi. 6. Colossians iii. 17. --with evenness and constancy, --with humility and self-denial, --in charity, --and with perseverance, and continuance.

Do all you do as those who are under a covenant of grace, which, though it requires perfect, yet accepts of sincere, obedience. While the hand is doing, let the eye be looking at Jesus Christ, both for assistance and acceptance. This is the life of faith. Be resolved in duty. Look often at the recompense of reward.

Thus he preached, and his constant practice was a comment upon it. One thing I remember, he was more than ordinarily enlarged in the pressing of, which was, --upon the ninth commandment, --to speak evil of no man, from Titus iii. 2. If we can say no good of persons, we must say nothing of them. He gave it as a rule, -- Never to speak of any one’s faults to others, till we have first spoken of them to the offender himself. He was himself an eminent example of this rule. Some that have conversed much with him, have said, That they never heard him speak evil of any body; nor could he bear to hear any spoken evil, but often drove away a backbiting tongue with an angry countenance. He was known to be as faithful a patron of offenders before others, as he was a faithful reprover of them to themselves.

Whenever he preached of moral duties, he would always have something of Christ in his sermon; either his life, as the great pattern of the duty, or his love, as the great motive to it; or his merit, as making atonement for the neglect of it.

[Excerpt ends]

A Bold Non-Conformist
Philip Henry was a bold non-conformist preacher.  In 1662, England enacted a new law called the Act of Uniformity that standardized acceptable doctrine, and was radically opposed to all that Puritans like Henry stood for. Philip chose to stand by the Word of God and preach the truth, being ejected as a minister from the Church of England, losing his living, rather than comply with The Act of Uniformity, and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a little while.  According to an article by the European American Evangelistic Crusades, "Philip thus left his charge at Worthenbury, Shropshire, and took up residence a few miles away at Iscoed, Flintshire...a Christian community that lay ‘under the cross’ of state harassment and persecution."

According to Wikipedia, the act, "Prescribed the form of public prayers, administration of sacraments, and other rites of the Established Church of England, following all the rites and ceremonies and doctrines prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer. Adherence to this was required in order to hold any office in government or the church...An immediate result of this Act, over 2,000 clergymen refused to take the oath and were expelled from the Church of England in what became known as the Great Ejection of 1662. Although there had already been ministers outside the established church, this created the concept of non-conformity, with a substantial section of English society excluded from public affairs for a century and a half."

As a matter of fact, that act was still partly in force in Great Britain at the end of 2010.  And look how far they have fallen!  According to Wikipedia, " The Church of England, the mother church of the Communion, currently maintains (according to the statement Issues in Human Sexuality) that same-sex partnerships are acceptable for laypersons but gay clergy are expected to be abstinent."  On the other hand, in 2003 the Episcopal Church, which is the American body (province) of the Anglican Communion, approved Gene Robinson to the bishopric of the diocese of New Hampshire. Bishop Gene Robinson is the first openly gay (non-celibate) clergy to be ordained to the episcopate..."  Moreover, the article continues, "The Anglican Church of New Zealand has decided to allow non-celibate homosexuals to become clergy."  They are no different from the apostate Roman Catholic Church, whose own Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality.

The reason that the Church of England and the Episcopal Church have fallen so far away from Scripture is because the foundation was faulty all the way back to the seventeenth century.  It was not built upon the foundation of the Jesus Christ and His Word, which Philip Henry had based his life and ministry upon.  Therefore, if you have a problem with Philip Henry's life and ministry, then take heed to what has now become of the Church that once rejected him and men like him.

Putting it All Together
I want to meet this great man of God some day in heaven.  As Tim Challies states, "Matthew Henry was raised by godly parents in the Puritan way (daily Bible reading, prayer, self-examination, etc.)."  As you can see, I underlined almost everything in this excerpt for emphasis.  I highly recommend reading the entire book.  Although I have not read every page, I would like to, if I had the time, and have read portions of it, which are extremely edifying.

Philip Henry preached over the Ten Commandments, the duties required, and sins forbidden, in each commandment. He delighted more than anyone else in preaching Christ and gospel-grace. "Yet he knew that Christ came not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fulfill; and that though, through grace, we are not under the law as a covenant, yet we are under it as a rule; under the law to Christ."  Such good moral preaching is necessary, and as much now as ever!

He was very sensitive to the dislike his listeners frequently felt to such preaching on the need to practice righteousness.  But he was also keenly aware of the importance of such preaching.  He taught a sermon series on the hard sayings of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7).  And he concluded by emphasizing the importance, the necessity, of doing, as well as hearing.  We can be sure that a stormy day is coming shortly, when those who only hear and do not act upon the Words of Christ will be found fools, and suffer loss; whereas hearers and doers will be revealed to all as wise people, and they will enjoy the comfort of it.

He knew that some one would object to all this preaching on "Doing; doing!"  In 1662, the year his son Matthew was born, England had passed the Act of Uniformity, which forbid the preaching of any doctrine that did not comply with the Church of England.  But Philip was a non-conformist.  He was aware that if he had preached such sermons from the pulpit in the Church of England, he certainly would have been called a legal preacher, and a preacher of works.  He knew that some would have said, "We will never hear him again." But as he said, if to preach on these things be legal preaching, then our Lord himself was a legal preacher.  For you see they were our Lord's sayings all along that Philip took for his text to each sermon. He wanted to be such a preacher as Jesus was, and so do I.

Let those who consider legalistic the articles I have written take heed to this wise man's words, who lived so many centuries ago.  I refuse to preach the cheap grace that is uniformly preached in churches throughout the world, which is used by so many as a license to sin.  I will preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is Costly Grace.  He is the source of salvation for all who obey Him (Heb 5:9).

Obey the Gospel of God (1 Pe 4:17).  Practice your righteousness (Mt 6:1). Live for the will of God (1 Pe 4:2; Mt 7:21).  It is hard for the righteous to be saved (1 Pe 4:18a).  That is why we must live for God and for His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us and rose again (2 Co 5:15), which means we now live for righteousness (1 Pe 2:24).  The end of all things is near (1 Pe 4:7), therefore, we ought to live holy and godly lives (2 Pe 3:11b). Always remember that we can do nothing apart from the Lord Jesus (Jn 15:5), and if you keep His commandments, you will abide in His love (Jn 15:10).

