Equipping Ourselves to Answer Common Questions

Not everyone who adopts the ideas of atheism is hostile to truth. Many have only heard the never-ending barrage of so-called evidences against the Bible and have never heard anyone give a reasonable answer. Some will be open to hearing the reason for our hope and will be truly interested in listening to answers that validate the scriptures. There have been many atheists who have come to faith in Christ when they were exposed to the truth. Several years ago I attended church with a man who was once a self-proclaimed atheist. His wife came to Christ and he was intrigued by the change in her life. He was a very analytical person and it took months for him to respond to the gospel. Before he was open to hearing the message of the cross, he had to work through many misconceptions. False information presented as facts became a hindrance to his ability to honestly look at the gospel. Once he studied and resolved these objections, the barrier was removed and he was open to hearing the word and soon surrendered his life to Christ.

This is one of the reasons behind this study. There are many who are blinded to the gospel because they have been taught for many years that atheism is based on facts and the Bible is only a manmade book of superstition and contradicts the facts. People often need to work through these things before they can honestly look at the salvation message given through Jesus. Not everyone will be willing to look at the truth and we should not attempt to force feed truth. There are those who sincerely think that evidence points away from God and there are those who look for something to contradict God so they have an excuse to not believe. We can’t make someone believe, but we can give them the option.

Another one of the motivating factors in tackling this topic is the infiltration of misconceptions within the church. The youth of today are being bombarded with secular humanism at school and through the media and the church has done almost nothing to counteract this. In fact, the church has added to the problem by attempting to merge secular humanism into Christianity by teaching things like the ‘Gap Theory’, ‘Theistic Evolution’, and ‘Progressive Evolution’. As youth are exposed to propaganda masquerading as science and the church does nothing to explain the relevance of the scriptures to the world around them, they are one step closer to disbelief. Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis made a very accurate point that Genesis is the foundation of the authority of God’s word. If we allow the younger generation to view the Bible as being unreliable in Genesis, we also undermine their ability to trust God’s word in salvation and morality. Jesus said it well in John 3:

¹² If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

If we do not believe the Bible’s teaching on the origins of creation, how can we believe the Bible in matters of salvation? Consider the ramifications of evolution in how we view sin. According to Genesis, man was created good and all of creation was very good. Man fell by choosing sin, curse is now upon all creation and man is in need of redemption. So man went from perfection to imperfection through sin, but is restored through Christ. According to evolution, man evolved from humble beginnings to a better, more efficient, and a more complex being. It all supposedly started by an imperfect cell that continues to evolve toward perfection. Man came from inferior beginnings and is climbing toward perfection. These two views are polar opposites. In evolution, man is rising toward goodness without God, but in scriptural creation, man was created good but fell from perfection. Man is only good through God as he is perfected by the work of the Holy Spirit given through Christ.

As we saw earlier, Jesus taught that we should not cast pearls before swine or else they will trample it and turn on you. When we present evidence to assist someone with objections and they begin to trample it, we can’t force them to accept it. The pearls are the truths of the scripture and a swine is analogous for someone who has a desire to remain in the mire of sin and despises the treasures of God’s truth. To question what is true is not unbiblical, but to reject what is true and cling to what we know is a lie is unbiblical. Consider this passage from 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

¹⁰ And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

¹¹ And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

¹² That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

God does not condemn those who have not seen the truth, but those who rejected the love of truth because their love is in unrighteousness. God gives each one what they choose. Those who love the lie will be given over to the lie, but those who receive the love of the truth will find Christ and salvation. We cannot see what God is doing in someone’s heart so we should not assume that someone who does not immediately respond to the gospel has rejected the truth. Outwardly we can see the evidence of rebellion when critics of the faith make a forceful effort to trample the truth and attack those who present it to them. In such cases we should continue to be a witness, but should not get into a battle of words and try to argue someone into heaven. It is God’s role to harden or soften the heart.

Knowing this, we should equip ourselves with answers as the Bible instructs so that we can help others unload the burden of misconceptions and false beliefs so that they are willing to honestly look at the gospel message that calls them into salvation through Christ.

