The BIG Picture (Shorts)

QUESTION: Christians, did Paul teach that salvation is through faith in Messiah, not through works of the law as a means of justification while also emphasizing obedience as in upholding the Law which remains essential to faith: Romans 3:31 & Galatians 2:16? ANSWER: Paul’s teaching about salvation and the Law is simple, but it is also very important to understand clearly. He says in Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” This means that no one can be made right with God by keeping the Law. Salvation is not earned by what we do. It is given freely when we put our trust in Jesus Christ. Justification—being declared righteous before God—is by faith alone. But Paul also says in Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through fait...

Many believers stumble over Paul’s words in Romans 6:14. The verse is often misused to suggest that Christians can live however they please because they are “under grace.” Yet this is a distortion. Paul is not excusing sin; he is declaring its defeat. Why is it misunderstood? Some interpret “not under the law” as freedom from all moral responsibility, while others wrongly blend law and grace, teaching that believers must keep Israel’s commandments to maintain favour with God. Both errors miss Paul’s dispensational point. What does it mean? The law was given to Israel to expose sin and prove man’s inability to please God in the flesh. Grace, revealed through Christ’s finished work, provides righteousness apart from the law. Under grace, sin’s dominion is broken because believers are identified with Christ’s death and resurrection. Our standing before God is secure, not by performance, but by His gift. The correction: Romans 6:14 is not a licence to sin, nor a call to return to ...

If a man seeks to be justified by the law, he must keep  all  of it. Scripture does not permit selective obedience: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” —  James 2:10 “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” —  Galatians 3:10 “I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.” —  Galatians 5:3 The Law Was Made for the Unrighteous The law was not designed for the righteous, but to expose and restrain sin: “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners…” —  1 Timothy 1:9 The law reveals sin, but it cannot remove it. It condemns, but cannot justify. We Are Not Under Law, But Under Grace Through Christ, we are freed from the law’s condemnation—not to sin freely, but to live freely  from  sin: “For s...

Romans 8:2 — “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” There are two laws at work in this world—and in your walk. The first is the law of sin and death . It’s the spiritual gravity we were all born under. You don’t have to rebel or shake a fist at God to be under it—just stay as you are. Be yourself. Live by your own understanding. Even your best attempts to be good, to be kind, to be religious—if done in the flesh—are still tangled in a law that leads only to death. It’s what Paul called “another law in my members... bringing me into captivity” (Romans 7:23). But there's another law. A higher one. A liberating one. It’s the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus . This law doesn’t rest on your strength, performance, or discipline. It flows from the life of Christ in you. The Holy Spirit empowers it, the Word of God reveals it, and faith activates it. It begins the moment you believe, but it grows stronger as you renew y...

When Paul stood in the temple, accusations flew—he was charged with speaking against Israel, the law, and the temple, Act.21:27-28. But was this true? Absolutely not! Paul, an apostle of God, was entrusted with  a NEW dispensation , one not rooted in the law, but  in grace . A doctrine revealed  for all mankind , not limited to one nation or one place. The temple made of stone was no longer necessary, for  the true temple is the spiritual body of Christ . Today, God is not operating in Israel's kingdom program meant for another time—He is working in the dispensation of grace, for the Body of Christ, where  salvation is freely given to all who believe , Rom.5:15-16; Rom.6:23. Let’s be sure we understand this doctrine, as it is the doctrine for today.  Are you standing firm in the truth revealed to Paul?  Don’t hold onto an old program with old commandments when God has revealed something greater through Christ! ______________ Please share these with f...

FACT NO. 5 —That we must understand the two-fold ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. During His earthly ministry He ministered exclusively to Israel: “But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the HOUSE OF ISRAEL” (Matt.15:24). His whole ministry to the Nation was under the Law of Moses (Matt.5:17; Gal.4:4-5). Christians are not under the Law, so we are not to live according to Israel’s teachings. During His present ministry in Heaven, He is ministering according to what He revealed to the Apostle Paul. He is saving men according to His gospel of Grace. He is at the throne of grace making intercession for us (Rom.8:34). We are to live in and apply Paul’s epistles where our doctrine is found. This is not to say we should neglect the rest of the Bible. It is ALL for us but not all TO us (1Cor.10:6,11). More FACTS to follow... See this article for even more rightly dividing differences By Robert C. Brock (with minor modifications) Source:  https://bereanb...

