The wrong place at the wrong time!

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

If this verse is true (and it is) why do so many Christians go to Exodus 20 ( the 10 commandments) for a sort of pattern for righteousness? Are they turning to the wrong place at the wrong time? Doesn't this verse clearly state that the law is no longer a source of righteousness? I think it does, but let's look at another.

Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Of course, Christ did not die in vain if you are trusting in His finished work alone for your salvation. But He has died in vain for those that believe that there is something you must add to the finished work of Christ to seal the deal, such as live it (keep the law) get water baptized, go to church, tithe, endure to the end and so on. If you are trusting in something other than the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone for the full and complete payment for all your sins, past, present and future, then, you are perverting the Gospel of Christ and are boasting in yourself.

Romans 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Let's take another swing at it from the book written to the Galatians who were saved by grace through faith and yet had turned back to the law for instruction.

Galatians 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Paul goes on to tell these foolish Galatians.....

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

According to the Apostle Paul, if one continues not to DO ALL THINGS which are written in the book of the law....that person is under a curse! How many laws are there? 10? 25? 100?. No, No, and NO...there are 613 points of law. That's right, 613! So, when folks say things like we should follow the 10 commandments, what about the other 603? Is it a matter of pick and choose? What do you do with.....

Deuteronomy 22:11 Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woolen and linen together.

How many of your articles of clothing can meet this qualification?

Is 10 a plenty because we cannot even keep the 10 consistantly? Should we cut it down to let's say 5 commandments? I would even wager those that say we should follow the 10 commanments cannot even name them let alone follow them.

Paul continues in this passage to declare ....
Galatians 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Then, we get the good news!
Galatians 3:13 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:

One more time...

Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Are we (if you are saved) under the law?

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

So, what function does the law serve now under the Grace of God if not for righteousness or a pattern to follow?

Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

The law as a schoolmaster demonstrates our sinfullness and need for a savior.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The law identifes sin and ministers death and condemnation.

Romans 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
2 Corinthians 3:7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
2 Corinthians 3:9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

So far, we see the law is not for righteousness, it WAS our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, it ministers death and condemnation, it is a curse to them that follow not ALL of them. I don't know about you, but I am not seeing any indication that we are to follow the 10 commandments in our daily living. So how did we get free from the law and commandments and what is our source of righteousness?

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Christ has imputed His righteousness to our account when we trust in Him for our salvation on the merits of His substitutionary atonement and propititory sacrifice on the cross.

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

How are we free from the law?

Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

How did we become dead to the law by the body of Christ?

Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Don't be guilty of poor exegesis and make that a water ceremony in the back of your church. we are baptized (immersed for the sake of identification) into Jesus death. Jesus didn't drown, He was crucified! The scripture clearly says INTO HIS DEATH. Almost nobody knows Jesus was baptized twice. Everybody is familiar with Jesus water baptism in Mathew 3, but almost nobody is familiar with His death baptism in Luke 12.

Luke 12:50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

Jesus speaks of His death, and this is the baptism we share in.

This is how Paul can declare as well as we......
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

So how do we deal with the sin issue?

Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

I love how that verse starts!...KNOWING THIS...we have to know some things to get it right!

Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Dead reckoning!!!.....knowing we are dead to the law, and we are crucified with Christ!!

Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

And dead guys don't do alot of sinning do they? So instead of going to the law for your instruction, how about heeding to the instruction given by Paul in 2nd Timothy 2:15 and rightly dividing the word of truth. Paul is our apostle in this present dispensation of the Grace of God who declares ....
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

The Apostle Paul is the "me first" to get the Gospel of the Grace of God and is our "pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting"
1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

If you want the commandments we are to be following, Paul has them for us.
1 Corinthians 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

We are told to follow Paul, not follow Israel's OT laws and commandments...
Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

Many people will say we are to follow Christ, but that is only half correct. We are told to follow Christ as Paul followed Christ according to the revelation of the mystery given to Paul from the risen Lord Jesus Christ!
1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

I hope this has been some help, it is alot to cover in a small format. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them here or email from my profile.