From: Chris
To: The Path of Truth
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 2:23 AM
Subject: Law and Grace
Hello,
I stumbled out into your website.
Thank you for it.
My name is Chris.
I am in England, I am a recovered alcoholic by His Grace. I’m due to marry a wonderfull girl who to God has brought into the light of life.
I’m confused between all this law and grace teaching, in the sense of which way to go ?
We both done the 12 steps off AA a couple of years ago. Now I know there is error there. God opened my eyes. But ever since Christ removed the sin in our life and cleared us out. We have been trying to be settled in a church.
We have attended a Sabbath congregation ? But they kept law and feasts. But you will have to correct me here if needs be…. Didn’t Hebrews say the old has gone ? Also didn’t Yeshua nail all the ordinances to the cross ??
Our heads are up the wall with this.
Sunday church just doesn’t preach truth at all.
It’s disheartening to us that we can’t find a church that preaches bible. God give me the harlot in proverbs about church. But we just want to do right in His eyes
God bless and please respond to this
At wits end
From: Paul Cohen and Victor Hafichuk
To: Chris
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2016 7:49 AM
Subject: Re: Law n Grace
Hi Chris,
Good to hear about how the Lord helped you stop drinking.
Regarding your questions about law and grace, have you red our article, Law and Grace? You’ll find the answers there.
The “old” that’s gone isn’t the Law of God, such as the Ten Commandments. What’s gone are the sacrificial ordinances fulfilled by Christ, our Passover. He doesn’t do away with the Law; He fulfills it in us:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For assuredly I say to you, until heaven and earth may pass away, one iota or one tittle shall by no means pass away from the Law until all things are fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18 EMTV).
Note that Colossians 2:14 doesn’t say that Christ blotted out the ordinances – it says that He blotted out the “handwriting” of the ordinances that was against us. In other words, it was the letter, not the spirit of the ordinances, which was done away when Christ fulfilled them.
That’s why Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote the following words about the external rituals of the Law with its ordinances,
“For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do all the Law, you who are justified by Law are deprived of all effect from Christ; you fell from grace” (Galatians 5:3-4 MKJV).
Also read these:
At your wit’s end, Chris? No need to panic. Believe God, your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who lives and rules over heaven and earth. He has the keys to death and hell and is using them on your behalf. Continue in faith and obedience, according to the teaching He has given us, and you have nothing whatsoever to worry about. After all, HE is our Savior and Lord.
Let us know how you’re doing after reading the links we’ve given you.
Paul and Victor
From: Chris
To: Paul Cohen
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2016 10:04 AM
Subject: RE: Law n Grace
Thank you so much Paul
I’m really touched you replied brother.
I call you brother with confidence….
I’ve just read ‘Here is the way it is’
It has spoken to my heart and mind in such a powerful way. I struggle to find, meet brothers with the same heart Paul
I hope it doesn’t sound arrogant, God showed me my depravity early on, so I innocently thought everyone in churches would think the same and walk the same as i tried. I believe in death of self Paul with daily renewal has apostle Paul talks about. I eat fresh bread daily, and have a pretty much constant dialogue with The Holy Spirit.
One of my favorite scriptures is the kernel of wheat having to die first.
We with much tribulation will enter the kingdom of God…
What do you suggest church wise Paul ??
I must admit the Sabbath congregation worship is overflowing with The Holy Spirit, my fiancé loves it as well.
I thank you for standing on your rock Paul
I pray you stay unswerving in truth.
Godbless you brother
Chris
From: Paul Cohen
To: Chris
Cc: Victor Hafichuk
Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2016 7:04 AM
Subject: Re[3]: Law n Grace
Hi Chris,
You ask what I would suggest about church. Did you not see the answer in Here Is the Way It Is?
Have you red the other teachings we gave you? The Church in particular also answers your question with life-giving truth, if you receive and walk in what the Lord is saying to those whom He calls.
There are these writings, as well:
The Case for Coming Out
Counterfeit Christianity
The Fellowship of the Saints
The Gathering
The High Places
You say about the Sabbath gathering you’re attending:
“I must admit the Sabbath congregation worship is overflowing with The Holy Spirit, my fiancé loves it as well.”
Aren’t you judging after the appearance – the emotional and motivational effect of the service, confusing how you feel with the Presence of God? Read The Worship of God.
There are weighty life and death considerations in front of you, even the cross, which you can only take up for yourself and not for your fiancé. You can’t insist on unity or try to bring her along if her heart isn’t with the Lord. You’ll end up forsaking Him to keep your life.
Matthew 10:37-39 MKJV
(37) He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
(38) And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.
(39) He who finds his life shall lose it. And he who loses his life for My sake shall find it.
Paul
Related posts:
Because God’s commandments are promises, it doesn’t mean we don’t have to try to comply with them. It only means we can’t pretend to fulfill His commandments in our own power, which is to deny His promise, His blood, His Person, and Reality.
From: Alexander To: The Path of Truth Sent: Monday, August 29, 2016 12:51 PM Subject: How to tell if Jesus restores you Paul and Victor, My name is Alex. I just turned 25 last week. I live in Chicago. Growing up I went to a large non-denominational church in the suburbs. Big light show, positive message, preaching "basic salvation" of accept Jesus into your heart. You probably know the type. Anyways I went to this church growing up, got baptized at 10 (mostly to be able to eat the crackers with the adults in service) and went to church camp and some short mission trips in Jr. High and High School. Didn't have much in the way of a relationship with God or Jesus. The Holy Spirit was an abstract concept to me, and not a real person. I believed in the sense that I really didn't have a good reason not to, because everyone around me, my family and friends and church community believed. So I didn't have srong convictions about it. Didn't really pray or read the bible. Pretty much jumped into trouble as soon as I could in high school by drinking and smoking and chasing girls, and was mean to my sisters and my parents since puberty and a jerk to a lot of my peer group - basically I never really ever tried to obey Jesus's commands. But I had enough of a fear of Hell not to totally blaspheme. As I got later into high school, ages 16-17, I was starting to doubt the whole thing. Stuck somewhere between not really willing to believe it with my whole heart and soul but no...
Gary Amirault (correspondent in our last series, Public Promoters of Falsehood Confronted Publicly) replied by sending us an article from J. Preston Eby. Quotes from the article appear in Victor’s reply. Gary also gave us this comment with the article: I think you two would have much more success if you took a real long look at how you operate. This article might shed some light on what I’m talking about.