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Matthew 5:17-20
"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not
come to destroy but to fulfil. "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. "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness
exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means
enter the kingdom of heaven.
Is the Law of God binding to Christians today or, as the bulk
of Christians say, are we free from the law. We are under grace and as such all
we have to do is be happy Christians and love God.
The majority tell us that the Law of God has been done away
with, that it has been nailed to the Cross and is of no effect any more. We live
under grace and not under law, is what they say.
Fact #1
The opposite of LAW is not GRACE but LAWLESSNESS.
By whom came the Law?
Fact #2
The Laws, Statutes and Judgements of God have been in effect
ever since creation.
They are not the Laws of Moses, as so often referred to, they
are the Laws of God. Moses simply wrote them down. Adam knew God's Law otherwise
he couldn't have sinned. Noah knew God's Law else he wouldn't have been able to
discern between a clean animal and an unclean animal. I believe people like to
refer to the Law as the Law of Moses because they somehow think it is easier to
say that God has done away with Moses' Law rather than God has done away with
His own Law.
To whom was the Law given?
Fact #3
The Law of God was first given to Adam. It was then passed
down through the Godly seed line of people such as Seth, Noah, Shem, Heber,
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Finally, it was given to the children of Israel.
At the foot of the holy mountain when Israel became the Bride
and God the Husband the Laws of God were the Marriage contract.
What do we mean when we refer to the Law of God?
Fact #4
Four Categories of the Law of God
1. THE COMMANDMENTS - as in the Ten Commandments. These were
the moral laws of God governing and regulating the personal conduct of the
individual.
2. THE STATUTES - as the Commandments were for regulation of
the personal life the Statutes were for regulation in the life of the nation.
They governed such things as health (food laws), the economy, finance,
agriculture, marriage and divorce, crime prevention, etc. In fact every possible
situation that would arise regarding civil law was dealt with in the Statutes.
3. THE JUDGEMENTS - these were the sentences that God handed
down as punishment for specific crimes. The nation was to administer these
Judgments. There were only two categories or penalties, 1. Death 2. Restitution.
4. THE ORDINANCES - these were God ordained rituals whereby
sins (the breaking of the Law) could be forgiven. This is the Sacrificial Law.
The blood of an innocent animal covered your sins.
NOTE: Jesus' blood didn't just cover our sins, it
blotted them out altogether.
Now by looking at Scripture let's read two witnesses that say
that it was the ORDINANCES that were nailed to the cross and not the whole Law
of God.
Colossians 2:13
And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He
has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having
wiped out the handwriting of ORDINANCES (requirements) that was against us,
which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having NAILED IT
TO THE CROSS.
Ephesians 2:13-15
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the
blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has
broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the
enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ORDINANCES, so as to
create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
The Purpose for the Law in the Old Testament
Now look at the Old Testament or Old Agreement between God
and man of which the Law was very much apart.
Exodus 24:3,7
So Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the
judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, "ALL THE
WORDS WHICH THE LORD HAS SAID WE WILL DO." {7} Then he took the Book of the
Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, "All that
the LORD has said we will do, AND BE OBEDIENT."
Psalms 19:7
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD
is sure, making wise the simple;
Proverbs 28:9
One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, EVEN HIS PRAYER IS AN
ABOMINATION.
These are just a few of the many Scriptures in the Old
Testament which tell us about the Law
The Purpose for the Law in the New Testament
The Law is the School Master to bring us to Christ. Many
think that in the New Testament pattern this is all the Law is for. We shall see
that there is a lot more purpose for the Law in our lives than people would like
us to think. For example we all know that whatever we ask when we pray if we
believe that we receive it we shall have it, but has anyone ever shown you this
condition from 1 John?
1 John 3:22
And whatever we ask we receive from Him, BECAUSE WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS and do
those things that are pleasing in His sight.
Here is another point to ponder. How well do you know God?
1 John 2:3-6
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says,
"I know Him," and does not KEEP His commandments, is a liar, and the
truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is
PERFECTED in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in
Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
1 John 5:2,3
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His
commandments. {3} FOR THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD, THAT WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS,
and His commandments are NOT burdensome.
John 10:35
"... to whom the word of God came and THE SCRIPTURE CAN NOT BE BROKEN,
John 14:15
"If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Acts 24:14
"But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a
sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing ALL THINGS which are written
in the Law and in the Prophets.
(Notice here early Christians were called followers of
"the Way" - another message).
It becomes clear from reading Scriptures such as these that
the purpose of the Law TO THE CHRISTIAN is not to show us as sinners because sin
has no part of us any more. The Law has been left in place to give us an
opportunity to show God how much we love Him. For us not to keep the Law would
be like a wife getting about the house and her daily business while adding
nothing to the relationship between her and her husband. Can you imagine how a
husband would feel if his wife continually said that she loved him but her
actions never showed this love.
Just as confessions of faith without works are empty words so
confessions of love without obedience are just empty words. Keeping God's Law
gives us a tangible way of telling God just how much we love and appreciate Him.
Like a woman who puts her arms around her man, the Law of God is a physical
expression of our love to Him.
Jason Potts
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