I'm trying to figure out if you truly can't or don't see the position I'm defending or if you see it and won't acknowledge it.
Let me explain it in a way that might be easier to understand.
Let's say we are driving a car. There is nobody in the car except for us. Throughout our lives we've picked up quite a few bad driving habits. We speed, we run red lights, we park illegally, etc. etc. etc. We violate a lot of laws, every day and rack up a lot of tickets. But the funny thing is that when we see a cop, we PRETEND that we're keeping the law. We slow down. We don't run red lights. Or we pretend we're a good driver to impress our friends or our family, but when we're alone, we still violate the laws all we can because we think they're stupid and don't apply to us.
This represents a non-Christian, one without Christ in their lives.
So let's say our driver becomes a Christian. We'll say he invites Jesus into his car. But he makes Jesus ride in the passenger seat. He now TRIES to obey the law, but still slips up, violate the laws, because he's human and still messes up. But now somethings different. Jesus has an in with the cops. He can take care of our tickets with just a word.Jesus steps forward and says "Hey, this guys with me. I'm taking care of everything." Consequently, we receive NO tickets because Jesus is our advocate.
This is an immature Christian. One who trusts in Jesus enough to maybe take his advice about driving once in a while, but still kind of thinks he knows best.
But one day our driver gets sick and tired of driving. He's weary. Worn down. So he decides to let Jesus drive. Jesus of course is the PERFECT driver. He NEVER violates the law. He can't violate the law. He NEVER gets tickets. As a result, our driver never breaks the law...while he let's Jesus drive. He can't! He's not driving!
But our driver though loses faith once in a while. He doesn't trust maybe where Jesus is taking him. So he grabs the wheel from Jesus, or maybe asks Jesus to let him drive for a while. Jesus let's us do it, to learn from our mistakes. So we drive and eventually end up doing something stupid.
A mature Christian let's Jesus take the wheel more often than not. The more mature a Christian is, the more he let's Jesus drive.
Get it? As long as Jesus is driving, he WILL not break the law. And as long as we are the passenger, the law CANNOT judge us. It is not germane to us. It doesn't apply to us. We NEVER violate it. It doesn't apply to US. The law is not obsolete, it's still there, in full force. But it doesn't apply to us AS LONG AS Jesus IS driving.
Now here's how I see the relationship or the debate you and I seem to be having. An observer OUTSIDE of the car (you) only sees one thing: the car. You know (for example) that it's MY car. You maybe don't always see who's driving, but you recognize that it's my car.
When Jesus is driving, you notice that the car is ALWAYS obeying the law. But you always make the assumption that it's "me" driving. When you see me in person, you keep telling me that "I" don't have to drive so perfectly and accuse me of wanting to "earn" brownie points. You tell me that Jesus has an "in" with the cops so we don't have to worry about breaking the law.
You, in fact, believe I 'm the first sort of driver. The one without Christ. You think I'm keeping the law to impress others, or just keeping it when there's a cop around. You can't or won't see that it's Christ at the wheel.
Understand?
Very good Doug! Many of Paul's epistles about the Law seem confusing....even contradictory sometimes [2 Peter 3:16]. When Paul says that the Law is a custodian that the Christian has been set free from....but then says in the same breath that the Law is Holy and Just and Good....no wonder some folks misunderstand.
Christ did not do away with any of God's Holy Law [Matthew 5:17]. What he did do was to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins. What he abolished was the human ordinances (Oral Law) of the Talmud which were "Heavy burdens and grievous to be borne" [Matthew 23:4].
Peter also said [1 Peter 2:21] For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
[Deuteronomy 4:40] Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.