In the days of His humanity, He offered up both prayers and pleas with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His devout behavior. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him, being designated by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:7-10)

Has anyone read the writings of Anselm, Aquinas, or Arminius? They wrote about God’s mercy and love. They also talked about faith and grace. Most people will find their writings sophisticated and pleasant. One may argue that their writings are beneficial although not perfect. We must remember this one truth. These three men did not believe that God’s grace was total. God has shown me in my dream that many people are going to the land of Egypt, the land of the dead, with pomp and pride in an enormous white cruise ship. Many people are going back to slavery. What they wrote and taught people is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. Concerning Christ’s righteousness imputed to us, anyone with the right mind would not dare to borrow ideas from these three men. Does anyone in a Reformed church read the writings of Arminius and borrow ideas from him? If anyone does, he/she will be considered as a heretic. Likewise, Anselm who denies the total depravity of mankind cannot teach us anything. Borrowing ideas from him was a big mistake.

It is clear that the writer of the Book of Hebrews considers obedience as faith as we read Hebrews 3:19. I believe that Hebrews 5:7-10 is often quoted by the Covenant theologians because those verses appear to see Christ strictly as a man. However, these verses are written to emphasize Christ as the unique High Priest, who became like us and has perfected faith (Hebrews 12:1-2). The Book of Hebrews is well-known for its emphasis on faith in chapter 11. Christ’s suffering is not separate from the saints. The saints also suffer from holding the testimony of Jesus. As the prophets in the OT were killed by the lawbreakers (who called themselves law-keepers), the saints go through the same suffering because we are also prophets. Christ as the forerunner and the head of the church suffered for us to become children of God and to endure tests and temptations. The earth is our training ground.

Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (Hebrews 12:1-2)

The writer of the Book of Hebrews develops the argument that faith is what God wants. It is clear that he does not say that the perfect keeping of the law is the way to gain righteousness. Even if Adam kept God’s command, he remains as a slave.

For the CT and the AOC to be true, Christ should have been a Levitical priest. They believe that Christ had to keep the law perfectly to be righteous under the law because the law was given to the Israelites. However, the verse 10 tells us that Christ is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Christ suffered for the ungodly so that we become the children of God and follow the footsteps of Christ. Although we live the life of Romans 7, God will teach, rebuke, and encourage us through His words. Following Christ is about suffering for truths. This is testified by the apostles throughout the NT. Romans 3:13-18 tells us that those without faith are like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law just as written in Matthew 23.

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them. And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues, and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called Rabbi by the people. But as for you, do not be called Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest of you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12)

For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. (Galatians 2:18)

We must remember that God did not give Adam a choice in the garden of Eden. Adam did not have the eternal life or had to work to gain it. Some people think Adam had the eternal life in the garden of Eden. Although there was the Tree of Life in the garden, I doubt that Adam (and Eve) had eaten its fruit. The reason lies in their pride. If the fruit of the Tree of Life did not look desirable, their pride likely has prevented them from eating it. On the contrary, the forbidden fruit looked desirable.

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6)

I believe the fruit of the Tree of Life did not look desirable to them. Similarly, the first Tabernacle was beautiful inside, but the outside was not attractive (See Exodus 26), which is the symbol of Christ.

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of dry ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we would look at Him, Nor an appearance that we would take pleasure in Him. (Isiah 53:2)

The eternal life is connected to the knowledge of God (John 17:3). The knowledge of God is not something a person can learn from reading many books or from reasoning. God hates human philosophies. Human reasoning does not lead to God although Anselm believed so. The knowledge is gained only by uniting with Christ by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the knowledge is in the words of God. Yet only those with the Holy Spirit can understand them.

You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me; and yet you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. (John 5:39-40)

People focus so much on sin that they think Adam could have gained the eternal life by works because he was born sinless. Some admit that Adam or any man could have kept the command. But they still believe that obedience to the law is righteousness. Their ideas distort the gospel. If we say that God is just and try to explain every event according to that truth, we see only one side of Him. God’s justness is found in His love and mercy. But only the saints can understand God’s attributes. False Christians and unbelievers can only speculate on God’s attributes. Christ represents the Father because not only He redeemed His people by His blood but also has judged and will judge the world. Therefore, Christ becoming a man serves both purposes. The saints eagerly wait for the second coming of Christ because He will separate us from the disobedient people who think they know God.

For just as the Father has life in Himself, so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. (John 5:26-27)

God has and will give the authority to judge to the new creation. As the Son judges, we will also judge. However, we do not judge according to flesh.

Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? (1 Corinthians 6:3)

You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. (John 8:15)