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The
New Covenant
And
The Law
“The
earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they
have transgressed the law, changed the ordinance, broken the
everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth,
and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants
of the earth are burned, and few men are left.” The “good news” is a declaration of God’s infinite love for His children in that He gave His only begotten Son for us (John 3:16). If “everything God made was very good” (Genesis 1:31), why did God have to give His Son? Because sin entered the world when man transgressed God’s law. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. At creation, man was made in God’s image. Said God to His Son, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…” Genesis 1:26. The image and likeness of God and His Son contains no sin; it was not in God’s plan for mankind to be under the bondage of sin, for “the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. Originally, it was God’s intention that man would have eternal, intimate fellowship with Him; before Adam fell, God included His created son in helping Him care for His creation. He planted a garden and placed Adam there to tend it (Genesis 2:3; 15), and to be his home. What a home it must have been! Filled with dazzling colors; trees, plants, flowers, and succulent fruit of every kind imaginable. God gave Adam the privilege of naming the animals, both birds and beasts (Genesis 2:19, 20); He also gave Adam His daughter—Eve, a lovely companion and wife. They were to have dominion over all the earth. (Genesis 1:26) Apparently, God would often walk in the garden and fellowship with our first parents. (Genesis 3:8) The language used in this chapter indicates that this was not the first time God had met with Adam and Eve in the garden. One can only imagine how precious it must have been “walking in the garden in the cool of the day:” the rich fragrance of the flowers permeating the air; the serenade of birds joyfully singing their canticles of praise, all creation joining in the chorus; and Adam and Eve as children, strolling hand in hand with their Creator, asking Him all sorts of questions. “What gives the sky its color?” “What is the distance of the stars?” “What makes the sun so bright?” “How do the birds know to sing?” “How old are you?” “Why is the grass green?” Imagination overwhelms our mind as we attempt to conceive such a scene of lovely tenderness and innocence. But then it happened; man committed the unthinkable. They broke the covenant of trust which they had agreed to uphold with their Creator; they disobeyed His voice. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16, 17. Tragically, the record states: “And the man said, the woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” Genesis 3:12. James White, a Christian minister and author, wrote in 1870: “When man fell, angels wept. Heaven was bathed in tears” (The law and the gospel P. 2) “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans3:22-26). The crimson stain of sin will be forever erased from those robed with the righteousness of Christ. The scars of sin, however, will be forever present upon the brow, hands, feet and side of the One who knew no sin (II Corinthians 5:21); evidence of the terribly great cost that was paid for our salvation. Of Jews and Gentiles: the Two Covenants The word “covenant” is defined as: “A solemn promise, a contract or formal agreement, a solemn agreement between two or more persons or groups to do or not to do a certain thing or things. The solemn promises of God to man.” (Thorndike-Barnhart Dictionary) The old covenant was made with the descendants of Abraham, a people known as the “the nation of Israel,” when they were delivered from Egyptian bondage. “…for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt.” Exodus 13:9. This covenant is no longer in existence; it was replaced by the new covenant in 31 A.D. However, from the pen of a church historian we read: “But a very serious error prevails in the minds of many persons respecting the points of difference between these two covenants. The old covenant was made with the Hebrew people. For this reason, whatever entered into it is supposed to be Jewish. Thus the law of God is summarily set aside as Jewish; and thus might the God of Israel Himself be discarded as a Jewish God. But the new covenant is held up to our admiration, because it is, as they say, not made with the Jews, but with the Gentiles. The old covenant belonged to the Jews, and with it we have no concern; the new covenant is made with the Gentiles, and we, as Gentiles, are interested in it. How can men thus carelessly read the scriptures? The language of inspiration is very explicit in stating that the new covenant is made with the same people that were the subject of the old covenant. Thus Jeremiah, speaking in the Name of the Lord, says: ‘I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.’ (Jeremiah 31:31) And he further alludes to the fact that the new covenant is made with the Hebrew people when he adds: ‘Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.’ (Verse 32) And yet again he identifies the Hebrew people when he says: ‘This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel’ (Verse 33). Paul quotes at length, in Hebrews 8, this entire statement of Jeremiah respecting the old and new covenants being severally made with the Hebrew people. And, as if this were not enough, he makes a statement in Romans 9:4, 5 that exactly meets the case. Thus he says of the Hebrews: ‘Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever.’ Thus it appears that everything valuable God has given to the world through the instrumentality, or by the means of the Hebrew people. Those who choose to do so can despise the law of God because it was given to the Jews, and to reject Christ because He came of the Jews; but one thing they cannot do. They cannot say, “we accept the new covenant because it pertains to the Gentiles, whereas the first covenant, and the law, etc., pertaineth to the Jews.’ No such distinction can be drawn. Both the covenants pertain to the Hebrew people, according to the explicit statement of Paul, or rather by the Spirit of inspiration speaking through Paul and Jeremiah, to be made with Judah and Israel.” J.N. Andrews, The Two Covenants, 1875, pp.3-5 (emphasis supplied). We will read other excerpts from this writer later in this study. The Old Covenant Three days before God descended upon the top of Mount Sinai, to formally enter into the first covenant with the nation of Israel, He gave them preparatory notice of this event through Moses His servant. They were to consider carefully what they were about to promise to do, that is, to enter into covenant with God. This required for them to sanctify themselves. “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation…” Exodus 19:5, 6. “And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” (Verse 8) Please notice that the “covenant” is: “If ye will obey My voice, I will be your God, and you will be My people.” God was to speak to these same people His terms, or requirements and conditions—the Ten Commandments. The
Ten Commandments were not the covenant; no, they were the details or
terms. The covenant was that the people would obey His voice. The
solemn ceremony that attended the entering into this covenant
between God and the nation of Israel was a fearful sight. “And
Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord/FONT>
descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the
smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.”
