The Law.
Dispensationalism teaches that from the time of Moses to Jesus' crucifixion was the "Age of the Law." This dispensation was meant for Israel only not the Church (the Church and Israel are the same thing in the New Covenant). Again this not true or from God's Word.
Darby contrasted the age of “Law” with the age of “Grace,” as if mankind ought to stop obeying the law after the cross. That was/is a serious misperception that has justified Christians sinning in the church. But the Bible says “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4), i.e. breaking the law. If sin is breaking the law, it means that without the law there is no sin. So, if you say that there is no law any longer after the cross, it means that there are no sinners! Which is untrue.
The Bible tells us that God wrote the Ten commandments (the Law) on tables of stone with His own finger. However God’s law did not start at Sinai in Exodus 20, it started at creation, when God created the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2) and when God instructed Adam & Eve not to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3:3).
The first 4 commandments have to do with our relationship with God and the last six have to do with our relationship with other people.
After listing God’s law, in Deuteronomy 6, Moses tells the Israelites to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" (verse 5).
Jesus says something similar in Matthew 22 when the Pharisees asked which is the greatest commandment of the Law. He said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). These two great commandments are the ten laws summed up. The first four are a reflection of our love for God. The following six have to do with loving God’s people, our neighbours.
While in a relationship with God, keeping the commandments is an expression of our love and devotion to Him. Keeping the commandments will help us grow in our relationship with God and maintain stable relationships with the rest of humanity.
What is the Purpose of God’s Law?
The purpose of God’s law is to protect us from the pain of sin, and the downfalls of selfishness. The decalogue creates a pattern of living that leads to righteous actions, thoughts, and relationships.
On earth there are consequences of sin that affect us now. Trauma, stress, divorce, loss, unhappiness, careless mistakes-—these are only some of the pain we can avoid when we keep God’s law. He wants us to be happy and whole. He wants us to be like Him, to be acceptable in His sight.
The Law that has been passed down from generation to generation and then recorded in the Bible is important to us as Christians. The commandments show us God’s character and love.
Why is God’s law exceedingly important to you personally?
James 2:12, “Speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.”
Because the Ten Commandment law is the standard by which God examines people in the heavenly judgment.
Can God’s law (the Ten Commandments) ever be changed or abolished?
Luke 16:17, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.”
Psalm 89:34, “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.”
Psalm 111:7-8, “All His precepts [commandments] are sure. They stand fast forever and ever.”
No. The Bible is clear that the law of God cannot be changed. The commandments are revealed principles of God’s holy character and are the very foundation of His kingdom. They will be true as long as God exists.
Did Jesus abolish God's law while He was here on earth?
Matthew 5:17-18, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law. … I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. … Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
No, indeed! Jesus specifically asserted that He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfil (or keep) it. Instead of doing away with the law, Jesus magnified it (Isaiah 42:21) as the perfect guide for holy living. For example, Jesus pointed out that “You shall not murder”, condemns anger “without a cause” (Matthew 5:21-22) and hatred (1 John 3:15), and that lust is a form of adultery (Matthew 5:27-28). He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Will people who knowingly continue to break God’s commandments be saved?
Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.”
Isaiah 13:9, “He will destroy its sinners.”
James 2:10, “Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”
The Ten Commandment law guides us into holy living. If we ignore even one of the commandments, we neglect an essential part of the divine blueprint. If only one link of a chain is broken, its entire purpose is undone. The Bible says that when we knowingly break a command of God, we are sinning (James 4:17) because we have refused His will for us. Only those who do His will can enter the kingdom of heaven. Of course, God will forgive anyone who genuinely repents and accepts Christ’s power to change him or her.
Can anyone be saved by keeping the law?
Romans 3:20, “By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight.”
Ephesians 2:8-9, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
No! The answer is too plain to miss. No one has ever or ever will be saved by keeping the law. That includes people in the Old Testament. Salvation comes only through grace, as a free gift of Jesus Christ, and we receive this gift by faith, not by our works. The law serves as a mirror that points out the sin in our lives. Just as a mirror can show you dirt on your face but cannot clean your face, so cleansing and forgiveness from that sin come only through Christ.
Why, then, is the law essential for improving a Christian’s character?
Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all [whole duty].”
Romans 3:20, “By the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Because the full pattern, or “whole duty,” for Christian living is contained in God’s law. Like a six-year-old who made his own ruler, measured himself, and told his mother that he was 12 feet tall, our own standards of measure are never safe. We cannot know whether we are sinners unless we look carefully into the perfect standard—God’s law. Many think that doing good works guarantees their salvation even if they ignore keeping the law (Matthew 7:21-23). Hence, they think they are righteous and saved when, in fact, they are sinful and lost. “By this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3).