Why is there Suffering in the World

The idea of suffering in the world is a common objection raised by critics of the Bible and has caused many Christians to struggle in the faith. I often hear questions like, “How could a loving God allow such suffering in the world”. Surprisingly many Christians can’t seem to answer this question and it has been the catalyst for some who once claimed to hold the faith to turn from it. An example of this is the life of Charles Templeton. Charles Templeton served for twenty-one years in Christian ministry. He had one of the largest churches in Toronto, conducted one of the most successful evangelistic circuits in the US and Canada, and was one of the main preachers in the newly formed Youth for Christ International where he rotated the pulpit with Billy Graham. The problem of suffering in the world perplexed Templeton when he read books by Thomas Paine, Voltaire, Bertrand Russell, Robert lngersoll, David Hume and Thomas Huxley. As these atheists presented questions about suffering, Templeton’s doubts grew. Later Templeton summarized these doubts in his book, ‘Farewell to God’:

Why does God’s grand design require creatures with teeth designed to crush spines or rend flesh, claws fashioned to seize and tear, venom to paralyze, mouths to suck blood, coils to constrict and smother—even expandable jaws so that prey may be swallowed whole and alive? … Nature is in Tennyson’s vivid phrase, “red in tooth and claw,” and life is a carnival of blood. (Templeton, C., Farewell to God)

If we examine the testimony of Templeton, it becomes clear as to why the idea of suffering in the world would be such a problem. Templeton explained that he had many unresolved doubts and these issues continued to plague him over the years until he abandoned the ministry, soon became an agnostic, and eventually an atheist. Templeton explains the root of his problem in this excerpt of his testimony:

“I had never believed all that fundamentalists believe-the Genesis account of creation, for instance, or the monstrous evil of an endless hell. But now the entire fabric was coming apart [referring to his faith].”

This statement presents the root of the problem. Genesis is the foundation of Christianity and if you remove the foundations, the structure of faith cannot withstand the storms of life or attacks on our understanding. Templeton’s faith was not in scripture, but in selective truth. He picked what he was to believe and rejected (or allegorized) what didn’t fit his personal belief system. I once heard a man say that he only believes the words of Christ and nothing else. That is not possible, for Jesus pointed back to Genesis to establish that Adam and Eve were the beginning[i]. Jesus said that if a man does not believe the writings of Moses, he will not believe in Christ. Look at John 5:46-47

⁴⁶ For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.

⁴⁷ But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

The writings of Moses are the first five books of the Old Testament. By Templeton’s own admission, he never believed Genesis; therefore, according to Jesus he cannot believe the New Testament gospel given through Christ. Jesus also quoted from many of the Old Testament prophets during His ministry. We can’t believe Christ and disbelieve the scriptures He quoted from and affirmed as God’s word. Picking and choosing which passages to accept is not biblical faith. In fact, it shifts the object of faith from believing God to trusting into our own ideology. Once we become the measurement of truth, truth will rise and fall based on what manipulates our understanding. The human mind can easily be deceived by well crafted arguments and unless there is a firm foundation that we return to in order to establish our way, truth will appear to be shifting sand that alters with the latest argument that sounds persuasive. Anyone who trusts in their own minds as though they have infallible power to understand is destined for deception. It is very easy to see why the fabric of Templeton’s faith came unraveled for each belief is hanging by a thread unless the individual is founded upon a sure foundation.

When we reject any part of the scriptures, we have stepped outside of God’s wisdom and we have set ourselves up as the one who determines truth. We are now trusting in the flesh, which is corrupted by sin and weak against temptation. Even if someone spends their entire lives doing ministry, it profits nothing unless it is by faith out of a love for God[ii]. Jesus made it clear that those who do not keep the word cannot say that they love Him[iii] and the Lord stated that anyone who casts His word behind them does not have the right to claim to be a part of God’s covenant[iv]. Jesus even warned that many will call Him Lord without obeying the word, but these will have no foundation and will not stand when put to the test[v].

Many will preach the word, do good works and even do wonders but will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven because they do not know Jesus Christ[vi]. People are drawn to ministry when they have a longing in their hearts to please God and have been affected by the gospel, but without receiving faith through the Spirit, it is a mere human desire and not a call of God. There are many who appear righteous outwardly, but inwardly they are filled with sin and hypocrisy[vii]. Since the Bible tells of these things, it is not surprising that some who professed the faith and even preached it should turn from it and become atheists. The apostles noted this in their day when they stated that many went out from the church but did not remain because they were not truly in the faith. Their departure only makes their lack of knowing God manifest to the church[viii]. Questions about suffering and other criticisms are a serious threat to the religious beliefs of those whose foundation is dependent on their own understanding in the flesh.

