Agree.
Also the seeking to establish one's own righteousness means one does not really obey, as it usually ends up substituting one's own idea instead of following God's righteousness.

Example -- Cain, he was worshipping God, "obeying" according to his own idea which wasn't obedience at all but substituting his own works for what God required.

Example -- the last day crises will be built on the same concept, people will be worshipping and even urging the keeping of God's commandments, but substituting their own "works of righteousness" -- a day sanctified by human decree, and trampling on the day sanctified and blessed by God.

Example -- 7th day Sabbath keeping itself can be offering a substitute righteousness as we see in the conflicts between Christ and the Jewish leaders. A dreary adherence to rules may "look righteous" but real righteousness is found only in a joyful day of worship with Christ?

Pr. 30:12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

Indeed our righteousness must come from a source outside of ourselves -- from Christ. We are to be His, and to constantly look to Him as our Savior.

Rev. 1:5 Jesus Christ, ...Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ez. 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

And He has promised "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them." Ez. 36:26-27

A different question?

Scripture seems to talk about TWO "old covenants".
One that God presented to the Israelites.
And another that the Israelites presented to God.

God's "old covenant"
God's covenant (whether old or new) has always been based on solid promises of salvation. We call it the "everlasting covenant" with Christ as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth as the hope of salvation.
"The covenant of grace is not a new truth, for it existed in the mind of God from all eternity. This is why it is called the everlasting covenant."FLB 77

The old covenant that God presented to Old Testament believers was a covenant of grace "dressed in ceremonies" that foreshadowed Christ's work of salvation. It was part of the everlasting covenant.

As we read in Hebrews 9:1 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and an earthly sanctuary.
9:2 For there was a tabernacle built; the first with the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is called the holy place.
9:3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all.

It is this "old covenant" that was to teach them of their need for a Savior, and point them to coming Savior. Its function would vanish away at the cross, as type met antitype.

Hebrews 8:13 In that he says, A new covenant, he has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxed old is ready to vanish away.

Mankind's Old Covenant
"We will do it" confidence in self.
This is the one that seemed to take center place in the thinking of the people -- they thought they had to clean themselves up to earn their salvation, they promised to do it, and of course, failed. This was not what God was offering -- it was mankind's perversion of God's covenant.

The very means (ceremonial) that God gave them, instead of awakening in them their need, as sinners, of a Savior, became a "works" program.

That self confident "old covenant" should have "vanished away" after the terrible incident at Sinai, when the people realized they needed the cleansing, forgiveness and the holy Spirit to come into a right relationship with God.

"They could not hope for the favor of God through a covenant which they had broken; and now, seeing their sinfulness and their need of pardon, they were brought to feel their need of the Saviour revealed in the Abrahamic covenant and shadowed forth in the sacrificial offerings. Now by faith and love they were bound to God as their deliverer from the bondage of sin. Now they were prepared to appreciate the blessings of the new covenant. {AG 136.3}

However, that "old covenant" didn't vanish away, and hasn't vanished away to this day-- it is still the bases of all false religion and very prevalent! It's based on --"We will worship and obey, but we will do it our way"

The class of worshipers who follow the example of Cain includes by far the greater portion of the world; for nearly every false religion has been based on the same principle--that man can depend upon his own efforts for salvation. As Cain thought to secure the divine favor by an offering that lacked the blood of a sacrifice, so do these expect to exalt humanity to the divine standard, independent of the atonement. ... Humanity has no power to regenerate itself. It does not tend upward, toward the divine, but downward, toward the satanic. Christ is our only hope. "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." "Neither is there salvation in any other. {PP 73.1}

The New Covenant --
The gospel, and all God's promises of salvation, is ratified by the blood of Christ, it is the gospel in reality. The ceremonial has passed away, Christ our Savior, and heavenly high Priest is our salvation.

So which of these two "old covenants" is Paul speaking about?

Both -- he has combined them as one, and is urging people to accept the new covenant which brings the reality of forgiveness and new life in Christ.
Both, those "old" were to vanish away -- the "gospel in ceremonies" was to be replaced by looking to Jesus Who is the reality those ceremonies pointed to.
And the perversion of the covenant in seeking ones own righteousness also (always) needed to pass away.


CONCLUSION:
The everlasting covenant overarches all salvation's story.
God's old covenant of the gospel in ceremonies ended at the cross when the reality replaced the shadow.
God's new covenant gospel, ratified by Christ's death, and administered by His life, began at the cross.

The perversion of the covenant -- "we will do it" seeking one's own righteousness instead of the righteousness in Christ, continues to pervert the gospel to this day.

It's why, when EGW was asked what "law" Galatians was talking about -- she said "both".
Paul was saying Jewish ceremonies are not required to be part of God's family.
Paul was emphasizing that looking to our works of law keeping as the means of salvation would not bring salvation, but looking to Christ for salvation, brought cleansing, and righteousness.


------------------------everlasting covenant---------------------------

God's old covenant---------------------------God's New Covenant
gospel in ceremonies-------------------------gospel in reality of Christ.

