Dear Editor – Pastor Feratelia’s erroneous scriptural articulation must be stopped. He is a saved man by faith in Christ alone – not by keeping the law and the commandments.
The law refers to the Five books of Moses. The Commandments refer to the Ten Commandments which were given to Moses by the hand of God. The Ten Commandments were intended for all humanity as God’s divine standard. The law, which were the five books of Moses were intended for the Israelites, not for Pr. Feratelia or Maefonea.
There was a very grave statement of error made by Pr. Feratelia in his article, “OBEY THE LAW AND YOU WILL REMAIN UNDER GRACE FOR LIFE”. This is what the Bible says, “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” Galatians 2:21.
Pastor Feratelia, please, stop your legal ideology. Are you are perfect law keeper? Have you ever lied since birth? Jesus’ step brother, James wrote this, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10 NKJ). If you, Feratelia, have broken the law, just one law, in your life time, you are guilty of all – And once you are pronounced guilty, you are permanently guilty, by Gods law. By that pronouncement, law CANNOT SAVE you. Only by grace through faith in Christ can save justify and Free you – NOT THE LAW (Eph: 2:8,9). Come on brother Pastor. That’s the Bible, not Feratelia or Maefonea, or the Jews, or Moses. Romans 3:23, is simply that we have broken God’s laws – all of us Jews and Gentiles, Maefonea, Feratelia and Wate inclusively and all pronounced guilty.
In Galatians 2:16, the Bible says, “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.” Feratelia, that’s what the bible says. That’s what the word of God says. That’s what the Apostle Paul wrote as a law keeper.
You cannot be under grace and under law at the same time. The Holy Bible does not say so – Romans 6:14 “…… for you are not under law but under grace.” If you are under law you not under grace. If you are under grace you are not under law. That’s what the infallible word of God says.
The Bible does not argue with Feratelia or Maefonea or Mark Wate. Paul was a Pharisee and his father was also a Pharisee – a traditional religious Jews family of law keepers. As a Pharisee Paul memorised the Five books of Moses. Jesus did too, as a Rabbai. Neither Maefonea nor Feratelia memorised even one of the books. Paul was a “perfect” law keeper, because he was a Pharisee and an Israelite. Maefonea and Feratelia are Malaitans, not Jews – or maybe they are Jews as Malaitans.
If, then, Paul was a “blameless” law keeper, as in Philippines 3:6 and probably more zealous in keeping the law than Feratelia, or Maefonea, why did Paul write the scriptures the way he did as quoted above?
Listen to what he wrote in Galatians 1:14, “And I advanced in Judaism (the law and the Commandments) beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation (Israel), being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions (oral law) of my fathers.” V15, But when it pleased God …….., called me through His grace’ (not the law).
Remember this Pastor Feratelia, as scantily stated above, Paul was a perfect law keeper but simultaneously he was a perfect murderer. He was an accomplice of the murder of Stephen. In his zealous obedience to the laws of Moses and the Old Testament and in upholding his status as a Pharisee, Paul saw Stephen as a law breaker by preaching his new found faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. So do you now see the paradox of Paul’s life that while he was a perfect law keeper he was a guilty and perfect law breaker.
He broke every law that he was supposed to perfectly keep as a zealous Pharisee by supporting the murder of Stephen. Therefore, by James 2:10, Paul was guilty of all the laws. He could never be a perfect law keeper, not by one iota. Neither can you Pastor Feratalia, you can never be a perfect law keeper. You are as guilty a law breaker as Paul was. You and Paul and I need Christ to save us by his grace not by keeping the law.
Romans Chapters 6 and 7 were the result of the cry of a man who was in total moral, legal and spiritual destitution. Paul realised that the law of God was perfect but he was a sinful man: he realised to his consternation that he was a law breaker.
Hence, he wrote in Romans Chapter 6:14, that we “are not under law but under grace.” Therefore, Pastor Feratelia, your statement, that to, “obey the law and you will remain in grace for life,” is totally unscriptural and erroneous.
God’s Ten Commandments are Divine and Eternal set as His standard and moral code. The problem is that man by his sinful nature and moral decay could not live up to God’s divine standard, because by nature we are all sinners; that is we all fall short, we all could not attain, and never will live up to God’s legal, moral, and divine standard as in entrenched in God’s law and commandments (Rom 3:23). We inherited our sinful nature from Adam and Eve – and by the law of sin we are rebellious to God’s law and totally dead in our sins and trespasses. By virtue of the law of sin the law cannot save us.
However, when anyone, such as Paul (the Apostle) believes in Jesus as Saviour, he/she receives new life. That life can fulfil God’s Ten Commandments through faith and love for Christ. Jesus fulfilled the law not for Him, but for us because we could not possibly obey or fulfil the law.
Jesus died, shed His blood, was buried and rose again to save us from sin, because we could not save ourselves, otherwise, if by Feratelia’s interpretation, if the law is able to save us why did Jesus have to come and die for us? That’s Paul’s point in Gal 2:21, that (….. if righteousness comes through the law (that is) by keeping the law according to Fereatelia’s interpretation) then Christ died in vain. It is easy to note that; a) by sin we are dead, b) by law we are guilty, c) by grace we are saved.
The New Life that God gives us when we believe in Jesus Christ is His own life. It does not mix with the laws of Moses.
The Ten Commandments are fulfilled in a believer when he/she receives that life (a gift) and by loving Him with all his heart, mind and soul. Any other idea other than faith and grace in Christ is shear scaffolding and would not warrant the entry into Heaven.
Jesus is the way, the Truth and the Life – the only way back to God. Amen.
Mark Wate
Honiara