(Verse 18) In the next chapter (chapter twenty), we read of God
speaking all His Ten Commandments. This is known as “the
giving of the law.” (vv. 1-17) This account is repeated in the
book of Deuteronomy chapter five, verses two through twenty two.
This Moral law God not only spoke, but He also wrote on two tables
of stone with His own finger. The Ceremonial law was given to the
people through Moses, which Moses wrote on papyrus or animal skins.
The
details which constitute the entirety of the “covenant,”
or the “contract,” include:
1. The
“covenant” itself: “If they obeyed His voice”
then
“He would be their God” and “they would be His
peculiar people,” His “treasure” (Exodus 19:5, 6).
Notice
that there are two separate actions taking place: The “covenant”
is the solemn agreement, and the “terms” are the
conditions or stipulations.
There
are two distinctly separate actions within the agreement. It may be
illustrated in this way: A person goes to a bank and obtains a loan.
The “loan” is the contract or covenant—the bank
will give you a determined sum of money and you will pay it back.
The “terms” are the conditions or stipulations—how
much interest you agree to pay; how you will pay it back (monthly,
quarterly, yearly, etc.); the specific amounts you will pay; and the
details and penalties.
In
addition to the Ten Commandments, otherwise known as “the
Moral law,” there was also given the “Ceremonial law”
which contained the sacrificial system—the slaying of animals
for the ceremonial and ritual use of their blood. This was symbolic
of the sacrifice of the Messiah, God’s “Seed”
(Genesis 3:15 & Isaiah 53:10) who was to come in the future to
fulfill
the promise to redeem mankind from their sins. The Moral law existed
before sin; the Ceremonial law was needed because of sin. “Wherefore
then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till
the seed should come to whom the promise was made…”
Galatians 3:19. Christ said, “Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfill.”
Matthew 5:17. The prophecy foretold that Christ would come and
magnify the law. “The Lord
is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify
the law, and make it honourable.” Isaiah 42:21. Christ
fulfilled
the prophecy in Daniel 9:25-27—the coming of the Messiah the
Prince. Compare with Mark 1:14, 15: “…Jesus came into
Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The
time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the
gospel.” Within the ceremonial law were also other “statutes
and ordinances,” which included prescribed feast days and
ceremonial Sabbaths.
There
were also two other “type” of laws given: the “Judicial
law” and the “Health law.” Most of these were of
ceremonial type, such as the cutting of an animal in half and
walking in between these to enter into a contract, or to seal an
agreement or covenant, such as marriage. Today, this principle is
carried through by a written contract or marriage certificate. Some
of the health laws, for example, required that if you touched a dead
animal you were to remain outside of the camp for a number of days.
God has advanced our understanding in health and science; today we
have antibacterial soaps. The principle of some of the health laws
is of the moral type, carried through into the New Testament, for
here we find: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple
of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are
not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God
in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1
Corinthians 6:19, 20. Therefore, to claim that all
the health laws are done away with because we are “free”
under the new covenant is contrary to what the Bible teaches. Are we
now “free” to defile our bodies? We must tread
carefully, so as not to twist the scriptures to satisfy our lust for
the temporal and carnal pleasures. “Know ye not that ye are
the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If
any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the
temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” 1 Corinthians
3:16, 17.
Of particular interest to a
sincere Bible student would be to note the fact that these other
sets of laws, which contained additional statutes and ordinances,
were commanded by God to be placed on
the side of the
ark (Deuteronomy 31:26); whereas the Moral law, or Ten Commandments,
were to be placed inside
the ark, under the mercy seat
(Exodus 25:16, 21). This is of profound significance. According to
the Ceremonial law the priest, after the manner prescribed to Aaron,
would once a year on the day of atonement, enter into the second
compartment, the Holiest of all (which was separated from the first
compartment by a heavy curtain or “veil”), and sprinkle
the blood of the sacrificial offering and make atonement for himself
and for the errors, or sins, of all the people. This blood was
sprinkled upon the mercy seat, under which rested the unchanging,
eternal Moral law of God (Leviticus 16:14, 15; Hebrews 9:1-7). At
the crucifixion, when our dear Lord cried out, “It is
finished,” this “veil” was rent in twain,
signifying that the way to God’s sanctuary in heaven had been
opened for man by the sacrifice of Christ (Mark 15:37, 38).
At this time, the animal
sacrifices ceased (Daniel 9:25-27), and their symbolic performance,
as a “type” of the true; the sacrifice of Christ (His
life in exchange for ours), was no longer needed. The very solemn
execution of the sinless One caused the entire Ceremonial law, with
its attendant ordinances, to cease to have any value. They had been
but a “shadow” of the true. Paul declares these words to
the church in Galatia, who had reverted to the keeping of the
Ceremonial law, “But now, after that ye have known God, or
rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly
elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe
days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I
have bestowed upon you labour in vain.” Galatians 4:9-11. You
cannot correctly apply this passage of scripture to the Moral Law.
