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The Gospel in Galatians There was another (different) gospel being preached to the Galatians. It was not another of the same kind, but wholly unlike the true gospel. We see this in Galatians 1:6, 7. We get to the heart of the matter in Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ…” So what does it mean to be justified? To “justify” means to be made “righteousness”. Look at some of these verses and compare the Greek. Gal 3:8 “justify” (G1344); Heb 11:33 “righteousness” (G1343); Gal 3:11 “is justified” (G1344); Heb 11:4 “righteous” (G1342); Rom 2:26 “righteousness” (G1345); Rom 6:16 “righteousness” (G1343). G1342 διkaιoς dikaios dik’-ah-yos from G1349; adjective AV-righteous 41, just 33, right 5, meet 2; Total times used: 81 Definition: equitable (in character or act); by implication, innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively): — just, meet, right(-eous). G1343 διkaιoσuvn dikaiosune dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay from G1342; noun feminine AV-righteousness 92; Total times used: 92 G1344 διkaιow dikaioo dik-ah-yo’-o from G1342; verb AV-justify 37, be freed 1, be righteous 1, justifier 1; Total times used: 40 G1345 διkaιwua dikaioma dik-ah’-yo-mah from G1344; noun neuter AV-righteousness 4, ordinance 3, judgment 2, justification 1; Total times used: 10 These words are all related. G1343, G1344 and G1345 all come back to G1342. The main difference is one is an adjective, one a verb and two nouns. Gal 3:8 “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed.” Heb 11:33 “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,” Gal 3:11 “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith.” Heb 11:4 “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” Rom 2:26 “Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?” Rom 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Hopefully that wasn’t overkill. Those are all good verses and there are many more. The blessing of the gospel: being justified through faith is the same thing as being made righteous through faith. As I’ve shown before, those that are righteous keep the law. (See Psalm 119:172; Isaiah 51:7; 1 John 5:17, 1 John 3:4; Isaiah 26:2, Psalm 119:142 etc.) Yet we know that no man is justified by the law. There is no disconnect in these concepts. Let’s look at an example, using the laws of the U.S.A., to help understand the concept of not being able to be justified by the law. Hypothetically if a man murdered someone 20 years ago, but was never caught, and since then he obeyed the law; he paid his taxes, didn’t murder, didn’t steal and didn’t even get as much as a traffic violation for the past 20 years, then today he was caught, with overwhelming evidence that he committed that murder 20 years ago; when in court he even confesses to that murder, but asks the judge, “Since I’ve kept the law the past 20 years, will you rule that I am innocent of this murder charge?” What do you think the response of the judge will be? Guilty! In the same way we are all guilty of sin. So no matter how closely we were to follow God’s law from here out, which we couldn’t do on our own strength anyway, we can not be found to be just by the law. The law can’t make us just, it can’t make us righteous. The law can only point out the truth that we are sinners, we are unjust, we are not righteous. That is why we need a Savior. That is why God sent his only begotten Son to be a propitiation for our sins. We can, by faith, be washed clean; forgiven of our past sins. Even more we can have Christ’s righteous life imparted to us so that we can not only live a life without sin, but even be joyful in keeping God’s perfect law of love. Like Christ we can say, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. Galatians 2:17, 18 “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.” What Was Destroyed? – “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6)” So if I have been crucified (“For I through the law am dead to the law” – Galatians 2:19) and then I resurrect my old life of sin, then “I make myself a transgressor.” “How does a man become dead to the law?-By receiving its full penalty, which is death…. By the body of Christ he is raised from the death which he has suffered from the law because of his sin, and now he walks “in newness of life,” (Romans 6:4) a life unto God. Like Saul of old, he is by the Spirit of God “turned into another man.” (Waggoner – SITI January 18, 1899) Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Trying to attain righteousness in any other way than to invite Christ into your heart by faith is futile. If we could attain righteousness by the law or any other way, then Christ wouldn’t have had to die. He never would have had to come to this sin cursed world and taken on our sinful flesh. (See Gal 2:21) Our own works can do nothing for us. We need to distrust self and see our utter insufficiency, and trust fully in God’s power. Circumcision The Galatians were being taught that they needed to be circumcised in order to be saved. (See Galatians 5:2-6; 6:12-15) In other words they were being taught that their own works could save them. But what was the point of circumcision to begin with? Romans 4:9-11 “……faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised:….” Circumcision was a sign of righteousness by faith. In and of itself circumcision does nothing. True circumcision happens in the heart, and brings obedience to the law; that is the very spirit of the law, not simply the letter of the law which can be twisted by man. For example we know that Jesus said that even to lust after a woman is adultery. So the spirit runs deeper than the letter. In the law, there is the underlying principle of love which can only be lived by those who like Paul can say, “Christ liveth in me”. Romans 2:25-29 ” For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” In Galatians 2:3, 4 we see liberty vs. bondage. Seeking salvation by works brings bondage. So how were they being “bewitched” in Galatians 3:1? Galatians 3:1 “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” Let’s look at 1 Samuel 15:23: “The literal Hebrew is, “Rebellion is the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is iniquity and idolatry.” And how so?