(This series is taken from the book “Redeemed” by Jack Exum, published in e-Book format on Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/488224 (as well as on Amazon.com).

The study of “LAW” doesn’t ‘excite’ me. Some may enjoy it, and it’s actually it is pretty important to this whole study. Trying to be saved by it, well, that’s the hang-up! Grace just cannot work under law.

The Law of Moses was given 430 years after God made his promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; Galatians 3:17). The importance of this will become clear.
“Law” does three things: 1.) Law PROVIDES guidelines and boundaries, 2.) Law PROHIBITS doing or not doing certain things, and 3.) Law PROTECTS those who are obedient. Obviously this isn’t a bad thing, but Law cannot save us from sin!
Paul describes the situation with NON-JEWS in Romans 1:18-32, where you see all kinds of disobedience and sin mentioned… and even though, because they have moral laws (Romans 2:14-15), it is obvious this law also condemns all who are under it because no one is perfect. It’s not good enough to be ‘a good moral person,’ because of this fact. The ‘law’ of conscience cannot save from sin.

Paul describes the situation of JEWS in Romans 2. They had the Law, the Temple, the sacrifices priests, the covenants etc… but Jews are lost as well, because they cannot keep the Law perfectly either. The blood sacrifices of bulls and goats didn’t take away sin, so they are not any better off than the Gentiles in this respect (Romans 3:20-23).
Law has one purpose, to REGULATE, to make people aware of their sinfulness. It was meant to bring people to the realization, that everyone needs to come to Jesus and be saved by grace through faith… not law keeping, (Galatians 3:19-25). In other words, “ALL HAVE SINNED” (Romans 3:23).

The basic function of LAW regarding the ‘law-breaker’ is to (1) INDICT (2) CONVICT (3) PUNISH. Law is not designed to save anyone or anything. There is no sacrifice or atonement in law… no Redeemer or Savior. “For by law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

The problem was and is that we cannot LIVE UP to the requirements and standard of law perfectly! Instead of law being a ‘salvation bringer,’ it brings a curse. But, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us…” (Galatians 3:13). He (Jesus) became our substitute sacrificial ‘ram.’ Instead of us dying for sin, He did. You cannot earn or ‘out-perform’ that. We are “saved by grace through faith.”
This is why Paul says, “…through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).

Gentiles are lost. Are you a Gentile (non-Jew)? Then without Christ you are lost. Jews were lost. Are you a Jew? Then without Jesus (the Messiah) you are lost. All must come to Jesus in FAITH, not through law keeping.
Good news! Jesus came to “seek and save (us all).” Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16).

(All references are from the 2011 edition of the NIV.)

(This series is taken from the book “Redeemed” by Jack Exum, published in e-Book format on Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/488224 (as well as on Amazon.com).

In Genesis 12:1-4, the LORD told Abram, “Go…So Abram left…” Between the ‘going’ and ‘leaving,’ we find seven important promises from God. (1) “I will make you into a great nation…” (A reference to Israel), (2) “I will bless you,” (3) “and make your name great” (4) “… you will be a blessing” (5) “I will bless those who bless you…” (6) “I will curse those who curse you” (7) “…all peoples on earth will be blessed through you”. The last one is the most important, since it refers to the coming of Messiah, the Savior for all mankind, through the descendants of Abraham.

Abraham doesn’t promise God anything, he doesn’t bargain with God, he doesn’t argue or complain, or try and earn these blessings from God… Abram believed the Lord, and he “left” his country. His “faith” in God, IS the basis of everything he ‘DOES’ in reference to God. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way, “By faith Abraham…obeyed” (Hebrews 11:8). It is this faith, by which he obeyed God, this faith was “credited to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6), and without this faith, obedience is meaningless!
The test of Abraham’s faith where he was called on to sacrifice Isaac, the son which God promised him, was the most critical. “By faith Abraham…obeyed.” Isaac was spared, God provided a ram as substitute, and God knew Abraham’s faith was real (Genesis 22).

It was some 430 years later that the Law of Moses is given, but had no part in the “promise.” Paul repeats the promise, “IN YOU (Abraham) SHALL ALL NATIONS BE BLESSED” (Galatians 3:8). Paul recognized that God’s promise to Abraham as the ONE prophecy of the coming of Christ, resulting in salvation made available to Jews and Gentiles, brought together in one body… the church (Ephesians 1:23; 4:4-6). Jesus Christ was the ‘promised seed,’ that would come and break the hold of Satan on the world.

