Do What?
What do we stand firm in?
2 Thessalonians 2:15
Vs. 15 “So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”
What did Paul say here to “stand firm” on?
Did he say “stand firm” on the law?
Did he say that your effort will make you stand firm?
Or could it be that based on his first letter to this church and based on what he taught he was telling them to stand firm in the idea of love for each other being the guiding principle of their life?
This is after all what Jesus and Paul taught. Love God and love one another!
This is Grace- not that we deserve it but look at how easy this yoke and how light this burden is!
Did Christ talk about the law? Yes He did and in fact He added to the law while He was here. He made it even more difficult for us to keep the law because He talked about “think it in your heart!”
Why would He do that if what I am writing here is correct?
Look at the purpose of the law in scripture:
Romans 3:19,20- “… that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 4:15- “….the law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
Romans 5:13,20- “….until, the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. …And the law came in that transgression might increase…”
Romans 7:5,7-9,13- “….sinful passions were aroused by the law,…. I would not have come to know sin except through the law; for I would not have known about coveting if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” …apart from the law sin is dead… when the commandment came, sin became alive, …that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.”
1 Corinthians 15:56- “…the power of sin is the law”
Galatians 3: 19,24- “Why the law then? It was added [to cause]*
transgressions,… Therefore the law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith.”
Hebrews 10:1,3- “For the law… only a shadow of the good things to come…in those sacrifices [of the law] there is a reminder of sins.”
Meditate on these verses and you will begin to grasp His deep and passionate and crazy Love for You!