-Plainly enough, for stubbornness and rebellion are rejection of God; and he who rejects God, puts himself under the control of evil spirits. All idolatry is devil-worship. “The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils.” 1 Corinthians 10:20. There is no middle ground. Christ says, “He that is not with Me is against Me.” Matthew 12:30. That is, disobedience, rejection of the Lord, is the spirit of antichrist.” (Waggoner – SITI January 25, 1899) What were the results of this bewitching, this snare of a false gospel, which caused them to “not obey the truth”? The curse of death. Whether you think the truth here is the law as in Psalms 119:142 or Jesus as in John 14:6, it is one and the same, for his Father’s commandments are his commandments because they are one in spirit and in purpose. Galatians 3:10 “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Contrast this with the blessing in verse 9 for those of the faith as was Abraham. What was the blessing of Abraham? It was the forgiveness of sins and being turned away from sin. Romans 4:6-8 “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Acts 3:25, 26 “Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” So if the blessing includes being turned away from iniquity (sin) and sin is the transgression of the law, then the blessing includes being able to keep the law. But Galatians 3:10 said that those “of the works of the law” are under the curse. How do we reconcile these things. Revelation 22:14 says, “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Psalm 119:1 says, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.” So can Galatians 3:9 mean that those that do the law are under the curse? Let’s dig deeper. Romans 9:30-33 “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31 But Israel, which followed after [pursued or tried to attain] the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” From Galatians 3:10 “of the works of the law” and “by the works of the law” from Romans 9:32 are the same in the Greek: Even “of” and “by” use the same Greek word. In Rom 9:30-33 and Gal 3:9, 10 you see the same contrast between faith and works. Faith is the only way to attain righteousness. Those trying to attain righteousness “by the works of the law” are under a curse. Why? Because they can’t attain their goal; their works are futile; they need faith. So let’s look at Galatians 3:9,10 again: “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Those not of faith are “of the works of the law” and it says they don’t continue in (do) the things in the law; thus they transgress the law. We know that whatsoever (speaking of actions, thoughts etc.) is not of faith is sin (see Romans 14:23). To be “of the works of the law” is to break the law, because they are trying to keep the law by their own strength, instead of by faith, which is impossible. Deuteronomy 11:26-28 “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” The blessing mentioned here is also by faith: the only way to be lawful. And those not of faith are cursed. That curse is death: the wages of sin – the wages of transgressing the law. Also notice that not obeying God’s commandments is “to go after other gods” (witchcraft). We have free will. We can choose whom to obey. But there is no way in between God’s way and Satan’s way. There is no middle ground where one can just do their own thing. All are obeying either God or Satan. Even those trying to obey God’s commandments, without faith, are walking in Satan’s way. Why? It comes down to motive. Only God can implant the love in our hearts to truly obey out of love. And the whole point of the law is love, which is the narrow way. Trying to obey without that love, without faith, is only selfishly trying to save one’s self. Selfishness is the broad way: Satan’s way. Matthew 7:12-14 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: {strait: or, narrow }14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” The law is not of faith. Yet by faith we keep the law. But what do we make of Galatians 3:12? “And the law is not of faith: but, the man that doeth them shall live in them.” “Life is Doing. – “The man that doeth them shall live in them.” The law calls for action, deeds, and nothing else. If good deeds are manifested, the law is satisfied. “The law is not of faith;” it cares nothing for faith; works, and works alone, commend themselves to it. How those works are obtained is of no concern to it, provided they are present. “In keeping of them there is great reward.” (Waggoner -SITI February 1, 1899) Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. These verses show that we are saved by grace through faith. It says we are not saved by works in verse 9. But what about the walking in the good works mentioned in verse 10? This is how we are to walk as a new creation, created in Christ Jesus. Galatians 6:15 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.” (See also Eph 4:24 and Col 3:10) Ephesians 4:24 “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Colossians 3:10 “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” Covenant Not Disannulled Galatians 3:17, 18 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.” This covenant; these promises were repeated multiple times in Genesis, but let’s take a look at one instance. “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. “Here we see most clearly that the promised inheritance is land; the land of Canaan. But, let it be borne in mind, it is an “everlasting possession.” Abraham himself, as well as his seed, possess it to eternity. Therefore the possession of the land of Canaan, according to the promise to Abraham, involves the possession of everlasting life in which to enjoy it; but immortality is bestowed only at the coming of Christ and the resurrection. This Abraham well understood; for even while he was in the land of Canaan, he sojourned in it as in a strange country, desiring and looking for “a better country, that is an heavenly” (Hebrews 11:9-16); and the fact that he “died in faith, not having received the promises” shows that he knew that he was to receive it at the resurrection.” (Waggoner – SITI February 8, 1899) This plan of salvation, the promise of eternal life through Christ, was revealed to Adam and Eve, when it was said, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” – As soon as there was sin, the Son of God was a Savior! His heel was bruised, but he was resurrected; Satan will not be. The law can never make void the promises of God. Why Then The Law? Galatians 3:19 “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions” “Serveth” is a supplied word. More literally “Why then the law?” or what is the law’s purpose? “It was added because of transgressions” What was transgressed that caused the law to be added? The law was transgressed, therefore the law was “added” (In the Greek G4369: “to place additionally, i.e. lay beside, annex, repeat: —add, again, give more, increase, lay unto, proceed further, speak to any more.”) The law already existed before Sinai. (see Genesis 26:5; Exodus 16:1-4, 22-28) Yet, “the law entered, that the offence might abound. They were sinners and needed to be shown their true condition, so God repeated