The PROMISE came before the LAW… actually about 430 years before the Law of Moses was given at Mt. Sinai to Israel. The Law of Moses does not make void the promise made to Abraham. When the Old Law was fulfilled by Jesus (Matthew 5:17-18), the Promise (“and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you”) given to Abraham continued, and does so today, because of Jesus! The effect of the promise (salvation), is not based on keeping (the) law perfectly (because we can’t), but by faith like that of Abraham.

Now, if you have an OLD LAW (system) and NEW GRACE/FAITH (system) IN FORCE at the same time, you have dilemma… You have to make a choice as to which you will follow. You cannot depend on both covenants for salvation.

Christ came to deliver us from the curse of the law, (Galatians 3:13). Paul says His people are a people of FAITH, having been “baptized into Christ,” not a people of the Law. The result is (in Christ) “there is neither Jew nor Greek … slave nor free … male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus, And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26-29).

This is the good news, that all who are “in Christ,” are “Abraham’s seed” (‘faith’ descendents) and heirs of a marvelous promise… which is SALVATION through Jesus!

(All references are from the 2011 edition of the NIV.)

(This series is taken from the book “Redeemed” by Jack Exum, published in e-Book format on Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/488224 (as well as on Amazon.com).

Adam and Eve had disobeyed God, which resulted in immediate judgment. Follow with me as we look at Genesis 3.

The progression of sin seen in Verse 6: (1) The tree had “good” fruit (“pleasing to the eyes”), 2.) It would “make one wise,” 3.) Eve took it and got Adam to eat as well. (Compare this to I John 2:15-17). God had ‘provided the maximum’ and ‘forbidden the minimum’, yet they went after the one thing which was forbidden. They found out, nothing good comes from sin. They could not blame God, because he warned them.

Using their example, let’s notice what happened: (1.) Unguarded talk (Eve had conversation with Satan (Verse 1). (2.) She loosened her hold on God as doubt grew in her mind (Verse 3). (3.) She looked (and kept looking) at the forbidden fruit (Verse 6), (4.) She longed for (lusted) the forbidden fruit, (Verse 6). (5.) She induced Adam and he listened, and followed her example, (Verse 6).

James speaks of sin’s progression and says “…each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (James 1:14-15).
Consider the consequences of sin. As you read Genesis 3 here is what you find, (1.) Innocence is lost (Verse 7), (2.) Shame (Verse 7), (3.) Fear (Verse 8), and finally (4.) Death. They discovered what we all know, SIN IS NOT WORTH IT! “All Satan’s apples have big, ugly worms.”

We are all sinners (Romans 3:23), we all deserve to ‘pay the price’ of death as a result of our sins as Paul says in Romans 6:23. God judges all involved in Genesis 3, the Serpent (Genesis 3:14-15), the Woman (Genesis 3:16), and Adam (Genesis 3:17). Let’s begin with Adam…
1.) Adam: Because he listened and followed Eve’s prompting, the ground was cursed and weeds, briars, thorns result. If he was going to eat, it would not come easily. Physical death was also a result of sin, brought into the world (Genesis 3:17-19).
2.) Eve: Her part in sin resulted in pain in childbearing, and a continual struggle to be in control over her husband (Genesis 3:16). (The curse on woman was NOT about sex… That is not a curse!)
3.) Serpent: The snake is cursed (Verse 14), Satan is addressed for his part in this. Here is the FIRST prophecy of God’s plan to save mankind though a Savior. “And I (God) will put enmity (hate, struggle) between you (Satan) and the woman (Eve) and between your offspring (followers of Satan/unrighteous) and hers (Jesus/ followers of righteousness); he (Jesus) will crush your head (fatal wound), and you (Satan) will strike his heel (non-fatal wound, because of His resurrection)” (Genesis 3:15).
Here we see the first ‘glimmer of hope’ for the salvation of man from the awful consequences of sin. In Genesis 3:21, God provides clothing for them with the skins of innocent animals, symbolizing Jesus, and how he would give his life, to cover the sins of man. This is what being redeemed is all about.

The story of redemption is all about JESUS.
(All references are from the 2011 edition of the NIV.)