‘Righteousness By Faith’
(without the ‘works’ (deeds) of the law:)

Romans 3:28:
28) "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds (works) of the law."

Ephesians 2:8-10: True righteousness revealed:
  8) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that (, neither grace, nor faith) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God (to every one that believes in Christ Jesus).
  9) "Not of works (not by the keeping of the law of Moses), lest any man should boast.
10) "For we are His (God’s) workmanship, created (re-created, born again, a new man) in Christ Jesus unto good works (which are performed through 'faith, which worketh by love.’: Galatians 5:6b), which God hath before (creation) ordained that we should walk in them (the ‘good works’, and not just the ‘works’, as by the ‘letter of the law’, which ‘did not profit them, not being mixed with faith’)."

Galatians 3:11-12: Righteousness by faith, and not by the law:
11) " But that no man is justified by (the works of) the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, ‘The just shall live by faith.’.
12) "And the law is not of faith: but, ‘The man that doeth them shall live in (the curse of) them.’
13) "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, ‘Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree’:
14) "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit (the Holy Ghost) through faith."

I John 5:7: The principle of the Godhead:
 7) "For there are Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, and the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and These Three are One." (One God)

John 1:17: Where did grace and truth come from, and when?
17) "For the law was given by Moses (to Israel only, which are the sons of Abraham; and to no other nation, which are ‘Gentiles’), but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (when He, God, the Word, came to the earth in the pure and sinless body of the Man, Jesus Christ, at the time of Jesus' conception by Mary His mother).

John 1:1-3, 10, 14: This is the testimony of God, the Word, in Jesus, and in the world:
 1) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
 2) "The Same was in the beginning with God.
 3) "All things were made by Him (God, the Word); and without Him was not any thing made that was made."
10) "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not."
14) "And the Word was made (to come in the) flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

Hebrews 4:2: Israel did not believe the gospel, so keeping the law profited them nothing:
 2) "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."

We, as believers in Jesus Christ, (the Man, the only begotten Son of God), into which body God, the Word was sent, that He should fulfil the law, without error, being sinless, in the body that was prepared for Him, ‘made of a woman, made under the law’, by God, the Holy Ghost, not having the sin factor of the flesh of Adam (for Christ was not a descendant of Adam by bloodline, therefore Jesus referred to His physical being as the ‘son of man’, not by genealogy or heritage, but merely by chronology, also referred to as the ‘second Adam’*), but the direct descendant of God, and then to offer that body to die on the cross for the salvation of all who would believe in Him:

*In the lineage of the patriarchs, Abraham, (Ishmael1) Isaac2, and (Esau/Edom1) Jacob/Israel2, the firstborn son never actually received the inheritance of the firstborn, as designated under ancient tradition, but it was the second son that received it; therefore Jesus was considered the ‘second born’ (Adam being considered the ‘firstborn’), that Chrit, the 'son of man', might receive the inheritance which the firstborn (Adam) lost through sin, and deception of the devil. For Ad'm was created in the image of God, and in the likeness also of God; but through sin, though Adam retained the image of God, man lost the likeness, which was the purity of the flesh, and Adam;s flesh, being the 'gateway' to sin coming into the world, became vile, and corrupt, being now an enmity; to God: therefore, the flesh was sentenced to death because it is corrupt, having lusts and affectioins to sin.
(Genesis 1:26; I Corinthians 15:51-53; Galatians 5:24)

Adam (the ‘first man’) was the minister of the death to the flesh of all mankind:
(Romans 5:12; Hebrews 9:27)

Galatians 4:4: God, at His predetermined time, sent God, the Word, into the body, 'Jesus Christ':
4) "But when the fulness of (God’s predetermined) time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5) "To redeem them that were under the law, that we might (all) receive the adoption of sons (believing in Him, Jesus Christ, the Lord; both the Jew and the Gentile)."

Luke 1:18: The infusion of God, the Word, into Christ, the Man, the only begotten Son of God:
18) "Now the birth of Jesus Christ (the only begotten Son of God, the Man, Christ Jesus) was on this wise: ‘When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together (in the marriage), she was found with Child of (God,) the Holy Ghost.’."

And God, through Jesus Christ, the Man, the only begotten Son of the only true and living God, Jehovah, has made all believers to be the righteousness of God in Christ.

II Corinthians 5:21: Believing in Jesus Christ, we are made the righteousness of God in Him:
21) "For He hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

Isaiah 53:4-6: Christ becomes the despised, the rejected, and took our blame on the cross:
 4) "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him (as the) stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted (with our sins, as His own burden on the cross).
 5) "But He was wounded (stricken, smitten) for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of (for obtaining) our peace was (inflicted) upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed (, if we will receive it)."

