Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Mathew 5:17-19
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Part 1 Summary
In the earlier blog, we looked to the word of God to answer the question about legalism and the role of God’s law in the heart of the believer.
Briefly, we saw that there are many laws in the Bible. Some were temporary (Ceremonial and Sacrificial). These laws or ordinances were like a school master that taught God’s people about sin, salvation, and the coming Messiah.
These had their purpose and their end came when type (e.g. spotless lamb) met anti-type (i.e. Jesus). When Jesus came, we no longer needed the School Master to teach us. We now had Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection as our teacher and hope.
But, the law that is eternal is the moral law contained in the 10 commandments. Jesus did not come to abolish it or to destroy it. On the contrary, His life magnified the law and made it honorable. Example: Jesus told us men that looking upon a woman with lust was the same as committing adultery
“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Mathew 5:28
Here we see Jesus “magnifying” the law. He makes it bigger so we can clearly see or understand to scope of the law. It also demonstrates that man is sinful to the core. It tells us we need a Savior not only from eternal death but from the power of sin.
Sin is defined in one place as the breaking or transgressing of the law.
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
1 John 3:4
John goes on to tell us something very important for the believer.
Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
1 John 3:6
Is it not clear that if someone sins, they don’t know Him? But if the believer “abides” in Him, that person will not sin. Now be careful here. It is not saying you are perfect and never sin. It means you do not practice sin as clarified in the the next verse:
He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
1 John 3:7
Before John ever gets into this discussion, he sets the boundaries of the discussion by saying this:
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1 John 2:1
God’s desire is that we do not sin. We have Jesus as our advocate in heaven (another topic for another time) to cover us should we sin. But this advocate is not an excuse to practice sin. That the true follower will not do. The thief will not continue his life of stealing. The adulterer will stop sleeping around. The person with other gods will give them up. Is this a fair statement?
Here is what we must remember: We are born with a sinful nature. When we are born again, we are given a spiritual nature. These two natures will compete against each other and it is our choice and God’s action as to which one will win the war between flesh and spirit. Keep in mind that battles may be lost due to the carnal nature, but this does not mean the war is over and a victor crowned. Paul describes this battle in Romans 8 (Another study for another time).
One of my favorite writers wrote something that I think is very appropriate here and supported by the grace of our great loving God:
“There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ and who really desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes, but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God. No; Christ is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Said the beloved John,
“These things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1.
Steps to Christ, P. 64
The law, specifically the 10 commandments, point out to sinful man what is sin. To know about the law and sin is to know more about the God who gave it and more about ourselves. It points out how really sinful we are and that we need a savior because we cannot “enter into the womb a second time” and be reborn. We cannot give ourselves a new spirit. The law enhances the reality of grace and His power, but God’s grace does not eliminate the law otherwise he could have simply eliminated the definition of sin instead of having his Son pay the penalty for sin i.e., death. This would be a divine loophole of sorts. I don’t see where God provides loopholes, but He does supply grace and power.
The law, like God, is eternal and it is given the same description as God Himself. The law expresses His character which is holy, just, and good.
For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
Romans 7:11, 12
We can not take the 10 commandments off the wall and wash our face with it, the law points out the smudge on our face, which tells us we need to be cleansed. To try to wash our face with the law would be the definition of legalism. Instead, the law indicates God’s will for us and that we need a Savior not only for breaking it, but for the power to obey it as will be shown in the following discussion.
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When talking about the law of God, we must discuss the topic of new covenant versus old covenant. Here many make a deadly mistake, thinking the old covenant was about keeping the law for salvation, but the new covenant is freedom from keeping the law and living under grace. This implies disobedience. As we shall see both covenants include obedience to God’s law. The new covenant does not diminish the requirements of the law, but there is a twist that should give encouragement to us and help us avoid legalism.
Jesus is the “Mediator of the new covenant.”
And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 9:15
By the sacrificial death of Jesus upon the cross, He redeemed everyone, including those under the first covenant. This redemption for them and for all “who are called may receive the promise of eternal life.”
So again, we see that the cross is the central point for both those in the old testament and the new testament. It is here where all, on both sides of the cross, look by faith to Jesus for eternal life. Those in the old testament looked forward in faith and were instructed by the School Master or the sacrificial and ceremonial laws given by God through Moses to teach them about Jesus. They were not saved by works and obedience, but by faith in the spotless lamb of God (Jesus).
