Given Paul's tempestuous history and his eventual
deliverance, causes one to the realize, the man
experienced the Grace of God with an intimacy that
only the Word of God can express. The reason he was so adamant about not mixing law with grace is
he knew the law could reveal sin but not deliver
from it. Paul's battle with "religious flesh" was
evident in the seventh chapter of Romans. The eighth chapter gave him deliverance "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are IN Christ Jesus." That is exactly why he wrote "set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth." Religion is trying to please God. Grace is God pleased with you through Christ.
Paul is warning, not about secular, but other religions. "After the rudiments of the world"; there are religious observations created by Christ for his people to follow, and there are religious observances created by worldly man. We are to stick to those practices created by Jesus. Lent, Christmas, Easter, Sunday sabbath, are all religious traditions and observations created by man. We are to change from the worldly man and repent of worldly ways, and turn to the religion Jesus and His followers observed. You will see what the Word means when it says "The world is the enemy of God" when you follow God's ways.
A study of the GR. will reveal that this verse is present tense and on-going rather than future, as the immediate text also directs. A more proper translation would then be, Whenever Christ, who is our life, is manifest / made to appear, then we also are gloriously lifted up in him. The previous chapter elaborates on manifesting Jesus rather than worldly religion.
A study of the Gr. will reveal that this verse is present tense and on going as also the immediate context would direct. A more proper translation would then be, (Whenever Christ, who is our life, is manifest/made to appear, then we also are gloriously lifted up piracy lountionin Him. The previous chapter elaborates the difference between Jesus and worldy religion.
Because we belong to Jesus, we should act like Jesus. We can't separate our secular lives from our church lives. Whatever we do or say, we do so in the name of Jesus.
deliverance, causes one to the realize, the man
experienced the Grace of God with an intimacy that
only the Word of God can express. The reason he was so adamant about not mixing law with grace is
he knew the law could reveal sin but not deliver
from it. Paul's battle with "religious flesh" was
evident in the seventh chapter of Romans. The eighth chapter gave him deliverance "there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are IN Christ Jesus." That is exactly why he wrote "set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth." Religion is trying to please God. Grace is God pleased with you through Christ.
BootstrapBob.