I encourage you to read the other articles I have written on the need for obedience in Working God's Way and Eternal Destinations, as well as in Seeking the Lord, which provide a clear and biblical response to the concerns that some of my teaching is legalism, especially the following ones, beginning with the first three articles in the left-hand column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  Faith Works! The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship The New Covenant Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? Righteousness by Faith not Law The Law is Good if Used Lawfully

The Obedience of Faith Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit What Then Must We Observe?

Author's note:  Also see The Spirit's Law of Life, The Spirit of the Law, as well as Wesley and Henry on the Gospel Law. And see my other articles called, Restored Truth, Practicing Your Righteousness, Obedience by the Spirit, Pleasing the Lord, The Person of the Holy Spirit, and Baptized with the Spirit. You can access the Main Directory for Working God's Way, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

___________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Spirit of the Law

Dear Kingdom workers, in my previous article, The Spirit’s Law of Life, I indicated that the Law of the Spirit and the Law of Christ agree with the Law of God.  Having posted that, I feel the need to write here today about the Spirit of the Law to ensure that I am making myself clear.

I can say with the apostle Paul that I worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as a follower of Jesus Christ, and I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets. I have the hope in God that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” (Ac 24:14-16)

If you need to know God’s definition of sin, read the Law and Prophets. For starters, in order to get an elementary level of understanding, go back and read The Ten Commandments, and realize that none of them have been abolished, not even the Fourth Commandment -- not one (Ex 20:1-17; Mt 5:17-20).

So am I suggesting we seek by the flesh to fulfill only the letter of the Law? Certainly not! The letter kills but the Spirit gives life.  As the apostle Paul said:

"He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Co 3:6)

As a Gentile follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am no longer looking for instructions about circumcision, various gifts, sacrifices, food, drink, and ceremonial washings, which were merely shadows of the realities we have found in Christ (although I can still learn about God through those passages).  I’m not looking for laws to perform with regard to religious festivals, New Moon celebrations, or Sabbath days, since they are "things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." (Col 2:16, 17).

By the way, the word for the Sabbath is the Greek word "sabbaton," which means "the Sabbath (that is, Shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself); by extension...the interval between two Sabbaths; likewise the plural in all the above applications: - sabbath (day), week."  (Strongs). The apostle Paul's statement that "no one is to act as your judge in respect to...a Sabbath day," simply means not to let any man judge you with regard to this.  You must not let any man judge you with regard to how we keep the Sabbath, as the Pharisees did in accusing Jesus of breaking it by healing on that day, or doing anything else that is good and right in God's sight, or breaking traditions of men on that day.  You must keep it holy according to God's Word, and He will be the one to judge you if you truly break it.  One application of this is let no man judge you for not keeping the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, as some people are known to be quite judgmental of others in this regard (see Seventh-day Adventist Heresies).  As I said, you must do what is right in the sight of God.

Since we know Paul agreed with the Ten Commandments, and everything written in the Law (Ac 24:14-16), and he upheld the Law (Rom 3:31), and he said that what matters is the keeping of God's commandments (1 Co 7:19), we know he was not suggesting we break the Fourth Commandment.  Some think he may have been referring to the plural form of Sabbath (as in "Sabbaths"), rather than the weekly "Sabbath Day."  If so, that would refer to other “special Sabbaths”, like what we would call national holidays that occur throughout the year.  Likewise, he may have meant "weeks," such as "the Three Weeks of Sorrow" and "the Seven Weeks of Comfort".  If so, that would explain why he said that these are "things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." (Col 2:17). Therefore, I am not suggesting we break the Fourth Commandment. But we are living according to the Spirit that gives life, and not the letter.  That means that we most surely honor the Lord’s day and keep it holy (1 Co 16:2; Re 1:10).  (See my blogs Resting from Work, Keeping Sundays Holy, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part II, and The Lord's Day).

Moreover, it’s a higher standard spiritually than what is written. Remember, Jesus explained God’s standard regarding the commandments in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5).  God looks at the thoughts and intentions of the heart, and His standard is high. This means we should always uphold the spirit of the law, and ask the Lord what His heart is for us today for His holy people with respect to these things. His heart is always that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbor as ourself. (Mark 12:29-31) His heart is always that we restrain sensual indulgence (Co 2:23) by the power of the Holy Spirit, taking up our cross. His heart is always that we pursue holiness, know the Truth, and seek His righteousness (Mt 6:33; Heb 12:14, Ro 14:17; Jn 8:32-36; 14:6). His heart is always the message of the cross, repentance and forgiveness of sins, believing the gospel of the kingdom, and following Jesus in His eternal purposes (1 Co 1:18; Ac 2:38; Jn 3:16-21; Jn 4:24) Lk 13:5; Lk 24:46-47). His heart is always preaching the gospel of salvation to all creation, and rescuing lost souls from perishing in hell. (Mk 16:15; Lk 15:1-7; 2 Pe 3:9). His heart is always to destroy the works of the evil one (1 Jn 3:8). His heart is always for us to do good, do what is right, obey His commands, help the weak, the orphans, and the widows, and keep ourselves unstained by the world. (Ps 82: 3-4; 1 Jn 3:7-8; 5:3; 2:15-17; Jas 1:27).

The Holy Spirit may lead you to celebrate a special Sabbath found in the law, as a time of putting aside everything else to seek Him personally or corporately, or He may lead you to celebrate a Jewish feast found in the law as a time to worship the Lord Jesus, who is typified in all the feasts. But if you are not led to do so, don't let any man judge you with respect to such things.

By the same token, you will be viewed as odd or even judged, in these last and evil days, if you do not celebrate the so-called Christian holidays on the certain days -- and in the worldly ways -- that the apostate Church celebrates them. But if you are going to look for feasts and holidays to celebrate by gathering together, and you feel a need for that, then why not look at the Hebrew feasts that are already in Scripture? Aren’t they good enough?

Obedience is Essential for Disciples
Here are just some of the other blogs I have written, which provide a clear and biblical response to the concerns that my obedience doctrine is legalism, especially the first three in the left-hand column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  Faith Works! The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship The New Covenant Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth? The Law is Good if Used Lawfully

The Obedience of Faith Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit What Then Must We Observe?

Putting it All Together
We should believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets.  The Lord Jesus did.  The apostle Paul did.  The apostle John did. The apostle James did.  If you think I am being legalistic, then you will have to also call the Lord Jesus and the apostles legalistic.  As a matter of fact, you would also have to say the same about John Wesley, D.L. Moody, Philip Henry, and his son Matthew Henry, the author of the famous, Bible commentary.