The Bible explains why there is suffering in the world throughout scripture. Any Christian who truly studies the scripture will have a grounded faith and will have understanding for the Bible promises that those who seek the Lord will understand all things[ix]. One of the primary tools for seeking the Lord is the scriptures God has given to us. We can understand suffering when we look to God’s word. Consider Romans 8:18-23

¹⁸ For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

²⁰ For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

²¹ Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

²² For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

²³ And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

The word ‘creature’ is a reference to creation and is the same Greek word used in verse 22. Also look at these two passages:

Romans 5:¹² Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

1 Corinthians 15:²¹ For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

The Bible states that creation was cursed for the sake of man. Rather than cursing man, God cursed the earth and removed the paradise that is only possible when man is in perfect harmony with God. The warning given to man when he was given the command not to eat of the tree was that in doing so, he would be subject to death. By mere disobedience man took himself from perfection to corruption. The issue at hand was not that there were mystical properties in the fruit, but that the commandment was a test so that man’s faith could be proven through his obedience. The Bible says that an evil heart comes from unbelief and it is this unbelief that causes us to sin by departing from God[x]. For man, the curse of sin is death; however, the curse of creation directly affects man. Disease is the curse of creation, but this still affects man. Paradise was lost because of sin and man must now abide in a cursed world.

All of creation groans with pain awaiting the final redemption that we also wait for with patience and hope. Creation was made subject to the curse, not willingly, but because of the sin of man. We groan as we await our adoption and the redemption of our bodies, and creation also suffers as it awaits its final redemption. The pain of the curse is why there are diseases and suffering. The curse is why animals have fangs, claws and teeth to devour. Nature did not adopt this willingly, but was made subject to these things by God’s curse which eventually leads man back to hope through redemption. It was not this way from the beginning and it will not be cursed in the end. Look at Isaiah 11:5-9

⁵ And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

⁶ The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

⁷ And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

⁸ And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.

⁹ They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

We are not free from suffering nor are we exempted from the pain caused by the curse given to creation; however, we are promised that the things we suffer now are not even comparable to the glory to be revealed. People who do not have the hope within them that is only found in Christ also groan to be free from the affects of sin, but they do not have the hope that gives us patience in tribulation[xi]. Those without hope can only see despair in the sufferings of our world. A Christian who does not have a foundation in the word also does not have the hope that comes through the word of God. This is explained well in these passages:

Psalm 119: ⁴⁹ Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

⁵⁰ This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened [given life] me.

Psalm 119:⁸¹ My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.

Since Charles Templeton rejected the writings of Moses, he could not understand the cause of suffering and could not believe the promises given to us through Christ. Without hope in His word, there is no hope in this world. Suffering is not an unexplained phenomenon that contradicts the love of God; suffering causes man and creation to long for the Lord. Without holiness the world and all that is in it has been corrupt, but suffering causes us to become weary of corruption and long for what is holy. The Bible tells us that suffering is part of the Christian life for Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation[xii]”. The Bible also says that we rejoice in our sufferings[xiii] and the apostles comforted the church by saying, “We must enter the kingdom of God through much tribulation[xiv]”. The Bible also tells us that God loves the righteous[xv], strengthens us in our troubles[xvi] and that we are the apple of His eye[xvii]. If God loves the believer but does not exempt us from suffering, it should not be hard to understand how God can love the whole world but not exempt the world from the curse of sin.

We endure through hope knowing that even though we may suffer, when we receive the promise the past suffering will not even be worth comparing to the glory we will experience. As Christians we should understand our hope and be ready to give an answer to the reason for this hope to those who question us[xviii]. When a skeptic points to the suffering in the world, this is an evangelistic opportunity for we can use the groaning of creation to explain the hope of redemption in Christ.

Why is The God of the Old Testament not the same as the God of the New Testament?

Let’s prelude the answer of this argument by examining the flaw in logic that most claims of contradiction fall into. The flaw of this argument is not unlike the majority of the misconceptions atheists have of the Bible. Atheists have dozens if not hundreds of items they claim are contradictions against the Bible. Of all the supposed contradictions, only a small handful actually requires examination. Most claims of contradictions are a lack of understanding of doctrine. The atheist tries to divide the scriptures and pit one passage against another, but the Christian understands that passages are intended to compliment each other or present additional information to deepen our understanding.