Which of the Ten Commandments would be called “weak and
beggarly?” The fifth, with its attached promise? “Honour
thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land
which the Lord
thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12)? How about the second
(Exodus 20:4-6)? Should we now worship graven images (idols), a
commandment spoken by God and written with His own finger in stone,
preserved under the mercy seat within the Ark of the Covenant, which
is a copy of the one in the temple in heaven? (Revelation 15:5, see
also Exodus 25:21). Is this “weak and beggarly?”
Up until this time, the
sacrificial system, with the other laws or testimonies, statutes and
judgments, were valuable and important. In fact, some of these had
served to “guard” or to be a protective border around
the Ten Commandments. The Moral law is eternal; it was in existence
before Adam ever set foot on the face of the earth. Lucifer fell
from grace. “Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that
thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” Ezekiel
28:15. (See also vv. 11-14 & Isaiah 14:12-17) Lucifer chose to
sin against his God. There are those who claim that “the law”
was only for the “Jews,” and that its existence is
traced back only to Mount Sinai. Regarding sin, how does the Bible
define what sin is? The only definition of what constitutes sin is
found in this: “Sin is the transgression of the law.” 1
John 3:4. Question: how could Lucifer be found to sin if no law was
in existence? “Thou wast perfect in thy ways, from the days
that thou wast created, till iniquity [sin] was found in thee”
(Ezekiel 28:15). The fact is that the Moral law (its principles)
existed in some form in heaven. “But sin is not imputed when
there is no law” (Romans 5:12).
Only
two commandments?
Christ mentioned the condensed
form of the moral law in His answer to the Pharisees. “Then
one of them, which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting
Him, and saying,
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Matthew
22:36-40. The first one Christ mentions is: “Thou shalt love
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind”. This encompasses God’s commandments 1-4;
regarding man’s relationship with God. The second one He
mentions is: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self”.
This encompasses God’s commandments 5-10; regarding man’s
relationship with man. In this account, Christ summarizes the Ten
Commandments, the Moral law; for He concludes: “On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew
22:40). This is the eternal law by which the entire universe is
ruled. “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the
law of the LORD” (Psalm 119:1). For further information on the
origin and existence of God’s Moral law, please contact the
author and request the free study, “The Law Before Sinai.”
When asked by the rich young
ruler “Good Master, what things shall I do, that I may have
eternal life?” (Matthew 19:16) And He answered him: “but
if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments” (v.17).
“Which?” the man asks (v.18). Christ answered him: “Thou
shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not
steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, honor thy father and thy
mother” (v.18 &19). Notice He just mentioned the Ten
Commandments; the sixth through the ninth, and added the fifth last.
But Christ does not end there, for He adds this: “And, thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (v.19). Why did He not
mention the first through the fourth?
The reason Christ did not
mention all ten is because Christ knew that this young man had a
superficial understanding of the law, but, like many in his day (and
ours), was merely keeping the outward form and ritual of a religion.
But he lacked an inward conversion of the heart (Romans 2:29). Are
we to understand that Christ is counseling us that we can enter into
life while worshiping other god’s? Or treasure idols? Or it is
acceptable to take God’s name in vain? Or is He encouraging us
to forget and defile the only commandment that begins with “Remember
the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”? The one commandment He
called Himself Lord over? “Therefore the Son of man is Lord
also of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28). No! Not at all! These are
the first through the fourth commandments. Notice what Christ
declares: “I have kept My Fathers commandments and abide in
His love” (John 15:10). He also says: “But that the
world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave Me
commandment, even so I do” (John14:31). Christ set an example
for us to follow. “And why call ye Me, Lord, Lord and do not
the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).
In Chapter 19 in the book of
Matthew, Christ omitted mentioning the second commandment (regarding
graven images or idols); but His apostle John, the last eyewitness
living apostle; the one to whom was given the “Revelation of
Jesus Christ”, in I John 5:21, John is teaching the Church to
keep from idols; the second commandment, “Little children,
keep yourselves from idols. Amen”
In the book of I John we find
additional evidence for our answer: “By this we know
[recognize, margin]
that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep
[obey, margin] His commandments. For this is the love of God, that
we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous
[burdensome, margin]” (I John 5:2, 3).
Earlier, Christ only mentioned
the last half of the Ten Commandments (man’s relationship with
man). We just read in I John that if you love God you will love His
children. Christ said to love our neighbor as ourselves. In other
words, by loving our neighbor we are loving God’s children;
and by loving God’s children we are loving Him. The Ten
Commandments—the Moral Law—cannot be separated, as some
attempt to do. We cannot say we love God, while committing sin
against his children. Likewise, we cannot say we love God’s
children, while committing sins against God, their Creator.
According to this principle, you cannot remove, nor add, anything to
God’s word; including His commandments (Deuteronomy 4:2,
Revelation 22;18, 19, Proverbs 30:6). The apostle John, writing to
the first century church in approximately 96 A.D., in his first
epistle, addresses the church in this way: “And we know that
the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that
we may know Him
that is true, and
we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is
the true God and eternal life” (I John 5:20). Dear brothers
and sisters, through this same John “whom Jesus loved”
(John 21:20), Christ gives us a standard, or rule of measure
regarding the law of God, which we should consider; “And
hereby we do know
that we know Him,
if 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”
(I John 2:3, 4).