Let’s get back to the Bible and seek to live our lives according to God’s Word, not according to the letter, but in the new way of the Spirit. "We have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." (Rom 7:6b). Do not rely on your obedience to the Law to save you, because it is only by grace that you are saved through faith (Eph 2:8-10).  Always remember that we can do nothing apart from the Lord Jesus (Jn 15:5), and if you keep His commandments, you will abide in His love (Jn 15:10).

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.” (1 Thes 3:12-4:1).

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.  The "Holy Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  Also see part one, called The Spirit's Law of Life and my other articles called, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Zipporah Mushala’s Second Testimony of Hell, Obedience by the Spirit, The Person of the Holy Spirit, and Baptized with the Spirit. You can access the Main Directory for Working God's Way, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Origin of the Sabbath

Some people who read my articles about keeping the Sabbath holy might incorrectly assume is something we do out of legalism, in an attempt to earn justification in God's sight through our own works.  But that is not correct.  We do it in obedience, because we love God.

You cannot rely on your obedience to the Law to save you, because it is only by grace that you are saved through faith (Eph 2:8-10).  Always remember that we can do nothing apart from the Lord Jesus (Jn 15:5), and if you keep His commandments, you will abide in His love (Jn 15:10). 

While the Lord commanded us to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy, as recorded in the fourth commandment (and we are instructed by Jesus to keep His commandments), the Sabbath was sanctified by God long before He gave the Law to Moses.  The Lord sanctified the seventh day in the very beginning, after the six days of creation.  “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (Gen 2:3).

The Sabbath is not just something that was part of the Mosaic covenant, which has now become obsolete.  If you want to follow the Lord, you have to walk in His ways and do His will.  It was God’s will to sanctify the Sabbath before the Law was put into effect.  Later He simply commanded Moses and the Israelites to keep it holy, but He Himself had already made it holy.  So this is not a legalistic thing, it’s the will of God and one of God’s ways. 

If you want to follow God, you have to walk in His ways.  If you want to please God, you have to do His will.  "For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light." (Col 1:9-12)

Pray and ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects.  This is my prayer for you today.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this message, I also recommend reading David Wilkerson's message, Honoring the Sabbath, as well as Zipporah Mushala’s Second Testimony of Hell, in which she saw a man of God in hell for relying on His obedience to the Law to save him. You may also be interested in the other posts of mine on the Home page, especially Resting from Work, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Keeping Sundays Holy, Keeping Sundays Holy - Part II, and The Lord's Day. I also invite you to visit my collection of blogs at Writing for the Master. 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Why Paul Lived Like a Jew Among the Jews

The apostle Paul writing his epistles

When we read the epistles of the apostle Paul, we can clearly see where he stood in relationship to the Law.  Prior to becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ, he had been a Jewish Pharisee of Pharisees, faultless as far as legalistic righteousness was concerned.

After he came to Christ, he said he was no longer under Law, but under grace (see Rom 6:14).  Many people think they understand what the apostle Paul believed, and they consider themselves true preachers of his gospel of grace.  But I want to show another side of Paul that may cause some people to wonder whether they really understood him after all.  It should cause many to rethink their understanding of his beliefs.

I've been reading Acts 21 for twenty-seven years.  And I always thought Paul must have made a big mistake when he followed the advice of James and the Jerusalem elders, by participating in purification rites.  I assumed that mistake was what got him arrested, so that was proof to me it was not Spirit-led, since it did not bear good fruit. But that was faulty reasoning.  Paul said that all who seek to live godly in Christ will be persecuted, so we shouldn't assume that persecution is evidence that someone is in the wrong.  It may actually be evidence that they are living a godly life.  So now I see more clearly why Paul did what he did in the temple that week, and what he really believed.

Why not have a look with me!

Paul Participated in the Rite of Purification
Luke writes: After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come." (Act 21:17-22)

James and the elders of the Church in Jerusalem were concerned about whether the Jewish Christians would receive the apostle Paul or be offended by him.  He had earned a reputation among them that was not favorable, and the elders had a plan to address that.

They told Paul: "Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law." (Act 21:23-24) [emphasis added]

The plan was for Paul to join with four men who had taken a vow, by purifying himself ceremonially with them, and paying the expense for them to shave their heads. The goal was so that the Jewish Christians could see Paul's actions and conclude that he kept the Law, living an orderly life.

The elders acknowledged that they had previously written to Gentile believers about the matter of circumcision, telling them that they did not need to be circumcised.  There had been an issue, where a Jewish believer from Jerusalem began teaching the Gentile believers that they must be circumcised.  And the elders had convened to resolve it, as documented in Acts 15.  Their solution had been to write a letter, which James alluded to, in his statement to Paul:

"But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication." (Act 21:25)

So James and the elders clearly agreed with Paul that there is no need for Gentiles to be circumcised.  But they were concerned, because the believing Jews of Jerusalem had been informed that Paul was teaching the Jews who lived among the Gentiles to turn away from the Law and not to circumcise their children or follow Jewish customs.  Their main concern was to correct that misinformation about Paul’s teaching.  That’s why they made this proposal to Paul that he should participate with four Jewish men in their purification rites.

Amazingly Paul did not disagree with the plan the elders proposed.  He did not debate whether Jewish believers should be circumcised or zealous for the Law, nor deny that he himself continued to keep the Law.  He did not refuse to participate in this vow of ceremonial purification.

"Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them." (Act 21:26)

Paul did everything the elders asked him to do. He purified himself ceremonially, along with these four men, which would have included shaving his head.  This was known as a purification rite, which is a solemn act or customary practice. It required Paul to go into the temple and notify the priests when this seven-day rite would end.  And at the end of that period, he had to offer a sacrifice. 

When the Jews saw him in the temple, they had him arrested, because they had seen him walking around Jerusalem with a Gentile, named Trophimus the Ephesian. Trophimus was a disciple of Christ, who was cleansed by the blood of Jesus, and was himself a part of the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Yet Paul did not dare to take Trophimus into the temple with him, because he was not a Jew or Jewish proselyte (see Ac 21:27-29).

Later in his defense before governor Felix, Paul stated, "But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets." (Act 24:14)

Paul also told Felix, “After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings. I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance." (Acts 24:17-18).  So he testified that he was ceremonially pure at the time of his arrest, and that he was in the temple to present offerings. 

