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NASB | Romans 3:31 ¶ Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 3:31 ¶ Do we then nullify the Law by this faith [making the Law of no effect, overthrowing it]? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law [since it convicts us all of sin, pointing to the need for salvation]. |
Subject: relationship of OT law and NT believer |
Bible Note: Dear Brother Kalos, I would like to question your use of a quote from the MacArthur Study Bible. Perhaps a person that is truly born again has the capacity to obey the law. However, that has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that a child of God is accepted in the beloved. MacArthur's scriptual manipulations over the years has caused a great deal of confusion in the minds of believers. For example: ASSURANCE -- In his book, Saved Without a Doubt: How to be Sure of Your Salvation, Dr. MacArthur's "assurance" is founded upon the Covenant teaching that one must persevere in holiness unto the very end. This is actually saying that there is no true assurance of salvation until the very last moment of life. And for him it is not just a matter of perseverance in faith, but also of good works! The last two-thirds of the author's book is devoted to the subjective Covenant teaching concerning perseverance, where he bases assurance upon tests of salvation (1 John), growth in Christ (2 Pet. 1), victory over sin (Rom. 6-8), and perseverance (James 1:12). Some of the author's tests of assurance are: Have you experienced communion with God and Christ? Have you sensed their presence? If you desire to obey the Word out of gratitude for what Christ has done for you, and if you see that desire producing an overall pattern of obedience, you have passed an important test indicating the presence of saving faith (p. 75). If you have made a proper commitment to the Lord, you can be assured that the Holy Spirit will enable you to persevere to the end (p. 152). There is this in his Kingdom Living Here and Now: Eternal security is a great spiritual truth, but it should never be presented merely as a matter of being once saved, always saved--with no regard for what you believe or do. The writer of Hebrews 12:14 states frankly that only those who continue living holy lives will enter the Lord's presence (p. 150). I can neither hear nor heed this Covenant-oriented leader because, with all other believers, I have already been raised up and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:6). In His holiness, righteousness, and Life, my life is "hidden with Christ in God now" (Col. 3:3). Mr. C.A. Coates assures: Divine love takes everything into consideration--knows what the world is, knows what we are, and loves to the end. You may say, "I find so many things to hinder." Do you think you have found something your sovereign Lord overlooked in His finished work? No! He sees all, knows all, and loves to the end! About the time Dr. MacArthur wrote Saved Without a Doubt he spoke at a large Evangelical Conference. While on the platform before some 500 pastors he was questioned as follows: Question: In light of 2 Corinthians 13:5, is examining ourselves to see if we are in the faith something that we as believers are to do regularly, throughout our lives? MacArthur: Yes, we are to examine ourselves on an ongoing basis. Of course, this has relevance to assurance. Question: When, then, can a believer be 100 percent sure that he has passed the test? MacArthur: I'm not sure what you mean by 100 percent. Questioner: I mean absolutely, positively sure. MacArthur: Puritan writers??, said that such absolute assurance was not possible. We can have assurance, but not absolute certainty. WHAT!! So much for the authenticity of the book and its title! The author's "sure" is very unsure. INCARNATIONAL SONSHIP -- Dr. MacArthur denies that the Lord Jesus Christ was the Son of God in eternity prior to His incarnation. John MacArthur has formally retracted his erroneous teaching in this area. In saying that, he also denies that God was Father in eternity past. On pages 27 and 29 in his NT Commentary on Hebrews, the author states: Son is an incarnational title of Christ. He was always God, but He became Son. His Sonship began at a point of time, not in eternity. His life as Son began in this world.... He was not a son until He was born into this world through the virgin birth. Christ's Sonship is only an analogy to allow the human mind to comprehend His willing submission to the Father for the sake of our redemption. Our brother claims that Christ's Sonship is but a role that He assumed at the incarnation, and not before. He insists that "Son of God" is merely a title he acquired, a role He played, a name He took on, and a function He assumed at the time of the incarnation. This total denial robs the Lord Jesus of being truly, actually, intrinsically, and eternally the Beloved Son of the Father! He also denies God's eternal Fatherhood, saying, "It wasn't a Father/Son relationship in eternity." |