his law at Sinai. They said they would do it. Then they speedily showed that they didn’t have the strength to keep their promise when they worshiped the golden calf. (Exodus 32) They broke the covenant by their disobedience. “God would have put His law into their hearts, even as He put it into Abraham’s heart, if they had believed; but when they disbelieved, yet still professed to be heirs of the promise, it was necessary to show them in the most marked manner that their unbelief was sin. The law was spoken because of transgression, or, what is the same thing, because of the unbelief of the people.” (Waggoner – SITI February 15, 1899) The law is not against the promise. (See Galatians 3:21) In fact the promise includes the law (See Hebrews 8:10). “Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. (Isaiah 51:7)” The promise of the new covenant, the everlasting covenant, of writing the law in the heart was something God was already doing for Abraham and other patriarchs, as well as those from the Mosaic dispensation, before the everlasting covenant was ratified by the blood of Christ. This was done by the Holy Spirit through faith, as it is for us. And it was necessary for them to be saved, as it is for us. This is righteousness by faith. (See also Romans 4:13) “But the scripture hath concluded [imprisoned, shut up, confined] all under sin, (Galatians 3:22)” What is translated here as “concluded” is translated as “shut up” in verse 23. Just like human laws imprison criminals. Sin is a horrible thing. It binds us. The law shows us our wrongs and imprisons us. “I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. (Isaiah 42:6, 7)” (See also Isa 61:1 and Proverbs 5:22) Galatians 3:22, 23 “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” “When, then, does faith come? -“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Whenever a man receives the Word of God, the word of promise, which brings with it the fullness of the law, and no longer fights against it, but yields to it, then faith comes to him. Read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, and you will see that faith came from the beginning. Since the days of Abel, men have found freedom by faith. The only time fixed is “now,” “to-day.” “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) “To-day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:15, 4:7)” (Waggoner – SITI March 1, 1899) Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. So before one has faith, the law can only condemn: imprison. One is “kept under the law” because they transgressed the law. This has been true from Adam and Eve until now. Everyone has had the opportunity to be saved by grace through faith. Until that faith comes, the law does its job imprisoning the person and showing them their need for salvation. “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)” And what a glorious light it is that is shed abroad in the heart, by faith, to bring us out of the darkness. “It will be noticed also that the new version has “tutor” in the place of “schoolmaster.” This is better, but the sense is still better conveyed by the word that is used in the German and Scandinavian translations, which signifies “master of a house of correction.” The single word in our language corresponding to it would be jailer. The Greek word is the word which transliterated is “pedagog.” The word has come to be used as meaning “schoolmaster,” although the Greek word has not at all the idea of a schoolmaster. “Taskmaster” would be better. The idea here is rather that of a guard who accompanies a prisoner who is allowed to walk about outside the prison walls. The prisoner, altho nominally at large, is really deprived of his liberty just the same as though he were actually in a cell.” (Waggoner – SITI February 22, 1899) We may seem free, while living as sinners, but that is a delusion. But we can be free. John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Galatians 5:25 “But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” Once we are walking by faith and are free from sin the law is no longer our jailer. Till the Seed Should Come Galatians 3:19 “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” Galatians 3:29 “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” “Christ Not for Himself. -Christ did not live and die for Himself. It was not necessary that He should bear the curse of the earth in order to possess it as God; for it never passed out of God’s ownership. Christ came as the Son of man, to win back as man, for man, that which man had lost. “He taketh on Him the seed of Abraham.” Therefore it is that it is impossible that the seed should be complete in Jesus alone, as a single individual. He is the representative man. God’s purpose is to “gather together in one all things in Christ.” Ephesians 1:10. So the seed includes every soul who can be induced to accept the Lord Jesus, and become one with Him. And this gives the glorious assurance that whatever He has is ours.” (Waggoner – SITI March 1, 1899) ““Until the Seed Should Come.” -It needs not many words now to determine what is meant by the phrase, “till the seed should come to whom the promise was made.” We know what the seed is, and we know that it has not yet come in its fulness. To be sure, Christ was once manifested on earth in the flesh, but He did not receive the promised inheritance, any more than Abraham did. Abraham had not so much as to put his foot on (Acts 7:5), and Christ had not where to lay His head (Luke 9:58). Moreover, Christ can not come into the inheritance until Abraham does also, for the promise was “to Abraham and to his seed.” [Luke 1:55; Romans 4:13] The Lord by the prophet Ezekiel spoke of the inheritance at the time when David ceased to have a representative on his throne on earth, and He foretold the overthrow of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome, in these words: “Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.” “So Christ sits on His Father’s throne, “from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool.” Soon will He come, but not until the last soul has accepted Him that can by any possibility be induced to accept salvation. When He comes to execute judgment, and to slay those who said, “We will not have this Man to reign over us,” He comes “with ten thousands of His holy ones.” Jude 14.” “Then will the Seed be complete, and the promise will be fulfilled. And until that time the law will faithfully perform its task of stirring up and pricking the consciences of sinners, giving them no rest until they become identified with Christ, or cast Him off altogether. Do you accept the terms? Will you cease your complaints against the law which would save you from sinking into a fatal