-----------------old perverted covenant on weak promises---------------

May we all enter into the everlasting covenant of grace, in the brilliant light of the new covenant, ratified by the blood of Christ, and applied by His life as our heavenly high Priest.

There is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved!

God's Everlasting Covenant is the New Covenant. It is only called New because it was ratified after the Old. And in reality, both covenants are parallel tracks from paradise lost, to paradise restored, they are not dispensations. Both covenants were only made with the House of Israel and the House of Judah, gentiles have no part of either covenant apart from Christ. Salvation has ever only been via the New Covenant.

The Lesson for this week is discussing Galatians 5:1-15

Christian Liberty

5:1 Stand a fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Love Fulfills the Law

7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.

11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. 12 I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Galatians 5:1 Stand a fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage

Sin is the cruel slave master that binds his victims in firm chains that they cannot escape.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free....

With urgency Paul admonishes us to be on guard, be not careless, but steadfast and constant. Don't lie down and sleep, but stand up for your liberty.

Satan hates the gospel of freedom, the gospel of grace, and will fight against it with all his might.

What is this liberty?

Now we must understand that the devil also offers his brand of liberty. His brand of liberty is antinomianism -- no law, do as you please. But it is only an appearance of "liberty", a sham liberty that leads into deeper bondage with sins chains binding its victim in its consequential ruin and addictions.

Paul warns against that counterfeit liberty. calling it the "bondage of corruption".

This is not speaking of that kind of liberty. This is speaking of the liberty whereby Christ has made us free, not from an earthly bondage, but from the burden of guilt and from the wrath of God against sin.

And where does this liberty occur?

In the conscience.

For Christ has made us free,
-- not physically, we still live in this world of sin
-- not carnally, we are not freed to live licentiously in sin
-- but we are freed from the burden of guilt and shame,
-- we are freed from the accusations of Satan that we belong to him and must do his bidding.
---we are freed from Satan's kingdom, and accepted as sons and daughters of the King of kings, through Jesus Christ our Savior.

In this freedom, our conscience is free and quiet.
We do not live in fear of God and the wrath to come.
With the confidence of a son or daughter we can come to the loving Father.

Romans 8:15 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

We are now free to honor and glorify God, and live for Him in joy and love.

Galatians 5:2
"Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing."

Strong statement! Does the rite circumcision defeat salvation?
That depends upon WHY it is done.

Why this strong thundering against circumcision?
Basically it is against all attempts to provide our own salvation.

Paul is stating that nothing under the sun is more hurtful than the doctrine that people can save themselves by their traditions and works; for they utterly overthrow the truth of the gospel and think they do not really need it.

They say -- we are of the circumcision, therefore we are members of the family of God, we follow the law, we don't need a Savior from sin.

They depend upon their works, and think they need nothing more.
It is the state of Laodicea -- we are rich and in need of nothing for we have our forms and regulations that we follow -- we need nothing more.


Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Paul is NOT saying that works of themselves are nothing, but the trust in the works is nothing.

We need to mark well the difference.

The Laodicean Christians pride themselves on their achieved goodness thinking they need nothing more. But they are in the nakedness of sinful shame, blind to their condition, because Christ is not a vital part of their lives.

The answer to the Laodicean state is given in Rev. 3

3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

How much we need Christ our Savior in our lives cannot be over stated. We need salvation which comes only from Christ, never from ourselves.

When we trust in our own works we make Christ only a vague power, with ourselves as the means and achievers of salvation.
Therefore he who receives circumcision with this opinion, that it is necessary for justification, to him a close relationship with Christ is not all that necessary.

Christ is left outside, knocking, but the door remains closed as we simply throw out a power cord asking for "power" to overcome sin, but, we will do this ourselves, mindset.

Yet, those who try to "do" the law, don't do it. For the more they go about to fulfill the law, the more they transgress it. For their focus is on the law and on themselves, neither of which can renew.

Now scripture does say we are to "overcome" even as Christ overcame. How?

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

It is Christ that makes us righteous! We cannot make ourselves righteous. If we accept the gift of justification which Christ offers us -- we are righteous before God.
Do we believe that?
Do we REALLY believe that?

If we offer God our own righteousness as our means to heaven then the curse is still upon us -- for "Cursed is every one that fulfills not all the things that are written in the law" Deut. 27:26.

To be fallen from grace, means simply we are not depending upon the grace of God for salvation, but depending upon our works.
When we depend upon our works, grace becomes a minor theme, a denial of it's absolute necessity in salvation.

Paul's whole message here is to wean people away from their self reliance, and drive them to Christ.

Open the door wide for Christ to enter your entire life.
Abide in Him, pray without ceasing, feed upon His Word, believe in His promises. And yes -- when we do this, we will overcome --

He will cleanse our conscience from guilt and shame and all the dead works we've been offering Him, and we will be adopted as sons and daughters of God! He will give us a new heart, and spirit of living in harmony within His will -- Yes, we will live in obedience to His will.

But there will be a difference-- we don't obey in order to be saved, we obey because we are united with Christ, He will teach us what to say and do on a daily basis, and we co-operate with Him for we want to represent Him.
We need Him in our lives, in all that we do.

