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IntroductionWhen talking about the law in the Bible there are a number of people that totally wants to abolish it."We are not under the law, we are under grace" they say.
Others say that it is about good and evil and not about doing the right thing. | 2Co 5:10 For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad. |
Some want to keep it but don't know why.
For some time I was somewhere in the middle, knowing that the God of the old and new testament is the same God. I also hold to the following 2 verses but were unable to actually provide context. Mat 22:37 And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the great and first commandment.
Mat 22:39 And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.
Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone. |
Bellow is my approach to what the law is not and what it is suppose to be. What the law is notTo present a holist approach to what the law is, let start by what the law is not.1. Justice system.
1. No where in the Bible did God issue any angles or Pharisees with a gun and a badge to enforce the law. | John 12:47 And if any man hear my sayings, and keep them not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. |
The law can be compared to the law of gravity, nobody have to enforce it.
2. Reward or wage contract.
Some of the Pharisees though that God will be forced to pay a wage or reward them for maintaining the law. Mat 8:12 But the sons of the kingdom will be put out into the dark, and there will be weeping and cries of pain.
The children of the kingdom - That is, the children, or the people, who “expected the kingdom,” or to whom it properly belonged; or, in other words, the Jews. They supposed themselves to be the special favourites of heaven. They thought that the Messiah would enlarge their nation and spread the triumphs of their kingdom. They called themselves, therefore, the children or the members of the kingdom of God, to the exclusion of the Gentiles. Our Saviour used the manner of speech to which they were accustomed, and said that “many of the pagans would be saved, and many Jews lost”.
- Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible |
3. Salvation or Righteousness.
Salvation is only and only obtained from believing and having a relationship with God. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Act 2:21 And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. |
4. Moral rules or value system.
You can keep a set of rules or values, but still not have a loving relationship with that person in knowing and caring for him, her or God. | Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. |
What is the law?Technically the law is the first 5 books of the Bible. To understand what the law actually is about, you must view it through the lenses of a loving relationship. It explains how a relationship with God and your neighbour should look like. If this relationship does not exist I believe the law must at least provide the desire to have one.The law consist of a number of things that also include rules and examples of what pleases God and strengthens our relationship with Him or inhibit, hurt or destroy the relationship. Even in our relationships with other people we know that there are certain rules and limits that should be followed to make an excellent relationship. But remember the rule is not the relationship; it only provide guidance and boundaries to ensure a good and healthy relationship. We cannot initiate the relationshipAs we all know we do not have the ability to please or establish a loving relationship with God. | Rom 3:10 as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; |
So how do I obtain this relationship? Jesus not only gained salvation for us through the cross but restored the relationship. Rom 5:1 Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
Rom 5:2 through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. |
We allow the Holy Spirit to control us. Rom 8:4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:4 So that what was ordered by the law might be done in us, who are living, not in the way of the flesh, but in the way of the Spirit. |
We hand over everything and allow the Holy Spirit to change us. Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
Rom 12:2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. |
So why do we need the law?There are a large number of voices that want to have our attention and dislike the idea of us having excellent relationships with God and neighbour. To list a few: our bodies, the devil, the media and other people. With the law we can test these voices and to determine if our relationships are growing in the right direction. Some examplesThe law shows us what makes God happy and unhappy. Let us look at a few examples:
1. God is happy when He is the only God in our lives. Ex 20 – the 10 commandments.
2. We look after and care for our marriages.
We will not have a good marriage relationship when we start to look at other woman (this includes pornography) with or without our wives knowledge. | Mat 5:28 but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. |
We must use this as a guideline to determine if we are on the right track with our marriages.
3. We cannot have a good relationship with a friend or God if we lie to them, steal their stuff, or mistreat them. Ex 20 – the 10 commandments.