Those of us on this side, look to Jesus’ death on the cross by faith for eternal life and we have the life of Jesus and the testimony of His followers to teach us. Also, we have the experience of those before the cross to teach us as well. In fact, those before the cross and the writings of the old testament can instruct us in righteousness.
Paul wrote to Timothy and reminded him of this fact. Paul wrote it before the writings of the other new testament writers were known and brought together. So Paul’s message to Timothy is referring to the writings of the old testament when he said,
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16
Those books in the old testament will reproof, correct and even instruct the new testament believer in righteousness. Further, it will make us complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
We should never say or believe things like, “That is in the old testament, I am a new testament believer.” Rather, we should say, we are a believer of “All Scripture.”
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The experience of God’s people before the cross serve as examples of how we should both live and respond to God.
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
Romans 15:4
Their lives and experiences become examples of how to live or not to live. Their experiences will give us hope!
Jesus is also found in type all through the old testament. To bypass these books is to miss Christ.
“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them.”
1 Corinthians 10: 1-7
So as we look at the new covenant or the new testament, we must not forget the value of the old covenant and the old testament. It still provides us help in our Jesus journey. It is even provides information that should be obeyed and understood by the Christian who appreciates the value of the new covenant.
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To understand the new covenant, we must understand the old covenant. Is that a fair statement? Why two covenants? Did God make a mistake and create a new covenant because it was impossible or too difficult to live under? Many think this because of somethings Paul states.
Generally, a covenant is defined as an agreement between two parties, but it can be simply a promise by the Lord. For example, the Lord made a promise to the people of earth to not destroy it by water ever again. This was a covenant or promise from the great Creator.
“I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth… and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.”
Genesis 9:13,15
The Lord did the same type of “one-sided covenant” with Abraham when he promised him land and descendants:
“On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—’ “
Genesis 15:18
“And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.”
Genesis 17: 2-7
However, these covenants (promises) of God are not the covenants distinguished as old by Paul.
There was a point where the people of God tried to make a covenant or agreement with God and they became “old.”
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
Exodus 19:5-7
In the next Chapter of Exodus (20) we see these words:
And God spoke all these words, saying:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”
Exodus 20: 1-2
Then the Lord spoke the 10 Commandments Himself as shown in Exodus 20: 3-17
Here was the covenant the people made. It seemed to be the response God wanted, but noticed they agreed to obey God based on fear and their own efforts. They state, “all that the Lord has said we will do.” They attempted to obey God under their grit and determination. Obedience was not from the heart but rather from duty and fear. After a while their promises faded away and became old.
They were afraid of God and this formed their their response.
Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
Exodus 20:19
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Citing the fear and poor promises of the people, the writer of Hebrews cites the need for a new covenant:
“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.”
Hebrews 8:6
What better promises? Did God make a promise that was inferior or had a fault? No! The problem or fault was found with the people who made the covenant with God as shown in the verse that follows:
“For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them. He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.”
Hebrews 8: 7-9
The fault was with the people who made a promise they could not keep.
Have you ever made a promise to God while under fear? “God if you will just get me out of this situation, I will serve you until I die.” But, after you are delivered, you forget your promise and go back to serving only yourself. In this situations, you are doing exactly what the children of Israel did. They made a promise they could not keep. Why? Because they were attempting something without a changed heart. They did not realize their own weakness. God desired them to obey out of love and through His power.
Continuing in Hebrews 8, we see the better promise, but it still contains God’s law and obedience.
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Hebrew 8:10
So the new covenant is one where God provides the promise and the people respond to His love in obedience because they have a new heart (rebirth). But notice that the new covenant still involves the law of God and obedience. The law is never destroyed or eliminated, it is a new attitude about it where the obedience comes from the new heart. If it is on the heart, do you think you will obey the letter? The spirit and the letter of the law go together. Let me explain:
If a born again Christian says to his wife, I obey the law concerning adultery in the spirit, but not by the letter. What has he just told his wife? Would the wife be comfortable about the separation of spirit and letter? Could the husband sleep with her sister (letter) but keep the “spirit.” NO! If He is living in the spirit of the law, he won’t even allow himself to look at a woman with lust! Especially, he will not tempt himself with pornography! Men, if you are looking at porn, you need Jesus to both forgive you and to help you overcome it. It is sin!
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“But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”
Romans 7:6
Paul is explaining how we often get the cart before the horse. Many try to serve only in the letter. These are the legalistic.
