[wildbill]

I’m not sure why you were fainthearted about putting the quote from Leviticus in your post? If you think homosexuals should be put to death, then that is your opinion and you shouldn’t be coy about stating it.

I’m not religious myself, but I think everyone who professes to be religious has to resolve the problems within religious sayings and philosophy.

For example, if you want to quote the Old Testament sayings of Leviticus—and you are a Christian—then you have to consider the contrary admonishment that Paul preaches in Galatians:

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” (Galatians 3:10)

If we rely on following the Law (the Torah, the first five books of the Bible) we are under a curse. The passage above, Galatians 3:10, contains a quote from the Law itself, Deuteronomy 27:26. According to Paul’s statement below, things have changed.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. (Galatians 3:13)

The philosophical and religious contradiction betweeen the Old Testament and the New doesn’t matter to me since I’m not a believer, however, before you start killing homosexuals you might want to give some thought as to whether your belief system puts you ‘under a curse’ according to a leading Apostle.

[PapaNew]

You understand the grace of God better than many Christians. Why don’t you accept Jesus who loves you so?

[Yosemitest]

"I’m not sure why you were fainthearted about putting the quote from Leviticus in your post?
If you think homosexuals should be put to death, then that is your opinion and you shouldn’t be coy about stating it."

I have been adivised (look under Disclaimer) :

Free Republic does not advocate or condone racism, violence, rebellion, secession, or an overthrow of the government.

You know, with the ILLEGAL ALIEN IN CHIEF, his minions, and the Democrats, it's getting harder every day to abide by that "Disclaimer" .

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. (Galatians 3:13)"

Let read Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete) on verse 13 of Galatians, chapter 3.

The curse is wrath revealed, and ruin threatened:
it is a separation unto all evil,
and this is in full force, power, and virtue,
against all sinners, and therefore against all men;
for all have sinned and become guilty before God:
and if, as transgressors of the law
we are under the curse of it,
it must be a vain thing to look for justification by it.
But, though this is not to be expected from the law,
yet the apostle afterwards acquaints us that there is a way open to our escaping this curse,
and regaining the favour of God, namely, through faith in Christ,
who (as he says, v. 13) hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, etc.
A strange method it was which Christ took to redeem us from the curse of the law;
it was by his being himself made a curse for us.
Being made sin for us, he was made a curse for us;
not separated from God,
but laid for the present under that infamous token of the divine displeasure upon which the law of Moses had put a particular brand, Deu. 21:23 .
The design of this was
that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ —
that all who believed on Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles, might become heirs of Abraham’s blessing,
and particularly of that great promise of the Spirit,
which was peculiarly reserved for the times of the gospel.
Hence it appeared that it was not by putting themselves under the law,
but by faith in Christ, that they become the people of God and heirs of the promise.
Here note,
1. The misery which as sinners we are sunk into-
we are under the curse and condemnation of the law.

2. The love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ towards us-
he has submitted to be made a curse for us,
that he might redeem us from the curse of the law.

3. The happy prospect which we now have through him,
not only of escaping the curse, but of inheriting the blessing.

And,
4. That it is only through faith in him that we can hope to obtain this favor.

III. To prove that justification is by faith, and not by the works of the law,
the apostle alleges the express testimony of the Old Testament, v. 11.
The place referred to is Habak. 2:4 , where it is said,
The just shall live by faith;
it is again quoted, Rom. 1:17 , and Heb. 10:38 .
The design of it is to show
that those only are just or righteous who do truly live,
who are freed from death and wrath,
and restored into a state of life in the favour of God;
and that it is only through faith that persons become righteous,
and as such obtain this life and happiness-
that they are accepted of God,
and enabled to live to him now,
and are entitled to an eternal life in the enjoyment of him hereafter.
Hence the apostle says,
It is evident that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God.
Whatever he may be in the account of others, yet he is not so in the sight of God;
for the law is not of faith —
that says nothing concerning faith in the business of justification,
nor does it give life to those who believe;
but the language of it is,
The man that doeth them shall live in them,as Lev. 18:5 .
It requires perfect obedience as the condition of life,
and therefore now can by no means be the rule of our justification.
This argument of the apostle’s may give us occasion to remark that
justification by faith is no new doctrine,
but what was established and taught in the church of God long before the times of the gospel.
Yea, it is the only way wherein any sinners ever were, or can be, justified.

IV. To this purpose the apostle urges the stability of the covenant which God made with Abraham,
which was not vacated nor disannulled by the giving of the law to Moses, v. 15, etc.
Faith had the precedence of the law,
for Abraham was justified by faith.
It was a promise that he built upon, and promises are the proper objects of faith.
God entered into covenant with Abraham v. 8),
and this covenant was firm and steady;
even men’s covenants are so, and therefore much more his.
When a deed is executed, or articles of agreement are sealed, both parties are bound,
and it is too late then to settle things otherwise;
and therefore it is not to be supposed that by the subsequent law the covenant of God should be vacated.
The original word diatheke signifies both a covenant and a testament.
Now the promise made to Abraham was rather a testament than a covenant.
When a testament has become of force by the death of the testator, it is not capable of being altered;
and therefore, the promise that was given to Abraham being of the nature of a testament,
it remains firm and unalterable.
But, if it should be said
that a grant or testament may be defeated for want of persons to claim the benefit of it (v. 16),
he shows that there is no danger of that in this case.
Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead,
but the covenant is made with Abraham and his seed.
And he gives us a very surprising exposition of this.
We should have thought it had been meant only of the people of the Jews.
"Nay,’’ says the apostle,
"it is in the singular number, and points at a single person
that seed is Christ,’’
So that the covenant is still in force;
for Christ abideth for ever in his person, and in his spiritual seed,
who are his by faith.
And if it be objected that the law which was given by Moses did disannul this covenant,
because that insisted so much upon works,
and there was so little in it of faith or of the promised Messiah,
he answers that the subsequent law could not disannul the previous covenant or promise v. 18):
If the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise; but,
says he,
God gave it to Abraham by promise,
and therefore it would be inconsistent with his holiness, wisdom, and faithfulness,
by any subsequent act to set aside the promise,
and so alter the way of justification which he had thus established.
If the inheritance was given to Abraham by promise,
and thereby entailed upon his spiritual seed,
we may be sure that
God would not retract that promise; for he is not a man that he should repent.

Now what does all of this mean?
Well, the way I read it is:

I am not under "the Law" as you might say.
I am under "Faith".

Has "the LAW" been done away with?

No. I should OBEY the Law.
The man that doeth them shall live in them,as Lev. 18:5 .

"The Curse" of the Law ( ? ) :

I believe the Law is NOT "the Curse",
but rather the BREAKING OF THE LAW that requires "the Curse" of punishment of DEATH.
So "the Law" is not "the Curse", but rather SIN is "the Curse".
The Law is Godly and Perfect.

Does living ''By Faith" give my License to BREAK the Law?

GOD FORBID! and this covenant was firm and steady;