Whenever the question "What must I do to be saved?" comes up, God has made the process of salvation so simple that man just can't help getting confused. For some reason we've always been that way. The simpler that God makes a thing, the more complex we try to make it. If God tells us "You can eat anything in my Garden but the fruit of this one tree", we hear His words and interpret them to mean "You aren't allowed to TOUCH or eat of this tree" (Genesis 3:3). He never said we couldn't touch the tree, but we just have to make His simple instructions much more restrictive, much more difficult to follow. Somehow it just seems like God has made salvation TOO easy. Jesus said, even in the Old Testament, "Believe in God, and you shall be saved". Abraham believed God, and God imputed righteousness to his account.

(Genesis 15:6 KJV) "And he [Abraham] believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness."

(Romans 4:3 KJV) "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."

(Galatians 3:6 KJV) "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."

(James 2:23 KJV) "And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God."

Abraham BELIEVED God. This was the trigger that brought God's righteousness into the Heavenly credit card that Abraham possessed. Abraham BELIEVED God. Because of his belief, his acceptance of God as Savior, Abraham was saved. The act of circumcision has absolutely NOTHING to do with the saved status of Abraham. Abraham BELIEVED God in Genesis 15:6, and this is quoted repeatedly in the Scripture as the trigger that brought about Abraham's salvation. But Abraham was not circumcised when God put righteousness to Abraham's credit. God did not establish the sign of the covenant, circumcision, until Genesis 17:2-14. Abraham was not circumcised until Genesis 17:23-27. Let's figure this out. Abraham was seventy-five years old when he left Ur of the Chaldees at God's command (Genesis 12:4). Abraham dwelt in the land of Canaan for ten years, then he made the mistake of listening to Sarah and taking Hagar as a wife (Genesis 16:3). Abraham was ninety years old when he was circumcised (Genesis 17:24). Since Abraham believed God and gained God's righteousness by faith BEFORE he made his mistake with Hagar, then he would have been between seventy-five to eighty years old when he was saved. He was NOT circumcised until he was ninety years old, ten to fifteen years AFTER he was saved. The point? Circumcision had absolutely nothing to do with Abraham's salvation. Abraham was saved long before he was circumcised. What was circumcision for? It was a sign or a token of the covenant that God made with the specific seed of Abraham.

(Genesis 17:11-14 KJV) "And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. {12} And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. {13} He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. {14} And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant."

This specific part of the Abrahamic Covenant set aside a peculiar people or a specific people to be God's chosen emissary on the earth. Circumcision set apart a people as a theocracy, a nation ruled by God, and a nation with direct lineage out of Abraham and Isaac his son by Sarah, not those who were born out of Ishmael through Hagar. Circumcision set Israel and the Israelite apart from every other nation on the earth. But, listen Beloved: Circumcision had absolutely nothing to do with the salvation of any person in Israel. Look at the direct words of God. If a person was not circumcised, then that person was:

cut off from his people

Not unsaved. Not lost. Not damned forever. No, if that person was not circumcised then he was not an Israelite, not of Israel. This provision of the covenant had absolutely no effect one way or the other on the women of Israel, for women were not circumcised. Only men, only males were circumcised in the foreskin of their penis. If circumcision related to salvation then this would have been an action that God required for EVERY PERSON regardless of gender! No, circumcision did one thing: it set apart men as belonging to a certain nation, that nation being Israel. These who were circumcised were "born in thy (Abraham's) house". Abraham was saved by faith in God. He was justified, or declared righteous in the courts of God by accepting God as Savior, by believing in God. He had been saved at least ten years before he ever accepted the token of circumcision.

Let's look at that word "token" for a minute. Circumcision was a "token" of the covenant that God established with Abraham at least ten full years after Abraham was saved. "Token" is the Hebrew ‘owth {pronounced oth), and it means nothing more than "a sign given". God uses the same word with Noah after the flood when he says:

(Genesis 9:13 KJV) "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token ('owth) of a covenant between me and the earth."

The token or sign that God set in the sky, the rainbow, did not save Noah - Noah's belief in God saved Noah. God told Noah to build a boat, to preach the Gospel, and to gather souls into the boat to be saved. Noah didn't question God, he believed God, and was saved because he believed:

(Hebrews 11:7 KJV) "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

The rainbow that God put in the sky was a sign that He would never flood the entire earth with water again. The rainbow, the 'owth saved no one. It was just a sign. People die and go to eternal damnation today, perhaps the same people who have looked up at the sky after a rain and said, "How pretty! A rainbow!". You can look at the sign all you want, but the sign never saves. The sign marks a covenant, but never brings salvation. His preexisting faith in God caused Abraham to circumcise himself without question, but many in Israel were circumcised on the eighth day after birth who never accepted God as Savior. You need only look at the entire first generation of Israel following their exodus from Egypt to see this truth. These people, all bearing the 'owth, the sign of Israel, that being circumcision, died in the desert. What leads to damnation is not failure to circumcise. What leads to damnation is failure to believe.