Again at another time, in his defense before King Herod Agrippa, "Paul defended himself: 'I have done nothing wrong against the Law of the Jews or against the Temple or against the Roman Emperor.'" (Act 25:8)
 
Several Questions about Paul's Actions
As we read in Luke's account, called the Acts of the Apostles, about Paul's actions in the temple, we can't help but ask some questions.  Why did Paul do the following?

1. Join with the four Jewish men in their purification rites, even paying their expenses, so they could have their heads shaved? (Ac 21:20-25)
2. Go to the temple and notify the priests when their period of purification would end? (Ac 21:26)
3. Give an offering at the temple for himself and probably also for the other men? (Ac 21:26)
4. Not take a Gentile believer into the temple?  (Ac 21:27-29)
5. Say that "according to the Way (i.e., as a disciple of Christ), he served God, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets"? (Ac 24:14)
6. Say he had done nothing wrong against the Law of the Jews or against the Temple? (Ac 25:8)

Responses to the Questions
I think the answer may be found in his epistle to the Corinthians.  He said, "I am a free man, nobody's slave; but I make myself everybody's slave in order to win as many people as possible. While working with the Jews, I live like a Jew in order to win them; and even though I myself am not subject to the Law of Moses, I live as though I were when working with those who are, in order to win them. In the same way, when working with Gentiles, I live like a Gentile, outside the Jewish Law, in order to win Gentiles. This does not mean that I don't obey God's law; I am really under Christ's law. Among the weak in faith I become weak like one of them, in order to win them. So I become all things to all people, that I may save some of them by whatever means are possible." (1Co 9:19-22)

To the Jews he became a Jew, in order to win them to Christ. It was for the sake of the gospel.  But in this passage, the Jews for whom he was doing this ceremonial rite of purification were already believers in Christ!  Yet he was still doing it for the sake of the gospel!

If he were doing all of this in order to obtain or maintain right standing with God, he would have been out of line with the gospel.  If he had done these things out of fear concerning what the Jews would think about how we are put in right standing with God by faith in Christ, rather than by doing what the Law requires, then he would be doing the same thing for which he had once rebuked the apostle Peter.  Here is his account of that confrontation, as he wrote it in his epistle to the Galatians:

But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him in public, because he was clearly wrong. Before some men who had been sent by James arrived there, Peter had been eating with the Gentile believers. But after these men arrived, he drew back and would not eat with the Gentiles, because he was afraid of those who were in favor of circumcising them. The other Jewish believers also started acting like cowards along with Peter; and even Barnabas was swept along by their cowardly action. When I saw that they were not walking a straight path in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you have been living like a Gentile, not like a Jew. How, then, can you try to force Gentiles to live like Jews?" Indeed, we are Jews by birth and not "Gentile sinners," as they are called. Yet we know that a person is put right with God only through faith in Jesus Christ, never by doing what the Law requires. We, too, have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be put right with God through our faith in Christ, and not by doing what the Law requires. For no one is put right with God by doing what the Law requires. (Gal 2:11-16)

Peter had been eating with Gentiles, which is not lawful for a Jew to do.  But that was before some men were sent by James, who were in favor of circumcising the Gentile believers.  When those men came from James, Peter withdrew himself from the Gentile believers.  He did this out of fear of what others would think, and it caused other Jewish believers like Barnabas to also act like cowards.

Paul rebuked Peter for implying, by his withdrawal from the Gentiles, that they must act like Jews by being circumcised. Paul reminded Peter that we are put right with God only through faith in Christ, never by doing what the Law requires.  That applies to Gentiles and Jews alike.

So based on all this, we know that Paul's participation in the rite of purification was neither to seek righteousness through the Law, nor to imply through his actions that others should do so.  And we know that he was not doing so out of fear for what the Jewish believers would think of him or his gospel. Paul did not do this for himself, but for the sake of the gospel, in order to reach others. We also know that his leaving his Gentile brother in Christ -- Trophimus the Ephesian -- outside the temple was not an act of withdrawing himself from Trophimus, but was an act of respect for the Jews in the temple, who did not know Christ. Paul did nothing to violate temple rules or to dishonor the temple. Nor did he violate his own teachings.

Paul Circumcised Timothy
We must not forget that Paul himself circumcised Timothy.  Luke recorded the incident in Acts:

“Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.” (Act 16:1-3)

Yet in this matter, as with the time he participated with the four Jewish men in Jerusalem in their purification rites, I do not believe Paul violated his own teachings.  Timothy was half Jewish and half Greek.  All the Jews in those parts knew that his father was a Greek, so they would assume he was uncircumcised.  It seems that in order to avoid any offense to the Jews, Paul circumcised him.  But had he been a full-blooded Gentile, I am certain Paul would not have done so.  Paul taught vehemently against Gentile circumcision.  This incident was the only one ever recorded in which Paul circumcised anyone.

Certainly Paul taught the Gentile churches that the observance of the rites (customary observances and ceremonies) of the Jewish law was truly slavery or bondage.

To the Gentile believers in Galatia, who were deceived into thinking they must be circumcised, Paul said, “So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world…But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?” (Gal 4:3,9).

He referred to the ceremonial law and Jewish rites as weak and worthless elemental things.  He was not saying the Law itself was bad, because he himself taught that “the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (Rom 7:12).  The expression he used in his epistle to the Galatians, which is translated in English as “weak and worthless elemental things,” comes from the Greek expression “ta asthenē kai ptōcha stoicheia.” The word “asthenē” is an adjective, meaning “weak” or “sick.” This word is used also in Matthew 25:44 and 1 Cor 1:27.  The other adjective is “ptōcha,” meaning “worthless,” “beggarly,” or “poor” like a pauper, and it only occurs here in Gal 4:9.   Both these adjectives modify the noun “stoicheia.”  It is also used in Gal 4:3, Col 2:8, and Heb 5:12 to mean “elemental things,”  “elemental principles,” or “rudiments.”  According to Webster’s Dictionary, a rudiment is “A first principle or element; that which is to be first learnt; as the rudiments of learning or science. Articulate sounds are the rudiments of language; letters or characters are the rudiments of written language; the primary rules of any art or science are its rudiments. Hence instruction in the rudiments of any art or science, constitutes the beginning of education in that art or science.”

Paul was saying that ceremonial laws like circumcision were first principles used to provide religious instruction to Jews.  As such, ceremonial laws and rituals were like a tutor.  They were weak and poor rudiments, not because God is weak or because his Law is poor, but because they were weakened by the sinful human nature.  They could only lead one to Christ, the One in Whom is found the reality that those types and shadows represent.  Once you come to know Christ, or are rather known by Him, then there is no more need to return to the elemental principles than there would be for a professional scientist to return to studying the alphabet, or for an accomplished artist to return to learning the primary colors.  Therefore, when you come to Christ, you must die to those elemental principles (see Col 2:20).