Romans 8:1 refers to our daily walk as believers rather than our initial salvation. The term "condemnation" in Rom.8:1 refers to self-condemnation, not eternal damnation. When we are not walking in our identity under grace, we find ourselves falling into Law, which brings this condemnation. In Romans 7, Paul expresses misery due to legalism rather than grace, and the term "therefore" in our key verse connects to all those emotions in Romans 7, which depicts a believer overwhelmed by self-condemnation, mirroring the defeat and depression of many Christians today.  Believers should not continue in a mindset of ignorance to Paul's doctrine, as sin is inevitable. To live in accordance with the Spirit, we must align our thoughts with our new identity in Christ, and this comes by studying and applying our grace doctrine in Paul's epistles. When we become transformed by the renewing of our mind, we start to walk by the Spirit (of the Word), and we grow in conform...

QUESTION:  How can we keep the law to please God? ANSWER: We can't! People have tried for millennia and failed. Contrariwise, Paul tells us that the law was giving to increase sin and expose our wretchedness, Rom.7:10-13; 7:24. The commandments of God, which are holy, are actually death unto me because all they can do is condemn me, Rom. 6:23. However, in 1Tim.1:9, Paul declares that there are righteous men. So, how did they become righteous if God's commandments condemn them? Well, it's because righteousness (no condemnation, Rom.8:1) comes through the faith of Jesus Christ, not our adherence to the law, Rom.3:22. Once we are righteous, we grow in godliness by obedience to the knowledge of the written Word, Rom.6:16; 2Co.10:5. By obedience we start to walk by the Spirit, mortifying the flesh, Rom.8:13, and we come to produce the fruit of the Spirit, which, as Paul says, “… against such there is no law”, Gal.5:23. Thus, we keep the law by obedience to the Word, through a...

From a ‘positional’ (heavenly) standing, we are freed from the law by the cross of Christ. Rom.7:4-6 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (5) For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. (6) But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. From a ‘practical’ (earthly) standing, the law will always apply, but as we grow in obedience to the Word of God, through walking in the spirit, we learn to mortify the deeds of the flesh, Rom.8:13, and thus the law diminishes in proportion to obedience because the law is made for the transgressor, as Paul says, 1Tim.1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for ...

When pure Grace is proclaimed, objections will invariably arise: “Grace is a license to sin, and I can live any way I want!” If you say that, you really have no idea what Grace is. Moreover, others will complain, “But do I not have to do something to make God happy with me?” If you say that, you have not paid attention to what these verses teach. Your flesh can do nothing to please God! The Law system, once it shows a lost person their sinful state, has no further place in their life. “But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient…” (1 Tim 1:8-9). God added the Law “because of transgressions” (Gal 3:19) —to point out what sin is. “For by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20). How senseless it is for a believer to live under the Law, to try to please God, continually vexed by sin that the law reveals, when they have already confronted it the moment they came to Chris...

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Paul says that we ‘should’ be married to another. Many believers never get to ‘marrying’ the Word. They remain widowed in their spiritual life. Some might marry laws, observances, and traditions, but this fails to join them to the Word. To marry the Word, in the context of this analogy, is to increase in knowledge and understanding of Paul’s doctrine and allow it to renew your mind and influence your life. The evidence of this marriage is bearing fruit unto God, by the effects of Christ being formed within you. Friends, the ring on your finger is not in your efforts or in being good. No! The ring on your finger is the knowledge of the Word of God in you and your obedience to its authority. It is ALL about the written Word! ______________ Join my WhatsApp channel to receive thes...

Do you want to know how to go to Heaven, stop reading tracts and books written by men and start to read what God has written and preserved for you in the Bible, especially the Book of Romans. The first two chapters of this book starts with a hard truth as it tells us about how all people, whether Jew or Gentile, are condemned because of their sins. However, the next three chapters then proceed to explain the grace of God, and how He imputes righteousness to those who choose to have faith in Jesus Christ and believe that He died for their sins, was buried, and rose again, cf. 1 Cor 15:31-4. We don't go to Heaven by trying to follow rules and regulations, which we break constantly anyway because we can never do it perfectly. It is all about God's grace and what He has already done for us through the cross work of Christ. If we are unsure about our eternal destiny, we should read Romans chapters 1-5, and believe them as the words spoken by God Himself. ______________ Join my Whats...