(Hebrews 3:12 KJV) "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."

The person can be circumcised on the eighth day after birth, and yet die and go to hell. Listen up, Precious Ones: You can baptize your babies in water all you want, but unless they have believed God, He will not justify them. Unless a person accept God as Savior, Jesus Christ as their means of salvation, then the ritual does nothing whatsoever. Further, the act of circumcision alone does not place you in the covenant of Abraham. I was circumcised at birth, just as many Gentile male children are circumcised at birth. When I was born it was recommended that all male children be circumcised. This made the child easier to clean, and prevented infection in younger children, so it was common practice. But my circumcision does not make me an Israelite. In order to be an Israelite you had to be of direct lineage with Abraham through Isaac (He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money) or the property (yes, the slave of) of Abraham. Those were the provisions of the covenant. Unless you were born of Abraham or owned by Abraham and circumcised then you could not be an Israelite. But this still did not mean you were saved - you had to accept God (Jesus Christ) as Savior. Many in Israel died and went to Heaven because they believed. Many more died and went to hell because they failed to believe. The 'owth, the sign, does NOT save.

(Galatians 2:16 KJV) "Knowing (oida {pronounced oy’-da}Perfect Active Participle, we keep on knowing) that a man is not justified (dikaioo {pronounced dik-ah-yo’-o} + ouch {pronounced ookh} Present Passive Indicative, is absolutely never justified, absolutely never receives justification) by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed (pisteuo {pronounced pist-yoo’-o} Aorist Active Indicative, they believed in a point of time) in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified (dikaioo {pronounced dik-ah-yo’-o} Aorist Passive Subjunctive, might be justified once and for all) by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

Living your life by the Law of Moses cannot save you. We have already seen that circumcision was a ritual that God demanded that Abraham and all his household undergo. This ritual specifically applied to those who were the direct descendants of Abraham through his God given son Isaac. In other words, this ritual specifically applied to Israel. Though the rite of circumcision was instituted prior to the giving of the Mosaic Law, God had the rite itself imported into the Law:

(Leviticus 12:3 KJV) "And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised."

So that it became a part of the greater Law. Prior to the Law circumcision was a rite that every Israelite, every direct descendent of Abraham must keep. After the giving of the Law circumcision remained a rite that every Israelite, every direct descendent of Abraham must keep. Though the rite existed both pre and post Law, at no point did the rite have anything whatsoever to do with the eternal state of the Israelite. Circumcision was not only pre and post Law, but it was also an act that was pre and post conscience. Every male Israelite was circumcised on the eighth day following birth. An infant that is eight days old has no cognizance and no conscience. The child, at that stage, can barely recognize his own toes, much less make a decision that would determine his eternal state. The rite of circumcision, just as any other rite (to include baptism), has no ability to save from damnation. The rite of circumcision marked the child as an heir to the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant, but did not determine whether that child would be an heir to eternal life. To promote any ritual as having the power to save is to step outside of the bounds of Biblical truth. God's message of salvation has always been to "whosoever will", and the very call of salvation itself demands that the called have the ability to respond. Salvation is a choice that fallen man is called to by Sinless God. The rite of circumcision is not a choice. The eight day old child does not choose to be circumcised; his parents force the act on him regardless as to his state of mind. The only ones who were ever given the choice of circumcision were those to whom the covenant was initially established with. Abraham had to make a choice that he would be circumcised, and that all his house would be circumcised. After Abraham's initial choice, every child from that point on would be circumcised on the eighth day following birth, though that child would have absolutely no opinion whatsoever as regards the act.

