The New American Standard Bible has for verse 4, “in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, . . .” Notice that this quote says there is a REQUIREMENT to obey the law, the Ten Commandments.
Jesus, as a human being, fulfilled the law, the Ten Commandments, by perfectly obeying them, thus showing us that human beings can perfectly keep the law also. When we become born-again Christians and perfectly keep the law, the law is fulfilled in us just the way it was fulfilled in Jesus. Paul refers to these people in Romans 8:2-4 as if they are going to get to a point in their lives where they don’t sin anymore.
We saw that we can never quit sinning without God’s grace, God’s help. Paul says in Romans 7:18 that there is no good thing in him. We are full of sinful tendencies. The idea is to replace our thoroughly sinful characters with a character formed by God’s grace. When that happens we won’t sin anymore. But, in order for this to happen, we must want this with all our heart and mind. In order for this to happen it must be our supreme desire to want to follow God perfectly and to keep His commandments. God will never force us to obey Him.
Jesus came to earth as a human being and condemned sin in the flesh by never sinning, showing us that we can also do this. When the “requirement of the law” is fulfilled in us, we will not be sinning. When the “requirement of the law” is fulfilled in us, we will be keeping the Ten Commandments perfectly, including properly keeping holy God’s Sabbath day, Saturday.
Galatians, like Romans, has a lot to say about being justified. Consider Galatians 2:16. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Remember that being justified means being made righteous, and that being righteous is keeping all ten of the commandments. Remembering also that God’s grace is the power given to those who really want to obey God, we see in these verses also that we are justified by faith. We are made righteous by faith also. Faith, therefore, operates like God’s grace to give us the ability, the power to obey God’s law. This is why Paul says that “by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified,” because nobody can obey the law without God’s grace or faith.
Verses seventeen and eighteen make it clear that it is possible for us to fall away after we have come to Christ. “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.“
The next verse talks about being dead to the law. “For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.“
If this law that a person is dead to is the Ten Commandments, and being dead to the law means that we no longer need to obey the Ten Commandments, then are we free to commit murder or adultery, or any of the other sins prohibited by the Ten Commandments?
Notice how Paul became dead to the law. Verse nineteen says that he became dead to the law THROUGH THE LAW. The Ten Commandments convicted Paul of sin, and by the Grace of Christ he was able to overcome sin so that he no longer was under the condemnation of the law. If he never breaks the law, then he does not have to worry about the law. He has developed his character to the point that he naturally never sins. He is dead to the law. He is a born-again Christian, who, according to First John 3:9, “cannot sin.”
This verse is reminiscent of Galatians 3:24,25. “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”
How is the Ten Commandment law our schoolmaster? The law points out our sins as Paul says in Romans 7:7: “What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” When we look into God’s law, the Ten Commandments, and compare our characters to that law, we realize that we are in a terrible condition. When faith comes, when the power from Christ to overcome sin and obey the law comes, we are able to quit sinning. When this happens, we no longer need the schoolmaster, for our characters are then in harmony with Christ.
Galatians 2:21 tells us what we saw in Romans, that it is by the power of Christ, His grace and His faith, that we are able to obey the law. “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Notice that Paul does not frustrate the grace or power of God to keep him from sinning. Paul, therefore, must be obeying all ten of the commandments. When he says that righteousness does not come by the law he is saying again that he can not keep the law by himself, without grace. Remember that the Ten Commandments define righteousness. (Psalms 119:172) Paul also says here that if he could keep the law without Christ, then Christ did not need to die.
Next let us continue into Galatians, chapter 3. Verse one says, “O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” Notice the phrase “obey the truth.” What is truth? We saw in Psalms 119:151 that all of the Ten Commandments are truth. “You are near, O Lord; and all your commandments are truth.” Someone bewitched the Galatians by telling them that they no longer needed to obey the Ten Commandments.
As we continue in Galatians 3 remember that verse one said that the Galatians had been bewitched. “This only would I learn of you, Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Who is it that receives God’s Holy Spirit? We saw that those who disregard any of the Ten Commandments cannot have the Holy Spirit, for the Bible tells us in Acts 5:32 that God gives His Holy Spirit to those who OBEY Him. “We are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God has given to them that obey him.” Since it is impossible for us to obey the law without the grace or faith of Christ, we cannot receive the spirit by trying to obey the law without Christ’s help. Therefore grace or faith must come first to give us the power to obey the law so we can have God’s Holy Spirit. And we saw that God’s grace or faith can only come if we want to obey the Ten Commandments with all our being.
We saw in chapter one that Satan gives people his spirit and makes them believe that it is the Holy Spirit. Sunday-keepers cannot have the Holy Spirit because by keeping Sunday they are not obeying God.
“Are you so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Here we see that the Galatians had become self-confident, believing that they could keep the law by themselves without the grace of Christ. Of course they could not keep the law without grace, and so when they became proud and self-sufficient they became backsliders.
You receive God’s Spirit by being willing to obey Him, by being willing to put fourth the effort required to overcome sin and keep His commandments. If you manifest an attitude of rebellion against keeping the commandments, or if you become self-confident that you can keep the law yourself, you cannot receive the Holy Spirit. When one becomes self-confident he thinks that he is righteous in himself. This is the recipe for failure.