sleep? And will you in Christ accept its righteousness? Then, as Abraham’s seed, and an heir according to the promise, you can rejoice in your freedom from the bondage of sin, singing:- “I’m the child of a King, The child of a King, With Jesus my Saviour, I’m the child of a King.”” What about after the seed has come at the second coming of Christ, will the law disappear? No because it will have been engraved on the hearts of all the saved. Children in Bondage Vs. Adopted Sons Galatians 4:1-7 “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: {elements: or, rudiments } 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” The children in bondage under “the elements of the world” are the same mentioned on Colossians 2:8 after “the rudiments of the world” (both phrases are the same in the Greek). Thus those in Galatians 4:3 are “not after Christ”, but once redeemed and adopted we have the Spirit of Christ in our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Colossians 2:8 “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Another example of children in bondage is given in Ephesians 4:14. Ephesians 4:14 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” Being “under the law” in Galatians 4:5 is the same as we saw in Galatians 3:22-24 earlier (imprisoned, shut up, confined). ““To Redeem Them That Were under the Law.” -He does it in the most practical and real way. Whom does He redeem?-“Them that were under the law.” We can not refrain from referring for a moment to the idea that some have that this expression, “to redeem them that were under the law,” has a mere local application. They would have it that it means that Christ freed the Jews from the necessity of offering sacrifices, etc. Well, suppose we take it as referring only to the Jews, and especially to those who lived at the time of His first advent; what then?-Simply this, that we shut ourselves off from any place in the plan of redemption. If it was only the Jews that were under the law, then it was only the Jews that Christ came to redeem. Ah, we do not like to be left out, when it comes to the matter of redemption! Then we must acknowledge that we are, or were before we believed, “under the law;” for Christ came to redeem none but those who were under the law. “Under the law,” as we have already seen, means condemned by the law as transgressors. But the law condemns none but those who are amenable to it, and who ought to keep it. Therefore, since Christ redeems us from the law, from its condemnation, it follows that He redeems us to a life of obedience to it.” (Waggoner – SITI March 8, 1899) The Galatians were Observing Heathen Customs Galatians 4:8-11 “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.” Heathen do service to false gods: they worship idols which are not gods. The Galatians were not Jews. They had been converted from heathenism. Therefore, previous to their conversion they had never had anything to do with any religious custom that was practiced by the Jews. They had nothing whatever in common with the Jews. Consequently, when they turned again to the “weak and beggarly elements” to which they were willing again to be in bondage, it is evident that they were not going back to any Jewish practice. They were going back to their old heathen customs. “But were not the men who were perverting them Jews?”-Yes, they were. But remember this one thing, when you seek to turn a man away from Christ to some substitute for Christ, you can not tell where he will end. You can not make him stop just where you want him to. If a converted drunkard loses faith in Christ, he will take up his drinking habits as surely as he lives, even though the Lord may have taken the appetite away from him. So when these “false brethren”-Jewish opposers of “the truth of the Gospel” as it is in Christ-succeeded in seducing the Galatians from Christ, they could not get them to stop with Jewish ceremonies. No; they inevitably drifted back to their old heathen superstitions.” (Waggoner – SITI March 15, 1899) Deuteronomy 18:10 “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,” Isaiah 47:13 “Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.” Was God in these instances in Deuteronomy and Isaiah telling the Jews not to keep the Sabbath? Of course not, he was forbidding heathen customs. The same is the case in Galatians 4:10. Two Covenants Galatians 4:21-26 “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. {covenants: or, testaments } 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. {answereth to: or, is in the same rank with} 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Abraham had two sons one of the flesh and one by promise. “That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. (Romans 9:8).” Ishmael was born (gendereth) to bondage, as the son of a slave, and Isaac was born free by faith (trust in the promise of God). Ishmael was born by Abram and Sarai trying to fulfill God’s word in their own strength by having Abram procreate with the Egyptian slave Agar (Hagar in Hebrew). But by faith Abram became Abraham and Sarai became Sarah and God delivered the child of promise: Isaac. (See Hebrews 11:11) “Notice, it is not the law of God which is represented by the bond-woman, neither is it the gospel which is represented by Sarah. But Hagar represents Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children, and Sarah represents Jerusalem which is above, which is free, which is the mother of us all. The son of the bond-woman represents the children of Old Jerusalem by the first covenant, even as Isaac represents the children of the New Jerusalem, by the new covenant. The bondage of literal Israel was not because the law of God was given to them, but because they were its transgressors, -the servants of sin. The freedom of those who are the children of the New Jerusalem is not that the law has been abolished, but that they have been made free from sin. Romans 6:22.” (J. N. Andrews – ARSH February 1851, page 42.1) As we have been seeing throughout Galatians, we have those trying to obtain God’s promises by their own works, who fail, (the old covenant), and those who actually attain God’s promises by faith (the new covenant: the everlasting covenant promised to Adam and Eve (Gen 3:15) and later to Abraham (Gen 17:7,8) and repeated to Isaac (Gen 26:4) and Jacob (Gen 28:13,14; 48:4), and repeated to us today). Only those who love death “desire to be under the law”: in prison condemned to death. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12)” “The difference between the two covenants may be put briefly thus: In the covenant from Sinai we ourselves have to do with the law alone, while in the covenant from above, we have the law in Christ. In the first instance it is death to us, since the law is sharper than any two-edged sword, and we are not able to handle it without fatal results; but in the second instance we have the law “in the hand of a Mediator.” (Galatians 3:19) In the one case it is what we can do; in the other case it is what the Spirit of God can do.” (Waggoner – SITI March 22, 1899) Stand Fast in Liberty – No Yoke of Bondage Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) Does this mean liberty to break the law? No it means liberty from sin, for “the law is spiritual”. (Romans 7:14) “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1:25) “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2) Christ’s Spirit brings his law of liberty to us. (See also James 2:10-12 for more on the “law of liberty”, which it is called in verse 12.) When one tries to obey the law, without faith, they fail and sin. Look again at Galatians 2:3,4 where we have faith vs. works; liberty vs. bondage. Ultimately this bondage is sin. Acts 8:23 “For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.” Proverbs 5:22 “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.” {sins: Heb. sin } (Also See John 8:33-36) And sin comes from Satan and brings death with it. 2 Peter 2:19 “….for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” 1 John 3:8 “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” Hebrews 2:14,15 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” And when we have the Spirit of Christ, by grace through faith, we are freed from bondage. “Free indeed”. Christ gives us victory over sin; he gives us liberty by subduing our iniquities (sins). To subdue means to conquer with superior power; here divine power. Micah 7:19 “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Psalm 119:1-3 “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. {undefiled: or, perfect, or, sincere } 2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.” Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Debtor to the Law Galatians 5:2-4 “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Circumcision is covered on page 3, so I won’t rehash that here. Is keeping the law the issue here? No, the issue is trying to be justified by the law (because we know from Galatians 3:11 that “no man is justified by the law”). The ESV and NKJV translate that section of Galatians 5:4 as “who would be justified {Or counted righteous } by the law” and “who attempt to be justified by law” respectively. These were counted as debtors to the law. Why? Simply because they owed something to the law which they hadn’t paid. What did they owe? They owed obedience, yet that can’t be attained without faith. And without faith, one can’t receive God’s free grace, thus they were fallen from grace. Ephesians 2:4-10 “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) {by…: or, by whose grace } 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. {ordained: or, prepared }” So once again we see the same theme repeated: attempted salvation via man’s works vs. actual salvation through faith. There is an interesting parallel in Acts 5:34-39. Gamaliel pointed out that, if the work was of men, “it will come to nought”, but that the things of God cannot be overthrown. Liberty to Serve, Not to Sin Galatians 5:13 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” “The two preceding chapters tell about bondage, imprisonment. Before faith comes, we are shut up under sin, debtors to the law. The faith of Christ sets us free, but as we are set at liberty, the admonition is given us, “Go, and sin no more.” We have been set at liberty from sin, not at liberty to sin. How many make a mistake here! Many sincere people imagine that in Christ we are at liberty to ignore the law, and to set it at defiance, forgetting that the transgression of the law is sin. To serve the flesh is to commit sin, “because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Romans 8:7. So when the apostle exhorts us not to use our liberty for an occasion of the flesh, he simply warns us not to misuse the liberty which Christ gives us, and to bring ourselves into bondage again by transgressing the law. Instead of this, we should by love serve one another….” (Waggoner – SITI April 12, 1899) Law of Love Galatians 5:14 “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Romans 13:10 “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” “To say that love is a substitute for the keeping of the law, is to say that love is a substitute for itself. Men may say that they do not see very much love in the commandments, and that they do not seem to them to be the fulfilling of all love; but that tells nothing against the words of the Scriptures. It simply shows that they do not know the law of God, and that they are speaking evil of that which they know not. Let them but become acquainted with the Lord, and they would find that “His commandments are not grievous,” but are the fullness of His own life of love.” (Waggoner – SITI April 26, 1899) Flesh vs. Spirit Galatians 5:16-18 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” Let’s also see what Paul says about this in the epistle to the Romans. Romans 8:1-8 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: {for sin: or, by a sacrifice for sin } 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. {to be carnally…: Gr. the minding of the flesh } {to be spiritually…: Gr. the minding of the Spirit } 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. {the carnal…: Gr. the minding of the flesh } 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” So the first thing that we will look at is those being led by the Spirit. They are “not under the law” and the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in them. (Compare Galatians 5:18 to Romans 8:4). Next we notice the direct opposition between the flesh and the Spirit. “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Why? “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Thus we see that the flesh is at enmity with the law of God, whereas the Spirit is a peace with the law. This makes perfect sense, “For we know that the law is spiritual: (Romans 7:14).” Those at peace with the law, by minding the Spirit, have life, because they don’t receive the wages of sin: death, like those that are minding the flesh. So when it says, “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”, that means that those that those that are minding the Spirit, following the spiritual law, are at peace with the law and thus not under the law, which imprisons its transgressors until they choose freedom, by Christ, through faith, or choose death. Ezekiel 33:11 “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” Galatians 6:8 “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” The choice is the Spirit or the flesh; faith or works. Paul was teaching the Galatians that the works of the flesh couldn’t lead to salvation, and that they must walk in the Spirit by faith. Then there would be no need to be in bondage to sin, because they could have righteousness by faith and have victory over sin; liberty in the perfect law of love. Galatians 3:2-4 “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.” Choosing the grace of God and walking in the Spirit by faith is the only good decision, every day and every moment. I pray that, “Christ be formed in you”. (Galatians 4:19) God bless
