"THE LETTER OF THE LAW vs THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW..."

Concerning the recent outcry all over the Internet and many social media sites, about what Pastor Creflo Dollar is teaching about "the law", I want to respond to what I understand the issue to be, and why there's so many believers calling him a heretic..

THE LAW = DEMANDS, and we ALL were/are unable "to live up to its unrelenting standard of perfection"!

GRACE = SUPPLIES, and as long as we submit and surrender to Christ's unlimited power and inexhaustible presence - through both acknowledging and receiving the full benefit of HIS "finished work" at Calvary; we can live this life victoriously and triumphantly, in obedience to the Law of the Spirit of Life - in Christ Jesus!

"Appropriating the Finished Work" is believing upon or continually placing our faith in - Christ's Perfect-Substitutionary Sacrifice on our behalf, as the fulfillment of "every righteous requirement" and the satisfactory completion of "all perfect obedience" to the Law of Moses or the "letter of the Law", for everyone that "calls upon the Name of The Lord"...

DOES THIS MEAN WE IGNORE OR DISOBEY THE LAW?

Absolutely, NOT!

"The Law" was a "schoolmaster" that showed us how sinful and hopeless our "best" human discipline or our perfect performance is - WITHOUT the Holy Spirit both energizing and empowering our efforts..

It proved that even "sincere" human effort could never satisfy the demands that the law placed upon "every adherent", who tried to perfectly or consistently obey!

JESUS "fulfilled all the law", HE did NOT negate its importance or validity!

In our New Testament Reality, the "believer's obedience" ALIGNS us (not earns us) to the Finished Work of Christ, and "the blessings or the curses" that were once based upon our perfect obedience or disobedience, now simply rests upon the believers humble recognition and acceptance of Christ's Perfect Sacrifice for us; so "that in itself" clearly demonstrates that we were unable to satisfy God's Perfect Standard, ourselves.

Even the most educated, pious and disciplined - falls miserably short of the requirements that ONLY CHRIST could satisfy, and did!

OBEDIENCE to "the Spirit of the Law", is our "representative posture" for the believer "in Christ" under The New Covenant. For what was concealed in the Old Testament was written as examples "for us"  and "to us", and was fully revealed in the New Testament! THIS MEANS, we live with the "intention of obeying the law", without depending upon our own "human ability" to complete or perform it!  The Holy Spirit reveals "The Mind of the Spirit" (the deep things of God), which knows the 613 commandments of the Old Testament Law, but has "reduced" them ALL into ONE LAW (LOVE), according to the New Testament Reality in Christ!

We should be able to "see Christ" in every O.T. Book, and recognize how HIS life, death and resurrection - prophetically fulfilled "the whole of the Law, so that we could fully benefit and partake of the eternal benefits that HE guaranteed for us, according to the New Testament Reality that is ours "in Christ"!

In the Old Testament Reality, the "Israelite's obedience" EARNED them the promised blessing or curse (Deuteronomy 28)  if they obeyed or disobeyed; and "their own personal effort" was the primary basis for the covenant benefits that would be established and released into their lives.. Therefore, OBEDIENCE to "the Letter of the Law", was the primary posture of the Old Testament Saint, before Christ!

SO, how does OBEDIENCE and DISOBEDIENCE impact the believer in Christ, since "we don't earn our blessings" in the New Testament Reality?

According to 1 Corinthians 11:3, "Christ is the HEAD of man"! HE is the "umbrella for the blessing of The Lord", through our proper agreement and alignment to HIS Word - and for HIS Promises to fully manifest; and also for the curse to be withstood or not alighted upon our lives!

The Bible says "it rains upon the just and the unjust", but this contextually demonstrates that "as long as we are in the world, we will have tribulation"!  But, this is much different than "suffering the consequences or results of our willful disobedience or sin", etc..

What Pastor Dollar has taught over the past few months has some statements that should be challenged and questioned, and although I believe his effort was not meant to lead people astray, his explanations weren't the best they could have been; and therefore were not given with the proper context..

PRAY FOR all of those who represent our Lord in this way..

IF YOU are interested in understanding a "deeper" theological viewpoint, on "how" to alleviate this from happening again in the future, READ BELOW.  WS-3

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"A LESSON IN PROPER HERMENEUTICS.."

"Ignorance and Misapplication" lead to wrong interpretations, which has bred the ensuing heretical teachings and "replacement theologies" of our day and time; seeking to "replace or eliminate Israel, instead of seeing our Jewish brethren "as the foundation" and "spiritual root" of our Christian faith - including God's faithfulness to HIS Covenant.