To the Gentile believers in Colossae, who were also being taken captive by philosophy and empty deception, Paul wrote: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ…If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees…” (Col 2:8,20)

Through these passages, Paul taught that in Christ we now have the substance of all the shadows of the ceremonial law, so we no longer need those things.  The only reason he circumcised Timothy was for the sake of other men, not for God's sake.  I can just imagine Paul praying as he knelt before Timothy with a knife, circumcising him.  He might have prayed something like, "Lord, you gave us the covenant of circumcision (the "brit-milah") through Abraham, who received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them. Now through Timothy's faith in Christ, he has followed in the steps of Abraham.  And in Christ, Timothy was also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which Timothy was also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. Lord, we know that circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of Your commandments.  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love in a new creation. Timothy has become a new creation in Christ. And he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. We do this today, Lord, in order to become all things to all men, so that by all possible means we might save some of them."

Paul Recognized the Jewish Feast of Pentecost
Paul taught that Jewish festivals were merely shadows of what is to come, whereas the substance belongs to Christ (see Col 2:16-17). He taught that observing days and months and seasons and years is a weak and worthless thing that enslaves people (Gal 4:9-10). Yet he seemed to at least acknowledge the day of Pentecost each year. 

In one recorded instance, Paul was hurrying to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.” (Act 20:16)

In another recorded incident, Paul indicated to the Gentile church in Corinth that he intended to stay in Ephesus until the feast of Pentecost: “But I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost;” (1Co 16:8)

We know that the fulfillment of this feast occurred in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early Church (see Acts 2).  While it is not clear whether Paul celebrated the Jewish feast of Pentecost, he certainly recognized it, even in his correspondence with the Gentiles.  

Paul Recognized the Feast of Unleavened Bread
It seems that Paul also recognized the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which occurs immediately after Passover and before the Feast of Pentecost.  In the book of Acts, Luke records an event in his journey with the apostle Paul saying, "We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days." (Act 20:6).  The fact that Paul did not travel with his team until after the Feast of Unleavened Bread is significant.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts seven days (Leviticus 23:6-8; Exodus 12:17-18).  During this time the only kind of bread that may be eaten is matzo (unleavened bread, or flat bread).  The yeast represents malice, wickedness and sin.  So during the days of this feast, no yeast is used in baking bread.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church with instructions about celebrating this feast according to the new way of the spirit and not the old way of the written code. He said, "Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1Co 5:7-8)

Insights into Paul's Way of Life
In Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he gives us further insight into his way of life, which helps us to better understand why he did things like participate in the purification rites with the four Jewish men.   He said, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved." (1Co 10:31-33)

Based on his own instructions to the Corinthians, we can be sure that the reason he participated in the Jewish purification rites with the four men was to the glory of God.  It was certainly not for his own benefit that he did this. His aim was to glorify God!  He sought to avoid offending the Jews, the Greeks, and the Church of God, except by the offense of the cross.  He sought to please all me in all things, so that they may be saved.

Interesting Paradoxes
Notwithstanding these facts that I have cited above, there are still some interesting paradoxes in this story:

1. Paul did not deny the statement James made that Paul kept the Law. So at least James and the elders of the Church in Jerusalem thought Paul kept the Law, and they saw that as a very godly thing.  In fact, Paul himself stated publicly that he believed everything that is in accordance with the Law, and he had done no wrong to the law of the Jews or the temple.
2. When the elders mentioned that many Jewish believers remained zealous for the Law, Paul did not correct them.
3. Paul seemed to imply to the Jewish believers in Christ by his actions that it was acceptable for them as disciples to practice ceremonial rites, such as purification and circumcision. One might even make a case that he condoned it for Jewish believers.
4. Paul circumcised a half-Jewish man, named Timothy, when he joined Paul in his gospel ministry, in order to avoid offending the Jews.
5. Paul cited the Law in his own epistles to the Gentiles, as the basis for his doctrines, including those regarding remuneration of elders, tongues, and the orderly behavior of women in worship meetings (Rom 3:31; 7:7; 1 Cor 9:8-9; 14:21,34; Heb 9:22; 10:28; cf. Ac 28:23).
6. Paul at least recognized the Jewish feasts of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost and may have planned his travels around them. However, we do not have any evidence that he celebrated these feasts, and it is unlikely he did so according to the old way of the written code, since he taught against it.

The Scriptures record these incidents just as they occurred, leaving the tension in place and not seeking to smooth out the paradoxes.  I think many believers today would consider Paul legalistic for such actions, if it were not for his own teachings about grace and faith in Christ.

What I am Not Saying
Let me be clear that I am not suggesting you come under the Law of Moses. As followers of Christ, we are not seeking to keep up the Law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel. I am not suggesting that disciples of Christ practice circumcision for spiritual reasons or seek to obey the ceremonial, ritual, and dietary laws of Moses. Paul was a Jew, and as he sought to reach Jews for Christ, he would live like a Jew among them. He was doing this, so that by all means he might win some of them. But among the Gentiles, he lived like a Gentile. Therefore, unless you are a Jew living among Jews, then there is no value in you doing those things. Such things do not matter if you are a Gentile believer living among Gentiles, or a Gentile believer living among Jews. In fact, these things don't even matter if you are a Jewish believer living among Gentiles. The apostle Peter was a Jew who lived like a Gentile, and not like a Jew (Gal 2:14). The apostle Paul was a Jew who through the law had died to the law, so that he might live for God (Gal 2:19). Paul became like one without the law in order to win those without the law (1 Cor 9:21; Gal 4:12).

As Paul said, “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified." (Gal 2:15-16). "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." (Rom 3:28). "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." (Gal 5:6, NIV). "Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation." (Gal 6:15, NIV). "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts." (1 Cor 7:19, NIV). "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom 14:17, NIV).

For those who have come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and gone back to observing the Law, I say with Paul, "Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?...For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.' Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because 'the righteous will live by faith.' The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, 'The person who does these things will live by them.'” (Gal 3:3,10-12, NIV).