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व्यवस्था र अनुग्रह सत्यको वचनको सबभन्दा प्रस्ट र उल्लेखनीय भिन्नता व्यवस्था र अनुग्रहको बीच रहेको पाइन्छ। बास्तवमा यी दुई फरक सिद्धान्तहरू नै दुई सबभन्दा महत्त्वपूर्ण प्रबन्धहरूलाई अर्थात् यहूदी र ख्रीष्टियन प्रबन्धहरूलाई छुट्ट्याउने विशिष्ट गुणहरू हुन्। “किनभने मोशाद्वारा व्यवस्था दिइएको थियो, तर अनुग्रह र सत्यताचाहिँ येशू ख्रीष्टद्वारा आए” (यूहन्ना १:१७)। तर यसको मतलब मोशा अघि व्यवस्था नै थिएन, र येशू ख्रीष्ट अघि अनुग्रह र सत्यता नै थिएन भन्ने अवश्य होइन। आदमलाई असल र खराबको ज्ञान दिने रूखको फल खानदेखि प्रतिबन्ध लगाइँदा (उत्पत्ति २:१७) व्यवस्था प्रकट गरिएको थियो, अनि परमप्रभु परमेश्वरले पाप गरेका आफ्ना प्राणीहरूको खोजी गर्नुहुँदा र उनीहरूलाई छालाका वस्त्र पहिराइदिनुहुँदा (उत्पत्ति ३:२१) अनुग्रह अति सुन्दर रूपमा प्रकट भएको थियो—यो त ख्रीष्टको सुन्दर चित्रण थियो “जो हाम्रा निम्ति धार्मिकता ठहरिनुभएको छ” (१ कोरिन्थी १:३०)। परमेश्वरको प्रकटित इच्छा आंशिक रूपमा — यस अर्थमा व्यवस्था — सधैंदेखि थियो र परमेश्वरको प्रकटित प्रेम र भलाइ पनि आंशिक रूपमा — यस अर्थमा अनुग्रह — सधैंदेखि थियो जसको प्रमाण पवित्र शास्त्रमा प्रशस्तै पाइन्छ। तरैपनि पवित्र शास्त्रभरि उल्लेखित “व्यवस्था” चाहिँ मोशाद्वारा दिइएको थियो अनि यस व्यवस्थाले नै सिनैदेखि कल्वरीसम्मको समयलाई रूपरंग दिएको पाइन्छ जसरी कल्वरीदेखि शुरू हुने प्रबन्धलाई अनुग्रहले विशेष रूपरंग दिएको छ र जुन प्रबन्धको अन्त्य, भविष्यवाणी गरिएअनुसार, मण्डलीको र्याप्चर अर्थात् उठाइलगिने घटनामा हुनेछ। तरैपनि अति महत्त्वपूर्ण कुरा के छ भने पवित्र शास्त्रले कुनै पनि प्रबन्ध अन्तर्गत यी दुई सिद्धान्तहरूलाई कहिल्यै मिसाउने काम गर्दैन। व्यवस्थाको स्थान र काम अनुग्रहको भन्दा सधैं पूर्ण रूपमा भिन्न र फरक रहेको पाइन्छ। व्यवस्थामा परमेश्वरले प्रतिबन्ध लगाउने र माग राख्ने काम गर्नुहुन्छ। अनुग्रहमा परमेश्वरले आग्रह गर्ने र दिने काम गर्नुहुन्छ। व्यवस्था दोषी ठहराउने सेवा हो भने अनुग्रहचाहिँ क्षमाको सेवा हो। व्यवस्थाले श्राप दिन्छ भने अनुग्रहले उक्त श्रापबाट छुटकारा दिन्छ। व्यवस्थाले मार्छ, अनुग्रहले जीवित बनाउँछ। व्यवस्थाले परमेश्वरको सामु हरेक मुख बन्द गरिदिन्छ, अनुग्रहले हरेक मुख उहाँको प्रशंसा गर्नलाई खोलिदिन्छ। व्यवस्थाले मानिस र परमेश्वरको बीच ठूलो दोषरूपी दूरी खडा गरिदिन्छ, अनुग्रहले दोषी मानिसलाई परमेश्वरको नजिक ल्याउँदछ। व्यवस्थाले भन्छ, “आँखाको बदला आँखा, र दाँतको बदला दाँत”, अनुग्रहले भन्छ, “दुष्टको सामना नगर; तर जसले तिम्रो दाहिने गालामा थप्पड लाउला, त्यसपट्टि अर्को पनि फर्काइदेऊ।” व्यवस्थाले भन्छ, “आफ्नो शत्रुलाई घृणा गर”, अनुग्रहले भन्छ, “आफ्ना शत्रुहरूलाई प्रेम गर, तिमीहरूलाई श्राप दिनेहरूलाई आशिष देओ।” व्यवस्थाले भन्छ, काम गर तब जीवन पाउनेछौ; अनुग्रहले भन्छ, विश्वास गर तब जीवन पाउनेछौ। व्यवस्थाको कहिल्यै कुनै प्रचारक थिएन, अनुग्रह प्रत्येक प्राणीलाई प्रचारिनुपर्छ। व्यवस्थाले सबभन्दा असल मानिसलाई समेत दोषी ठहर्याउँछ, अनुग्रहले सबभन्दा खराब मानिसलाई समेत सित्तैंमा धर्मी ठहर्याउँछ (लूका २३:४३; रोमी ५:८; १ तिमोथी १:१५; १ कोरिन्थी ६:९-११)। व्यवस्था परीक्षण-प्रणाली हो, अनुग्रहचाहिँ निगाह-प्रणाली। व्यवस्थाले एउटी व्यभिचारिणीलाई ढुंगाले मार्छ, अनुग्रहले भन्छ, “म. . तिमीलाई दोषी ठहराउँदिनँ; जाऊ, र अबदेखि पाप नगर।” व्यवस्था अन्तर्गत गोठालोका निम्ति भेंडा मर्दछ, अनुग्रह अन्तर्गत भेंडाका निम्ति गोठालो मर्दछन्। जुनै पनि खण्डमा पवित्र शास्त्रले व्यवस्था र अनुग्रहलाई एकदमै भिन्न भूमिकायुक्त प्रणालीको रूपमा प्रस्तुत गरेको पाइन्छ। आज शिक्षा र प्रचारमा प्रायः यी दुईको मिसावटले दुवैलाई बिगारेको पाइन्छ। एकातिर व्यवस्था त्रासपूर्ण हुन छाडेको छ भने अर्कोतिर अनुग्रह बिनादामको हुन छाडेको छ। नयाँ नियममा “व्यवस्था” भन्नाले मोशाद्वारा दिइएको व्यवस्था बुझिन्छ (रोमी ७:२३ अपवादमा पर्छ)। तर कहिलेकाहीँ यसले सम्पूर्ण व्यवस्थालाई जनाउँछ, अर्थात् दुवै “नैतिक व्यवस्था” (दस आज्ञा) र विधिहरूको व्यवस्थालाई; कहिलेकाहीँ यसले आज्ञाहरूलाई मात्र जनाउँछ र कहिलेकाहीँ विधिहरूलाई मात्र। उदाहरणको लागि रोमी ६:१४, गलाती २:१६ र ३:२ पहिलो वर्गमा पर्छ। रोमी ३:१९ र ७:७-१२ दोस्रोमा र कलस्सी २:१४-१७ तेस्रोमा। साथै यो पनि स्मरणमा राखिनुपर्छ, विधिहरूको व्यवस्थामा नै ती गजबका प्रतीकहरू समावेश छन् अर्थात् पूजाहारी र बलिको रूपमा प्रभु येशू ख्रीष्टको व्यक्तित्व र कार्यका सुन्दर चित्रणहरू छन् जसरी भेट हुने पालमा (प्रस्थान २५-३०) र लेवीय बलिदानहरूमा (लेवी १-७) ती पाइन्छन्, जोचाहिँ आत्मिकहरूका लागि सधैं अद्भुत र मनोहर हुन्छन्। केवल “ढुङ्गाहरूमा लेखिएको र खोपिएको मृत्युको सेवा” (२ कोरिन्थी ३:७) को आधारमा बुझ्न खोज्दा नबुझिने भजनसंग्रहका कतिपय वाक्यहरू समेत ख्रीष्टको सम्बन्धमा र उद्धार पाएकाहरूको सम्बन्धमा लेखिएका हुन् भनेर पढ्दा सफासित बुझिन्छ। तर उसको आनन्द परमप्रभुको व्यवस्थामा हुँदछ, र उहाँकै व्यवस्थामा दिनरात मनन गर्दछ (भजनसंग्रह १:२) आहा, तपाईंको व्यवस्थालाई म कति प्रेम गर्दछु! दिनभरि मेरो ध्यान यसैमा रहिरहन्छ (भजनसंग्रह ११९:९७)। व्यवस्थाको अनुग्रहसितको ठीक सम्बन्धको सवालमा मण्डली तीनओटा त्रुटीहरूले पीडित हुँदै आएको छ। व्यवस्थाहीनवाद (ANTINOMIANISM): विश्वासी जन कुनै नियमको अधीनमा छैन भन्ने त्रुटिपूर्ण शिक्षा हो यो। परमेश्वरको सित्तैंको अनुग्रहले, बिनायोग्यता बचाइने हुनाले, मानिस पवित्र जीवन जिउन बाध्य छैन भन्ने गलत परिकल्पना हो यो। हामी परमेश्वरलाई चिन्छौं भनी तिनीहरू दाबी गर्छन्, तर कामहरूद्वारा चाहिँ तिनीहरूले उहाँलाई इन्कार गर्छन्; किनकि तिनीहरू घिनलाग्दा, अनाज्ञाकारी र हरेक असल कामका लागि निकम्मा छन् (तीतस १:१६)। किनकि कति मानिसहरू लुकीछिपी भित्र पसेका छन्, जोचाहिँ अघिदेखि नै यही दण्डका निम्ति ठहराइएका भक्तिहीन मानिसहरू हुन् जसले हाम्रा परमेश्वरको अनुग्रहलाई कामुकतामा परिवर्तन गर्छन्, र एक मात्र मालिक परमेश्वर र हाम्रा प्रभु येशू ख्रीष्टलाई इन्कार गर्छन् (यहूदा ४)। विधिवाद (CEREMONIALISM): विश्वासीहरूले लेवीय विधिहरू पालन गर्नैपर्छ भनी जुन माग राखिएको थियो, त्यो नै विधिवादको पहिलो ऐतिहासिक रूप थियो। अनि कोही मानिसहरूले यहूदियाबाट झरेर भाइहरूलाई शिक्षा दिए: “मोशाको रीतिअनुसार तिमीहरूको खतना नहोउन्जेल तिमीहरूले मुक्ति पाउन सक्दैनौ (प्रेरित १५:१)। ख्रीष्टियन विधिहरू बिना मुक्ति पाइँदैन भन्ने झूटा शिक्षा नै यसको आधुनिक रूप हो। गलातीवाद (GALATIANISM), अर्थात् व्यवस्था र अनुग्रहलाई मिसाउने काम; आंशिकरूपमा अनुग्रहले र आंशिकरूपमा व्यवस्थाले मानिस धर्मी ठहरिन्छ भन्ने शिक्षा; अथवा, अशक्त पापीलाई व्यवस्था पालन गर्न सक्नलाई अनुग्रह दिइन्छ भन्ने शिक्षा। सबभन्दा व्यापक त्रुटी यही हो; गलातीहरूलाई लेखिएको पत्रमा पाइने गम्भीर चेताउनीहरू, अकाट्य तर्कहरू र जोडदार अभिव्यक्तिहरू नै यस त्रुटी विरुद्ध लेखिएको परमेश्वरको निष्कर्षपूर्ण प्रत्युत्तर हो। तिमीहरूबाट म यो मात्र जान्न चाहन्छु — तिमीहरूले आत्मालाई व्यवस्थाका कामहरूद्वारा पायौ कि विश्वासको समाचारद्वारा? के तिमीहरू यति बुद्धिहीन छौ? आत्मामा शुरु गरेर अब शरीरमा सिद्ध्याउँछौ (गलाती ३:२,३)? म