Angels, even fallen ones, and
all other creatures including mankind, were created free moral
agents. We have been given the fundamental capacity to know the
difference between right and wrong. The choice to commit sin or to
be obedient lies within our hearts. We hold the key as to which
choice we will pursue. While Satan may tempt us to commit sin, the
choice lies within our hearts to accept or reject the temptation.
God promised, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as
is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also
make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1
Corinthians 10:13.
It
is true that our natural, carnal minds are not subject to God’s
law (Romans 8:7). We are powerless to resist the devil in our own
strength. Yet, with every temptation God has made a way of escape.
That escape is found in yielding your life to Christ, trusting in
His power to keep you from falling (Jude 1:24).
Our
Heavenly Father did not create us as mere robots, programmed to obey
Him. This would not be love. He took an enormous risk in giving us
this freedom to choose; through faith in Christ, to obey Him through
His laws, or disobey Him. The Spirit of inspiration declares, “With
my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy
commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not
sin against thee.” Psalm 119:10, 11.
Most
religious leaders ignore, or simply reject and dismiss, the
distinctness that exists within the old covenant as spoken by the
lips of the Great Lawgiver; they regard the old covenant in its
entirety as faulty and “only for the Jews.” But is this
really true? In the book of Hebrews we find a reference to this
matter: “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then
should no place have been sought for the second.” Hebrews 8:7.
The Bible declares that God is perfect; He does not make mistakes.
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in
heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48. How, then, are we to
understand this discrepancy? A closer examination will reveal
certain facts. The “fault” is not found with the Great
Architect. The foundation is solid. No, the “fault” is
found with the people; they failed in their fulfillment of the
covenant and its terms. They did not want to obey God’s voice.
Remember, we read in Exodus 19:5, 6 that if the people obeyed God’s
voice, then He would be their God and they would be His peculiar
people and treasure. They failed miserably, following after other
gods (Jeremiah 11:10).
There
are great and eternal benefits in obedience; God gave them promises
and benefits if they would honor His covenant. “And it shall
come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the
Lord
thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command
thee this day, that the Lord
thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: and
all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou
shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord
thy God.” Deuteronomy 28:1, 2. (Also see vv. 3-13). Please
take the time to read these beautiful and powerful promises. God is
no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). In what He promises to bless
or do for one of His children, he will also perform for another;
assuming the latter is not in rebellion against His authority.
Instead
of walking in love and obedience, the nation of Israel rejected God
and pursued after the wanton passions and lusts of their carnal
hearts. “But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but
walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart,
and went backward, and not forward.” Jeremiah 7:24. They
lusted after the false gods of the heathen nations around them. They
committed spiritual adultery and gave themselves over to serve
demons. “They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with
abominations provoked they him to anger. They sacrificed unto
devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that
came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.” Deuteronomy
32:16, 17.
Dear
brothers and sisters, consider that the Israelites had witnessed
many miracles which God performed on their behalf through Moses His
servant. Yet so quickly they forsook God, and followed after
“strange gods, who came newly up”. They had known the
promises of God for over five centuries through Abraham, and yet
they still abandoned and turned from the author of truth. We
Christians have much to consider by the example of ancient Israel.
Is it possible that perhaps we
“modern Christians” have possibly abandoned the author
of truth? Are we certain that we are not following after “strange
gods that have newly come up”? It has been several thousand
years since the first advent of Christ; are we certain we have not
forsaken the one true God and His only begotten Son? See Daniel
11:31-39. (For further information on this subject contact the
author.)
Conversion
is of the heart
Before
we continue, let us establish one thing and make it perfectly clear:
The law cannot save you! The law only condemns; it accuses us of our
sins. This is the purpose of the law; it serves as a mirror that
reflects the dirty condition of our soul—our sins. The law
points us to Christ. Salvation is only through faith in Christ. We
receive Christ by faith. He gives us His Holy Spirit. If we receive
it, Christ’s Holy Spirit will begin the wonderful process of
conversion. It is an inward conversion that must take place. “For
he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that
circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which
is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the
spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of
God.” (Romans 2:28, 29). Paul has just defined what a true Jew
is, in the proper spiritual sense: A Spirit filled Hebrew or
Gentile! Once we are in Christ, He points us back to His Father’s
law, for outside of Himself there is only sin and death; for the law
condemns those who are transgressing it.
A
changed law
“For
the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change
also of the law.” Hebrew 7:12. Does this mention of “a
change of the law” mean that all of God’s laws are
abolished? Certainly not! The only law in this context that “of
necessity” must be changed is a law that deals with the
priesthood. The Ten Commandment law says nothing about a priesthood,
so therefore when the priesthood was changed, there was no need to
change the Ten Commandment law.
As
mentioned earlier, most Christians today regard the new covenant as
delivering them from the law. In contrast to the example mentioned
earlier, can we now borrow money from the bank, but we need not pay
it back? We now receive the benefits of the covenant but we are free
to disregard its moral requirements? We are “free,” some
claim. Grace is mistaken as the permission to disregard God’s
holy law. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you
are not under the law, but under grace.” Romans 6:14. What
exactly are we “free” to do, commit sin? The apostle
Paul also declares, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin?
God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law…”
Romans 7:7. What is it to be under the law? It means you are under
its condemnation if you are transgressing it. “Do we then make
void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
Romans 3:31. Remember what Christ said about the law? He did not
come to destroy it, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). In other
words, to make complete: “For Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness to everyone that believeth.” Romans 10:4.