Putting it All Together
James and the other elders of the Jerusalem Church understood that Paul kept the Law and didn't have a problem with that.  In fact, they wanted to reassure other Jewish believers that Paul kept the Law.  Paul never denied their claim that he did so.  In fact, he later stated that he did no wrong to the Law, and he even cited the Law sometimes, as a basis for his teachings.  According to the Way, as an apostle of Christ, he served the God of the Hebrew patriarchs, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets.

It's easy to be critical of others for their teachings and say that they do not agree with the Scriptures written by the apostle Paul.  But let's make sure we first understand what Paul really believed, and taught and lived, before we rush to judgment of others.

Are you doing all things for the glory of God?  You should be.  And if not, then don't be critical of those who are seeking to do so, just because you don't agree.  Are you all things to all men, seeking to please all men in all things, so that they may be saved?  Do you serve God, according to Christ, believing all that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets? That's the way Paul lived, and he instructed us to follow his example, as he followed Christ.

I'm not suggesting you come under the Law and try to earn your salvation. But your aim should be to glorify God in all things, including things many people today consider to be part of the Old Testament, incorrectly assuming they are not applicable to the disciples of Christ, like tithing and keeping the Christian Sabbath holy.  Certainly we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, not by works. You cannot rely on your obedience to the Law to save you, because it is only by grace that you are saved through faith (Eph 2:8-10). 

However, we still learn what pleases the Lord through all Scripture, including the Law.  What matters is keeping of the commandments of God. Always remember that we can do nothing apart from the Lord Jesus (Jn 15:5), and if you keep His commandments, you will abide in His love (Jn 15:10). Your faith must be actively working through love in a new creation, or else it is useless.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, where noted. The painting of Saint Paul Writing His Epistles is probably by Valentin de Boulogne (1591 - 1632) (French).  This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1923.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Faith Works! and The Law of Christ. And don't miss Righteousness by Faith not Law.  Please see the other posts in this blog available through the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Some other related articles are:

Law of Love in the New Testament	The Law Established Through Faith	Is Tithing Required?
Is Obedience Optional?	The Cost of Discipleship	Obedience by the Spirit
The Law Fulfilled in Us	Resting from Work	Deleted Scriptures in the Bible?

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Doing What is Right

The Good Samaritan by Dan Burr

Some people downplay the importance of being a doer, but the Lord places a high premium on it.  Some people say that good works have no part in eternal salvation.

While there is nothing you can do to earn forgiveness for your sin, that does not eliminate the need for doing.  So it’s important to have a proper, Scriptural understanding of “doing good works”. 

The Righteous Do What is Right
The apostle John wrote: “He who does what is righteous is righteous, just as He is righteous.” (1 Jn 3:7b)

The word for “does” in this passage is the Greek word, “poieo” which means to perform, work, yield, make, act, or do.  So the Scripture teaches that if you really are righteous, you will do what is righteous. Conversely, those who do not do righteous are not righteous.

“This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do right is not a child of God…” (1 Jn 3:10).  The underlined word “do” is from the same Greek word, poieo.  And in all the verses throughout this word study, I have underlined the English words used to translate the word poieo.

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.  (Joh 8:34)

Other Uses of “Poieo”
The word poieo is used 572 times throughout the New Testament.  And when you observe the meaning of this word in the context of these other passages, you can clearly see that it requires action, work, or performance of something by someone. 

"Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.” (Mat 5:36)

"But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (Mat 6:3)

'These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.' (Mat 20:12)

And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?" (Mat 20:32)

And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen. (Mat 21:21)

"For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. "She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. "Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."  (Mar 14:7-9)

The apostles *gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught.  (Mar 6:30)

"He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.  (Luk 1:51)

Mary and Joseph carried out (poieo) the custom of the Law.  “…the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,”  (Luk 2:27)

But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.  (Luk 23:34)

Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.  (Act 9:36)

Cornelius was "a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually."  (Act 10:2)

"...and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, 'These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.'"  (Act 16:20-21)

We Must Do What is Right
Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. (2Co 13:7)

Many people think the apostle Paul taught only faith and not works, but he taught both.  He said we must do what is right.

He was in agreement with the apostle James, who said, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (Jam 4:17). You must do the right thing you know to do.

All throughout Scripture, we are commanded to do what is right (see Gen 4:7; 18:19; Pr 21:3; Ex 15:26; Deut 6:18; 1 King 11:38).

There are Good Deeds You Must Do
Paul taught that we must do good.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.  (Gal 6:9)

We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command.  (2Th 3:4)

Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.  (1Ti 4:16)

But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2Ti 4:5)

"This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone." (Tit 3:8)

Paul was in agreement with the apostle Peter, regarding the need to do good.  Peter taught: For, "THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. "HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. (1Pe 3:10-11)

To Walk in the Light, Practice the Truth
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;  (1Jo 1:6)

"But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."  (Joh 3:21)

Motive Counts When you Practice Righteousness
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. (Mat 6:1)

"Not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." (Eph 6:6)

"If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same." (Luk 6:33).  If you only do good to those who do good to you, then your motive is selfish and wrong.  That’s common among sinners, so God is not going to credit that to you as righteousness.

"BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD."  (Rom 12:20)

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others." (Mat 23:23)

Jesus didn’t criticize them for tithing, but said they should have done so.  He rebuked them for their lack of mercy and faithfulness.  God sees the motives of our heart when we practice our righteousness, and it matters to Him.

Don’t be self-righteous about your good deeds. Walk in humility.  Jesus said of the master, "He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"  (Luk 17:9-10).  Do your duty to God, as you ought to, without expecting recognition or anything in return for it.

Do Everything In His Name and For His Glory
"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."  (Col 3:17)

"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  (1Co 10:31)

It’s necessary that we do everything in the Name of Jesus and for His glory.  If we cannot do something in Jesus’ Name, then we shouldn’t do it.  If we cannot do something for His glory, we shouldn’t do it.  Think about your actions, habits, and lifestyle based on that standard.

Question: If you cannot do something for the glory of God, then why do it at all? (Also see For the Glory of God Alone).

You May Not Do What You Please
"For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please." (Gal 5:17)

You may not do the things that you please. This is why it is essential to walk by the Spirit every day, and every step of the way, abiding in Christ from morning until night. Otherwise you will walk in the flesh, which sets its desire against the Spirit. (Also see Pleasing the Lord).

We Must Keep the Lord’s Supper
"And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'" (Luk 22:19)

Question: If we do not need to do anything, then why do we practice the Lord’s Supper?

Repentance is Something we Do and Not Just Feel
Peter preached the gospel and people asked what they should do: “Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”  (Act 2:37-38)

Question: If we do not need to do anything, then why must we repent and practice water baptism?

