Chad, You make some good points. And as always it seems that everything you write is ready for publishing in its style and persuasiveness-very beautiful. However, I don't think you recognize the pervasive influence of legalism in our hearts or in the minds of Christians generally. As Luther said, it was something that he had to combat against daily in his mind and heart. He attributed it partly to his past in Catholicism, and thought others had it easier than him who had different backgrounds. However, I would tend to disagree with his assessment here and suggest that it is a problem with which we all struggle due to our pride and resistance to the Spirit and etc. In any event. Your language about Christ being our new Law is somewhat suspect to me. Certainly it doesn't labor to separate the Christian from the legalizing influences of his own heart and the religious world in general. Because it lacks that fighting tendency against legalism (like Paul in Galatians etc.), and has a more conciliatory tone toward those who would hold law (any law) over us, in my opinion it misses the mark. I do not think that our societal permissiveness and its influence in the church could be curbed by emphasizing James 2 and etc. and eternal Law. Paul wrote to the licentious Corinthians that "the strength of sin is the law" 1Cor. 15. Because there is a relationship between Christ and the Law written on our hearts, it does not follow that Christ IS that Law. He is more than that. He is much more than that. "Christ is our life" Col. 3. and etc. To emphasize that relationship to the point of calling Christ the Law makes a connection which will probably bring more of the Torah of Moses (as represented in your citations -Leviticus) into the New Covt, and de-emphasize the newness of the new walk by the Spirit, in grace. Yes, we are slaves to Christ, but our Christian life should also be characterized by fruit bearing, and manifestation of the life of the Son of God. This is not Keswickian brethren it is our new life in Christ. It is the Spirit of the living Christ through Paul! It is Biblical. Didn't I read on this site about Rome living in James 2 in their arguments against the Reformers? Hasn't that been your experience in debating legalistic cults? They interpret Paul by James 2 rather than the reverse as it should be. Yours in His grace, Mike PA Sun, 28 Nov 2004 01:54:13 -0500 "Chad Richard Bresson" <breusswane@...> writes: > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <malajaa@...> > > Chad. When Terry challenged your citing the Word of God in Romans > 6:14 > > as a cliche, you responded that this isolated passage should not > be taken > > out of the context of Romans 6 and surrounding. > >Terry then provided you > > and us with Romans 7 "dead to the Law", "discharged from the Law", > and > > Galatians 2, "through the law, I died to the law". The other > passages > > she provided not only support Romans 6, if anything they are > stronger! > > The passage is not isolated. > > I've provided an entire biblical theology from the entire canon > showing why > this *is* isolated (isolated to the word *Old*... which is the > implication > of that passage), specifically Leviticus, Deut. 29, 30, Psalm 40, > Psalm 119, > Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36, John 1, 14, 15, 1 Thess. 4, 1 John 2, 3, 4, > Gal. 6, > James 2, and 2 Cor. 3 that not only speak of a law that is eternal > (IOW, the > New Covenant is not exempted from "eternal"), or laws given by > Christ, or > Christ as The New Torah, but also speak of a new law that is written > on > hearts, a new law that is organically connected to the old one (it > doesn't > make sense in the author's immediate context if there is not a > *real* > analogy). That new law *really* exists. It's not a metaphor. As > Jack > said, the law written on our hearts is our union "in Christ". > > We cannot get away from using legal terms merely because we are not > under > the *Old* law, which is what Paul meant in Romans 6, 7 and Gal. 2. > We are > not under the *Old* law that kills. We are slaves to the new law, > Christ > himself. > > If I had to wager (while I drink my Pepsi), the fear in embracing > the legal > language of the biblical theology I've provided has less to do with > being > antinomian and more to do the fear of "the paedo hiding behind every > rock". > :-) There's nothing to fear when we understand Christ as the > ultimate > fulfillment and final revelation of the *Old Law*. And if we really > > understood grace and the incarnation, placing ourselves *under* > Christ as a > slave (what is "slave" but a legal term, not merely socio-economic) > to the > New Torah comes nowhere close to being the threat of the law in > Romans 7. > To quote Mel... it's "freedom!" > > Chad Bresson > Xenia, OH > > -- > Read the Sound of Grace pages at > http://www.soundofgrace.com > > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > soundofgrace-unsubscribe@... > > To view our online archive go to our web page at > http://www.associate.com/groups/soundofgrace > > > > >