This
is where the nation of Israel failed. “But Israel, which
followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the
law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by
faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at
that stumblingstone; as it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a
stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him
shall not be ashamed.” Romans 9:31-33.
Another
popular error embraced by those claiming the new covenant has no
law, is this: If you merely mention “keeping the law”
you are disqualified from the game—you lose—for you are
a “legalist.” You stand accused of trying to achieve
“salvation by works.” Allow me to point them back to the
Word of God for their admonition: “Even so faith, if it hath
not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast
faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I
will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is
one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But
wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was
not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac
his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works,
and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled
which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how
that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”
James 2:17-24. Further, James adds: “For as the body without
the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”
(James 2:26). This “works” is the fruits of faith and
repentance, it is called obedience.
The
New Covenant
The
apostles wrote their gospels and epistles under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit of God. “For the prophecy came not in old time by
the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the
Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21. Regarding God’s Moral law,
the same apostle James further adds, “So speak ye, and so do,
as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” James
2:12. Here James has just declared that we will be judged by God’s
law! Why would a just God remove the very rules of conduct and
obedience by which He is going to measure and judge our souls? This
would be unfair. Yet James refers to God’s law as the law of
liberty! Why is that? Through faith in Christ, we are not under the
law, but under grace (Romans 6:14). The new covenant has the law of
God, now written in the hearts of His obedient people—no
longer in need of a schoolmaster (the Ceremonial law), for the
lesson, the principle, the love and desire to serve God with all of
our hearts will be manifested in our lives. It is the very character
of Christ, for we are then wearing the robe of righteousness which
Christ places upon us. Christ will find His church—His
people—sanctified by the merits of His own blood. “That
he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and
without blemish.” Ephesians 5:27. This is what God does with
His law in the new covenant; He does not abolish it, but writes it
in our very hearts. The Moral law is a reflection of the Author of
righteousness; it is His character. If it was possible to abolish
His righteousness, He would not have permitted His only begotten Son
to die the ignominious death on the cross. “…I will put
my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and
their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews
10:16, 17.
The
opponents of God’s Moral law speak of grace; but this “grace”
is a gift (Romans 5:15), the effect from the cleansing power of the
atoning blood that was shed by Christ for the remission from
our sins. Now that we have been cleansed from our past sins, is the
gift of grace the excuse to return to a life of sin? Can we continue
to break God’s law and commit sin under the name of grace?
Christ died because
of our sins. This
is the problem the proponents of a “lawless” new
covenant face when they attempt to harmonize their erroneous
theology with what the Bible teaches. “Whosoever is born of
God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he
cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9. “Sin
is the transgression of the law.” (Verse 4)
There
are only two places where the new covenant and its terms are
described in the New Testament. But first, let us look at the only
ordinance Christ gave to His New Testament church—the
communion service. “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and
brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given
for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after
supper, saying, This cup is the new testament [covenant] in my
blood, which is shed for you.” Luke 22:19, 20. Please notice
that Christ just declared the new covenant is “in His blood,”
no longer by the blood of animals. “Neither by the blood of
goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the
holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
Hebrews 9:12. And in another place we read: “Blotting out the
handwriting
of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and
took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” Colossians
2:14. The “handwriting” that was “taken
out of the way”
was the ceremonial law that was given by God to the nation of Israel
through Moses, written by Moses’ hand on scrolls and placed in
the side of the Ark. (Deuteronomy 31:24-26).
Those
who twist the sacred writings and attempt to make them say something
which they do not speak (regarding the passage we have just read)
will try to tell you that this is referring to God’s Moral
law—the Ten Commandments. It is not; the passage we just read
is speaking of the Ceremonial law and its attendant ordinances and
statutes, for how could the first commandment contained in the Moral
law be contrary to us—the one that commands us not to have any
other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3)? How about the fourth, the one
that begins with the words, “Remember the Sabbath…”?
This is the one that condemns those who reject it, as they callously
try to convince themselves, and others, that this is the commandment
we should forget—the one with the attached promise: if we keep
from defiling it, God will “cause” us “to ride
upon the high hills of the earth, and feed” us “with the
heritage of Jacob [Israel].” Isaiah 58:13. (Also see v. 14).
The new covenant is made only with the house of Israel.
Now
let us examine the language in the new covenant: “For this is
the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write
them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be
to me a people.” Hebrews 8:10. Paul has just quoted, word for
word, what God spoke through His prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:33;
see also vv. 31, 32). And again, God speaking through the apostle
Paul declares the same words found in the Old Testament: “This
is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith
the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds
will I write them; [notice He adds something] and their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 10:16, 17.
As
surprising as it may be to many sincere Christians, the new covenant
is made only with the “house of Israel” and to no other
people. In the Old Testament, at Mount Sinai, a covenant was entered
upon with the twelve tribes of Israel (representing God’s Old
Testament church), and was ratified by the blood of animals
representing
the blood of the Lamb of God (1 Peter 1:19; Revelation 13:8). At the
last supper, before His humiliation and crucifixion, Christ entered
into a covenant with the twelve Hebrews representing the New
Testament church, and ratified it with His own blood. This is the
New Testament church—spiritual “Israel,” God’s
true children. “But he is a Jew [spiritual Jew], which is one
inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit…”
Romans 2:29. So what of us Gentiles? How do we fit in to God’s
master plan?