छक्क पर्दछु, किनकि जसले तिमीहरूलाई ख्रीष्टको अनुग्रहमा बोलाउनुभयो, उहाँबाट तिमीहरू यति चाँडै अर्कै सुसमाचारतिर फर्क्यौ; जुन सुसमाचार अर्को होइन; तर तिमीहरूलाई विचलित पार्ने र ख्रीष्टको सुसमाचार उल्टापुल्टा पार्न चाहनेहरू कोहीकोही छन्। तर हामीले वा स्वर्गबाटको कुनै दूतले पनि, हामीले तिमीहरूलाई प्रचार गरेको सुसमाचारबाहेक अर्को कुनै सुसमाचार तिमीहरूलाई सुनायो भने त्यो श्रापित होओस् (गलाती १:६-८)। यस महत्त्वपूर्ण विषयको बाइबलीय शिक्षाको रूपरेखा निम्नलिखित खण्डहरूले प्रस्ट पार्न मदत गर्नेछ। उल्लेखित खण्डहरूले व्यवस्थाको केवल नैतिक पक्षलाई जनाउँछन्। व्यवस्था कस्तो कुरा हो यसकारण व्यवस्था पवित्र छ, र आज्ञा पनि पवित्र, न्यायपूर्ण र असल छ (रोमी ७:१२)। किनकि हामी जान्दछौं, व्यवस्था आत्मिक छ; तर मचाहिँ शारीरिक छु, र पापको हातमा बेचिएको छु (रोमी ७:१४)। किनकि भित्रको मानिसअनुसार परमेश्वरको व्यवस्थामा म आनन्दित हुन्छु (रोमी ७:२२)। तर हामी जान्दछौं, व्यवस्था असल छ, यदि कसैले यसलाई नियमअनुसार प्रयोग गर्यो भने (१ तिमोथी १:८)। तर व्यवस्था विश्वासबाटको होइन, तर ‘जुन मान्छेले तिनलाई पालन गर्छ, ऊ तीद्वारा जिउनेछ’ (गलाती ३:१२)। व्यवस्थाको न्यायोचित प्रयोग तब हामी के भनौं त? के व्यवस्था पाप हो? कदापि होइन! तर बिनाव्यवस्था, पाप भनेको के हो, म जान्नेथिइनँ; किनकि ‘तिमीले लोभ नगर्नू’ भनी व्यवस्थाले मलाई नभनेको भए लोभलालच के हो, म जान्नेथिइनँ (रोमी ७:७। तब के, जे असल छ, त्यही मेरा लागि मृत्यु बन्यो त? कदापि होइन! तर पापले, आफू पाप नै देखा परोस् भनेर जे असल छ, त्यहीद्वारा ममा मृत्यु उत्पन्न गरिरहेको थियो: आज्ञाद्वारा पाप ज्यादै पापमय बनोस् भनेर (रोमी ७:१३)। यसकारण व्यवस्थाका कामहरूद्वारा कुनै पनि प्राणी उहाँको दृष्टिमा धर्मी ठहरिनेछैन; किनकि व्यवस्थाद्वारा पाप चिन्ने ज्ञान हुन्छ (रोमी ३:२०)। तब व्यवस्था केका लागि हो? यो ता जुन वंशलाई प्रतिज्ञा दिइएको थियो, त्यो नआउन्जेल अपराधहरूले गर्दा थपिएको हो; र स्वर्गदूतहरूद्वारा एउटा मध्यस्थको हातमा ठहराइएको हो (गलाती ३:१९) अब हामी जान्दछौं — व्यवस्थाले जे पनि भन्दछ, त्यसले व्यवस्थाको अधीनमा बसेकाहरूलाई भन्दछ, कि हरेक मुख चुप रहोस् र सारा संसार परमेश्वरको सामु दोषी ठहरियोस् (रोमी ३:१९)। [व्यवस्थाको केवल एउटै भाषा छ: “व्यवस्थाले जे पनि भन्दछ”। दोषी ठहर्याउनलाई मात्र बोल्दछ यो।] किनकि जतिजना व्यवस्थाका कामहरूबाटका हुन्, तिनीहरू श्रापमनि छन्; किनकि लेखिएको छ: ‘व्यवस्थाको पुस्तकमा लेखिएका सबै कुराहरूमा तिनलाई पालन गर्नालाई लागिनरहने हरेक जन श्रापित होस्’ (गलाती ३:१०) किनकि जसकसैले सम्पूर्ण व्यवस्था पालन गर्दछ, तर पनि एउटै कुरामा चुक्यो भने ऊ सबै कुरामा दोषी ठहरिएको छ (याकूब २:१०) ढुङ्गाहरूमा लेखिएको र खपिएको मृत्युको सेवा (२ कोरिन्थी ३:७) किनकि दोषी ठहराउने सेवा (२ कोरिन्थी ३:९) किनकि म एकपल्ट व्यवस्थाबिना जिउँदो थिएँ; तर जब आज्ञा आयो, तब पाप जाग्यो, र म मरें (रोमी ७:९)। अनि मृत्युको खील पाप हो; अनि पापको शक्ति व्यवस्था हो (१ कोरिन्थी १५:५६)। यसकारण यो स्पष्ट छ, मानिस व्यवस्थाबिना रहँदै आएको २,५०० वर्षपछि उसलाई व्यवस्था दिनु (यूहन्ना १:१७; गलाती ३:१७) मा परमेश्वको उद्देश्य यो थियो, दोषी मानिसलाई पहिला उसको पापको ज्ञान दिलाउनु र त्यसपछि परमेश्वरका न्यायोचित मागहरूको सामु उसको पूर्ण शक्तिहीनता देखाउनु। यसको एउटै काम र पूर्ण काम दोषी ठहराउनु र मृत्युदण्ड दिनु हो। व्यवस्थाले के गर्न सक्दैन यसकारण व्यवस्थाका कामहरूद्वारा कुनै पनि प्राणी उहाँको दृष्टिमा धर्मी ठहरिनेछैन; किनकि व्यवस्थाद्वारा पाप चिन्ने ज्ञान हुन्छ (रोमी ३:२०)। तर मानिस व्यवस्थाका कामहरूद्वारा धर्मी ठहरिँदैन, तर येशू ख्रीष्टको विश्वासद्वारा मात्र धर्मी ठहरिन्छ भन्ने जानेर हामी आफैले पनि व्यवस्थाका कामहरूद्वारा होइन, तर ख्रीष्टको विश्वासद्वारा धर्मी ठहरिऔं भनेर येशू ख्रीष्टमाथि विश्वास गर्यौं; किनकि व्यवस्थाका कामहरूद्वारा कुनै पनि प्राणी धर्मी ठहरिनेछैन (गलाती २:१६)। परमेश्वरको अनुग्रहलाई म व्यर्थको तुल्याउँदिनँ; किनकि व्यवस्थाद्वारा धार्मिकता आउँदो हो ता ख्रीष्ट व्यर्थमा मर्नुभयो (गलाती २:२१)। तर परमेश्वरको दृष्टिमा व्यवस्थाद्वारा कोही पनि धर्मी ठहरिँदैन, यो कुरा स्पष्ट छ; किनभने ‘धर्मी जन विश्वासद्वारा जिउनेछ’ (गलाती ३:१३)। किनकि जुन कुरा व्यवस्थाले शरीरद्वारा कमजोर भएको हुनाले गर्न सकेन, त्यही कुरा परमेश्वरले आफ्नो पुत्रलाई पापमय शरीरको समानतामा र पापका निम्ति पठाईकन गर्नुभयो र शरीरमा पापलाई दण्डको आज्ञा दिनुभयो (रोमी ८:३)। अनि मोशाको व्यवस्थाद्वारा तपाईंहरू जुन-जुन कुराहरूबाट धर्मी ठहरिन सक्नुभएन, ती सबै कुराहरूबाट हरेक विश्वास गर्ने मानिस उहाँद्वारा धर्मी ठहरिन्छ (प्रेरित १३:३९)। किनकि व्यवस्थाले कुनै कुरा पनि सिद्ध पारेन, तर उत्तम आशा भित्र्याइएकोले पार्यो; जसद्वारा हामी परमेश्वरको नजिक जान्छौं (हिब्रू ७:१९)। विश्वासी जन व्यवस्थाको अधीनमा छैन रोमी ६:१-१० ले विश्वासी जन ख्रीष्टसित उहाँको मृत्युमा सम्मिलित भएको छ भन्ने शिक्षालाई प्रस्तुत गर्दछ जसको चित्रण बप्तिस्माले दिन्छ। त्यसपछि ६:११-२२ ले विश्वासी जनको हिँडाइ अर्थात् उसको जीवनको नियमलाई निर्धारण गर्ने सिद्धान्तहरूलाई प्रस्तुत गर्दछ। यसमा रोमी ६:१४ ले छुटकाराको महान् सिद्धान्तलाई बताउँदछ – पापको दोषबाटको छुटकारा होइन, त्यो त ख्रीष्टको रगतले दिलायो – तर पापको शक्तिबाटको छुटकारा अर्थात् यसको दासत्वबाटको छुटकारा। “किनकि पापले तिमीहरूमाथि राज्य गर्नेछैन; किनभने तिमीहरू व्यवस्थाको अधीनमा छैनौ, तर अनुग्रहको अधीनमा छौ” (रोमी ६:१४) त्यसोभए पवित्र जीवन जिउन आवश्यक छैन भनेर सिकाउने कुरूप व्यवस्थाहिनवादतर्फ यसले नडोर्याओस् भन्ने हेतुले पवित्र आत्माले तुरुन्तै यसो भन्दै थप्नुहुन्छ: “तब के? हामी व्यवस्थाको अधीनमा छैनौं, तर अनुग्रहको अधीनमा छौं भनेर के हामी पाप गरौं त? कदापि होइन!” (रोमी ६:१५)। जवाफमा प्रत्येक नवीकृत हृदयले अवश्य भन्नेछ, “आमेन”। त्यसपछि रोमी सातौं अध्यायले व्यवस्थाबाटको छुटकाराको अर्को सिद्धान्त प्रस्तुत गर्दछ। यसकारण हे मेरा भाइहरूहो, परमेश्वरका निम्ति फल फलाऔं भनेर अर्का व्यक्तिका अर्थात् जो मरेकाहरूबाट बौरेर उठ्नुभएको छ, उहाँका हुनालाई तिमीहरू पनि ख्रीष्टको शरीरद्वारा व्यवस्थाका निम्ति मरेका भयौ। किनकि जब हामी शरीरमा थियौं, तब व्यवस्थाद्वारा जगाइएका पापहरूका वासनाहरूले मृत्युका निम्ति फल फलाउनालाई हाम्रा अङ्गहरूमा काम गर्दथे। तर अब लेखिएको व्यवस्थाको पुरानोपनामा होइन, तर आत्माको नयाँपनामा सेवा गर्न सकौं भनेर जसको बन्धनमा हामी थियौं, त्यसका निम्ति मरीकन हामी व्यवस्थाबाट मुक्त भएका छौं (रोमी ७:४-६)। (माथि उल्लेख भएको व्यवस्थाचाहिँ विधिको व्यवस्था होइन भन्ने तथ्य पद ७ बाट जानिन्छ)। किनकि परमेश्वरका निम्ति बाँचूँ भनेर म व्यवस्थाद्वारा व्यवस्थाका निम्ति मरेको छु (गलाती २:१९) तर विश्वास आउनुभन्दा पहिले यही व्यवस्थाको अधीनतामा हाम्रो रखवाली भयो, र पछिबाट प्रकट हुने विश्वासका निम्ति हामी थुनामा राखियौं। यसकारण व्यवस्थाचाहिँ, हामी विश्वासद्वारा धर्मी ठहरिऔं भनेर हामीलाई ख्रीष्टकहाँ ल्याउने हाम्रो शिक्षक भएको छ। तर विश्वास आइसकेपछि चाहिँ हामी अब उसो शिक्षकको अधीनतामा छैनौं (३:२३-२५) तर हामी जान्दछौं, व्यवस्था असल छ, यदि कसैले यसलाई नियमअनुसार प्रयोग गर्यो भने; यो कुरा थाह गर्दै कि व्यवस्थाचाहिँ धर्मी मानिसका निम्ति बनाइएको होइन, तर अधर्मी र अटेरिका निम्ति, भक्तिहीन र पापीका निम्ति, अपवित्र र अशुद्धका निम्ति, बाबु मार्नेहरू र आमा मार्नेहरूका निम्ति, मान्छे मार्नेहरूका निम्ति (१ तिमोथी १:८-९)। विश्वासीको जिउने नियम के हो? जसले ‘म उहाँमा रहन्छु’ भन्छ, ऊ आफै पनि, जसरी उहाँ हिँड्नुहुन्थ्यो, उसरी हिँड्नुपर्छ (१ यूहन्ना २:६)। उहाँले हाम्रा निम्ति आफ्नो प्राण अर्पण गर्नुभएको छ; यसैबाट हामी परमेश्वरको प्रेम थाह पाउँछौं; र हामीले भाइहरूका निम्ति आफ्ना प्राणहरू अर्पण गर्नुपर्छ (१ यूहन्ना ३:१६) हे प्रियहो, म तिमी परदेशीहरू र यात्रीहरूलाई विन्ती