Understand and agree. No one can become righteous of their own will or works.
Agreed
You have hit the right point!!!!
"and no longer dwell in deliberate sin" This is the key to my entire point. Sin can still be done by us and since sin is the transgression of God's laws it means that God's laws have not only continued on and have been included in the new covenant they have been magnified;
Isaiah 42:21-22 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; He will magnify the law, and make
it honourable.
Here is a site that words my intent very closely;
The Spirit of the Law
In Old Testament times God only required a physical, mechanical and visible obedience. In other words, obedience in the letter. In New Testament times, God has required much more. He wants us to follow Him to the spiritual limits of His Law. That's what Christ's ministry was to teach and demonstrate.
To be sure we understood this new, magnified style of law keeping, Jesus Christ gave some vivid examples. In
Matthew 5:21, He said, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time (Old Testament times], Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you [here comes the new, magnified application), That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca [vain fellow], shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." Christ said — magnifying the Law in its spiritual intent — that if you even hate your brother you are a murderer! Does that sound like Christ was doing away with the Law? And John — the "apostle of love" — said the same thing! (
I John 3:15.) Whoever hates his brother is guilty of murder.
In verses 27 and 28 of the same chapter (Matt. 5), Christ said, 'Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you [here again comes the magnified approach), That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."
Rather than being done away with, we find the influence of the Law extended to include our intent, thoughts and attitudes! God's. Commandments are magnified in scope and His love is expressed through keeping them in their spirit and intent as well as the letter. And so we see the ancient prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled and the Law indeed magnified and made honorable!
http://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getmagazine&InfoID=1328970842
Here again you have hit a correct point!!! Christ's sacrifice becomes our offering for our sins instead of the old method of animal sacrifice.
however, there are many who believe that once they believe they are saved then they can knowingly commit further sins or transgress God's laws with impunity. Few realize that the helper or God's holy spirit when it is given to a true believer is there to do just what it is described to do -help- you follow God's spiritual intent of his laws, the magnified laws. This is where your intent becomes a pivotal point in the process. If your intent is to follow God and perform as he desires you to do them then, when you are made aware of your errors you can approach Christ to be covered for your sins. However, if you go out each week and knowingly keep committing the same sins then why should Christ be expected to keep being crucified to cover your same sins over and over again?
Here is a good example. You are driving by my house and you hit my dog. I come out and give you a free gift of forgiveness.... now the next week you do it again and then the next week after you do it again etc. Do you suppose that I should be expected to keep giving that same free gift seeing as how you are knowingly doing it even after you have come to understand that it is wrong to hit my dog?
God is by all means willing to help us to achieve the goal by not only forgiving our past sins but he is also willing to give us a live in helper to help us keep on the path
"if that is our intent". If as is believed by many that once you are forgiven you can no longer sin because you are not under the law any more then how could one possibly fall away?
Philippians 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
You see Paul already believes in Christ and has the free gift but, he knows that he must deal with the rest of his life and work with the holy spirit to attain the goal. Notice also how Paul describes the working of the holy spirit to reveal things to you in order for you to make the right decisions according to your intent.