4. It makes God unhappy when we oppress strangers or even just hate them. I believe that is why Jesus told the story about the Good Samaritan. Exo 22:21 And a sojourner shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Exo 22:21 Do no wrong to a man from a strange country, and do not be hard on him; for you yourselves were living in a strange country, in the land of Egypt. |
5. If we care for widows and fatherless children. Exo 22:22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
Exo 22:23 If thou afflict them at all, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
Exo 22:24 and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
Jam 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. |
From a relationship point of view you should be able to understand that to improve your relationship with God, your wife and neighbour you need to know what make them happy and unhappy. Only when controlled by the Holy Spirit, will you actions be changed and will you be able to see how your relationships are restored as God intended them to be. How should we read the law?From the information above you should quite easily see the following sections from the 5 books of the bible:
1. Stories or examples. Abraham, Joseph, etc.
2. Rules, limits and conditions. 10 commandments.
3. Blessings. | Deut 6:2 that thou mightest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. |
4. Practical guides for living. The rules for a clean healthy living.
5. Ceremonies.
6. Offerings.
Keep in mind that the currency of the time was live stock while today we work with paper money.
7. Prophesies. Act 3:22 Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me. To him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you.
Deut 18:15 Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; |
It is not intended for this list to be complete, but to service as a practical guideline. ConclusionIt is all about relationship.
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The new testiment talk about 4 kinds of baptisms
1. The baptism of John 3:4 Now John himself had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 3:5 Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan; 3:6 and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 7:29 And all the people when they heard, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
18:25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spake and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John:
2. The baptism of suffering
10:38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup that I drink? or to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
3. The baptism as commanded by Jesus 28:19 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:
4. The baptism of the Holy Spirit 3:11 I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and `in' fire:
1:8 I baptized you in water; But he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit.
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It is quite difficult to distinguish between being emotional and spiritual, or any combination of the two. There were times where I have fought for something that I believed in fervently, to only discover later that it is not Biblical.
The only way that I know that I have been lead by the Holy Spirit is when my actions bore fruit and my actions was within the framework of the Bible.
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Why do we feel upset when others disagree with us?
Why is it so difficult to listen, think, listen, ask questions, listen, think, listen, ask questions, etc.
This is one area where I really fall short of.
I am one of those that are quick to answer:
"This is not in the Bible ... ", or
"The following passages if read in a whole will give you a total different perspective."
I want to prove my point!
Is this Biblical? I do not believe being always correct, no matter what the cost is Biblical.
What should we do?
Romans 14 and 15 actually say that we should not always disagree with everybody, but accept them.
Most people wants to be correct and if you disagree with them, they will try to prove their point no matter what the cost and you may end in a "Is, Is not, Is, Is not" conversation.
I think in Romans 14 and 15 Paul ask us to listen to others, ask them for the source of their information, ask them how they got to their conclusion. Other questions like "Did you know that the follow is also in the Bible ...".
In doing so we may discover Biblical truths ourselves. And help new believers in a polite manor to discover the truth of the Bible. You will also find that when your views differ and you find that your views are not totally in line with the Bible you, you were never in a position where your incorrect views were exposed as incorrect.
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It is rather interesting that new research has shown how important it is that you should control what information you take in and how you take it in. Excessive television (radio, reading, etc) will overwhelm you with information of other people’s values, where they try to convince you that their values are correct. Most people sympathies with the poor lady in a story for cheating on her husband just because she wanted to have an affair, seemed to be the right thing or felt so good. Advertisers fill our heads with "It is your right...", "you will be happy when you own...", "Success...", "you will look beautiful..." I do believe that James 4: 1-4 ask the right questions in this regard.
4:1 Whence `come' wars and whence `come' fightings among you? `come they' not hence, `even' of your pleasures that war in your members? 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend `it' in your pleasures. 4:4 Ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God.
What should you do? 1. Paul told us to take every though captive. 2 Corinthians 10:5.
10:5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;
We must actively filter and over think the information that is presented to us. Talk and ague about it, research and investigate it using the Bible. 2. Spending more time in the Word of God than the other sources of information. You must determine the dominant source of values in your life. 3. Interact with the information given to you. This does not mean shout to the tele / book or other media, write hate mail or any of the kind, but the following: 1. Research the information; do not take everything as fact. 2. Take into consideration that mostly everything on the tele, newspaper, magazines is paid to be there and may not necessarily to be correct. 3. Use the information to make conversation when you share the gospel using statements like - Did you know? - Where did you hear that? - How did you come to that conclusion?
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