If you approach scripture with the knowledge that it is God who revealed His word to us through the apostles and prophets, then we understand that the entire Bible is meant to be studied as a whole revelation. We ‘rightly divide the word of truth’ by taking a passage from the scripture while keeping in view the context of the whole revelation. To take a passage out of its intended context or divide it from the rest of the Bible is to mishandle the scripture. If my interpretation of a passage does not agree with the rest of scripture, then I have failed to obey the command to rightly divide the word. To take one passage and make it into a rival of another passage is scripture twisting. The critic of the Bible looks for passages to take out of context, but the student of the word always sees the harmony of the gospel.

An example that is often cited by atheists is the claim that there is a conflict between Paul and James. Look at this passage from James 2:19-26

¹⁹ Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

²⁰ But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

²² Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

²³ And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

²⁴ Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

²⁵ Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Now look at what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-10:

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

James says that we are justified by works, but Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church says that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works. Is this a conflict? It might appear to be a conflict to someone who is ignorant of the rest of scripture but in truth there is no conflict at all. Even this passage where Paul says that salvation is not by works, he also states that we are saved for good works. Paul and James both point to good works as the evidence of salvation. The teaching of James is complimentary to what was instructed by Paul. In fact, it is very likely that he was attempting to clarify misunderstandings in the church based on what Paul wrote for James uses the same illustration Paul used to explain justification by faith in Romans 4. Paul uses Abraham’s faith to explain how that man is credited with the righteousness of God by faith without having to earn righteousness by works.

One of the unfortunate realities of human nature is that mankind will attempt to justify himself by finding loopholes in the Bible. Even today we have problems with the ‘easy believism’ where people claim to believe Jesus is their savior, but do not have any desire to live a godly life but instead continue to live solely for the flesh. Paul criticizes this throughout his writings, but people still take one passage out of context and try to make the Bible fit their life in the flesh rather than conforming their life to Christ. James is addressing that very thing. James is confronting those who say they believe in God but show no evidence in their lives. James states that even the devils believe in God, but the evidence that we truly have faith is the works that come out in our lives. If there are no works that testify to our salvation, our faith is dead regardless of what we say we believe.

If Abraham said he believed God, but then refused to offer Isaac, his faith would have been dead for he would have acted in disobedience and remained in the flesh. Saying ‘I believe’ and then acting in disbelief means nothing. Abraham was justified when he stepped out in faith to put his trust in God. The story of Rahab the harlot was also used as an example of faith. This sinful woman became justified when she turned to obedience and was protected by God when Jericho was judged and destroyed. The writings of Paul attest to this very thing as Paul warns that faith does not allow us to walk in our own ways. James is not presenting anything different than what Paul and the other apostles have stated in their writings, but he has worded it in a way that is more confrontational to the concept of easy believism. Also in Romans, Paul clarifies that those who sought justification through the rules of the law missed faith in Christ. According to Romans 9, the apostles confronted the idea that salvation could be found by trying to keep the works of the law for this is merely a human effort. Those who sought to justify themselves by works stumbled over faith in Christ.

There are three concepts being addressed. First, the apostles confronted those who thought they could merit salvation. Even the works mentioned by James is not presented as a merit to salvation, but the evidence of our faith and salvation. Those who thought they could merit salvation through the law stumbled over grace for they could not accept the gift of God which requires no human effort. Second, the apostles confronted the idea that we could live any way we wanted and claim that we walk in the light of truth. If we belong to Christ, the evidence of Christ will be manifest in our lives by our works and actions. The third point made was that true salvation is trusting in Christ to receive the gift offered freely by faith.

Works aren’t the things we do to merit favor from God, it is what God is doing through us and is the evidence of salvation. Faith is made evident by holiness and good works in our lives. This is illustrated in the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5 (which was written by Paul). Paul writes that godly men must show a pattern of good works (Titus 2:7), that God purifies people for Himself who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14), instructs the faithful to be careful to maintain good works (Titus 3:8), and instructs the leaders to show love in order to stir up the desire of others to do good works (Hebrews 10:24). The message is that good works cannot merit grace for grace is the unmerited favor of God; however, anyone who has the Spirit of God will have good works that testify that their faith is true. Living faith is from God and produces good works, but dead faith is simply a belief system that produces nothing of God.

From this example it should not be hard to see that many supposed contradictions are actually a lack of understanding. Those who do not know Christ cannot fully understand doctrine for the scriptures are spiritually discerned[xix] by the teaching of the Holy Spirit given to us[xx] when we trust in Christ. Without the Spirit, man is limited for all things are interpreted through the mind rooted in the flesh. The flesh cannot grasp the spiritual principles of God.