The
Adoption
“It
was God’s design to make the family of Adam as His own, the
common head and father of the human race; but we find that at the
end of the age, prior to the flood, only eight souls feared the God
of heaven. After the flood, only one family remained; the family of
Noah became the second head of the human race. This family, grounded
in divine truth, should have become the heritage of the Almighty;
but when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth, they
again forsook God, and set their hearts upon sin and rebellion. Just
four hundred years after the flood, only but a handful of godly
people remained” (Ibid.) Comes now Abram, who, upon entering
into covenant with God, became Abraham—the “father of
many nations.” (Genesis 17:4) God said that He knew Abraham,
and that Abraham would command his children in the way of the Lord
(Genesis 18:19). To preserve this family from ruin through the
adulterous influences that surrounded them, God does something. He
adopts this family of Abraham His friend, and separates them by the
rite of circumcision and the Ceremonial law from all the rest of
mankind (Genesis 17:10). Note that this was five hundred and fifty
years before Israel stood at the foot of Mount Sinai! Those who
claim that the giving of the law was only to the Jews at Mount Sinai
are in error, for Abraham had been given the law, and kept it.
“Because that Abraham obeyed
my voice, and
kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
Genesis 26:5.
“Abraham
thus becomes the third grandfather of the human race; not the father
of the whole human race, as was Adam and Noah, but the father of the
people of God. This is
the adoption; through
faithful Abraham, God establishes His people. The rest of mankind is
given up to idolatry and atheism, not because God desired that any
should perish, but because they would not obey His voice (Ibid.)
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise [to restore the
heavens and the earth], as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. “As He
adopted Abraham’s family (through whom the nation of Israel
would come forth) He did not fully reject the rest of mankind, for
if they, through the Hebrews, would become circumcised and unite
with Israel in His service and worship, they too would be adopted.
This adoption was just and necessary, for by this means God
preserved upon the earth the knowledge of the one true God and His
worship. The Hebrew people, therefore, had a great privilege; they
had the adoption, the two covenants (plural,
see Romans 9:4), the giving of the law, the service of God (the
Levitical priesthood), the fathers, the promises, the prophets, the
ark of the covenant, the temple, and the knowledge and future hope
of the coming Messiah. Paul declares that the Jews had much
advantage for to them were given the oracles of God Romans 3:1, 2”
(Ibid.). “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be
much required.” Luke 12:48. Sadly, this nation of Israel (to
whom was entrusted the proclaiming of the one true God and the
coming of the Messiah to all the heathen nations of the world)
apostatized. Their darkness became so great that, after the time
when Christ was baptized of John in 27 A.D. and entered into His
ministry, the Jewish leaders while possessing for centuries the
prophesies that pointed to Christ as the Messiah, utterly rejected
Him as the promised Savior. Further, they even falsely accused Him
of healing by the power of the devil when He healed the blind and
dumb man (Matthew 12:22-24). Apostasy is a dish best served cold.
Until
the time for the nation of Israel was fulfilled, our Lord confined
His ministry to the Jewish people, declaring that He was not sent
but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). In
this account, the Canaanite woman, a Gentile who petitioned the Lord
for the healing of her daughter, even after the Lord’s gentle
rebuke her petition was granted. Why? The Lord gives us the answer:
“O woman, great
is thy faith: be
it unto thee even as thou wilt.” (Verse 28) Faith is the
golden key that unlocks the heart of God. (See Hebrews 11:6) But,
dear brothers and sisters (whether Jew or Gentile) obedience is the
fruit
of faith and repentance. When Christ sent out the twelve during His
ministry, He “commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of
the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But
go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew
10:5, 6. After the Lord’s ascension, the ministers of the Word
preached the gospel “to none but unto the Jews only.”
(Acts 11:19) Again we ask, “What of us Gentiles?”
“We
Gentiles have nothing to boast about; we came in as poor beggars. We
became spiritually rich by sharing with the Hebrews the blessings
that God had, for long ages, preserved in their hands. To the Jews
was committed the worship of the one true God centuries before the
Gentiles ever took notice of God” (Ibid.). Nevertheless, the
prophecy would be fulfilled; God had given Israel a set time before
which they, as a
nation, would
cease to be His chosen people; and this had been spoken to Daniel
the prophet: a 490-year probation. This is found in Daniel 9:24-27
where God says (to Daniel), “Seventy
weeks are
determined upon thy
people [the
Israelites] and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and
to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and
to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and
understand, that from
the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem
unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and
two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in
troublous times.”
The
“seventy weeks” is a prophetic time period; therefore we
must apply the prophetic conversion rule, where one “day”
equals one “year” (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34). There
are 7 days in one week; 7 multiplied by 70 (the “seventy
weeks” prophesied) equal 490. So then, “seventy weeks”
is 490 days, which prophetically speaking is 490 years. In the fall
of 457 B.C., Artaxerxes I Longimanus, king of Persia, in the sixth
year of his reign, gave to Ezra “the scribe” the
“commandment” or decree to rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra
7:10-13, 21, 23). Add 490 years to 457 B.C. and you arrive at 34
A.D. These were the years allotted for Daniel’s people—the
nation of Israel—to “make an end of sins.”
However, rather than receiving Christ with repentance and rejoicing,
they slew Him. At this time, in the fall of 34 A.D., Steven is
stoned, and the way is opened for the Gospel to be offered to the
Gentiles. God’s prophetic clock is precisely on time.
