Dear brother InTheLight,
Thank you for your question.
Please allow me to comment of it.
Quote: """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. """
You have quoted a text from Galatians 3:10, ok let's have a look in the whole context.
Galatians 3:2-3 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
As I said brother go back a few verses and you will see a larger picture.
Paul asked, did you received the Spirit by the works of the law or by faith? and He goes on saying"" having begun in the Spirit are you being made perfect by the flesh?"" In other words, are you being made perfect by Circumcision?
Not satisfied? ok, let's go back a few more verses.
Galatians 2:3-4 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),
Again, as you said youself, Circumcision is bondage, and if you are convinced that you need to be circumcised in order to be saved than it will be a curse and you will have to be under the whole law of ceremonies to atone for your sins, therefore Jesus died in vain for you.
moving on.
Galatians 2:7-8 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles),
Paul goes on telling that the problem of circumcision and uncircumcision was even afecting the apostles.
Galatians 2:12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.
Just after Paul mentioned the problem with Peter being a hypocrite, He says this:
Galatians 2:15-16 "We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
We can go to Romans as well and it will show you the same pattern.
Romans 3:27-31 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Very clear to me Brother, on verse 27 Paul talks about the law of works and the law of faith and on verse 30 He clearly identify the law of works by being circumcision.
And of verse 29, Paul asks, is He God only to the Jew? in other words is He God only of the circumcised?
And on verse 31 Paul clearly reafirms the law, Do we make void the law through faith, No we establish the Law.
Now look at something really interesting in Romans 9
Romans 9:30-32 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
Please pay attention to verse 30, Paul talks about a righteousness of faith but on verse 31 He talks about the law of righteousness but they did not attained it because of lack of faith,
Now look at verse 32
Paul Gave the reason why they did not attained the law of righteousness, because they did not seek it by faith,
but by Romans 9:32 by the works of the law.
Now wait a minute, there is a law of righteousness that they did not attain because they pursued it by the works of the law?
Interesting. does it make sense to you? they did not attain the law of righteousness because they porsued it by the works of the law?
===============================================
Quote: """"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years...
(Gal 4:9-10)"""""
Again brother let me quote you what Paul said about going back into bondage.
Galatians 5:1-4 Stand 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.
Paul could not have being clearer than this brother. If you circumcise yourself than you have to keep the whole law of ceremonies and then Christ died in vain, you have just fallen from Grace.
Again
Galatians 2:3-4 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),
Circumcision again,
=================================================
You quoted:""""From this passage in Romans it seems clear that the basis for judgment is "the secrets of men"(v.16), that is, their heart relationship to God."""
I am sorry brother but we are not talking about judgment we are talking about justification.
Yes, we will all be judged but when Paul said about secrets of men, this is what it is all about.
Mark 4:22 "For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.
This is what Paul meant when he said secret of men.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
Now, in Regard of Romans 2:13-15, you labored too hard to explain it, when in fact it is very simple.
Now, in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 , we have: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.
Now in Romans 2:13-15 we have the doers of the law will be justified.
Now, what I find interesting is the fact that whenever you find in the bible about the law being a curse, people will refer to it as being the whole law of God, now when scripture clearly says,
The doers of the law will be justified, you come up with this.
you quoted: """If what is hidden in a man is a hard and impenitent heart, a secret self-satisfaction, a false security based on self-righteousness, then his relationship to God is totally and absolutely wrong. Even though he knows the law (or the whole Bible!), and even though he does his best to serve God, he is and remains nothing more than a hearer of the law and not a doer of it, and will therefore be finally judged by that very law. His is a false security. If, however, God finds hidden in man a contrite heart, a broken heart and a tender conscience, then his relationship to God is what it should be. In that sense he is a doer of the law, and will be declared righteous in that day.""""
Now, you forgot to mention, verse 14,
Romans 2:14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
How does that go with your understanding of this scripture?
Romans 2:15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
What is this work of the law that is written in our hearts?
You forgot to mention verse 22
Romans 2:22 You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
Please I would ask you to explain this text again including all the chapters mentioned.
and Again, How do you explaing circumcision of the heart?
Romans 2:26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?
Romans 2:27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?