And we are not ‘keeping’ the law of Moses, but rather, we are ‘establishing’ the perfect law of Moses, through ‘faith, which works by love’:

John 3:16-17: Jesus Himself reveals the message of the gospel of salvation:
16) "For God so loved (each and every person in) the world, that He gave (for the only acceptable Sacrifice for the sins of man) His only begotten Son (, the Man, Christ Jesus), that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish (as the wicked, who do not believe), but have everlasting life.
17) "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn (any person in) the world, but that (each and every person in) the world through (believing in) Him might (believe, and) be saved."

Romans 3:23: We have all sinned: failed to keep all the commandments of Jesus Christ:
23) "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory (righteousness) of God."

John 14:21-24: Jesus speaks of those who do, and those who do not, love Him:
21) " ‘He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.’
22) "Judas saith unto Him, not Iscariot, ‘Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world?’
23) "Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.
24) "He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s, Which sent Me."

What are the commandments of Jesus?

Matthew 22:34-40: A Pharisee (lawyer) tempts Jesus with a question, and Jesus states a principle:
34) "But when the Pharisees had heard that He (Jesus) had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35) "Then one of them, which was a lawyer (defender of the law of Moses), asked Him a question, tempting Him, and saying,
36) " ‘Master (Teacher), which is the great commandment in the law? (Expecting a ‘one-liner’ for an answer, or baffling Him, that He could not answer).’
37) "Jesus said unto him (without hesitation), ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind (O.T. - ‘might’).’
38) " ‘This is the first and great commandment (in the law of Moses: Deuteronomy 6:5)
39) " ‘And the second (great commandment in the law of Moses) is like unto it, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’ (Leviticus 19:18)
40) " ‘On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’."

John 14:15-17: Preparation for the service of every disciple (believer) Christ begins with this:
14) "If ye love Me, keep My commandments.
16) "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter (after Me), that He may abide with you for ever;
17) "Even the Spirit of truth (the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God): Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

John 13:34-35: Our constant and continuing ministry to one another, and witness to the world:
34) "A new commandment I give unto you, ‘That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35) "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples (believers in Christ), if ye have love one to another."

I Corinthians 1:10: The greatest testimony to all unbelievers: the pattern of God for the Church:
10) "Now I beseech (firmly admonish in the love of Christ) you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions (denominations) among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together (as the body of Christ, and ‘members in particular’) in one mind (understanding), and in one judgment (determination of doctrinal beliefs)."

I Corinthians 12:27: The body of Christ, of many members:
27) "Now ye are the body of Christ (all believers, regardless of affiliation or circumstance), and members in particular.

How do we maintain that pattern of God, the ‘one body’ of Christ status? (See Romans, chapter fourteen, near the conclusion of this synopsis of truth and righteousness.)

And this is the next step up toward where God wants every believer to be, in truth of the word:

Knowing the truth by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth:

Luke 24:49: Jesus speaks to the eleven apostles, of the power of the Church, and every believer:
49) "And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."

Acts 2:38-39: Peter gives the plan of God for salvation, and the promise of the Father:
38) "Then Peter said unto them (the Jews of many nations, who watched as the first Church received the ‘promise of the Father’, the Holy Ghost, in Acts 2:1-4), ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the ‘gift’ of ‘the Holy Ghost’.
39) " ‘For the ‘promise’ (of the Father) is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off (in the future), even as many as the Lord our God shall call.’."

And here is how that happens in a proper sequence, as that same apostle, Peter, ministers:
Acts 10:43-48: Peter ministers to Gentiles for the first time any believing Jew or apostle had gone to the Gentiles, about 13 years after Christ’s commandment in Matthew 28:18-20:
43) " ‘To Him (Jesus) give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission (taking away) of sins (of their past).’
44) "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word (of the gospel).
45) "And they of the circumcision (the Jews) which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the holy Ghost.
46) "For they heard them speak with (other, unknown) tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47) " ‘Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we (all Jewish believers and apostles)?’
48) "And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days."

So, how many believers are commanded to be baptized with the Holy Ghost (John 1:33)?

All believers. Both Jew and Gentile, none to be excluded:
Matthew 28:20; John 7:37-39; Acts 2:38-39.