What enables a truly converted Christian to follow the pattern of God’s law?
Hebrews 8:10, “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts.”
Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ.”
Romans 8:3-4, “God did by sending His own Son … that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us.”
Christ not only pardons repentant sinners, He also restores in them the image of God. He brings them into harmony with His law through the power of His indwelling presence. “Thou shalt not” becomes a positive promise that the Christian will not steal, lie, murder, etc., because Jesus lives within us and is in control. God will not change His moral law, but He made a provision through Jesus to change the sinner so we can measure up to that law.
But isn’t a Christian who has faith and is living under grace freed from keeping the law?
Romans 6:14-15, “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin [break the law] because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”
Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”
No! The Scriptures teach the very opposite. Grace is like a governor’s pardon to a prisoner. It forgives him, but it does not give him the freedom to break another law. The forgiven person, living under grace, will actually want to keep God’s law in his or her gratitude for salvation. A person who refuses to keep God’s law, saying that he is living under grace, is sorely mistaken!
Are God’s law and Moses’ law the same?
Answer: No—they are not the same.
Moses’ law contained the temporary, ceremonial law of the Old Testament. It regulated the priesthood, sacrifices, rituals, meat and drink offerings, etc., all of which foreshadowed the cross. This law was added “till the Seed should come,” and that seed was Christ (Galatians 3:16, 19). The ritual and ceremony of Moses’ law pointed forward to Christ’s sacrifice. When He died, this law came to an end, but the Ten Commandments (God’s law) “stand fast forever and ever” (Psalm 111:8). That there are two laws is made clear in Daniel 9:10-11.
How does the devil feel about people who pattern their lives after God’s Ten Commandments?
Revelation 12:17, “The dragon [the devil] was enraged with the woman [true church], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God.”
Revelation 14:12, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God.”
The devil hates those who uphold God’s law because the law is a pattern of right living, so it is not surprising that he bitterly opposes all who uphold God’s law. In his war against God’s holy standard, he goes so far as to use religious leaders to deny the Ten Commandments while at the same time upholding the traditions of men. No wonder Jesus said, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? … In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:3, 9). And David said, “It is time for You to act, O Lord, for they have regarded Your law as void” (Psalm 119:126). Christians must wake up and restore God’s law to its rightful place in their hearts and lives.
Link
Dispensationalism teaches that from the time of Moses to Jesus' crucifixion was the "Age of the Law." This dispensation was meant for Israel only not the Church (the Church and Israel are the same thing in the New Covenant). Again this not true or from God's Word.
Darby contrasted the age of “Law” with the age of “Grace,” as if mankind ought to stop obeying the law after the cross. That was/is a serious misperception that has justified Christians sinning in the church. But the Bible says “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4), i.e. breaking the law. If sin is breaking the law, it means that without the law there is no sin. So, if you say that there is no law any longer after the cross, it means that there are no sinners! Which is untrue.
The Bible tells us that God wrote the Ten commandments (the Law) on tables of stone with His own finger. However God’s law did not start at Sinai in Exodus 20, it started at creation, when God created the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2) and when God instructed Adam & Eve not to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree (Genesis 3:3).
The first 4 commandments have to do with our relationship with God and the last six have to do with our relationship with other people.
After listing God’s law, in Deuteronomy 6, Moses tells the Israelites to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength" (verse 5).
Jesus says something similar in Matthew 22 when the Pharisees asked which is the greatest commandment of the Law. He said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). These two great commandments are the ten laws summed up. The first four are a reflection of our love for God. The following six have to do with loving God’s people, our neighbours.
While in a relationship with God, keeping the commandments is an expression of our love and devotion to Him. Keeping the commandments will help us grow in our relationship with God and maintain stable relationships with the rest of humanity.
What is the Purpose of God’s Law?
The purpose of God’s law is to protect us from the pain of sin, and the downfalls of selfishness. The decalogue creates a pattern of living that leads to righteous actions, thoughts, and relationships.
On earth there are consequences of sin that affect us now. Trauma, stress, divorce, loss, unhappiness, careless mistakes-—these are only some of the pain we can avoid when we keep God’s law. He wants us to be happy and whole. He wants us to be like Him, to be acceptable in His sight.
The Law that has been passed down from generation to generation and then recorded in the Bible is important to us as Christians. The commandments show us God’s character and love.
Why is God’s law exceedingly important to you personally?
James 2:12, “Speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.”
Because the Ten Commandment law is the standard by which God examines people in the heavenly judgment.
Can God’s law (the Ten Commandments) ever be changed or abolished?
Luke 16:17, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.”
Psalm 89:34, “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.”