We must repent, be water baptized, and keep the Lord’s Supper, but some people act as if the only two things we must do are the Lord’s Supper and water baptism.  They teach that these are the only two “ordinances” given to the church.  They forget that repentance is of the primary things Jesus taught, and it requires you to do something that God will not do for you..

True Repentance Must be Proven by Deeds
"Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; (Mat 3:8)

"The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  (Mat 3:10)

"'Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.' And the crowds were questioning him, saying, 'Then what shall we do?' And he would answer and say to them, 'The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.' And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, 'Teacher, what shall we do?' And he said to them, 'Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.' Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, 'And what about us, what shall we do?' And he said to them, 'Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.'" (Luk 3:9-14)

"So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.” (Mat 7:17)

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.” (Mat 12:33)

"And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty." (Mat 13:23)

The Lord looks at your fruit, not just your words, to see what kind of tree you are.  Only those who understand AND act on the Word produce good fruit.

'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent."  (Rev 2:5)

You Must Make Your Calling and Election Sure
Just as repentance must be evidenced by deeds, those who are truly called and elected by God must do something.

"Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you." (2Pe 1:10-11)

We know that it is the Lord who calls us and chooses us.  Yet in this passage, the apostle Peter taught that we must not be complacent about being called and chosen. Rather, we must practice (poieo) the things he commanded in verses 5-9, in order to make (poieo) our calling and election certain.  It is only as long as you do these things that you will avoid stumbling, and this is the way to enter into the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Sound Doctrine Must be Accompanied by Deeds
Jesus spoke to people about the Pharisees and teachers of the Law.  He said: “Therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. (Mat 23:3)

These men were teaching many things correctly, but they were not doing right. So Jesus told their followers not to imitate their deeds. And He said that the Jewish leaders should have been doing according what the Word says. It’s not enough to teach the Word correctly. You must also act upon the Word by doing what it says.

Keeping God’s Commandments
"Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 5:19) 

"How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." (Mat 12:12)

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Mat 7:12, NIV; cf., Lk 6:31 NIV).  He taught that we should fulfill the Law and the Prophets by the way we treat people, which is what we do to them.

"If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?"  (Joh 7:17-19)

Jesus equated carrying out the Law with doing God’s will, and He placed great importance on doing so.

The apostle John taught the same thing as Jesus, regarding keeping His commandments: “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.”  (1Jo 3:22)

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.  (1Jo 5:2)

I want to emphasize that we are not endeavoring to keep up the law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel of Christ.

Fulfill the Royal Law
James taught we are doing well, if we fulfill the royal law.

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well. (Jam 2:8)

Doing the Things of the Law is Righteous
"For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them." (Rom 2:13-15)

Paul said it is the doers (Greek, poietes, meaning a "doer" or "performer", from root word "poieo") of the Law, who will be justified before God.  He taught that it is not hearing, but doing that will save us. This applied to those under the Law, and it applies also to Gentiles who instinctively do the things of the Law.  It shows that the Law is written in their hearts (see Heb 8:10). Therefore, it certainly applies to those under the gospel.

For Paul plainly said that God would render to every person according to his deeds, "to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Rom 2:7-10). He said this applies to all of us, whether Jew or Gentile. 

We Do Not Practice Righteousness to be Justified
"He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit" (Tit 3:5)

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness."  (Rom 10:4-5)

Christ is the goal, completion, or fulfillment of the law, since he makes righteous those who believe in Him.  He didn’t save us from sin on the basis of the deeds we have done.  Our righteousness is not based on the Law or derived from the Law, so we don’t practice righteousness in order to be justified.  We practice righteousness because we ARE righteous.  We practice righteousness, because we are born of Christ!

"If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him."  (1Jo 2:29).

If You are Righteous, You Must Continue to Practice Righteousness
If you are righteous, you must continue to practice righteousness. "Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy."  (Rev 22:11)

Jesus Tells Us What We Must Do
And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do." (Act 9:5-6)

Notice that we like Paul all have something we must do. Jesus tells us what we must do.

The Disciples Did as Jesus Instructed
"The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them." (Mat 21:6)

"The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover." (Mat 26:19)

“(For there were about five thousand men.) And He said to His disciples, ‘Have them sit down to eat in groups of about fifty each.’ They did so, and had them all sit down.”  (Luk 9:14-15)

Jesus Set an Example for us to Do as He Did
So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  (Joh 13:12)

"For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.”  (Joh 13:15)

Doing as Jesus Commands Has Great Results
"If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” (Joh 13:17)

When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break;  (Luk 5:6)

After looking around at them all, He said to him, "Stretch out your hand!" And he did so; and his hand was restored.  (Luk 6:10)

His mother *said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."  (Joh 2:5)

Being in God’s Family Requires Doing
"For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother." (Mat 12:50)

Abraham’s Children Do Abraham’s Deeds
They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus *said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.  (Joh 8:39). 

Note here that the word here for deeds is ergon, meaning works.  So Jesus commanded us to do the works of Abraham.

Being a Man After God’s Heart Requires Doing
"After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.'  (Act 13:22)

Notice that the reason David was known by God as a man after His own heart is because he would DO all God’s will.  Jesus was like that.

Jesus Only Did the Father’s Will
As we consider the need for doing, we can see from the life of Jesus that He was always doing the Father’s will.  It was food for Him. Jesus *said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.  (Joh 4:34)

"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  (Joh 6:38)

So Jesus said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him."  (Joh 8:28-29)

"But so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here." (Joh 14:31)

"I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do."  (Joh 17:4)

Jesus Did Nothing of Himself
"Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.'" (Joh 5:19)

Question: If the Father wouldn’t do something, why would we ever do it?

"For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.” (Joh 5:20)

"But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish--the very works that I do--testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.”  (Joh 5:36)

"Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me.'"  (Joh 10:25)

"If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father." (Joh 10:37-38)

We Can Do Nothing Apart from Jesus
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."  (Joh 15:5)

Faith is Required To Do the Works of God
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it."  (Joh 14:12-14)

"Therefore they said to Him, 'What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?' Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'" (Joh 6:28-29). 

Jesus taught that the only way to do the works of God is by faith.  You must believe in Him, and then you will do His works, because He will be doing His works in and through you.