John 8:32: Jesus, speaking to born-again Jewish believers, that they 'shall' be free:
32) "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

John 8:35: Now Jesus tells them of the process by which they shall be made free:
35) "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

And God witnesses to Moses what Jesus will do to make believers free from the mind of the flesh, knowing the truth that shall make us free indeed:
John 1:33: John the Baptist relates what God said regarding the ministry of Jesus from heaven:
33) "And I knew Him (Jesus) not: but He (God, the Father) that sent me to baptize with water, the Same said unto me, 'Upon Who thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the Same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost."

Just prior to Jesus' ascension to the Father, He commanded the above five hundred believing Jewish brethren to 'wait for the promise of the Father, which ye have heard of Me.' So they dwindled down to about a hundred twenty before the promise of the Father came, the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth.

Will all who receive the Holy Ghost speak with tongues?

Yes, everyone who has a voice will speak with tongues, when the Holy Ghost is fallen upon them When they are baptized (by Jesus Christ, from heaven) with the Holy Ghost, when they receive the Holy Ghost, when the Spirit of truth is come to them; all the same thing, the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon all flesh, in the last (two) days (i.e., about 2,000 years of the Church of the Gentiles:
Joel 2:28-29; II Peter 3:8).

It is the witness by the Holy Ghost that He now lives within us, and not just with us, as with the disciples before the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, 'in the last days (the age of the Church of the Gentiles), on the day of Pentecost, after Christ had ascended to the Father.
(See John 14:15-17; John 7:37-39)

There are other tongues, which we define, in detail, in other in which we refer to ‘tongues’.

Acts 1:4-5, 8: We are to ‘observe all things whatsoever I (Christ) commanded you’; therefore:
 4) "And, being assembled together with them (‘above five hundred brethren at once’, which included the eleven apostles), commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but ‘wait for the promise of the Fathr, which’, saith He, ‘ye have heard of Me.
 5) " ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the holy Ghost not many days hence.’."
 8) " ‘But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you (as promised by the Father in Joel 2:28-29, all to happen at God’s predetermined and designated times, within the about 2,000 years of the Church age: See Romans 11:25): and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.’."

What examples do we have of this event, which happened to the first Church of about a hundred twenty believers, including the eleven apostles? We will show three or four witnesses here:

Acts 19:1-6: Paul found believers in Christ, who had not been baptized with the Holy Ghost:
 1) "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coast came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
 2) "He said unto them, ‘Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?’ And they said unto him, ‘We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.’
 3) "And he said unto them, ‘Unto what then were ye baptized (in water)?’ And they said, ‘Unto John’s baptism.’
 4) "Then said Paul, ‘John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him Which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
 5) "When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
 6) "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."

Acts 8:12-18: The Samarians also heard the gospel, and received the Holy Ghost:
12) "But when they (the Samarians) believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized (in water), both men and women.
13) "Then Simon (the sorcerer) himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continure with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles which were done.
14) "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15) "Who, when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16) "(For as yet He (the Holy Ghost) was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in (water in) the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17) "Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost."

And in verse 18, the scripture denotes that it was obvious to all, and to Simon, that they had been baptized with the Holy Ghost, for that is the principle of receiving the Holy Ghost, that they all speak with tongues, and magnify God.

What is the source of Jesus’ commandments?

Deuteronomy 18:18-19: God prophesies of Jesus to Moses, and Israel knew of this prophecy:
18) "I will raise them (Israel) up a Prophet from among (not of, for they were the flesh of Adam, but Jesus, the Son of God, ‘made of a woman, made under the law’) their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto the all that I shall command Him.
19) "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him (that does not hearken)."

The law of Moses, and its purpose:

I Timothy 1:9-11: The law of Moses was not made for the righteous believer in Christ Jesus:
 9) "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10) "For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
11) "According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust."

Deuteronomy 31:24: Moses knew the purpose of the law, therefore he commanded the Levites:
24) "And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
25) "That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,
26) "Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
27) "For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been revellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death?"

Jesus speaks of the status of the law of Moses, referring to Christ’s finished work, which gives the law its true purpose, to convict all men of their sins, that they might come to Jesus for salvation:
Matthew 5:17-18: Speaking to the Jews, to whom Jesus was specifically sent, Jesus declares:
17) "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy (the law of Moses), but to fulfil (it).
18) "For verily I say unto you, ‘Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all (of the law) be fulfilled (by Jesus Himself, and taken ‘out of the way’)."

