3 For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes [which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thought, and deed] and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness.
Whenever a person believes that our Father has established laws to follow, what they actually believe is that we establish our own righteousness, because we choose to keep or not keep those laws. But the Truth of Grace establishes that our righteousness is all underserved. Grace teaches us that there is nothing that we could ever do to be righteous and that it is all up to our Father to exert His influence on us. Grace causes us to believe that we are righteous just because our Father gave righteousness to us.
Through Christ we know that our righteousness, or our best, and our abilities are as filthy rags, Isaiah 64:6. The Holy Spirit teaches us that we have terminated all relationships to laws, Romans 7:6. The mind of Christ that has been given to us knows that it is now the Holy Spirit that directs and controls us in everything. Through Christ we have the knowledge that we are never left alone to do anything on our own, Hebrews 13:5. This knowledge and power is what allows us to actually live righteously. As long as a person believes that there are laws to follow, they will do the very things that they believe to be wrong.
4 For Christ is the end of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the Law leads up to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the purpose which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him.
Christ is the end of the Law, not Jesus, but Christ. Christ is our Father’s anointing. Christ is our Father’s power and that is what is alive and active in us. It is Christ that causes us to do what our Father wants, when He wants us to do it. Christ does not allow us to boast and it does not allow us to condemn. It is because of Grace and Christ that we are able to not judge and that allows us to intercede for everyone, regardless of what they have done. We can do this because there are no laws, with no established penalties, to stop us.
Our freedom from laws sounds crazy, but it is this very foolish thing that our Father uses to confound the wise, 1 Corinthians 1:27. The wise have very little faith in our Father and Jesus to actually participate in our life’s. They believe that without laws we will all lie, steal, covet, murder, fornicate, and hate. I say have some faith in our Father to actually be active in our life’s. There is so much peace when we can trust in Jesus to keep us and guide us. If I had to trust in my own abilities to follow some laws, I would be doomed! I would also be blasphemous, because I would be taking credit for doing the things that Jesus was actually doing through me. Without Jesus we can do nothing, John 15:5.
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