The Father Does His Works in Us
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works." (Joh 14:10)

"God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul." (Act 19:11)

"After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry."  (Act 21:19)

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us." (Eph 3:20)

"Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."  (Heb 13:20-21; cf. Phil 2:13)

Friendship with God is Based on Doing
"You are My friends if you do what I command you." (Joh 15:14)

Those Who Act on God’s Word Will Not Perish
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock.” (Mat 7:24, MKJV)

Doing is Required to Inherit Eternal Life
And someone came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?" (Mat 19:16).

Whenever someone asked Jesus what they must do to inherit eternal life, He never said, “You don’t need to do anything.” Note:

And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" And he answered, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE."  (Luk 10:25-28).  Jesus clearly taught there is something we must do to inherit eternal life.

To the lawyer who wanted to inherit eternal life, Jesus commanded him to do as the good Samaritan did, showing mercy to his neighbor. And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."  (Luk 10:37)

A ruler questioned Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. "You know the commandments, 'DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'"  (Luk 18:18-20).  Jesus told the ruler to do the commandments of God to inherit eternal life.

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it." (Mat 21:43)

The Eternal Judgment is Based on Deeds
"The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (1Jo 2:17)

"Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?"  (Joh 7:51)

Notice that God’s Law judges a man based on what He does.

"So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty." (Jam 2:12)

"But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?"  (Rom 2:3)

"Knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free." (Eph 6:8)

"For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised." (Heb 10:36)

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Mat 7:21)

"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'" (Mat 7:22)

"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?”  (Luk 6:46)

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies."  (Joh 8:44)

"The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows."  (Luk 12:47, NIV)

"Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.”  (Mat 24:45-46)

"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'"  (Mat 25:40)

"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'"  (Mat 25:45)

Jesus said, "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  (Joh 5:28-30)

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father, but through Him!  That means nobody outside of Christ will receive eternal life.  With that being understood, Jesus said, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done." (Rev 22:12; cf. Ps 62:12; 1 Co 3:8).  The Greek word for "reward" in this verse is "misthos," meaning "pay for service," (good or bad), "hire, reward, or wages."  And the Greek word in this verse for the phrase "what he has done" is "ergon," meaning "deed, doing, labor, or work."  So the Lord will pay us back, according to our works.  Therefore, the recompense given at the eternal judgment is based on each person's own deeds.

Heaven is for Those Who Practice Righteousness
The apostle John described heaven, saying, "In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Rev 21:25-27)

Later John described those who are not allowed into heaven, who are shut out, saying, "Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying."  (Rev 22:15)

Heaven is a holy city. Everything there is holy: the sky, the river, the trees, the streets, the temple, the throne, the Lord, the angels, the people, the conversation, the worship, and the rest.  Holiness makes everything in God’s temple beautiful.

"He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."  (Rev 21:7-8).  Let's be those who overcome and inherit these things.

Doing What is Right in the Old Testament
I have intentionally shown only the New Testament Scriptures about doing what is right, so that you can see that this is something God requires for disciples of Christ, and it is not just a requirement of the Old Covenant.  But I would like to give a few examples from the Old Testament, just to show that this requirement is found throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.  Here they are:

“Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors…” (Dt 6:18)

“LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;” (Ps 15:1-2)

“The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;” (Pr 1:1-3)

“To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” (Pr 21:3)

“The violence of the wicked will drag them away, for they refuse to do what is right.” (Pr 21:7)

“Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.” (Ps 106:3)

"He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?" (Mic 6:8).

Some of the people that did what was right in the Old Testament were Abel, Noah, Moses, and David. And according to Hebrews 11, they all did so by faith.

Putting it All Together
We do not do righteous deeds in order to be made righteous, and Jesus doesn’t save you from sin based on your righteous deeds.  But if you have been made righteous, then you will surely practice righteousness, do good deeds, do what is right, bear the good fruit of repentance, and keep God’s commandments.  The righteous do what is right by faith. Doing the things of the Law is righteous.  "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." (Jam 2:24).

If you are righteous, you must continue to practice righteousness. That's how you make your calling and election certain. You may not do what you please. To walk in the Light, you’ve got to practice the Truth. Our Lord Jesus Christ and the His apostles, Peter, Paul, James, and John are in agreement on this.

But we must do these things with love from the heart to please God.  He sees the motives of our heart when we practice our righteousness, and it matters to Him.  Do everything in is Name and for His glory.

We must keep the Lord’s Supper and be water baptized.  But don’t forget that we must repent, and produce the evidence of our repentance.  Repentance is something we do and not just something we feel.  True repentance must be proven by your deeds.  It’s not just the first step to entering the kingdom, it is a way of life that we must continually practice.  True piety will be marked by evidence.

Friendship with God is based on doing. Likewise, being in God’s family requires doing.  Abraham’s children do Abraham’s deeds.  Being a man after God’s heart requires doing. Jesus was like that, and only did the Father’s will.  Jesus did nothing of Himself, and we can do nothing apart from Jesus.  Our righteous deeds are not based on sheer human effort alone.  Faith in God and abiding in Christ is required to do the works of God. The Father does His works in us, as we believe in Him, and walk by the Spirit.

It’s not enough to have sound doctrine.  It must be accompanied by deeds.  Jesus set an example for us to do as He did.  He also tells us what we must do.  The words of Jesus must be read and obeyed.  The disciples did as Jesus instructed them, and it always produced great results in their lives.

Those who act on God’s Word will not perish, because doing is required to inherit eternal life.  In fact, the eternal judgment is based on deeds.  God will examine your deeds, and you will be rewarded accordingly.  If your deeds were evil, you will be punished eternally. If your deeds were righteous, you will inherit eternal life.  This is the way to enter the eternal kingdom. Make no mistake!  Heaven is the home of only those who practice righteousness.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, as well as the Modern King James Version (MKJV), where noted.

Author's note: The message I've just taught in this article has been beautifully expressed in a couple of poems my young daughters have written, called Perfect for the King and Reward of the Overcomer.  I encourage you to take a moment to read those.  And if you enjoyed this post, you may also like the companion messages, Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Practicing Your Righteousness, The Judgment Seat of Christ, Holding Fast the Faithful Word, and Pleasing the Lord. Some other related articles available on the Home page are:

Law of Love in the New Testament	The Law Established Through Faith	Faith Works!
Is Obedience Optional?	The Cost of Discipleship	Obedience by the Spirit
The Law Fulfilled in Us	The New Covenant	Deleted Scriptures in the Bible?

You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Image credit: The Good Samaritan by Dan Burr of Dan Burr Illustration copyright 2013 used by permission.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.