Psalm 111:7-8, “All His precepts [commandments] are sure. They stand fast forever and ever.”
No. The Bible is clear that the law of God cannot be changed. The commandments are revealed principles of God’s holy character and are the very foundation of His kingdom. They will be true as long as God exists.
Did Jesus abolish God's law while He was here on earth?
Matthew 5:17-18, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law. … I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. … Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
No, indeed! Jesus specifically asserted that He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfil (or keep) it. Instead of doing away with the law, Jesus magnified it (Isaiah 42:21) as the perfect guide for holy living. For example, Jesus pointed out that “You shall not murder”, condemns anger “without a cause” (Matthew 5:21-22) and hatred (1 John 3:15), and that lust is a form of adultery (Matthew 5:27-28). He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Will people who knowingly continue to break God’s commandments be saved?
Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.”
Isaiah 13:9, “He will destroy its sinners.”
James 2:10, “Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”
The Ten Commandment law guides us into holy living. If we ignore even one of the commandments, we neglect an essential part of the divine blueprint. If only one link of a chain is broken, its entire purpose is undone. The Bible says that when we knowingly break a command of God, we are sinning (James 4:17) because we have refused His will for us. Only those who do His will can enter the kingdom of heaven. Of course, God will forgive anyone who genuinely repents and accepts Christ’s power to change him or her.
Can anyone be saved by keeping the law?
Romans 3:20, “By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight.”
Ephesians 2:8-9, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
No! The answer is too plain to miss. No one has ever or ever will be saved by keeping the law. That includes people in the Old Testament. Salvation comes only through grace, as a free gift of Jesus Christ, and we receive this gift by faith, not by our works. The law serves as a mirror that points out the sin in our lives. Just as a mirror can show you dirt on your face but cannot clean your face, so cleansing and forgiveness from that sin come only through Christ.
Why, then, is the law essential for improving a Christian’s character?
Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all [whole duty].”
Romans 3:20, “By the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Because the full pattern, or “whole duty,” for Christian living is contained in God’s law. Like a six-year-old who made his own ruler, measured himself, and told his mother that he was 12 feet tall, our own standards of measure are never safe. We cannot know whether we are sinners unless we look carefully into the perfect standard—God’s law. Many think that doing good works guarantees their salvation even if they ignore keeping the law (Matthew 7:21-23). Hence, they think they are righteous and saved when, in fact, they are sinful and lost. “By this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3).
What enables a truly converted Christian to follow the pattern of God’s law?
Hebrews 8:10, “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts.”
Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ.”
Romans 8:3-4, “God did by sending His own Son … that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us.”
Christ not only pardons repentant sinners, He also restores in them the image of God. He brings them into harmony with His law through the power of His indwelling presence. “Thou shalt not” becomes a positive promise that the Christian will not steal, lie, murder, etc., because Jesus lives within us and is in control. God will not change His moral law, but He made a provision through Jesus to change the sinner so we can measure up to that law.
But isn’t a Christian who has faith and is living under grace freed from keeping the law?
Romans 6:14-15, “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin [break the law] because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!”
Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”
No! The Scriptures teach the very opposite. Grace is like a governor’s pardon to a prisoner. It forgives him, but it does not give him the freedom to break another law. The forgiven person, living under grace, will actually want to keep God’s law in his or her gratitude for salvation. A person who refuses to keep God’s law, saying that he is living under grace, is sorely mistaken!
Are God’s law and Moses’ law the same?
Answer: No—they are not the same.
Moses’ law contained the temporary, ceremonial law of the Old Testament. It regulated the priesthood, sacrifices, rituals, meat and drink offerings, etc., all of which foreshadowed the cross. This law was added “till the Seed should come,” and that seed was Christ (Galatians 3:16, 19). The ritual and ceremony of Moses’ law pointed forward to Christ’s sacrifice. When He died, this law came to an end, but the Ten Commandments (God’s law) “stand fast forever and ever” (Psalm 111:8). That there are two laws is made clear in Daniel 9:10-11.
How does the devil feel about people who pattern their lives after God’s Ten Commandments?
Revelation 12:17, “The dragon [the devil] was enraged with the woman [true church], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God.”
Revelation 14:12, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God.”
The devil hates those who uphold God’s law because the law is a pattern of right living, so it is not surprising that he bitterly opposes all who uphold God’s law. In his war against God’s holy standard, he goes so far as to use religious leaders to deny the Ten Commandments while at the same time upholding the traditions of men. No wonder Jesus said, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? … In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:3, 9). And David said, “It is time for You to act, O Lord, for they have regarded Your law as void” (Psalm 119:126). Christians must wake up and restore God’s law to its rightful place in their hearts and lives.
Link
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