The law that came through Moses is a slavery to sin. If we are praying for God’s help to obey the law, we are asking God to help us be a slave to sin. That is not God’s will for our lives. Jesus took the law & sin away at the cross. We are declared to be without sin on account of Christ crucified & resurrected. The law still rules over this world as the wisdom of the world. The wisdom of the church is Christ, and the law of faith.
We are righteous and holy as a gift. There are Christians who want to focus on law and sin, and being righteous and holy by obeying Moses. There are Christians who want to focus on being righteous and holy, and without sin, as a gift.
We are part of the circumcision party until the Spirit of life in Christ sets us free from the good & holy law, the law of sin and death. This thing is written on our hearts, and turning away from it for righteousness from Moses is a daily repentance that we practice. We help each other practice.
Of course, this all sounds like blasphemy to parts of the church. It’s the Spirit’s work to set us free from the rule and authority of the law. Being righteous, holy, and without sin as a gift. Now the Christian life in Christ is this open permission to do a little bit of good to our neighbor, as we are willing and able to. We can relax and trust that the Spirit and our spirit will lead us. Maybe we can be of some spiritual benefit to the Christians who are focused on law and sin, and are in slavery to sin.
If we have to obey the law of Moses in part, or in whole, we are under the law, and in slavery to sin.
Galatians 4: 21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman. 23 But the one by the slave was born as a result of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born through promise. 24 These things are being taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery — this is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,
Rejoice, childless woman,
unable to give birth.
Burst into song and shout,
you who are not in labor,
for the children of the desolate woman will be many,
more numerous than those
of the woman who has a husband.
28 Now you too, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as then the child born as a result of the flesh persecuted the one born as a result of the Spirit, so also now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of the free woman.” 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave but of the free woman. Is it possible that Sarah heard the promise of a son, and turned it into a law to obey? In doing so used Hagar’s body to fulfill the promise? Is it possible that we hear the promise of the gospel, and turn it into a law that we obey? Instead of being righteous, holy and without sin as a gift, we obey the law of Moses to be righteous, holy and without sin?
The Spiritual discipline of not reading scripture through the lens of the law that is written on our hearts.
Galatians 5: For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. 3 Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we eagerly await through the Spirit, by faith, the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.
7 You were running well. Who prevented you from being persuaded regarding the truth? 8 This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough. 10 I myself am persuaded in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty. 11 Now brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision (obey the law), why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 I wish those who are disturbing you might also let themselves be mutilated!
13 For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
The Spirit versus the Flesh
16 I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things — as I warned you before — that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. We don’t practice this list as a “do not” law to live under, or sin in us will seize on these “commands” and become more sinful. If our conscience has been set free from the law we have permission to think of these things as an appeal to a freed conscience. The fruit of the Spirit is not a law either. We can relax and trust that these fruits will show up when and where God wants them to.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Some teach the error that for initial salvation we put the law away, and for final salvation we bring the law back. It tickles our ears, and leads to high control religion.
Acts 15: 4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
The Jerusalem Council
6 The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them: “Brothers and sisters, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”
Titus 1:10 For there are many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from the circumcision party. 11 It is necessary to silence them; they are ruining entire households by teaching what they shouldn’t in order to get money dishonestly. 12 One of their very own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. For this reason, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith 14 and may not pay attention to Jewish myths and the commands of people who reject the truth.
Maybe it’s not the women who need to be silent in the churches. Maybe it’s the circumcision party, “We have a law!” party, that needs to be silent in the churches. May the Spirit of life in Christ set us free from all the law to be righteous and holy as a gift.
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Sarah Batdorf 
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