Galatians

Why do most Christians have the impression that in some measure they can keep the law?

Leave a Comment / christ-as-righteousness / By DavidBenjamininChrist

Learn about the purpose of the law and the reality of sin in the flesh to experience true freedom in Christ. Using the law as a “guide for Christian living” waters down its requirements. The Law was given as a diagnosis of man’s condition, not a recommendation for its cure. Legalistic teaching does not put the law in its proper context. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, and it is through Him that we are made righteous, holy, and blameless in the sight of God. To stand before God with a clear conscience and experience the blessings available to justified and regenerated sons and heirs, we must maintain our faith in Christ.

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Why is the gospel offensive to the legalist?

Leave a Comment / christ-as-righteousness / By DavidBenjamininChrist

The gospel is a message of freedom, assurance, and inheritance, but it can be offensive to legalists. Legalists see righteousness as a matter of law-keeping and are offended by the notion that Christ’s righteousness secures salvation and gives confidence in our relationship with Him. The gospel emphasizes inheritance as the positive focus, as we see in the Epistles. According to 1 Peter 1:3-4, we have been born again to a “living hope” and an “inheritance incorruptible” that is reserved for us. The gospel is Good News that God has made peace with man and has good will toward man, but legalists tend to focus on God’s wrath towards sin and find it difficult to accept that God has made peace with man. Our growth in the Christian life comes as we learn to stand fast in the liberty that we have in Christ, relying on the Spirit and enjoying the graciousness and goodness of God.

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Why was the timing of Abraham’s circumcision so important?

Leave a Comment / christ-as-righteousness / By DavidBenjamininChrist

Learn about the importance of justification by faith alone in the Old Testament, specifically through the timing of Abraham’s circumcision. While circumcision was seen as a sign of righteousness and faith, it was not the cause of Abraham’s justification. Rather, it was a seal of the righteousness he already had through faith. This emphasizes the importance of justification by faith alone, as opposed to works or law-keeping. Christ is our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, and Old Testament saints were also justified by faith apart from works. Our faith in Christ is what justifies us, and our works are simply a reflection of that faith.

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Many people think of Christ’s command to “take up the cross” as a burden and a demand. How is this different from the reality that’s now been established in Christ: “I was crucified with Christ”?

1 Comment / christ-as-righteousness / By DavidBenjamininChrist

This informative SEO excerpt discusses the reality of “taking up the cross” in Christ and how it is often misunderstood as a burden and demand on Christians. The excerpt emphasizes that the reality established in Christ is that “I was crucified with Christ,” and it is through this understanding that we can find freedom and assurance in our relationship with Him. It also warns against those who try to make the Gospel about us and bring us into bondage. The ultimate freedom is to be “dead with Christ,” where we are no longer about ourselves but about Christ living through us. By recognizing our old self being crucified with Christ, we can live in the freedom of His resurrection power. The keywords for this excerpt are assurance of salvation, Christ, Christian freedom, Freedom in Christ, gospel, and grace.

Many people think of Christ’s command to “take up the cross” as a burden and a demand. How is this different from the reality that’s now been established in Christ: “I was crucified with Christ”? Read More »

What did Jesus mean when he said “He who loves me will keep my commandments”?

Leave a Comment / christ-as-righteousness / By DavidBenjamininChrist

Learn about the meaning behind Jesus’ statement “He who loves me will keep my commandments” and the new commandment in 1 John. The new commandment is not an outward demand, but something installed in us through Christ Himself as the Eternal life. Loving the brethren is the same as believing the Gospel, and our practical love towards the body of Christ is evidence of Christ in us. Keeping Jesus’ commandments involves believing in Him, loving one another in a practical way, holding fast to the doctrine of Christ, and not being moved away from it. Explore this topic further on the Christ Our Righteousness hub.

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What does it mean “I through the law died to the law that I might live unto God”?

Leave a Comment / christ-as-righteousness / By DavidBenjamininChrist

The phrase “I through the law died to the law that I might live unto God” is taken from Galatians 2:19-21 in the Bible. It means that through experiences of defeat and failure under the law, a person eventually loses the capacity to approach it in the self-deceived attempt to keep it. This death is necessary so that they can be free to live unto God in the person of Jesus Christ. All the law’s accusations have been dealt with by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. This is a profound shift from trying in our flesh to be righteous to recognizing that our flesh has to be crucified. The phrase teaches us that we cannot be righteous through our own efforts, but only through faith in Christ.

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What does it mean that Christ is a righteousness higher than the law?

Leave a Comment / christ-as-righteousness / By DavidBenjamininChrist

Learn about the concept of Christ’s righteousness being higher than the law in this informative article. The law points to Christ’s righteousness, which is the reality of the righteousness God wants us to have. Christ’s love and reconciliation go beyond what the law requires, and he is the personification of righteousness. We receive Christ’s righteousness as a free gift, given to those who believe in him. This gift is beyond what we could attain through our own efforts and is given apart from any works we could do. Explore this topic further by visiting the Christ Our Righteousness hub. Keywords: Christ, righteousness, law, grace, salvation, gift.

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What does it mean that for “me to live is Christ”?

Leave a Comment / christ-as-righteousness / By DavidBenjamininChrist

Learn about living as a Christian through faith in Christ with this informative article. Discover the importance of drawing on the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and how to live more and more dependent upon Him to satisfy us. Explore the deep understanding and appreciation for the Gospel message, and how Christ is the source of righteousness and power for sanctification. Understand the new life in the Spirit through Him, and the importance of understanding and believing in our new identity in Christ. This article emphasizes that the Gospel is about Jesus Christ, not the individual, and that Christ is the center of the Gospel message. Keywords include Christ, Christian life, gospel, grace, law versus grace, and sanctification.

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What does it mean to guard your crown?

Leave a Comment / christ-as-righteousness / By DavidBenjamininChrist

Guarding your crown means protecting and preserving the message of the Gospel that you have received. It involves standing firm in the faith, rooted and grounded in the hope of salvation that comes from believing in Jesus Christ. It also means being watchful and discerning of false teachings and distractions that would seek to rob you of your assurance and confidence in Christ. By holding fast to the truth of the Gospel, we are preserving the treasure that has been committed to us and remaining steadfast in our faith until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Becoming complacent or led astray by false teachings and distractions can have serious consequences for our faith, so it is important to be aware of the voices of thieves and robbers who seek to steal our crown. Guarding our own is essential to protecting the message of the Gospel and staying faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

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What does Paul mean when he talks about the “blessedness” of a person in Romans 4:6-8?

Leave a Comment / christ-as-righteousness / By DavidBenjamininChrist

Learn about the blessedness of salvation, which refers to the state of being forgiven and having righteousness imputed to a person without works. This means that believers can rest assured in the forgiveness and inheritance that comes from believing in Jesus. Forgiveness not only grants access to eternal life, but it also qualifies believers to become heirs of God. Sin cannot keep a justified person from the blessings of God. According to Romans 3:26, the blessing of forgiveness also qualifies God to make believers heirs, so that He may be “just and the justifier of Him who believes in Jesus.” If you are seeking assurance of salvation, look no further than the grace of God, who justifies and forgives those who believe in Jesus.

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Galatians

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