It
is at this period that the work for Gentiles is opened by the
conversion of Paul (Acts 9; 26:17). The Gentiles were “made
partakers of the spiritual things” (Romans 15:27) which God
had wisely and justly placed in the hands of Israel. “For I
would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery,
lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part
is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come
in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall
come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from
Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away
their sins.” Romans 11:25-27. Notice that Paul now refers to
the Hebrews and
the Gentiles all “Israel.”
Receiving
salvation by faith through the blood of Christ, Paul says of those
who were Gentiles in times past—but not now—that they
are “no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens
with the saints, and of the household of God.” (Ephesians
2:19; see also vv. 13, 14, 18-22) Thus they are no longer Gentiles,
but “Israelites.” They became sharers in the name, the
promises, and in the riches, of Israel. “That the Gentiles
should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body and partakers of his
promise in Christ by the gospel.” Ephesians 3:6.
It
is by this adoption into the commonwealth of Israel that the
Gentiles become sharers in the blessings of the new covenant.
This is spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah and the apostle Paul as we
examine the following passages:
OF
THE JEWS—“The Lord
called thy name, a green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with
the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the
branches of it are broken.” Jeremiah 11:16.
OF
THE GENTILES—“And if some of the branches be broken off,
and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and
with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; boast
not against the braches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the
root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were
broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief
they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded,
but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest
he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity
of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if
thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted
in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert cut out
of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary
to nature into a good olive: how much more shall these, which be the
natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?”
Romans 11:17-24.
“The
good olive tree is the family of Abraham, as adopted by the God of
the whole earth, when He gave up the rest of mankind to their chosen
idolatry and wickedness. It is ‘a green olive tree, fair, and
of goodly fruit.’ To this olive tree pertains the covenants of
promise. The first covenant is made with the people represented
thereby; the new covenant is made with the same people that the
first covenant was made with. The breaking off of many of the
branches of the tree is because that God’s ancient people
continued not in His covenant. “They are turned back to the
iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and
they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and
the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their
father. Jeremiah 11:10” (Ibid.).
Remember
that the Ceremonial law attended the first covenant; the same law
that was given to Adam, Noah, and Abraham. This sacrificial system
was a shadow; it was symbolic, pointing forward to Christ. The
ritual and ceremony of the sacrifice was to teach the people, in the
infancy of their faith, the great sacrifice that was made on their
behalf: that of God giving His only begotten Son.
Of
the new covenant it is written: “But now hath He obtained a
more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a
better covenant, which was established upon better promises.”
Hebrews 8:6. Those promises are that in the new covenant; God
promises to “put His laws into our minds, and write them in
our hearts.” But notice that it is still only with the house
of Israel; of which the Gentiles have been adopted by being grafted
into the green olive tree. “For this is the covenant that I
will make with the
house of Israel
after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their
mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God,
and they shall be to me a people.” Hebrews 8:10.
The
Gentiles then, through adoption, have become spiritual “Israel”
through “Abraham’s seed.” “There
is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:
for ye are all one
in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be
Christ’s
then are ye Abraham’s
seed, and heirs
according to the promise.” Galatians 3:28, 29.
“Wherefore
remember, that ye being in times past Gentiles in the flesh, who are
called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision
[Jews] in the flesh made by hands; that at the time ye were without
Christ, being aliens
from the
commonwealth of
Israel, and
strangers from the
covenants of promise,
having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ
Jesus ye who
sometimes were afar off
are made nigh by
the blood of Christ.
For He is our peace, who hath made both one [Jews and Gentiles], and
hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us…And
that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross,
having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you
which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him we
both [Jews and Gentiles] have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Now therefore ye [Gentiles] are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellow- citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
and are built upon the foundation
of the Apostles and
prophets,
Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone” Ephesians
2:11-14. See also vv. 16-20. The foundation that God built His
people upon was through faith in Christ, obedience to His voice and
the keeping of His laws. True faith in Christ will always bear the
fruits of obedience. “Here is the patience of the saints: here
are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus”
(Revelation 14:12).
The
Law Abolished at the Cross?
“Having
abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances [ceremonial laws]; for to make in Himself of
twain one new man, so making peace” Ephesians 2:15. Regarding
the rite of circumcision, from the pen of Paul we find:
“Circumcision is nothing, and un-circumcision is nothing, but
the keeping of the commandments of God.” 1 Corinthians 7:19.
Dear friends, this is just one example of the ordinances that
pertained to the Ceremonial law. It
was the Ceremonial law that was abolished at the cross
(Colossians 2:14). The Moral law is eternal. Let us briefly glance
at some examples of this fact. Isaiah 66:23—here is the
restored creation; God, speaking through Isaiah His prophet,
declares, “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon
to another, and from one Sabbath
[the seventh day] to another, shall all flesh come to worship before
me, saith the Lord.”
“All flesh” is going to come before God in the restored
creation and worship Him on the day He designated as His holy day;
the day He set apart at creation commemorating His work. The seventh
day is God’s sign and emblem as the sovereign God—Creator—and
by whom we are sanctified (Exodus 31:17; Ezekiel 20:12, 20).
In
His wisdom, God placed His Sabbath commandment in the very center of
His Moral law. Between the commandments that deal with the
relationship between God and man. This commandment is the only
commandment that identifies the true Creator of the universe. It is
His signature, His “seal”, His sign that He is the God
that sanctifies us (Exodus 31:13). This commandment is explicitly
mentioned in the New Testament in Hebrews 4:1-11. He attaches great
importance to this, for the fourth commandment begins with these
solemn words of Fatherly counsel: “Remember the Sabbath day.”
