Jack says "Nothing in any of this contradicts the reality
that this righteousness is one earned on our behalf"
Except that this "reality" of an earned righteousness
is not found in Scripture but in human teachings.
Sola Scriptura,
Harry
JACKJEFF@... wrote:
Neil:
<< I know what you say is the "traditional position" - but the question we asking without wanting to be sucked into a predefined system is "why do we need Christ to keep the law for us?">>
Simply because we were incapable of keeping it for ourselves. God never merely removes a covenant by bypassing or ignoring its stipulations. He fulfills. In this case, He fulfills for us what we could not do for ourselves, and then replaces this divinely fulfilled covenant with another divinely fulfilled covenant (the New).
I do not see any need for concern here about being "sucked into a predefined system" (assuming here that you mean CT). On the contrary, I see danger on the other hand of unwittingly buying into antinomian teachings wherein the Law is taken out of the way without any fulfillment on our behalf.
<< 1. We are Gentile believers and were never subject to it >>
The only reason we are not subject to it is because Christ abolished it, blotted it out, and took it out of the way (Col. 2:14; Eph. 2:15), after having fulfilled it in every sense of the word. Prior to this completed process on His part, Gentiles such as Cornelius were bound by it, and so would we now be except for the totality of His finished work.
<< 2. The references to a righteousness that is apart from the law >>
These references are to our righteousness received from Him via imputation as part of our justification (cp. Rom. 3:28; 4:6). We do not receive this righteousness as a result of our obedience to the Law, but in spite of our disobedience. We received an imputed as opposed to an earned righteousness. Nothing in these references warrants the assumption that the righteousness we receive through gracious imputation was not earned on our behalf by our Substitute. The assertions in these passages about "apart from the Law" are made in contrasting righteousness by faith and that of works. Nothing in any of this contradicts the reality that this righteousness is one earned on our behalf, IMHO.
Soli Deo Gloria,
John T. "Jack" Jeffery
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