The deeds of the Law are those things that are done in response to the mandates of the Mosaic Law. Circumcision is a deed of the Law, but there are many other deeds of the Law: sacrifices of animals and grain, feasts and holy days, sabbaths, tithes, Levitical rituals, separations, diagnoses, dress and restrictions. None of these deeds had any ability whatsoever to save a person from their sins. Paul made it very clear that:

(Romans 3:20 KJV) "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 cannot justify, cannot declare a person righteous, cannot save the sinner from certain damnation. The Law cannot do this because the Law was not designed to do this. Our God is a God of design. A bird can fly because God designed most birds to fly. A dog cannot fly, cannot stretch out his paws and take off, for dogs were not designed to fly. The Law was not designed to save us; because of that the Law will NOT save us. The Law was designed to do one thing, to teach Israel that she could not work her way into God's Kingdom. The Law was designed to show sinful man the truth: We are all sinners in desperate need of a Savior.

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

How is a person saved? He is saved now just as he has always been saved, by believing in God and accepting Him as Savior. Abraham believed God, and God regarded this belief and declared Abraham righteous. This is imputed righteousness, righteousness bestowed on the believer because he believes - and for no other reason. Let me tell you, Abraham was a believer in God, and saved because of that belief. Did Abraham become sinless on this earth once he accepted God as Savior? Absolutely not! Prior to his justification by faith he passed his wife off as his sister in order to save his own life (Genesis 12:18-19). After Abraham's justification by faith (Genesis 15:6), when threatened he once more hid behind the skirts of his wife (Genesis 20:2). Abraham was not worthy of his salvation, no more than any of us are worthy of salvation. We are given salvation because God is worthy. We are saved by faith in God our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are justified BY FAITH only. It has always been thus!

(Galatians 2:17 KJV) "But if, while we seek (zeteo, Present Active Participle, we keep on seeking) to be justified (dikaioo, Aorist Infinitive of purpose, Passive Voice) by Christ, we ourselves also are found (heurisko, Aorist Indicative Active, discovered to be in a point of time) sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid."

What was Paul's point? The Law exists for one reason and one reason only - to convict of sin, and to prove that we cannot, by our works, save ourselves. IF we have accepted Christ as Savior because the Law convicted us that we were sinners, and IF we are saved by faith in Christ, THEN why should we go back to the Law? The Law has done its job by convicting us. Christ did His job by perfectly paying the penalty for our sins. Was Christ ineffectual in the work that He did at the Cross? The Pharisees who demanded that the Christian keep the Law were implying that Christ's work was less than perfect, that we needed to add to what He did in order to be saved. Every person in the Church Age who levies any statute of the Law on someone in order that they "remain saved" has, in effect, spat on the Cross of Christ. The Law was a minister of sin in that it existed to convict us of sin. It was the Old Testament John the Baptist crying out, "Repent ye sinners, for the Kingdom of God has come!" Jesus Christ is not the "minister" of sin, the Law is the minister of sin. The Law is the shadow, Christ the reality. The Law the threat, Christ the relief. The Law the Judge that condemns, Christ the condemned for us. The Law the rod of correction, Christ the soothing hand of love. Anytime we go back to the Law for salvation rather than believing on Christ, then we are saying by our actions that Christ is NOT the minister of salvation, but He is the minister of sin! When we do this we have confused the herald with the long awaited Prince of Peace. Such blasphemy implies that Christ failed to do His job on the Cross. As Paul said, God Forbid!

(Galatians 2:18 KJV) "For if I build (oikodomeo, Present Indicative Active, begin to build again. Paul destroyed the Law by accepting Christ as Savior - why rebuild what he abrogated?) again the things which I destroyed, (kataluo, Aorist Active Indicative, to abrogate or destroy) I make (sunistao, Present Linear Aktionsart, I keep on establishing myself as) myself a transgressor."

In this verse the Master makes a wonderful point. The Law existed to tear down self. The Law was given to a belligerent and stiff necked people, Israel, to show them their need of a Savior. The Law was given to unrighteous people to prove them unrighteous. The Law, while it existed, tore us down, belittled us, smashed us. Israel in all her glory could not keep the Law perfectly. It became a yoke of bondage that they found hard to bear, as Peter said at the Jerusalem Conference:

(Acts 15:9-10 KJV) "And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. {10} Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"

The Law did its job by convicting us that we are transgressors, Christ did His job by being our Savior. Now that I have moved from the prison to the Throne Room, why should I go back to the prison? What Christ did on the Cross fulfilled the Law and paid the penalty that was ours. Why should I put myself back under that yoke of bondage, a yoke which Israel herself groaned under in frustration and shame? To put myself back under the Law is to put myself under its scrutiny once more, to make myself a transgressor, to ignore the perfect payment of Christ. Beloved, why do this? So often believers write me and ask about living under the old Taskmaster. One wrote and wanted to live under the bondage of the Sabbath. Do you know what you ask? Do you not know that the bondage of the Sabbath spiders out, reaching into every facet of our lives, proving that we cannot even keep this one simple provision? Another wrote and wanted to know why she could not live under the bondage of the tithe. Are you addled, Beloved One? Do you want to place yourself back under the restrictions of the Mosaic Tithe, with all its requirements? Do you know about the double tithe? Could you do this, when the heart is so hardened that you begrudgingly give God only ten percent?