In a very difficult part of Paul’s writing, he continues to explain that the law is spiritual and we are carnal. There are the two natures that live and fight within us until Jesus returns. The purpose of the law is to tell us what God considers as transgression and how sinful we are:
I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” Romans 7: 7
“…by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:20
Here Paul understands that desiring the possessions of another person is sin, but he goes further:
“I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.”
Romans 7: 9
Paul was “foot loose and fancy free” as we say in the South. But, when he became aware of the words of the law, he came under great conviction and he saw his way of life meant death, for he had said earlier in the chapter,
“the wages of sin is death.”
Romans 6:23
The law points out what God calls sin regardless of what the world might think. When we come to accept the fact that we are sinners, we seek God and find forgiveness and the power to live a life in Christ. We don’t want to continue in an unsatisfying life of sin and disobedience. God begins to write His laws in our hearts so that our obedience comes from a new heart powered by God himself. The law does not go away. In fact, it becomes a writing inscribed in our way of thinking so that the thief stops stealing, the liar stops lying, etc. If, in our brand new way of thinking, we do slip; we have an advocate with the father.
I have heard someone say, I obey the law with my spirit and not by letter. I am under grace. How does that work?
Paul cautioned again such thinking when he said,
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Romans 6:15
Being “under grace” does not mean one can disobey God’s law. We are not “under” the law because we are not under the penalty, because Jesus paid the penalty for our transgression of the law. His death shows the permanence of the law.
The followers of God are shown to be true followers by obedience to it. To claim we follow Jesus and willfully disobey is to not be a follower, for He said,
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”
Luke 6:46″
It is like saying I am a follower of Robert Atkins,but I don’t obey the diet plan. I obey it in my spirit, but not the letter. How much weight do you think that person would lose?
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It is no wonder that Satan himself is upset with the last day people who wish to testify of Jesus Christ through an experience of obedience to His words that include the 10 commandments. This identifies them as true followers and not religious pretenders.
“And the dragon (Satan) was enraged with the woman (church), and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Revelation 12:17
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Conclusion
God’s 10 Commandment law has never been destroyed. It is still a sin to have other god’s, to build statues of gods and fall down before them. It is still a sin to disrespect God’s name and character. It is still a sin to forget the Sabbath of the Lord and dishonor his creation and the time He blessed. It is still a sin to dishonor your parents, to murder, to commit adultery, to steal, to lie, and to covet your neighbors possessions.
All 10 of these commandments line up under the two great commandments. The first being to
“love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” The second is like it, “to love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22: 37-39
The first 4 commandments hang (summarized) under the first principle and the last six under the second principle.
But notice the order. If one fails to love God completely, they will not be able love their neighbor with a Christ like love. They will in effect become legalistic (if connected to religion) and a worthless noisy show-off of a cymbal if God’s love is not the basis for their obedience:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”
1 Corinthians 13:1
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No. Obedience is not for the legalistic although there are many who obey to somehow impress God or attempt to make themselves worthy of blessings and salvation.
Obedience is for those who have been born again, where love for their Creator and a testimony to the true God can be expressed through obeying his word.
To obey God is to have true freedom. Just ask the man in prison who murdered someone or the person whose life is run by lying.
To say that we love Him and not obey Him makes us a liar.
“He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
1 John 2:4
Obedience comes from a new heart supplied by the Redeemer. It is not religious, but it is real. Obedience is the walk with the One you love, not the requirement for walk. The walk, like a child, will be shaky at first, but as you hold the Father’s hand, you will get stronger to do his will, but unlike the earthly example, our hand must be in the hand of our Creator constantly, because if it isn’t, we have the possibility of returning to the mud from which we were cleansed (See 2 Peter 2: 18-22)
I close with the inspiring words from Steps to Christ, p. 60, 61
“But notice here that obedience is not a mere outward compliance, but the service of love. The law of God is an expression of His very nature; it is an embodiment of the great principle of love, and hence is the foundation of His government in heaven and earth. If our hearts are renewed in the likeness of God, if the divine love is implanted in the soul, will not the law of God be carried out in the life? When the principle of love is implanted in the heart, when man is renewed after the image of Him that created him, the new-covenant promise is fulfilled, “I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.” Hebrews 10:16. And if the law is written in the heart, will it not shape the life? Obedience–the service and allegiance of love–is the true sign of discipleship. Thus the scripture says, “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.” “He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 5:3; 2:4. Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience.”