11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased

Interesting concept --
Somehow we thought that "circumcision" was an "offense" to the Gentile Christians and "the cross" was welcomed.
But Paul is reversing this idea.

Why would the cross be an "offense" and even something like circumcision be accepted in order to remove the offense of the cross?

Paul is speaking of his experience.
His people, the people claiming to be God's chosen, despise him, because he is telling them that their circumcision and zeal for the law will not save them. Their gospel, which is not a gospel, will not save anyone. (See Gal. 1:6-7) Everything they point to as things meriting them a place in God's kingdom, Paul is saying will not save them, so they persecute him and try to get rid of him.

However, here is the central point of "overcoming"!
Their zeal for the law did not enable them to overcome. As Matthew 23 points out -- that zeal ends up being a "white washed sepulcher" looking clean on the outside but full of rotten material inside.

They hated Christ, Himself. Why? Because His pure and holy life was a constant reproof to them INSPITE of their pious and strict show of law keeping.

When people respond to Christ in repentance, accepting His gift of righteousness, His justification, and invite Him fully into their lives, believing they are the sons and daughter of God, joint heirs with Christ in God's kingdom, their lives change in a dramatic way. Abiding in Christ brings fruit!

However, they will find that the offense of the cross has not ceased.

Justification by faith is one message satan and his evil hosts fight against.


Why do people believe that the exaltation of justification by faith will lead people to deny the need to overcome sin, when it is by this very truth of justification by faith in Christ and HIS righteousness that the sinner is brought to a true knowledge of their sinfulness and is finally given the power to break the binding chains of Satan!

The more we lift up Jesus, the more we talk of Who He is and what He has done, the more the heart will bind itself in sympathy with Christ and His sufferings. The more we present His sacrifice and behold His matchless love, the more we will be changed into his likeness, and by uniting ourselves with Christ in gratitude for salvation, the heart learns loyalty to God, and fidelity to His commandments.

The offense of the cross lays man's glory in the dust and this the carnal mind does not like at all, people want something, anything, that will bring glory to themselves.
But if we escape the offense of the cross, we have fallen from grace and salvation.


Principalities and powers and wicked spirits in high places are arrayed against all who yield obedience to the law of heaven. Therefore, so far from causing grief, persecution should bring joy to the disciples of Christ, for it is an evidence that they are following in the steps of their Master.

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

In the previous verses Paul has been urging his readers to focus on Christ, not on self. Christ is our salvation. We have nothing of which to boast.
As we forsake our self righteousness and depend upon Him for our righteousness, it changes the way we look at others.
God's love can flow through us to others.

Once we are freed from the burden of having to work up our salvation, and depend upon Christ for our righteousness, we are freed to fulfill the law" which goes far deeper than merely observing a superficial regard for the law.

What is it that makes heaven- heavenly? It is love and harmony! Pride, self-righteousness, haughtiness, strife, putting others down to lift oneself up, cruelty, etc. all that will not be present there.

We cannot change the heart. We can't even force ourselves to love in a godly manner. This is where the biggest evidence of whether one follows a works oriented or a Christ oriented sanctification shows the biggest difference. One checks off rules and looks down on others who haven't achieved their standard, they tend to evaluate their "progress" by the defects of others, not realizing they may be further from fulfilling the law, than the ones they look down upon.
The other has faith that they are forgiven and accepted by God, and they see people in need, (just as they need Christ) and like Christ who reached out to others, they too reach out to others. Self is no longer the focus -- with Christ they seek to help others.

When we read the judgment scene as pictured in scripture. What do we see there in
Matthew 25?

Those whose "works" are approved, are surprised -- why?
Because they weren't doing them to be saved -- the love of God was flowing through them showing that they were in tune with Christ.


I remember a testimony of one man which he presented in church.
He came from a very strict Adventist background.
One day, as he was traveling on business, he stopped at a restaurant. While there he noticed a woman enter, and he quickly glanced away in distain -- makeup, cheap jewelry, short skirt --
He noticed another person enter -- this one looked like a homeless fellow, ragged, dirty. Again he felt a sense of repulsion. Wondering how he managed to choose a restaurant that catered to this "low life".

The homeless man sat at a table and ordered just a coffee. Suddenly the woman got up, took out her wallet and bought another full meal and carried it over to the homeless man who received it with genuine gratitude.

As he related the story, the Adventist confessed that the Holy Spirit really convicted him at that moment. There he was in his neat clothes and a nice amount of money in his wallet, wrapped in his self righteousness, thinking all those condemnatory thoughts about the woman. Nor had he moved in compassion when the homeless man entered.
She was like the "good Samaritan" with a heart of compassion, he was like the Levite filled with distain unmoved by compassion.

It's not easy to lay aside our self centered religion, and admit we cannot "do it", God still has a lot of work to do in me!
We need to sing the children's song.
"Into my heart, Come into my heart Lord Jesus, and shine out from my heart" because that's the only way we can fulfill God's law.

Gal. 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives 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.