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Law and Righteousness
If I live in a country, I am expected to follow and respect their laws. There are laws that the governors have given. I strictly follow some laws (e.g. tax law); other laws, I found myself difficultly comply with (e.g. 15 mph speed limit). As a flesh that live under Gods kingdom, does the action of strictly following the laws bring me righteousness? Or is there a righteous law for me to obey? If so, what is it?
Of course, we all know this story: God brings the people out of Egypt and to Mt. Sinai, and the people will be the Gods people and He will be their God. For His people to live in a particular way, He outlines for them in the law in the way that He wants them to live. If they pursue the law perfectly, they will be His righteous people; if they dont, then curses are sure to follow. The law was intended to show the sinfulness of our sons of God and we are under its curse. Since we cannot obey the law, we are unable to be the righteous people of God. The law is a gift from God that gives us the moral code for the flesh to retrain sin, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18).
Law, as a great and gracious gift from God with his fulfillment, as an instrument that God uses to reveal our sin and separate us from transgression, gives the framework for the flesh of gaining righteousness through Gods sacrificial system.
However, the law has never intended to bring about righteousness because righteousness can never be bought by work; instead, God gives righteousness by grace thought faith. The law was designed