The claim that God is different in the Old and New Testaments falls into this same line of reasoning. Through diligently studying the scriptures we can easily understand the reasons why God dealt differently with the Old Testament saints than He does in the New Testament. The primary reason should be apparent simply by identifying what differentiates us from the saints of Old. Obviously Jesus Christ is the gateway between the Old and New Testaments and through Him we now have the ability to know God on a personal level. This was not possible in the Old Testament for sin was the barrier between God and man.

To walk into the Holy of Holies was a fearful thing in the time before Christ. The Holy of Holies is the center of the temple and it is symbolic of approaching God. The mercy seat on top of the Ark of the Covenant was where the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled to atone for the previous year’s sins. According to Hebrews 10, the atonement for sin performed by the priests was only a ritual that pointed to Christ and the sins were not truly removed until after His crucifixion where the debt was paid. The veil of the temple separated the common man from ever beholding the holiest place in the temple, but when Jesus died, the veil was torn from top to bottom[xxi]. This indicates that something had changed. God had removed the veil that prevented us from approaching God because our sin had now been atoned for and His imputed righteousness enabled those who put their faith in Christ to stand in the presence of a holy God.

This was one of the main differences between how God dealt with His people before Christ and how God deals with us today. We now have a perfect mediator between God and man through our savior Jesus Christ[xxii]. Jesus is also our advocate when we sin[xxiii]. An advocate is a legal representative. When someone stands before a court, a lawyer represents them as an advocate to plead their case before a judge. Jesus is our advocate who pleads on our behalf. We have an advocate who has already satisfied the demand for justice by paying for our sin, so when He pleads our case, we obtain mercy and not judgment for our crimes against God’s holiness.

The priest in the Old Testament had no advocate but had to abide by a series of requirements that created fear so they understood that they were not righteous and had no right to stand before God. The blood and priestly garments stood between the priest and the mercy seat to reveal to the priest that they were not in a position to atone for their own sin, much less the sins of the people. A priest who was also in need of redemption should have been fearful for how can a man atone for the people when he needed mercy for himself. The things the priest wore pointed directly to Christ, so it was a testimony that they were carrying out this requirement of the Law, but the atonement would come from someone other than themselves.

God indeed demonstrated more fear in the Old Testament than He does today. God has not changed nor has He ceased to judge man’s sin; however, Jesus was judged in the place of those who put their trust in Him. God is still angry at sin and sin still becomes a barrier in our spiritual lives until we repent and are forgiven[xxiv]. In the Old Testament times, the Holy Spirit was not yet given to man and therefore all restraint had to come from without for it is the Spirit that restrains us from within so we do not sin. This is explained in 1 John 3:

⁹ Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

The ‘seed’ is the Holy Spirit that is given to us. The Spirit did not indwell man until after Christ’s resurrection. Look at John 7:

³⁹ (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

The Holy Ghost is how the King James Version translates the name ‘Holy Spirit’. Before Jesus completed His work to give us redemption and create within us the new man born after the Spirit, the Law was only known by what was written and its harsh enforcement. We have always been commanded to hide the word of God in our heart by studying, but now we have our understanding of the Law by the Holy Spirit. Look at Romans 7:

⁶ But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Before Jesus, the letter of the law was the enforcement of morality and righteousness. The Bible says that the letter of the law kills, but it is the Spirit that gave life[xxv]. The Old Testament saints were not redeemed by animal sacrifices and did not have the Holy Spirit within them. The new birth where we become a new creation is given through the Holy Spirit and therefore, was not available until after Christ. Without internal restraints, fear was the enforcement of the Law. We know that strict enforcement of the law was necessary, for even with the harshness of the law, God’s people still wandered into harmful practices. Israel constantly drifted into idolatry which caused lawlessness to abound. Israel even adopted the pagan practices of offering their children up as sacrifices[xxvi]. It was these sacrifices that preceded God’s judgment where He drove them out of their Promised Land.

