Keys to the Kingdom – Faith Without Works

Being a slave to sin is as a man who is on a treadmill of works. You are it's slave when you believe that unless you do those works, even good works, you are not righteous before God. How do we know this is what Paul meant being a slave to sin means? Because he says plainly that "the strength of sin is the law". What is the law? Works. Good works.

So being a slave to sin is to be under the law. And Paul says plainly the law is not of faith. Why? Because it is works. And being under the law or works is a curse because it means you must focus on them to "do them". This is what Paul said in Gal.3:9-12. Here Paul tells us that

"they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them." Or said another way, will have life by them.

But, in Gal.3:21 Paul says life can not be had by the law. So the law can not give life. Because life only comes through faith without works, or apart from works. Which is also why Paul said "the wages of sin is death". Not because they are sinning. But, because their focus was on works and on not sinning, instead of on a relationship with God.

But, Jesus said the sin that separates men from God is unbelief.

Which is why He said He sent the Holy Spirit to reprove the world of one sin. And that sin is the sin of "They believe not on me". Fix that and you have eternal life. Something that no amount of works can give.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them." Or said another way, will have life by them.

So you see here how Paul explains the treadmill of works under the law. The slavery of sin. Saying that those who are of the works of the law are under a curse. What curse? The curse of having to continually perform on the treadmill of works. A treadmill that can not give life. A treadmill that makes you a slave to works. A slave to sin.

This is why Paul says in vs.13,14 that Jesus became a curse for them. Because by hanging on a tree He joined with mankind in our death to deliver them by His death from the curse of the treadmill of works they were on while they were under the law that can not give life. This is what Paul taught in Heb.9:15 saying Jesus' death gave power to a New Covenant in which there is eternal life.

Because as Paul says in vs.11 "the just shall live(or shall have life) by faith".

Not by works. So to be a slave to sin is to be on a works treadmill. So Paul said while Israel was under the law they were slaves to sin. Not meaning that they were not keeping the law. It means that whether they were keeping the law or not they were always focused on law keeping. On works. And Heb.10:3 says their constant focus on works was a constant reminder of sin. Which made them an even greater slave to it.

This is the treadmill of works that made them a slave to sin. And when we think of works as they did we can become slaves to sin too. As Titus1:13-16 says, "This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."

Here we see Paul instructing Titus about this works treadmill. And it's slavery to sin. Saying that those who give heed to jewish fables and commandments of men turn away from the truth. This is because they focus on works as a means to avoid doing bad things. And this focus keeps them on the works treadmill.

But, in doing this they make themselves slaves to sin. Because while trying to focus on not doing bad things, they mistakenly fall into the trap of satan to believe that works have anything to do with righteousness before God. But, they do not. Not even good works like baptism, helping people in need, or even being a good provider for one's family.

Because as we see here in Titus, "To the pure all things are pure". While those who are slaves to sin "profess that they know God. But, in works they deny Him, being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate".

In works they deny Him because being reprobate in their good works means that they think those works have something to do with what makes them righteous before God.

This places them on the same slave to sin treadmill the jews were on under the law. Sinning continually by missing Jesus by continually thinking about works. Constantly coming before God to confess sins that are not even imputed to them by God because there is no law. Rom.5:13 and 2Cor.5:19. But, the just shall live by faith. Or said another way- the just shall have life by faith. Not by works.

So if you have found yourself on a treadmill of works because you are constantly returning to confess any bad things you may have done because you have believed some really bad teaching about 1John1:9. Or because your entire focus on what your relationship with Jesus is built upon is related to how well you do good works. It's time you jump off of that treadmill.

Repent from that works righteousness. Turn from idols to serve the true and living God. Stop confessing sins that are not imputed to you because you have been cleansed from all unrighteousness. And have been washed. Sanctified, and justified by faith without works in the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1Cor.6:11

This is done by realizing that it is by faith you are justified and not by works as Gal.2:16 says. That you are righteous simply because you have believed in Jesus as He believed the Father. Justified by the faith of Christ that says to Jesus, "Nevertheless, not my will but thy will be done".

