"We believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocence, but by their disobedience, they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God."

-The Salvation Army's creed, point number 5


It's a story we're all familiar with. Adam and Eve in the garden. Satan comes along and says, "Hey Eve, I know the Big Guy told you not to eat this fruit, but let me tell you, it rocks." And Eve says, "Oh, man, that sounds great." Sounds like Eve was a rebel, right?

Wrong.

The tree wasn't the "Tree of Evil." It was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve took the fruit out of a desire to be like God, and know the difference between right and wrong, which, in a sense, is what we all should desire, right? To be of like mind as God, and to love and hate the same things? But it was never God's intention for us to know that we fall short, man wasn't meant to live by rules. Man was just meant to live. Just live with God, and enjoy His fellowship while He enjoyed ours.


"Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore NO ONE WILL BE DECLARED RIGHTEOUS IN HIS SIGHT by observing the law; rather, through the law we became conscious of sin."

Romans 3:19-20

Wow. No one will be declared righteous? At all? Suuucks! No one can follow the whole law. You can't pick and choose which laws to follow. You can't annex the law or take laws away. You can't say "I'll follow this law on thursdays and this law on sundays and this one..." And if you're going to follow the law, you have to follow the whole law. James 2:10 says "Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."


"All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: 'cursed is everyone who does not continue to do EVERYTHING written in the Book of the Law.'"

-Galations 3:10

There it is again. Follow all 800 and whatever rules of the Mosaic Law, or you're cursed. But no one can follow all the rules!


But that's why we weren't meant to be aware of good and evil. That we may be righteous, because we wouldn't have a law to follow! But at the same time, that's exactly why Eve accepted the fruit, so that she would know when she is doing wrong. Man, it's crazy. Long story short, knowing the law means that we know we suck, and we can never ever ever possibly be considered righteous.


"I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For i would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said: "You shall not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting."

Romans 7:7-8

Because Paul knew the law said, "Do not covet," he put human effort into not coveting. But what then did sin do in his heart? It made him want everyone else's stuff! When I am making an effort not to look lustfully at some smokin hot babe on the street or at the mall or wherever, sin seizes the opportunity in my efforts to tempt me all the more. And the sucky part of being human? We lose.

"'Hold on just a minute! You're taking things to an extreme. I agree that the Holy Spirit doesn't want to help us live under the whole book of Leviticus, but we should still follow the Ten Commandments! And we should ask for the Spirit's help to do so!'
'But Sabbath observance is included in the Ten Commandments, and you don't adhere to the Friday night till Saturday night Jewish Sabbath, do you?'
'Well, no.'
'So then, it's the Big Nine that you're under, excluding the Sabbath?'"

-A conversation Andrew Farley had with a pastor, spoken of in Farley's book "The Naked Gospel."


Man, I sound like a broken record. But there it is again. We can't follow the whole thing. So forget it. Forget the law. Throw the Ten Commandments out of your rule book, start eating shellfish again and wearing clothes spun of two different fabrics, and reschedule that barbeque you cancelled so you wouldn't eat pork. But Tyler, how do we know how to live then? How do we know that what we're doing is acceptable in the eyes of God?

Christ living in us is enough. When we allow Christ to live in our hearts, it is no longer us who lives, but Christ who lives through us. And Christ, being God Himself, was bound by no law. Because His being was sinless. That's just how Christ is. And when we truly allow Christ to live through us, we can be made righteous in the eyes of our Lord. Crazy right? Praise Jesus!

But Tyler, Jesus said he didn't come to abolish the Law, but to build on it! Now you're just going against the Bible, you heretic!

Truth! I didn't say the Law doesn't exist anymore, because it certainly does! And don't misunderstand, for the Law is NOT a bad thing. The scriptures say that the Law is just and holy. So, why should we forget it?

As believers in Jesus Christ, born again through the baptism of the Spirit, we should forget the Law. Because Jesus lives inside of us, and Jesus is above the Law. But the Law still exists so that those who don't have Christ living inside of them will see that by the Law in God's eyes, only one person to ever live anywhere on the entire planet was righteous. The Law still exists so that the non-believing population might see that there is no way they will ever be able to make it on their own. And that's where Christ comes in. Clever, eh? Yeah, God's like that. Glory. Be blessed, friends.