Paul, in a way, praises the Jew who rests in the law. But he doesn't accuse these people for not doing the rituals. He accuses them of stealing, engaging in adultery and commiting sacrilege. They do the very things they teach others not to do.
The argument that God has paul present in romans 1:18-3:18 is that gentiles and jews are sinners. The gentiles sin without the law, the jews sin even though they have the law. Romans 3:10-18 contains verses from the old testament. These scriptures are like the four fingers of the hand of the jew pointing back at him, while he points with his index finger at the gentiles. The law only produces guilt and condemnation. By the law is the knowledge of sin.
So by the works of the law no one is justified. Paul is not dealing with a false understanding of the law. He is dealing with the law as a system.
Sin was in the world before the law(romans 5:13).
The law entered that sin might abound(5:20).
But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
Yes, I approach the Word of God as seriously and earnestly as you do. Believe it or not, I understand the position that works salvation people take. God had to take the scales off my eyes some 40 years ago. God will use His Word to accomplish His purpose.
For you have been saved by grace through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one will boast(ephesians 2:8-9).
I'll say it again. Until we get the foundation if the gospel right, we won't be able to really please God.
Notice what God says. It is by grace you have been saved, in the past, and indeed, that salvation by God continues. It is not of ourselves. We do not save ourselves. This salvation that we have in no way originates from us. It is the gift from God. Then God has paul write, it is not by works or out of the source of works. This salvation that comes from God does not have its origin in works. Why? So no one will be able to boast or glory in him/her self or in any works.
That is the foundation.
Notice verse 10. We might ask the question, why is it the case that we can't boast?
For we are His workmanship, we are the thing He has made. We have been created, we didn't create ourselves spiritually. This goes back to the origin of our salvation, not from us or from works. Having been created in Christ Jesus, yes for good works. We haven't been saved by good works or works of the law, not by works of righteousness. God has prepared beforehand these good works, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-9 come before verse 10.
Don't get the cart before the horse. We aren't the horse. We are in the cart. The rocket doesn't go anywhere without fuel. We aren't the fuel. We are in the rocket. Salvation is totally the work of God. When he gives us the salvation,the horse or the fuel, he has also already prepared the good works. We don't do them to get saved or stay saved. Salvation is a package deal. He who began the good work in you will complete it.
Hebrews 1:4-2:2 indicates that Christ is greater than angels. God used them to give the law. Galatians 3:19 indicates that angels were the means by which the law was given.
So, paul says, even if we or an angel from heaven should preach any other gospel, they would cursed(galatians 1:8-9). Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, don't you hear what it says?(galatians 4:21)? Are you going to believe an angel?
This only I wish to learn from you, did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the message of faith? Are you so mindless? Having been initiated by the Spirit, are you making yourselves mature by the flesh?(galatians 3:2-3)
This is a reminder to the Galatians. He points them back to their conversion. How did you receive the Spirit? Was it because you did the works of the law or was it because of what we preached, what you heard, the message of faith?
How thoughtless and foolish you are! Your life in Christ was produced in you by the Spirit. How can you think that it's possible for you to make yourselves perfect and mature by the flesh?
The works of the law and the flesh are equal here. We did not receive the Spirit by the law. By calling them thoughtless and mindless, he is challenging them to think seriously about this. How do we think that we can become mature by our flesh doing the law?
In this way, then, also in the present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
And if by grace, it is no longer out of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace
Grace and works are exclusive.
Romans 6:14
Sin will not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Grace and law are exclusive.
If we get these wrong, we are going to get not just the gospel wrong - but our entire Christian life. There are more Christians who believe in some form of works salvation than those who believe in the work of salvation done by God's grace.
The straight-forward message of the letter of Hebrews has no relationship or similarity to someone's made up allegory and typology.
Read Hebrews as it is and don't read things into it. Christ is greater than angels. He is greater than Moses. He is greater than Aaron and Levi. He is greater than the temple and the sacrifices. The sacrifices of the law were offered repeatedly. Christ's sacrifice was once because it accomplished what the temple sacrifices could not do.
You have plainly indicated that Christ's sacrifice wasn't enough to take away all sins. The message in Hebrews is different than what you and so many others say. The sacrifices under the law had to be repeated because each one only covered one occasion of sin. The sacrifice of Christ took care of every sin for all time. Otherwise, it would have been necessary for Christ to die over and over since the beginning of the world(hebrews 9:26).
Essentially you, along with the roman catholics and the rest of the salvation by works teachers, say that his sacrifice was only enough to take care of some of our sins. Christ did not die just for the sins that you did before God saved you. That teaches that we would have to atone for our sins by our works. Some works teachers know that. Others don't say it as plainly that. If the death of Christ was necessary to take care of the sins you did before he saved you, why would you think you could do something to atone for the others?
I know only God can convince you of your error. Of course, God did use someone to show me in his word I was wrong. May God open your eyes to his truth.
It would certainly be difficult for a believer to grow under those circumstances, but not impossible. God is the one who causes the increase. He causes His gospel to produce growth, like the verse "the one who plants is nothing and the one who waters is nothing, but God, who causes the growth/increase, is everything."
