Are Christian Obliged To Keep The Law? - Ron Payne

QUESTION: ARE CHRISTIANS OBLIGED TO KEEP THE LAW? I am always thrilled when folk write in, to question, query, or even criticise my work. They are exercising their right and displaying their enthusiasm to ensure that any interpretation of scripture is correct. This is the very reason that Luke in his historical letter called “Acts” commended the Christians in Berea “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and daily, searched the Scriptures to see whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11 Unfortunately this subject about keeping the Law is so broad, that it is difficult to give an abbreviated answer. Where does one begin? I guess a good place to start is, with our Lord Himself. After all He is the centre of the entire Bible. Around Him pivots all the Laws, Grace and Mercy. Jesus said: “Don't suppose that I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning.” Mat 5:17 The Law of course had been so corrupted by those who were entrusted to interpret it, that it became a burden. Witness the interpretation of the Laws of God as written in the Mishnah. It actually becomes quite ridiculous and it was this form of poor interpretation of the law, which caused the several confrontations between Jesus and the hardened Pharisees. Even if the Law had never been corrupted, will you name me one Old or New Testament Saint, that has been saved through the keeping of the law? If you say you can, then I strongly recommend that you read Hebrews chapter 13 in its entirety. It is impossible for any man to be saved by keeping the Law. “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Rom 3:19-20 Note what the verse is saying! Allow me another question. To whom was the Law given?” Certainly not to the surrounding heathen or gentile nations. We are told “the Gentiles, which have not the law” Rom 2:14, also in Gal 3:8 “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith.“ We see then that the law was given explicitly to the Children of Israel. As time went on the Gentile world started to adopt these laws as their own and had, as Paul says in Rom 3:19-20: “become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. What does this all mean? Simply, when a non-Christian, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit looks at the law of God, it is like a mirror. All it does for him or her is to reflect their sins. They then come, or should come to realise that they are the most miserable and wretched of sinners, incapable of keeping the law at anytime, whether it be then or anytime in the future.

Think about this for a moment. If I could attain to the keeping of the law perfectly, then for me, Christ would have died in vain. “But no flesh” says Paul, “by the deeds of the law is justified in God’s sight. We see then that: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.” Gal 3:13 If I have been redeemed (Saved) from that which only curses me, why should I ever think of going back in an attempt to keep any part of something I am totally incapable of keeping? Remember too, Paul does not differentiate which of the laws he is writing about. He refers simply to the Law. If Paul was not referring to the Law as given in the Old Testament, surely he would have been quick to point this out. But he does not. Paul without any doubt was referring to the Law given to Moses and the children of Israel. Namely the Ten Commandments and all the other laws. We then the gentiles, the heathen nations if you like, are to walk in the same faith that God promised to Abraham. Remember, Abraham never had the law. The Law only came with Moses and was given only to Israel. So then they which be of faith *(not works) are blessed with faithful Abraham. (Salvation through faith) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Gal 3:9-10 (My emphasis.) Leviticus is known by every scholar as the book of the law. I understand this to means all the laws written in Leviticus and not only the Ten Commandments. Now comes the crunch. Note carefully God’s words through the apostle Paul when he says: “ cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Should I read Leviticus (The book of God’s laws) and wish to show God what a wonderful Christian I am, then by adopting a few laws that I might think are important, I would still have to adopt the entire law and continue practicing them perfectly to the letter. One cannot pick and choose in this matter. There is no verse that says I may adopt some laws and leave out others. A well-meaning friend invited me to read Leviticus chapter 23. I invited him and you dear Reader to do the same, but while doing this, ask yourself: “Where is my lamb without blemish that I am instructed to sacrifice? Where are the first fruits of my harvest that I must wave before the Lord? Where is my Tabernacle, I am to build? When last have I blown a trumpet before the people and the Lord?” If we have failed in any one of these things we have failed in them all. Besides all of the above, we have not even looked at the dietary laws. I have not stopped eating bacon, have you? Note the threat of a curse in the above verse. All those who place themselves under the curse of the law are cursed should they not continue to do all the things that are written in the book of the law. WHY? Because as we have seen in this study, it is impossible to keep the law. - I could not help myself at this point, but to shout loudly: “Thank God for Jesus Christ, who has redeemed me from the curse of the law.” We see too that not one of the Old Testament Saints was saved because they kept the Law. Chapter 11 in the book to the Hebrews tells us, that they were all saved by faith.

The following verse must not be overlooked: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God. Gal 2:20. What are the amazing and wonderful spiritual things that Paul is telling us? Firstly. Paul is saying that we have been crucified with Christ. We are dead to this world. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? (Laws) Col 2:20 Secondly. Can you handle this? Christ lives in every born again Christian”. I have been a Christian for 49 years, yet the full reality of what is being said, has only recently hit home. Is it not fantastic to realise that He who made all those laws (and kept them in full) LIVES IN ME! Thirdly. My life is being lived by the faith that Jesus the Son of Almighty God has. As long as I keep focused on Christ who is an integral part of me, then rules, regulations, laws, days, the Sabbath, nothing is as important, as is this marvellous fact: CHRIST THE SON OF ALMIGHTY GOD, IS ALIVE AND LIVING IN ME. The wonder of this all…. How marvellous! I quote Paul once more: (please read it in its entirety. A modern version is used for ease of reading and understanding) You have accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord. Now keep on following him. Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful. Don't let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments. These arguments may sound wise, but they are only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world and not from Christ. God lives fully in Christ. And you are fully grown because you belong to Christ, who is over every power and authority. Christ has also taken away your selfish desires, just as circumcision removes flesh from the body. And when you were baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from death. You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God's people. But God let Christ make you alive, when He forgave all our sins. God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory. Don't let anyone tell you what you must eat or drink. Don't let them say that you must celebrate the New Moon festival, the Sabbath, or any other festival. These things are only a shadow of what was to come. But Christ is real! Col 2:6-17. Last Statement/question. “If I am not bound by the Law then I can do as I like and it matters not whether I break the law or not.”

There is one thing certain and it is this: There are times when You are going to break God’s laws and fall into sin. John tells us (Christians) that we will sin but he also gives us an answer to it. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jhn 1:8-9 As Christians we have been instructed: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (Mat 5:16) We do this by knowing exactly who and what we are: “Men and women saved by God’s grace”. BUT, there is a new commandment, that answers the question/statement made above. This commandment is given to us by Jesus Himself: A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you; that ye also love one another. Joh 13:34 Jesus loved the world so much that He gave His life for us. He is asking that we love one another the same way. If you will obey this commandment, then you will in no way want to cheat, hurt, lie nor do anything to anger God or hurt any person. Think about it, you will be living as close to God as you possibly can and it will be highly pleasing to God. Your growth in this area towards perfect love for God and your fellowman is called sanctification. Sanctification is a process known as growing in grace. There will be periods of “Highs’ and “Lows” but as John says: “If any man sin, he has an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ Himself. As you grow in grace you will inadvertently be keeping the law and not looking to the law for salvation or attempting to prove your worthiness to God by the law. Your growth will also ensure that you sin less as sanctification increases. You will also come to realise, as you get closer to God, just how abhorrent sin is. Reaching this stage, you will have come to the realisation of the true worth of the Law. That the law is there only as a schoolmaster to show you what sin really is, what you really were. But it can never save. LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF JESUS: The First Commandment Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. The Second Commandment.

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Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There other commandment greater than these. Mathew 12:30 - 31