(for further study on this subject contact the author and request
the free studies, “Sunday The First Day” and “A
Treatise On The Sabbath”).
In
the last book of the Bible titled “The Revelation of Jesus
Christ,” we also find further evidence. “And the temple
of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the
ark of his testament:
and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an
earthquake, and great hail.” Revelation 11:19. Remember what
was put in the ark? His Moral law, the law He wrote with His own
finger (Exodus 25:21). Moses was given a “pattern” for
the building of the tabernacle and the ark; this had to do with the
priestly office of man ministering before God in the earth. Christ,
after His ascension, is ministering before God on man’s behalf
in heaven, in the heavenly sanctuary. “For Christ is not
entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures
of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us.” Hebrews 8:24.
The
earthly was but a pattern of the heavenly, and God instructed Moses
to place the Moral law (written by God’s own finger) inside
the ark, under the mercy seat, this is a “copy” of the
genuine that exists in heaven. “And after that I
looked, and,
behold, the temple
of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.”
Revelation 15:5. Notice the apostle John, under inspiration, is
referring to the heavenly sanctuary as the tabernacle “of the
testimony”—in other words, the
tabernacle “of
the law.”
(Compare also with Numbers 1:50) “And let them make me a
sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew
thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all
the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” Exodus
25:8, 9. “And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the
ark; and in the ark
thou shalt put the
testimony
that I shall give thee.” Exodus 25:21. This “testimony”
are the tablets of stone written by the finger of God—the Ten
Commandments (Deuteronomy 10:2-5).
Notice
also, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that
keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
Revelation 14:12. This verse describes that those “saints”
who have the “faith of Jesus” are keeping God’s
Moral law, His Ten Commandments. This is just prior to the seven
angels pouring the seven vials of the wrath of God upon the earth
(Revelation 16:1), for an angel comes out of the temple in heaven
crying with a loud voice declaring before Christ; who is sitting on
a cloud (Revelation 14:14), “for the harvest of the earth is
ripe.” Revelation 14:15.
It
should be understood that keeping God’s commandments is not
trying to gain salvation by works, but simple obedience! “And
we are witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost
[Spirit], whom God hath given to them that obey
Him” (Acts
5:32). Salvation is only through faith in Christ! Repentance is the
fruit of faith; repentance of what? Of sin! And what is sin? “Sin
is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4. What law; the
Ceremonial law? No, for that law was abolished in 31 A.D. It is the
Moral law, which is eternal. “But we know that the law is
good, if a man use it lawfully; knowing this, that the law is not
made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for
the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers
of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for
whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for
menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any
other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; according to the
glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my
trust.” 1 Timothy 1:8-11. Paul was speaking of the Moral law,
for he is speaking in regards to the content of the Ten
Commandments. Compare this passage with Galatians 4:8-11, where he
speaks of the Ceremonial law; where Paul refers to the “weak
and beggarly elements.”
Adam,
Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Daniel, Isaiah,
Elijah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Peter, and all the
other servants of Christ; they all, through faith in Christ, kept
God’s covenant and law. They taught others to honor God’s
law as Christ taught them. By faith, looked forward for His return
(see Hebrews chapter 11). “If thou wilt enter into life, keep
the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). If we allow the Bible to
speak for itself, it will correctly interpret its message and will
always be found in harmony. “All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16.
Today,
in our “enlightened” age you will find pious Jews in
their synagogues on the Sabbath, “according to the
commandment” (Luke 23:56); as they profess to honor and
worship God the Father by keeping His law, while at the same time
rejecting Christ His Son. Inversely, you will find sincere
Christians in church on Sunday, not
according to the commandment,
as they profess to honor and worship Christ; while rejecting His
Father by ignoring His law. “The most fatal delusion of the
Christian world in this generation is, that in pouring contempt on
the law of God they think they are exalting Christ. It was Christ
who spoke the law from Sinai. It was Christ who gave the law to
Moses, engraven on two tables of stone. It was His Father’s
law; and Christ says, “I and my Father are one” (John
10:30). The Pharisees held the reverse to the modern position, but
were in just as great an error. They rejected Christ, but exalted
the law. And it makes little difference which position is taken, so
long as we ignore the true one—that faith in Christ must be
accompanied by obedience to the law of God.” (From an article
written by James White printed by the International Tract Society in
1870.) Christ magnified the law in His sermon on the mount,
according to the prophecy in Isaiah 42:21.
Are
we Christ’s? Then we are Abraham’s seed (Galatians
3:29). Are we in covenant with God, or are we just pretending? What
is the measure for this rule? We need to consider the counsel of
Christ, and let Him search our hearts (Psalm 26:2). The words which
He spoke over two thousand years ago are for us today: “Well
hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This
people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men.” Mark 7:6, 7. (See Isaiah 29:13).
Dear
brothers and sisters, I pray that we do not fall into the category
of those whom our loving Savior Christ Jesus referred to as
hypocrites.
To
those who persist in their claim that the new covenant is void of
the law of God, the question must be asked,
“Is there sin in the world?
“But sin is not imputed when there is no law.”
(Romans
5:12)
“For
in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
un-circumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”
Galatians 6:15, 16
YAHUAH shalom!
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