Our Self-Initiated Good Works Do Not Please God.

There are two kinds of religious laws that the genuine grace believers in Paul’s day had to reject; 1) The ‘Law of Moses’ and, 2) the Judaizer’s manmade laws called ‘Traditions.’ None of these apply today to the Gentile grace-age believers of today’s age of “the dispensation of the grace of God.”

1. “The law of Moses” - The grace believer is set free from “the law of Moses” that was given to the Nation Israel ONLY. Jesus has set it aside “nailing it to His cross” (Col.2:14). However, Jesus Himself fully complied with the Law, fulfilling it as was prophesied. Jesus has set the Mosaic Law aside “nailing it to His cross.”

¹⁴ Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Colossians 2:14 (KJV)

However, Jesus Himself fully complied, fulfilling “the Law of Moses.” As we proceed you will see how it is that the sinless Christ living in grace believers today, is now the fulfiller and keeper of a NEW Indwelling Law that Paul calls “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.”

2. Jewish Laws called “Tradition” - The 2^nd Law not applicable then nor to us today is the Jewish Laws that Jesus called ‘Your Tradition’ as practised by those Israel’s Jews under the Judaizers. Actually, the religious Judaizer’s devious roots extend back from the time of Old Testament;

³¹ The prophets [of Israel] Prophesy Falsely, and the Priests Bear Rule By Their Means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? Jeremiah 5:31 (KJV)

Israel’s religious leaders made up their own man-made laws in addition to the Mosaic Law, which that Jesus referred to as “Your Tradition,” saying;

³ But he [Jesus] answered and said unto them, Why do ye [Israel’s religious leaders] also transgress the commandment of God By Your Tradition? Matthew 15:3 (KJV)
⁶ And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect By Your Tradition. Matthew 15:6 (KJV)   

Of course, Paul said and wrote this of grace believers of this age of “the grace of God”:

¹⁴ … for Ye Are NOT Under The Law, But Under Grace. Romans 6:14 (KJV)

⁴ For CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW for righteousness to every one that BELIEVETH. Rom. 10:4

⁶ And IF [SALVATION IS] BY GRACE, THEN IS IT NO MORE OF WORKS: otherwise grace is no more grace … Romans 11:6 a(KJV)

The epistles of Paul are filled with the devious works of these Judaizers. They were trying to pull Paul’s grace believers away from God’s Pure Grace Gospel and Doctrine and back under the “Mosaic Law” with their Jewish “Tradition.” They opposed Paul preaching of the truth that the Mosaic law had been set aside for all those who trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.  The Judaizers still insisted that the Jewish believers must keep “the Law” to fulfil God’s purpose for their life. Yet, Paul tells us Jesus by the Cross was effectively;

¹⁴ BLOTTING OUT THE HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES [LAWS] that was against us, which was contrary to us, and Took It [the Law] Out of The Way, NAILING IT TO HIS CROSS; Colossians 2:14 (KJV)

We could say the Judaizers of today are the Christians ‘legalist’ among Christendom’s many sects and divisions. They still promote keeping “the Law” and the Traditions of their particular Christian sect; whether Baptist, Pentecostal, so called ‘Holiness’ groups, or others. These false protestant practices are just as devious and harmful to “the faith” of genuine grace believers as the Catholics who must keep the Catholic manmade sacraments and participate in their rituals, rites, laws, and ceremonies.

Some today also say it’s not adequate to just follow Paul’s words to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and though shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). They say you need to additionally do some human “works” as well, but they can never tell you how much is enough. This is the most devious kind of ‘law’ – this is the law that Satan today works to promote in order to keep people from the pure saving Grace of God.

⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is The [Free] Gift Of God: ⁹ Not Of Works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)

Satan today wants to negate God’s ‘free gift’ of ‘Salvation by Grace through Faith Alone’… leaving men lost and destined for “eternal destruction” (2Thes 1:9).

⁶ To the praise of the glory of his [God’s] grace, wherein he hath [already] made us accepted in the beloved [In Christ]. Ephesians 1:6 (KJV)

¹ Therefore being [now] justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: ² By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 (KJV)

¹³ … God Hath From The Beginning Chosen You To SALVATION through sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of The Truth: 2 Thessalonians 2:13b (KJV)

Satan is constantly working on believers to do unnecessary good and religious works to be kept in God’s favor. But the fact is that all genuine believers are already “accepted in the beloved [in Christ].” Thus, Paul writes of how our “walk” is to be conducted in the same way of faith whereby we also have been saved.

⁶ As [in the same way as] ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Colossians 2:6 (KJV)

Having already believed, we are FOREVER already “accepted in the beloved” … JUST AS WE ALREADY ARE … by the virtue of having been regenerated by “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” the very moment when we first believed!

You see, you can’t be any godlier than you already are by the ‘imputed righteousness of Christ’ (Rom. 4:5-8). Having believed we received the implant Seed of the Father, “which seed is Christ” (Gal 3:16). Thus, Christ as the Fathers Seed came into the womb of our “spirit of man” when we first believed. Thereby, we’ve become “one spirit” with Christ (1Cor 6:17).

Now it is best for us to now go on and grow in knowledge and faith to express Christ’s life better. But we cannot gain any more of God in us than what we already have.

Satan’s greatest deceptive attack is his religious ‘LIE program’ which is based upon a falsely meritorious ‘performance-based relationship’ with God, whereby you must merit salvation and to be kept saved. Satan tricks saved Christians by using Israel’s law which may be Scriptural … BUT it is NOT Dispensational. The “Law” is NOT applicable under today’s “dispensation of the grace of God.”! This is

¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:14 (KJV)

So, you may independently do some good things in your own human strength; such as praying, fasting, and giving alms and even winning souls. But, if these are done independently in your self-strength in order to be more acceptable to God, then you are “… an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;” (Isa. 64:6).

None of these self-works make us godlier than having been born of God’s “Seed [Greek, sperma] which is Christ” (Gal 3:16). Because you are “born of God” you will spontaneously do all the right thing as you are led and prompted by His indwelling Spirit … in accord with His word.

You are what you are in union with Christ by the “Christ in you” (Col. 1:27). The world of lost souls will see the gospel by our being in Christ and living spontaneously by His life, not by our doing something within ourselves. 

The genuine righteous works we do as believers being reliant upon Christ’s life in us will be the Fruit of His life. We do these good works not because we must ‘do this or that’ by any commandment.

- This paper by Arthur J. Licursi includes some excerpts from a Warren Litzman DVD that have been vastly adapted and enlarged in word and thought.