There is nothing in the Mosaic Law for us as believers except illustrations of salvation. This does not mean we're lawless, but under a MUCH higher Law.

(Galatians 2:19 KJV) "For I through (by means of the Law) the law am dead to the law, that I might live (zao, Ingressive Aorist, enter into life with God) unto God."

Listen up, Beloved! God gave the Law to Israel, a stiff necked and rebellious people. Though God repeatedly saved them, they repeatedly rejected giving God the credit for their salvation, and continued to rely on their own resources. God gave the Law to Israel to KILL Israel, to SHOW Israel that they were not good, to SHOW all who rely on the arm of flesh that they are far below God's standard of righteousness. The Law served one purpose - to kill, to convict, to drive to Christ. No human being on the face of this earth has the power to be GOOD as God is good. While the rich young ruler accepted Jesus Christ as no more than a Rabbi, a teacher of the Law, Jesus rejected the title of "Good". We cannot be "good" apart from God. We cannot be righteous apart from God giving us His righteousness. We cannot be holy apart from God doing a work in our lives. The rich young ruler ran after good work after good work, trying to get into heaven on his own steam.

(Matthew 19:16-22 KJV) "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? {17} And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. {18} He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, {19} Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. {20} The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? {21} Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. {22} But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions."

Yet in the end he was lost and undone without God's provision of righteousness. When Paul accepted Christ as Savior he did so only after he died to the Law of God. The Law kills us to the idea of our own righteousness. Then, once we are dead to self, the offer of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord is made. Whereas the Law said, "Do this to be acceptable", and set the standard so far above our heads that we had no hope of maintaining that standard, Christ said "Trust Me and believe on Me, and you shall have eternal life".

(Galatians 2:20 KJV) "I am crucified (sustauroo, Perfect Tense, Passive Indicative, have been crucified in the past with the result that I keep on being crucified forever) with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, (zao, Present Linear Aktionsart, literally = "I no longer keep on living", that is, I no longer keep on living with reference to the Law) but Christ liveth (zao, Present Active Indicative, Linear Aktionsart = keeps on living) 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."

(Revelation 3:20 KJV) "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."

(John 14:20 KJV) "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you."

(Romans 8:10 KJV) "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."

(2 Corinthians 13:5 KJV) "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

(Colossians 1:27 KJV) "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"

I am no longer under the Mosaic Law, but I am under a higher law, the Law of Christ, found only by faith in Him. The character of Christ formed in me by the filling of the Spirit is what now lives in me. The Mosaic Law deals with the overt behavior pattern, that which is seen, but we who are "new creatures in Christ" are under a higher Law that deals with BOTH the outside as well as the inside. Further, it is more effective because it effects a change from the INSIDE OUT.

(Romans 8:2 KJV) "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

(Romans 8:3 KJV) "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:"

The Law, which is outside, can effect nothing - for our problem was and is on the inside of us. The human problem is the Old Sin Nature (OSN). The OSN abides in our very flesh, driving us toward that which satisfies the flesh regardless of consequence. The alcoholic, in moments of lucidity, will understand that he is slowly killing himself with liquor. The whoremonger, though he knows the dangers of disobeying the Seventh Commandment, will do so anyway because it is pleasurable. The Law convicts us of our bad behavior, but never empowers us to cease from our forbidden activity. Under the Law we feel guilt, but never power to overcome. The Law was "weak through the flesh". The Law of Moses had to be abrogated so that the Law of the Spirit could rule in us.