Hebrews 10:1-5: The purpose of the law, and the sacrifice vs. the only acceptable Sacrifice:
 1) "For the law having a shadow (type, or symbol) of good things to come (under grace, through faith of Jesus Christ, which ‘establishes’ the perfect law of righteousness in God, not by ‘works’, but in the ‘good works’ through ‘faith, which worketh by love’: Galatians 5:6b), and not the very image (reality, revelation) of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
 2) "For then would they not have ceaseed to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
 3) "But in those sacrifices there is (but) a remembrance again (and again) made of sins every year.
4 ) "for it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.
 5) "Wherefore when He (God, the Word) cometh into the world (in the body of the man, Jesus Christ: Luke 1:18), He saith (to the Father), ‘Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not (receive for the taking away of the sins of man), but a body hast Thou prepared for Me (to offer to the Father for the taking away of the sins of every one that believes in Jesus Christ)." (Galatians 4:4)

I was speaking to a teacher of thirty-five years’ service in a ‘Sabbath day’ keeping Church, who said to me, in response to my witness to him, ‘New covenant, eh? Well, they keep all the law but the fourth one.", referring to the keeping of the Sabbath, the seventh day, which is from sundown, Friday, to sundown, Saturday.

So what is the ‘Sabbath’, or ‘seventh’ day? Is it just one day?

Originating with the finished work of God in creation, here is the primary scripture which establishes the Sabbath day:
Genesis 2:2: The basis for the Sabbath day of God in the fourth commandment in the law:
2) "And on the seventh ‘day’ (which is the term that is assigned to the period of time in which God rested from creating all things, the ‘work’, and the ‘labors’, which He had performed in creating all things natural, the earth, and the heaven) God (the Father, and the Word, and the Holy Ghost) ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh ‘day’ from all His work which He had made.
3) "And God blessed the seventh ‘day’, and sanctified it: because that in it He had ressted (and continued to rest) from all His work which God created and made."

God used the word ‘day’ to describe a ‘process’ of completion of a segment of creation, for ‘day’ is also a symbol, or a type, when used in prophecy. In the case of the 'seventh day', on which God rested, it is for ever, for He is still at rest 'from all His work which He had made.':

Genesis 2:1-2:
 1) "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
 2) "And on the seventh 'day' God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh 'day' from all His work which he had made."

So how long is the ‘Sabbath’ in God-terms, or, how long is the seventh ‘day’? Well, that would be ‘ever after’, or, ‘for ever’, for God is still resting from His work as described in Genesis, above.

And where, in the New Testament, is the Sabbath day, and the ‘seventh day’ specifically noted as applied to God’s Sabbath?

Hebrews 4:3, 10:
 3) "For we which have believed (in Jesus Christ) do enter into (God’s) rest, as he said, ‘As I have sworn in My wrath (regarding the Jews with their own ‘works’ under the law of Moses), ‘if they shall enter into My rest’: although the ‘works’ were finished from the foundation of the world.’ (Salvation through Jesus only has been established through faith, without the works of the law (which did not exist until about 1462 BC) before the formation of any natural thing, before the beginning.)
10) "For he that is entered into His (God’s) rest (the ‘seventh’ day, the ‘Sabbath’ of God), he also hath ceased from his own works (which were done under the law of Moses), as God did from His."

Maintaining the ‘one body’ status in the Church, rather than many divisions:
(And I write of that extensively, but here is the platform and the basis for that foundation.)

Romans 14:1-6, and throughout: This is the example of humility and charity among believers:
 1) "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
 2) "For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who ie weak, eateth herbs.
 3) "Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

(Differences in doctrinal beliefs, yet not disputing, neither contending nor debating! This is the principle of God, that we might keep the commandments of Christ in love and charity toward all others who may not understand the word as each the other. Let us continue:)

 4) "Who art thou that judgest another man’s (God’s) servant? To His own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
 5) "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day (to be) alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
 6) "He that regardeth the day (as a special day), regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day (to be differently considered as a special day), to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks."

While we must study the word of truth, that we might discover the true principles of God in all things (II Timothy 2:15), many believers are still growing in the word, and will have different comprehension than many others, as they make their most diligent effort to know the truth that is hidden within the word of truth.

And we all must begin with the ‘sincere milk of the word’ (I Peter 2:2), until we grow into the maturity in which we shall be enabled by the Spirit of truth to receive the ‘meat’ of the word.
(Ref: Hebrews 5:13-14)

This discourse is not yet complete, however, to get this into the public eye, I have entered it as a
‘pre-release’; and I shall complete it within a few days. It is, however filled with the principles
and patterns of God, which are pertinent to the topic. Other writings also deal with this subject.

dunomos@aol.com

Read my blogs, which are referenced on my Facebook, 'Allan Thomasson', as ‘Truth In Christ’:

foreversettledintheheavens.blogspot.com