The pagan cultures around Israel made a practice of these things and the Law with its fearful enforcement was the only restraining factor in the land. Even with this, Israel continued to commit abominations, but the Law served as a restraint for many of the people and through the judgment of God, many were returned back to the Lord. God used judgment and hardship to alert His people that they were going outside of the right way. All these judgments were intended to show the consequences of moral depravity and cause those who would listen to return to the Lord[xxvii]. Because there was no Holy Spirit within man, God often affirmed righteousness with prosperity and disciplined sin with judgment. Even with the outward restraints God used, the people were still drawn away, so it is clear that this was necessary in the Old Testament times. But this changed when the Holy Spirit was given. Look at Romans 2:13-16

¹³ (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

¹⁴ For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

¹⁵ Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

¹⁶ In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Do not misunderstand this passage, but take it in context with the book of Romans. This is not saying that man determines his own law. The introduction of this teaching is, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified”. I might add that this teaching of Paul wholly agrees with the passage in James we looked at earlier. So we can see that Paul and James are in full agreement on works and justification. The law is not being changed, nor is it being determined by man’s own heart or intellect. What this passage is teaching is that the Gentiles (those raised outside of the Jewish law and religious system) are keeping the law, not because of an outward system that conforms them to a religion, but an inward restraint written on their hearts by the Holy Spirit.

This is why God deals differently with the New Testament church than He dealt with Israel in the Old Testament. Once the Holy Spirit is within us, we are a new creation, born of the Spirit and now the word of God is written on our hearts and we obey it, not because of outward rules, but because we are walking in the Spirit and His Spirit within us guides us into all truth[xxviii]. The truth has not changed, but how we live and who we are in Christ has changed. This understanding is communicated throughout the New Testament. There are a number of scriptures we must examine to fully understand this New Testament principle. Look at 1 Peter 1:

²³ Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Add to this John 3:5-7

⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁷ Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Notice that Peter explains that we are born through the word of God. Faith comes by hearing the word of God and even though we are keeping the law by being a law unto ourselves, it is not a new law, but a new way of governing ourselves into that law. While in the flesh, we live after the flesh. The flesh is restrained by fear of consequences and cultural norms that pressure people into conformity (or at least the appearance of conformity). As the culture shifts, so does morality. There are things that were acceptable thirty years ago that are abhorred today. Look at how our culture views sexism, racism, and homosexuality today as compared to thirty years ago. Look at the acceptance of abortion and sexual conduct and compare that to thirty years ago. Cultural morality is based on popular opinion and it shifts with the ideas of the culture whether that be right or wrong. Restraint is only applied through cultural law and pressures.

Once someone comes to Christ, the focus changes from outward restraints to inward restraints. Once we are born as a new creation, the old person we were is crucified with Christ and a new man is born of God by the Spirit. Now the restraint is our desire to live according to the Spirit. As we hear the word of God, it is taken to heart, applied to our heart and written on our heart. Faith is by the word of God so the law in our heart is by hearing and believing the word of God and acting upon our new spiritual nature. We now do, by nature (our new nature), the things contained in the law but could not be fully applied because of our sinful hearts born after the flesh. Once we experience that new birth, everything changes. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:17-18a

¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

¹⁸ And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ

We are no longer trying to reform our lives; we have a new life in Christ. Before faith in Christ, even when we attempted to live right, our flesh overcame our desires and we sinned willingly while attempting to justify ourselves by deeds or upholding an imaginary moral standard. How is it that everyone will tell you that they are a good person even if they clearly do bad things? Even with good intentions, the flesh cannot rise above its natural corruption. But when we are born again by the Spirit, we now have the power to overcome the flesh because we have a new nature and the Spirit to guide us into a new walk. Look at 1 John 5:4-5, 18

⁴ For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

⁵ Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

…

¹⁸ We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

Even though we live in a body of flesh and the Bible warns that the flesh will continuously rise up and war against our minds to try to draw us back into bondage[xxix], through the Spirit we overcome the world. Our flesh is part of the world for sin is in our flesh[xxx]. That which is Spirit does not sin and cannot sin, but our flesh can indeed sin and will war against us to draw us back into sin. But the Bible promises that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh[xxxi].

So we can see that in the Old Testament, outward restraint was the only guide to God’s people. When the cultural norm of morality shifted to that which was immoral, God used harsh means to change the culture. God also drove immoral cultures away from His people and even destroyed those who were morally bankrupt so that they would not destroy the morality of His people. Now we have the Holy Spirit within us that convicts us of sin and guides us into the truth of God. By our new nature born of the Spirit we naturally do what is written in the law so there is no need to judge the entire culture. When God’s people choose to walk according to the flesh, God still uses difficulties to chasten us so that we look again to the right way, but now it is a Father correcting a child who is loved, not a judge punishing the wicked.

Eddie Snipes

Exchanged Life Outreach

http://www.exchangedlife.com

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