"Hermeneutics" is the proper theological methodology of interpreting a text.

As we move from the distinctives of studying any subject and the interpretation of a given text, we must pause to consider the crucial area of hermeneutics, or the methods with which we endeavor to interpret the biblical text; and then find its application to our lives.

The principle thing we must agree upon is that there is but one primary interpretation of the text. The passage was not written to mean different things to different people; but to convey a message, a lesson, a principle. 

While there is but one interpretation of the text, that interpretation may have many different applications. Thus, we often are told, and rightly so, "Interpretation is one; applications are many." 

There is a message in every chapter of Scripture, and it is our task to determine what that message is. Our hermeneutic will define how (the process) we are going to go about trying to discern what the lesson of the text is.

The typological meaning given to a text is seldom, if ever, the principle interpretation of the text. It's important to address the "hermeneutic" of TYPOLOGY, because of its popularity in the interpretation of the books of the law, such as Leviticus. 

The biggest problem with "typology", is that it is so loosely tied to the text, to exegesis, and to the meaning of that text to its original audience. Also troubling and problematic is the fact that so few seem to agree about the meaning of the types which they "see." 

One of the biggest problems for Christian's today,  is that the typological meaning of any Old Testament text would not have been known to the ancient reader; because a type is best recognized and understood in the light of the coming of its antitype. 

EXAMPLE: Joseph did not perceive of himself as a type of Christ, nor did his brothers, nor did any Israelite, until after the coming of Christ. 

Now, in the light of its typological fulfillment, we understand the meaning and significance of the type. Typology may be of value to us, but it was of little or no value to the ancient Israelite. 

Typology often serves as a substitute for a careful search for the primary interpretation of an Old Testament text. RARELY will you or I find any commentary that goes far beyond a "typological interpretation and application", of certain Old Testament subjects..

In a very few instances, for example in Psalm 22, the typological interpretation of the text may be its predominant message, at least for the contemporary saint. But the typological meaning of a passage is one that did not speak to the reader who lived in the days when that text was first written. 

Typology applies most to those who live "after the cross", and not before it. Thus, we should "be very cautious about making the typology of a text - its principle meaning."

The hermeneutic which we will employ for Old Testament scriptures, will seek to interpret and to apply to the text in the following sequence:

(1) To determine the meaning of the Old Testament text for the Israelite of that day. This is the starting point for our interpretation of all biblical revelation. We must begin by determining what the chapter and book was intended to teach the Israelites, during their journey. This is the most crucial step in exegesis (interpretation), and it is also one of the most difficult. It is most difficult because we are most removed from the text "in time" and "in culture". In order to complete this step we must consider:

- What has already happened to the Israelites, which has prepared them to understand what they are now being taught.

- What the text being studied and its context teaches about the meaning of the text.

- What the Old Testament prophets taught (if they did) about the meaning of the Old Testament text. The prophets of the Old Testament often refer to the earlier teachings of the Law, and point out their intended interpretation and application. Thus, the prophets often explain the early passages of Scripture.

- What New Testament might add to our understanding of the interpretation of the Old Testament text. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus had a great deal to say about the correct understanding and application of the Old Testament Scriptures. Also, the New Testament writers often used Old Testament texts to buttress or illustrate their teachings. Apostolic interpretation and application of Old Testament passages provides us with a "model hermeneutic".

(2) To determine the meaning of the Old Testament text as it was fulfilled in the coming of Christ. In many instances, an Old Testament text is fulfilled by the coming of Christ, or by some facet of His ministry. For example, the words of John the Baptist, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), indicate that the Old Testament sacrificial lamb was, in some way, fulfilled in Christ. When Paul tells us that the rock which followed Israel was Christ (1 Cor. 10:4), we have a commentary of the Old Testament passage describing that rock (e.g. Exodus 17). Here is where typology applies, although this method of interpretation must be used with great caution.

(3) To determine its meaning as it is to be applied by the New Testament saint. This is almost entirely based upon a determination of the primary interpretation of the Old Testament text, and then the application of the permanent principles which are evident in that interpretation.

---END OF LESSON---WS-3

Walter L. Smith III (WS-3), Apostolic Founder/Lead Facilitator
Pure In Heart Int'l Ministries, Inc. -
The Center For Kingdom Advancement (Hollywood & Ontario)
6767 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 8-407
Hollywood, CA 90028
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www.PIHIM.org
http://AskPastorWalter-WS3.Blogspot.com

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