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Yes, because, by walking in the Spirit, I overcome the sin that leads to death. That's the only way sin is overcome, with God. Jesus came so that I might be with Him. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." Jer 31:33...

Well, I don't know if "method' is the right word but in any case, yes, I believe that's exactly what God was doing. Jesus came in the "fullness of time", apparently because any earlier time would've been too soon for humanity, just as we as individuals aren't necessarily ready to accept and...

The way that this has been understood historically is to say that while no one can be justified by works of the law, this doesn't mean that the law is abolished or no longer in effect. Man must still obey but not by his own effort, which is Pelagianism, but by the Spirit now, in union with...

It has nothing to do with two Gods. God never abandoned man after the Fall but began, patiently, working with him to ultimately bring about His plan of salvation in him. The NC is all about real change towards that end, in man, not merely the forgiveness of sin which could've been done anytime...

With Christ's sacrifice the veil was torn into the Holy of Holies. Now the individual had personal access. This is exactly what the OC could not accomplish and did not focus on. It focused on man's external behavior, not his state of being, his heart, that would motivate his actions. "I will...

I think this quote from Augustine is interesting: "Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation." Perfect moderation being the greater or most mature holiness as I understand it.

Yes, because the Spirit enables us to be righteous, apart from the law. Rom 8 continues: "For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in...

The new covenant is all about reconciliation between man and God first of all, wrought by Jesus. The problem, the injustice, within fallen man lies in his separation from God, wrought by Adam. The old covenant did not address this most basic and primary injustice; it only addressed the sin that...

The promise of the Spirit is the gift of true righteousness, itself, "...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith." Phil 3:9 "But now apart from the law the righteousness...

Yes, that's the point. God's been teaching us, His world, all along. He gave us the law because man failed to read it in his own heart. But the lesson to be learned is that, apart from God, we cannot obey the law anyway. We must turn to Him in faith, becoming His people. Then He puts His law in...

Sorry, I thought it was pretty clear.

And yet, for humanity, the Jews were chosen to, for one thing, demonstrate this very fact: that no amount of law-keeping suffices on its own-and that we'll fail at it regardless. The law, we can all learn, served as a necessary stepping stone towards the new covenant. It served as a tutor...

Yes. And another difference between the old and the new is that, as sin is dealt with, man turns away from it and to God, entering a familial relationship with Him that man was absolutely made for and that, itself, defines his justice; alienation from God being the essence or foundation of...

When He takes away your sins, they're gone, and not meant to return as He gives us the power, by the Spirit, to overcome them now. That's why there's no condemnation in Christ because we've become slaves to righteousness instead of slaves to sin (Rom 6). If we fall back into grave sin/deeds of...

Yes, they literally disbelieved God, and this is the basis of man's separation from God. If we don't believe Him, then we have no God. And this alienation is the essence of the state called "original sin", a state of injustice for man. Jesus came to reconcile this situation by restoring man's...

So...are you saying that our righteousness need be imputed only to satisfy God's requirements for salvation? Or do we also acquire that righteousness from Him and must live accordingly?

Yes. A teaching I'm familiar with puts it like this: 600 To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes his eternal plan of "predestination", he includes in it each person's free response to his grace: "In this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius...

Good, as always. One thing I might add and another I'll comment on. First, just to clarify. the churches in the past have always taught that our own holiness-demonstrated by right living, obedience of God, a righteousness that comes from God by virtue of of that hypostatic union with Him- is...

Paul's teaching is the same as Jesus, John, Peter, James, etc. It's the gospel of grace, that with man nothing is possible but with God all things are possible, including finally becoming who we were created to be-and we weren't created to sin. So Paul tells us what reconciliation with God...

It was never questioned in the history of the church that holiness/righteousness/justice was not a requirement for entering heaven , for seeing God. Never was it thought that the new covenant was some sort of reprieve from the obligation for man to be holy, but that it was the authentic means...