Deut 23:15, "Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which is escaped from his master unto thee:" While Paul was imprisoned at Rome, he shared the gospel with a runaway slave called Onesimus, leading him to trust in Christ. Paul sent Onesimus back to his owner, with a letter, the epistle of Philemon, explaining the spiritual transformation that had taken place in Onesimus. But the Law was clear: Escaped servants could not be returned to their master. Yet, Paul sent runaway slave Onesimus back to Philemon. Why did Paul not follow Moses? As a former Pharisee and Jewish Law scholar (Act 22:3; Phil 3:5), Paul was aware of what Moses commanded. But, the law was no longer applicable. The Body of Christ is under a whole new dispensation (set of divine laws). Grace could enable Philemon to accept Onesimus back as a “brother beloved” in Christ. So, through this reunion, Paul afforded them both an opportunity to experience just how forgiving, and unifying, God’s grace truly ...

The passage becomes clear, understanding that v11-16 involve Peter and Paul only, while v17-21 are the words of Paul to all the Galatians. Thus, no. The Little Flock were still under the Law. Remember, Jesus taught that if Jews did not follow the Mosaic Law, and teach others to do so, they would be "least in the kingdom of heaven." James instructs Jews to continue Law-keeping, and in Acts 21, years after this incident, the Jews still adhere to the Law and Temple worship.  Peter's actions contradicted the decisions of the Council meeting in Acts 15 and confused Paul's converts, thus the rebuke of Paul. In day-to-day living, the Little Flock were to follow Moses, as per James' and John's epistles of Law-keeping, Acts 21, and Jesus' commands, but for the sake of the Gentile converts in Paul's ministry, Israel's Little Flock were to act according to Rom 13 and be the stronger in faith, not making their brothers stumble. ______________ Join my WhatsApp ...

Read Joshua 1:7 and 2Pet 2:1-3 To have spiritual prosperity, it is important for us to follow the doctrine that God intended for us. After Joshua died, the Jews became worse and worse and suffered greatly when they strayed from the Law of Moses. The Old Testament is filled with tragedies that occurred when Israel failed to uphold their doctrine, such as civil wars, family breakdowns, famines, Gentile oppression, plagues, diseases, poverty, and death. As believers today, we must heed this warning. There are people who will use false teachings to divide local churches and cause believers to stumble. Their main perversion is stressing Law and ignoring Grace, Rom 6:14,15. It is crucial that we do not mix God's instructions for us with His instructions for Israel, as this will lead to spiritual ruin. Instead, we should focus on studying Paul's epistles, from Romans to Philemon. Let us remain steadfast in rightly dividing and applying the Word of Truth, 2Tim 2:15. ______________ Join...

Did you know that Matt.5-7 is the inside scoop on how the Millennial Kingdom will be governed. Read it with this context and note its uncompromising laws. It is clear that righteousness is on a WHOLE new level.  Now, if you wonder how in the world one can abide by those laws; know that the Jews will be perfect examples of this righteousness, having the laws written on their hearts and empowered by the Spirit to walk in these ways, Jer 31:31-34. Second, Satan is imprisoned in the bottomless pit, Rev 20:3, thus temptation and deceit in the Gentile nations will not be prevalent and education in the law will keep them in the ways of righteousness, truth, and peace. We are not in this Kingdom today and we are still subject to temptation and deceit, but we have the Grace doctrine. As we grow in knowledge of God's Word and submit to obedience to it, 2Co 10:5, we can mortify the deeds of the body, walk in the spirit, and learn to please God, Rom 8:1-17.

The reason why we rightly divide, 2Tim2:15 God gives different instructions to different people regarding the same thing. Why? God has different programs in His redemption plan; one for earth and one for the heavens. Both prophecy (Israel) and mystery (All under grace) are correct doctrines within their dispensations. Just as with the dietary laws below, we cannot mix prophecy and grace, else it contradicts. We carefully exercise the instructions given for OUR dispensation. Adam: Gen.1:29 – Every herb bearing seed and fruit yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. Noah: Gen.9:3 – Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. Israel: Lev.11:2, 47 – 2 These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. 47 This is the law of the beasts... Paul: 1Tim.4:4 – For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God a...

Obeying how many laws will save you? Have you encountered people who say that obeying the law of Moses is necessary for salvation? Asking them why, they typically respond... 'It's in the Bible'. But, did you know there are 600+ laws in the Mosaic law, not just the 10 commandments? So, what else does the Bible say about the law? According to James, if you choose to keep just one law, you are obligated to keep them all, and breaking just one law means breaking them all. Galatians says that the law is NOT of faith (but works). Ephesians says that salvation is by “grace” through “faith”. Furthermore, Paul clarifies that the purpose of the law is to point out sin, not to save. To be saved from God's wrath, Paul writes that you place simple trust in the completed cross work of Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection. Thus the law shows your need to be saved, but only faith in Christ can actually save. So, how many laws do you believe you are keeping? I'm sorry, but th...