गर्दछु — प्राणको विरोधमा युद्ध गर्ने शारीरिक अभिलाषाहरूबाट टाढो बस (१ पत्रुस २:११ साथै पद १२-२३ मा पनि हेर्नुहोस्) यसकारण म, प्रभुको कैदी, तिमीहरूलाई विन्ती गर्दछु: जुन बोलावटले तिमीहरू बोलाइएका छौ, त्यसैको योग्य चालमा हिँड, सबै दीनता र नम्रतासाथ, सहनशीलतासित प्रेमले एक-अर्कालाई सह (एफेसी ४:१,२)। यसकारण तिमीहरू प्रिय बालकहरूझैं परमेश्वरका देखासिकी गर्नुहरू होओ; र प्रेममा हिँड, जसरी ख्रीष्टले पनि हामीलाई प्रेम गर्नुभयो (एफेसी ५:१,२)। किनकि बितेको समयमा तिमीहरू अन्धकार थियौ, तर अब प्रभुमा तिमीहरू ज्योति हौ; ज्योतिका सन्तानहरूझैं हिँड (एफेसी ५:८)। यसकारण तिमीहरू होसियारसँग हिँडिरहेका छौ कि छैनौ, हेर; बुद्धिहीनझैं होइन, तर बुद्धिमानझैं हिँड; समयलाई खेर जान नदेओ, किनकि दिन खराब छन् एफेसी ५:१५,१६)। तर म यो भन्दछु: आत्मामा हिँड, र तिमीहरूले शरीरको अभिलाषा कुनै रीतिले पूरा गर्नेछैनौ (गलाती ५:१६)। किनकि जस्तो मैले तिमीहरूलाई गरेको छु, त्यस्तै तिमीहरूले पनि गर्नुपर्छ भनेर मैले तिमीहरूलाई एउटा उदाहरण दिएको छु (यूहन्ना १३:१५)। तिमीहरूले मेरा आज्ञाहरू पालन गर्यौ भने तिमीहरू मेरो प्रेममा रहनेछौ, जसरी मैले पनि मेरा पिताका आज्ञाहरू पालन गरेको छु, अनि उहाँको प्रेममा रहन्छु (यूहन्ना १५:१०)। जसरी मैले तिमीहरूलाई प्रेम गरेको छु, उसरी नै तिमीहरूले एक-अर्कालाई प्रेम गर, यो मेरो आज्ञा हो (यूहन्ना १५:१२)। जससँग मेरा आज्ञाहरू छन् र तिनलाई पालन गर्दछ, उही मलाई प्रेम गर्ने हो। अनि जसले मलाई प्रेम गर्दछ, ऊ मेरा पिताद्वारा प्रेम गरिनेछ, अनि म उसलाई प्रेम गर्नेछु, र आफैलाई उसकहाँ प्रकट गर्नेछु (यूहन्ना १४:२१)। अनि हामी जे माग्छौं, सो उहाँबाट पाउँछौं; किनभने हामी उहाँका आज्ञाहरू पालन गर्दछौं, र जुन कुराहरू उहाँको दृष्टिमा मनपर्दा छन्, ती गर्दछौं। अनि उहाँको आज्ञा यही हो — उहाँका पुत्र येशू ख्रीष्टको नाममा हामीले विश्वास गर्नुपर्छ, र उहाँले हामीलाई आज्ञा दिनुभएअनुसार एक-अर्कालाई प्रेम गर्नुपर्छ (१ यूहन्ना ३:२२,२३)। ‘जुन वाचा म ती दिनहरूपछि तिनीहरूसित बाँध्नेछु, त्यो यही हो, प्रभु भन्नुहुन्छ — म मेरा व्यवस्थाहरू तिनीहरूका हृदयहरूभित्र हालिदिनेछु’ (हिब्रू १०:१६)। अनुग्रह के हो? तर जब हाम्रा मुक्तिदाता परमेश्वरका दया र मानिसप्रतिको प्रेम प्रकट भए, तब हामी आफैले गरेका धर्मका कामहरूद्वारा होइन, तर उहाँकै कृपाअनुसार उहाँले हाम्रो उद्धार गर्नुभयो — नयाँ जन्मको स्नान र पवित्र आत्माबाटको नवीकरणद्वारा (तीतस ३:४,५)। ख्रीष्ट येशूमा हामीतर्फ भएको उहाँको दयाद्वारा पछि आउने युगहरूमा उहाँको अनुग्रहको अपार धन देखाउनका निम्ति (एफेसी २:७)। तर परमेश्वरले हामीतर्फ आफ्नो प्रेम यसैमा प्रकट गर्नुहुन्छ — हामी पापी हुँदा-हुँदै ख्रीष्ट हाम्रा निम्ति मर्नुभयो (रोमी ५:८)। अनुग्रह अन्तर्गत परमेश्वरको उद्देश्य के हो? किनकि विश्वासद्वारा अनुग्रहले तिमीहरूले मुक्ति पाएका छौ; अनि यो तिमीहरू आफैबाटको होइन, यो परमेश्वरको दान हो; कामहरूबाट होइन, नत्र ता कसैले घमण्ड गर्नेछ (एफेसी २:८,९)। किनकि मुक्ति ल्याउने परमेश्वरको अनुग्रह सबै मानिसहरूकहाँ देखा परेको छ, र हामीलाई यो सिकाउँछ — अभक्ति र सांसारिक अभिलाषाहरू इन्कार गरेर यस वर्तमान संसारमा हामीले आत्मसंयम, धार्मिकता र भक्तिसाथ जिउनुपर्छ; र त्यस धन्य आशाको, र हाम्रा महान् परमेश्वर र मुक्तिदाता येशू ख्रीष्टको महिमापूर्ण आगमनको बाटो हेर्दै जिउनुपर्छ (तीतस २:११-१३)। उहाँको अनुग्रहद्वारा धर्मी ठहरिएर अनन्त जीवनको आशाअनुसार हामी हकवालाहरू बन्न सकौं भनेर (तीतस ३:७)। र उहाँको अनुग्रहद्वारा ख्रीष्ट येशूमा भएको छुटकाराको कारणले तिनीहरू सित्तैंमा धर्मी ठहरिन्छन् (रोमी ३:२४)। उहाँद्वारा विश्वासको कारणले हामीले यस अनुग्रहभित्र प्रवेश पाएका छौं, यही अनुग्रहभित्र हामी खडा छौं, र परमेश्वरको महिमाको आशामा आनन्द मनाउँछौं (रोमी ५:२)। अनि अब भाइहरूहो, म तपाईंहरूलाई परमेश्वर र उहाँको अनुग्रहको वचनको जिम्मामा सुम्पिदिन्छु, जसले तपाईंहरूलाई बढाउँदै लैजान र सबै पवित्र पारिएकाहरूको बीचमा तपाईंहरूलाई पैतृक-सम्पत्ति दिलाउन सक्दछ (प्रेरित २०:३२)। उहाँको अनुग्रहको महिमाको प्रशंसाका निम्ति जुन अनुग्रहमा उहाँले हामीलाई उही प्रियमा ग्रहणयोग्य तुल्याउनुभयो। उहाँमा हामीले उहाँको अनुग्रहको धनअनुसार उहाँको रगतद्वारा छुटकारा अर्थात् पापहरूको क्षमा पाएका छौं (एफेसी १:६,७)। यसकारण हामी साहससँग अनुग्रहको सिंहासनको नजिक जाऔं, र दया पाऔं, अनि खाँचो पर्दा सहायता पाउनालाई अनुग्रह प्राप्त गरौं (हिब्रू ४:१६)। कति सिद्ध, कति विस्तृत यो परमेश्वरको अनुग्रह! यसले बचाउँछ, धर्मी ठहराउँछ, निर्माण गराउँछ, ग्रहणयोग्य तुल्याउँछ, छुटकारा दिलाउँछ, क्षमा दिन्छ, पैतृक-सम्पत्तिको भागीदार बनाउँछ, परमेश्वरको सामु ओहोदा दिन्छ, अनुग्रहको सिंहासनको प्रबन्ध गर्दछ जहाँ हामी साहससित कृपा र सहायता पाउन आउन सक्छौं; यसले हामीलाई जिउन सिकाउँछ र धन्यको आशा दिलाउँछ! अब यति बताउन बाँकी छ, कि यी भिन्न सिद्धान्तहरूलाई मिसाउन सकिँदैन। तर अनुग्रहद्वारा हो भने यो कामद्वारा हुँदै होइन, नत्र ता अनुग्रह अनुग्रह नै हुँदैन (रोमी ११:६)। अब जसले काम गर्दछ, त्यसका निम्ति ज्याला अनुग्रह होइन, तर हक ठहरिन्छ। तर जसले काम गर्दैन, तर भक्तिहीनलाई धर्मी ठहराउनुहुनेमाथि विश्वास राख्छ, उसका निम्ति उसको विश्वास धार्मिकता ठहरिन्छ (रोमी ४:४,५; साथै गलाती ३:१६-१८ र ४:२१-३१ मा पनि हेर्नुहोस्)। अन्तमा: यसकारण हे भाइहरूहो, हामी दासीका सन्तानहरू होइनौं, तर स्वतन्त्र स्त्रीका हौं (गलाती ४:३१) किनकि तिमीहरू न ता त्यस पर्वतमा आएका छौ, जसलाई छुन सकिन्थ्यो, र जो आगोले बल्थ्यो; न ता कालो बादल, अन्धकार, आँधी, तुरहीको ध्वनि र वचनहरू बोल्ने आवाजकहाँ नै आएका छौ; जसले त्यो आवाज सुने, तिनीहरूले त्यो वचन फेरि तिनीहरूलाई नभनियोस् भनी विन्ती गरे — किनकि जो आज्ञा दिइएको थियो, सो तिनीहरूले सहन सकेनन्, ‘अनि यदि कुनै पशुले पनि पहाड छोयो भने त्यो ढुङ्गाले हानियोस्, अथवा काँडाले छेंडियोस्।’ अनि दृश्य यति भयानक थियो, कि मोशाले भने: ‘म ज्यादै डराउँदै छु, र काम्दै छु।’ तर तिमीहरू ता सियोन पर्वतमा, जिउँदो परमेश्वरको शहर स्वर्गीय यरूशलेममा र स्वर्गदूतहरूको असंख्य जमातमा, सर्वसाधारण सभामा, जेठा छोराहरूको मण्डलीमा, जसका नाम स्वर्गमा लेखिएका छन्, र सबैका न्यायकर्ता परमेश्वरकहाँ, सिद्ध पारिएका धर्मी जनका आत्माहरूकहाँ, नयाँ वाचाका मध्यस्थ येशूकहाँ र रगतको छिट्काउमा आएका छौ, जसले हाबिलको रगतले भन्दा उत्तम कुराहरू बोल्दछ (हिब्रू १२:१८-२४)। त्यसैले परमेश्वरले सिनैमा बोल्नुभएको कुरालाई “नैतिक व्यवस्था” र “विधिको व्यवस्था” मा विभाजन गर्ने सवाल उठ्दैन – विश्वासी जन सिनै पर्वतमा ल्याइएकै छैन। जसरी जन बन्यन भन्छन्: “विश्वासी जन अब, प्रभु येशूमा राखिएको विश्वासद्वारा, यस्तो सिद्ध र धन्यको धार्मिकताले ढाकिएको छ कि सिनै पर्वतको गर्जने व्यवस्थाले त्यसमा सानो भन्दा सानो त्रुटी वा कमी भेट्न सक्दैन। यसलाई भनिन्छ बिनाव्यवस्थाको परमेश्वरको धार्मिकता।“ यदि तपाईंले विश्वास गर्न बाँकी नै छ भने आफूले तोड्नुभएको त्यस पवित्र र न्यायपूर्ण व्यवस्थाको साँचो फैसलालाई स्वीकार गर्नलाई तपाईंलाई प्रेमपूर्वक आग्रह गरिन्छ: “किनभने त्यहाँ कुनै भिन्नता छैन: किनकि सबैले पाप गरेका छन्, र परमेश्वरको महिमारहित हुनगएका छन्” (रोमी ३:२२,२३)। ख्रीष्टमा तपाईंले सिद्ध र अनन्त मुक्ति पाउनुहुनेछ, जसरी लेखिएको छ: “यदि तिमीले आफ्नो मुखले प्रभु येशूलाई स्वीकार गर्यौ भने, र परमेश्वरले उहाँलाई मरेकाहरूलाई बौराएर उठाउनुभयो भनी आफ्नो हृदयमा विश्वास गर्यौ भने तिमीले मुक्ति पाउनेछौ” (रोमी १०:९)। “किनकि विश्वास गर्ने हरेक जनका लागि धार्मिकताका निम्ति ख्रीष्ट नै व्यवस्थाका अन्त हुनुहुन्छ” (रोमी १०:४)। अध्ययन प्रश्नहरू - व्यवस्था के हो? - व्यवस्थाको उद्देश्य के हो? - व्यवस्था के गर्न असमर्थ छ (व्यवस्थाले के गर्न सक्दैन)? - अनुग्रह के हो? - अनुग्रहमा परमेश्वरको के उद्देश्य छ? - विश्वासी जन जिउने नियम व्यवस्था हो भन्नु बाइबलीय हो? - विश्वासी जन जिउने नियम के हो?