(Romans 8:4 KJV) "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

(Galatians 2:20 KJV) "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live (zao, Present Active Indicative, Linear Aktionsart, keep on living) in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

The Holy Spirit produces the character of Christ in the Christian, whereas the Law only produces death. The Law exists to convict us, to drive us to God our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Law still exists to convict the unsaved that they shall inherit eternal damnation if they do not accept Christ as Savior.:

(Galatians 4:19 KJV) "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,"

(Ephesians 3:16-17 KJV) "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; {17} That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,"

(Philippians 1:20-21 KJV) "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. {21} For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

It is a sad thing that many of our preachers and evangelists have turned away from using the Law to convict sinners that they need Jesus. The modern Gospel message often seeks to present Christ as a life enhancement tool rather than the Savior of the world. Christ is offered as a remedy for sadness, for pain, for confusion, for marital problems. Christ is touted as the Bringer of happiness, of relief from trials, of a satisfied walk, as "the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart". People step forward and "try on" Christ to see if He will improve their lives. And, truly, for a time their lives will be improved. You see, faith in Christ saves from sin, but Christianity as a way of life can and is used by unsaved people the world over as a "life enhancement tool". You see, Christianity is not only a faith that saves, but it is the greatest system of thought that this world has ever seen. You can take and "try on" Christ without committing everything to Him, and your life will be improved for a time. But until you surrender yourself to Him, trusting Him fully as your Savior, are you saved? The Scripture says, "NO!"

(2 Peter 2:20-22 KJV) "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. {21} For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. {22} But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

(1 John 2:19 KJV) "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."

The normal Christian life is one that accepts Christ as Savior every moment of every day. The normal Christian life is not one seeking worldly prosperity through the preaching of the Gospel, nor is it a life that has come to God merely to enjoy life enhancement. The normal Christian life recognizes its imperfections, and rejoices that Christ came and paid the penalty for each one, freeing us to spend eternity with God in Heaven. The normal Christian life does not curse God and die when trials come, but it looks upward where it's Savior sits, interceding on the right hand of our Precious Father. The normal Christian life becomes still when trials come - and they will come, Beloved - and heeds the voice of the inner Spirit of God while searching the Scriptures for God's Will in that moment. The normal Christian life does not ignore God while in times of peace, then desperately and frantically search for salvation in times of trial. The normal Christian life rests in Christ and, when trials come, knows that He is sufficient to overcome even the fiery darts of hellspawn demons. The normal Christian life can be seen in David the shepherd who, with five stones and a sling, defeated the terrible Goliath while calling on the name of God. The normal Christian life can be seen in Daniel who, when ordered to ignore God, refused the king's unlawful order even though he had to abide in a lion's pit overnight. The normal Christian life can be seen in the lives of the three Hebrew children Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who, when ordered to bow down to idols, to compromise with the world (as so many in the Church have done today) so as to live - when they refused such an evil order and were thrown into a fiery furnace. As the heathen king looked in the flames he did not see three of God's children burning in agony, but he was astonished to see FOUR in the flames, as he said:

(Daniel 3:25 KJV) "... Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

Would you have a normal Christian life? Then rely on Jesus Christ fully as your Savior and your Provider. Do not come to God expecting your life to magically be enhanced, but come to God because the Law has convicted you that you are unrighteous, headed toward certain Judgment. Call on Christ to escape the wrath that is to come, and realize that Christ - not your adherence to the Law but Christ - bore that wrath for you on the Cross. Salvation is a surrendering to God because you recognize your inability to save yourself. And He to Whom you have surrendered, Him you will surely obey! He to Whom you have surrendered, surely you will read and heed His Word. You will not be a fluffy-headed professor of Christ, walking the aisle once to satisfy the numbers game that so many pastors are forced to play in order to justify their position in a carnal flock. You will be a grateful Christian living the normal Christian life, reading His Word and praying daily, fasting frequently as He so leads, and being obedient to the Author and Finisher of your salvation.

(Galatians 2:21 KJV) "I do not frustrate (atheteo, Present Indicative Active, do not keep on canceling out or voiding) the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

If the Mosaic Law brought righteousness, then why did Christ die? His efforts were useless if this is true, yet this is blasphemy! Legalism cancels God's Grace, and Grace is now our modus operandi, our method of operation. The Law of God could not bring righteousness, for the Law of God never died for your sins. Only Jesus, our Precious Jesus, died to save us from the eternal punishment we so richly deserved. Praised be His name forever!

• What brought about Abraham's salvation?
• When did God establish the "sign of the covenant", circumcision, in relationship to when Abraham was saved?
• If an Israelite refused to be circumcised, or did not have the male child circumcised on the eighth day following birth, what was the penalty for refusing this ritual?
• Was circumcision for all of Israel, or for only male Israelites? How does the effect the perception that circumcision the ritual is a part of salvation?
• What is the one thing a person can do to keep from being saved?
• Could keeping the Mosaic Law save you from eternal damnation?
• If I am not under the Mosaic Law, am I still under a Law? What Law, if any, am I under?
• How would I describe the "normal Christian life"? Am I living the normal Christian life?
• Do I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that upon my death I am going to Heaven? Why or why not?