[Paul Miletus]

Originally Posted by KSA

I read and did not find. I addressed your points, but you did not address mine, you just repeated your old arguments that had been already addressed by me.

PS. I would like to comment this statement of yours as this would serve me as an additional argument:



And the commandment... I found to bring death... sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me (Rom. 7:11). Here is says the law of God brings death - sin used it to deceive and kill. But does it mean that the nature of the law is death? Not at all! In verse 12 Paul says: "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. In verse 13 Paul continues: "Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin... was producing death in me through what is good... Do you see it? In the same way Satan used something good (a tree of knowledge) to cause man fall. But the nature of the tree was good! I rest my case!

KSA, your explanation is out of bounds... Please remember that the letter ("law") kills but the Spirit gives life. You cannot compare the "law" with the "tree of knowledge of good and evil". The "law" was not in existence yet in the the time when the "tree of knowledge of good and evil" was placed by God in the middle of the garden. The "law" was not yet needed at that time since man has not yet fell. In fact, it was not God's intention to give the "law" to man from the beginning. The law came through Moses' time. You are just imagining things, KSA!

Below is a very clear explanation regarding the "law" and why it was given to man by God --

Why was the law added because of transgressions? Let us look now at the last part of Romans 4:15: "But where there is no law, neither is there transgression." And let us also look at Romans 5:20: "And the law entered in alongside that the offense might abound." The purpose of the law is to cause the offense to abound. What does this mean? Sin entered the world through man, and therefore, sin is in the world. Death came from sin and began to reign. From the time of Adam to the time of Moses, sin was in the world. But how can we prove this? It is evidenced by death being in the world. If there were no sin from Adam until Moses, man would not have died. The fact that from Adam until Moses all died proves that sin was there. Although there was sin during that time, there was no law. Hence, there was only sin but no transgression. What is transgression? Sin was real and present in the world, but man did not know that sin was here until the law of God came. Through the law God showed us that we have sinned. Actually, there was sin already within us. We were corrupted already, but we did not know about it until the law came, at which time the sin within was manifested as transgressions.

All the Bible readers and all those who understand God's will know that God did not give us the law with the intention that we keep it. The law was not meant for us to keep, but for us to break. God gave us the law so that we would transgress against it. This may be the first time for many of you to hear such a word, and you may feel that it is strange. God has known all along that you have sin. God knows this; but you yourself do not know this. Therefore God has given you the law to transgress so that you will know about yourself. God knows that you are no good, but you think that you are fine. Therefore, God has given the law. After you transgress against it once, twice, and a number of times, you will say that you have sin. Salvation will not come to you until then. Only when you admit that you do not have a way, that it is impossible for you to go on conducting yourself in such a way, will you be willing to receive the Lord Jesus as your Savior. Only then will you be willing to receive God's grace.

Romans 7 explains this matter very clearly. Let us look at this chapter, beginning with verses 7 and 8, "What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! But I did not know sin except through the law; for neither did I know coveting, except the law had said, 'You shall not covet.' But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, worked out in me coveting of every kind; for without the law sin is dead." Without the law, I do not feel that coveting is sin, even though there is coveting within me. Hence, coveting within me is dead; that is, I am not conscious of it. However, after the law comes, I resolve not to covet anymore. But I still covet, and the sin is made alive. Verse 9 says, "And I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died."

Friends, remember that God gave you the law for one reason only: to show you that you have always been full of sin. Because you did not see your own sin, you acted proudly. The law came to try you out. You may say that you do not covet. However if you just try not to covet, what will be the eventual result? The more you try, the weaker you become and the more covetous you will be. You purpose not to covet, but the moment you purpose this way, you find yourself coveting everything. You covet today, and you will covet tomorrow; you covet everywhere you turn. Now sin is alive, the law is alive, and you are dead. Originally sin was dead and you were fine, but now that the law has come you cannot avoid coveting. The more you try not to covet, the more covetous you become. The problem is that man's being is fleshly, and because man is fleshly, his will is weak, his conduct is rebellious, and his desires are filthy.

Verse 10 says, "And the commandment, which was unto life, this very commandment was found to me to be unto death." If man can truly keep the law, he will live. But I cannot keep it; hence, I die.

Verse 11 says, "For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me." If the law had not told me that I should not do this or that, sin would go easy on me and would not be that active in me. But ever since the law came and told me that I should not covet, sin through the commandment has tempted me and put this matter of coveting in my mind. The law tells me that I should not covet, and I purpose not to covet; but instead of not coveting, I covet even more.