This is the New Covenant that Jesus purchased for us with His death on the cross. This is the New Covenant that Heb.9:15-18 tells us about. A covenant that brought an end to the Old Covenant where works + faith were required. Works that could not give life because as Paul said they were never given for that purpose. Into newness of life in Christ that is made possible by faith without works.

In Gal.3:19 Paul says the law was given to preserve Israel as a separate and purely human bloodline for Jesus to be born into. And in Gal.3:21 Paul made it clear that even though the law is not against the promises of God, it still could not give life. Because as we saw earlier in Gal.3:11 the promise of eternal life is only given by faith. And the law is not of faith. It is of works.

This is what makes those who focus on keeping the law or doing good works slaves to sin. Because on that treadmill you think only of works for righteousness. Works run your life. They are constantly moving you in the direction of the righteousness that is earned. A righteousness that Paul called "dung"💩 and "loss"😥 compared to knowing Jesus. And whether you keep them or not you are a slave to sin because of that singular focus.

So to be delivered from the slavery to sin you must stop thinking about works you must do or not do. You must understand that the fruit that proves you are righteous has nothing to do with works. And start focusing on knowing Jesus.

And how to have a more and more dynamic relationship with Him. because it is our relationship with Him that makes us righteous.

This is done by focusing on and learning to love as He does. By realizing how He loves you so that you can begin to love others the same way. Because this kind of love is what joins us to God and one another. In John17:21-23 Jesus said it is this kind of love that makes the Godhead one.

Unconditionally. That's how Jesus loves you. Like the parable Jesus told about the king who took account of his servants. And like the story of the woman brought to Him for Him to judge her for being caught in the act of adultery.

In both of these, even though the servant put himself in a prison of unforgiveness after being himself freely forgiven, they themselves were forgiven unconditionally. Paul expresses this love of God this way in Rom.5:13. He said, "for until the law sin was in the world. But, sin is not imputed when there is no law." So when we love as God does we do not impute sin.

We freely forgive as God does. We loose ourselves from the prison of unforgiveness when we forgive others by loving as God does.

And when we do not love as God does we bind ourselves in a prison of unforgiveness. This is the keys to the kingdom to bind on earth and loose on earth Jesus spoke of in Mt.16 and Mt.18. It is to walk in love as Jesus did.

This is the love of God. He is not in the condemnation business as Rom.8:1 says. He is in the deliverance business. Deliverance from death to life. Deliverance from the sin of unbelief to the righteousness that is believing. From mortality to immortality. From an eternity of separation from God for those who will not receive His gift of eternal life through faith in Christ Jesus. To an eternity with Him in His kingdom by faith in Christ Jesus.

This deliverance will never be forced on you. And it will never be denied to anyone who by free will chooses to believe the gospel when it is preached to them. If you will have this deliverance you must believe in Jesus. That He is Lord. And that He has raised from the dead. Because God gave you free will so that you could decide whether you will love Him in return for the love He has shown you.

Because if not by free will then it can not be love. Because real love must be freely given as God has done by coming as a man to join with us in our mortality and death. So that He could conquer that death by His resurrection. John3:16,17.

God has shown you this love because it is not His will that anyone should perish. But, that all men will come to a saving faith in Jesus. This is why the name of every person ever conceived is written in the Lamb's book of life. And only when a man dies having never received God's gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus as Lord and His resurrection is his name blotted from the book as Rev.3:5 says.

God has made salvation available apart from works so that those who will have eternal life will have it without works. Confounding the wise. Making foolishness of the wisdom of the world.

If you believe in Him and want to receive His gift of eternal life then pray with me.

Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me. I believe in you. I believe you have raised from the dead. I receive your love and your gift of eternal life. I love you and want to learn more about your love. Thank you for saving me. In Jesus' name, amen.

Do this... and I will see you there or in the air!

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