Continuing with Galatians 3:6 “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” We see here again that true Christians are modern-day Israel.
Verse 8: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” We saw earlier that to be justified was to obey the Ten commandments. Paul says that it is through faith that we get the power to be able to do this.
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that does them shall live in them.”
We have seen that no one can keep the law without help from Christ. That is what Paul is saying here when he says “no man is justified by the law. . .” He then goes on to say that the just shall live by faith, by grace, by the power of God. When our conscience against sin is strong by the power of God, we will not sin; we will not break any of the Ten commandments. Paul says in verse ten that if you are going to keep the law all by yourself, you had better keep them all that way.
We are seeing that there are many texts in the New Testament in many different books that say this same thing over and over again.
Continuing with verse seventeen: “And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.“
Notice these verses speak of a law that was added 430 years after the covenant God made with Abraham. These verses also tell us why the law was added: because of transgression. Earlier we saw that transgression or sin is breaking any of the Ten Commandments. For there to have been transgression, there had to have been the Ten Commandments. We also saw that the Ten Commandments were in existence long before the earth was created. This law that was added, therefore cannot be the Ten Commandments. The law that was added was the civil law governing the theocracy of Israel when it was established 430 years after the promise.
“Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” Here again Paul is saying that it is impossible for us to keep the law without the grace, the faith of Christ.
Galatians 5:3,4: “For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect to you, you who are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace.” Clearly, Paul is talking about the ceremonial law that came to an end at the cross. If a person insists on keeping the ceremonial law, Paul says he is obliged to keep the entire ceremonial law, including the animal sacrifices. But to do this would be a sacrilege saying that Christ did not die for our sins. This is why Paul says here that “Christ is become of no effect to you. . . .”
Circumcision is not part of the Ten Commandments. Paul says in First Corinthians 7:19 that circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments is everything.
While we are on the subject of the ceremonial laws, let us look at other verses that discuss these laws.
Colossians 2:14-17 “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;”
First of all, since the Ten Commandments will last forever, these handwriting of ordinances cannot be the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are definitely not against us, for by them the universe is guaranteed peace and happiness. If everyone on earth kept the Ten commandments perfectly there would be no trouble of any kind. There would be no wars or strife. Everyone would deal honestly with everyone else.
We showed earlier that Christ would cause the animal sacrifices to cease. Daniel 9:27 says, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, . . .” These animal sacrifices were part of the ceremonial laws. Therefore what Christ nailed to His cross were these ceremonial laws with their animal sacrifices.
Continuing with Colossians 2:15-17 “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.“
Connected with these ceremonial laws were yearly Sabbath days and instructions in meat and drink. Paul is telling the Colossians not to let those, who were contending that new Christians should keep these ceremonial laws with their yearly Sabbaths, interfere with the true Gospel of Christ. Notice that these ceremonial laws were a shadow of things to come. “But the body is of Christ.” Christ was casting a shadow back to Old Testament times, a shadow which represented Christ’s sacrifice in each and every animal sacrifice that was offered. When Christ, the true Lamb of God was sacrificed, the animal sacrifices and the ceremonial law had no more meaning. However, Christ is our High Priest ministering His blood in the true tabernacle in heaven for us. All the ceremonial procedures in the Old Testament were a model of the true ceremonies in the true tabernacle in heaven.
Paul also chastises the Galatians for wanting to observe these annual Sabbath days in Galatians 4:10 “You observe days, and months, and times, and years.”
These handwriting of ordinances are also mentioned in Ephesians 2:14-16 “For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:“
Here we see that Christ abolished these “commandments contained in ordinances” in His flesh. Are these the Ten Commandments that were abolished? They cannot be, otherwise there would be a contradiction in the Bible. We also know that this is not referring to the Ten Commandments because the Ten Commandments are repeated in many places in the New Testament. We saw earlier that what Christ abolished at the cross were the ceremonial laws. These “commandments contained in ordinances,” therefore, are the religious ceremonial laws that are no longer in effect.
Romans 14:4-6 “Who are you that judges another man’s servant? to his own master he stands or falls. Yea, he shall stand: for God is able to make him stand. One man esteems one day above another: another esteems every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regards the day, regards it unto the Lord; and he that regards not the day, to the Lord he does not regard it. He that eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he that does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.”
These verses concern the controversy that was occurring over the ceremonial laws. The days Paul is talking about here are the yearly Sabbath days connected with the ceremonial laws that were nailed to the cross. The ceremonial laws contained instructions on eating and drinking, which Paul is referring to in these verses.
In chapter one we saw that Christ, Himself, gave the Ten Commandments from Mt. Sinai. Let us look into this a little further.
Phillippians 3:20 tells us that Jesus is the Savior. “For our conversation is in heaven; where we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:”
Next, Isaiah 43:10,11 tells us that there is only one Savior. “You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no savior.”
It is so sad that people do not realize that the Lord of the Old Testament is the Christ of the New Testament. The verses we just read show this clearly.
James 4:12 tells us that there is also only one lawgiver. “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who are you that judges another?”
Since Jesus is the only lawgiver, that makes the Ten Commandments the law of Christ, which is mentioned in Galatians 6:2.
Not only is Jesus the only lawgiver, He is also the Creator. There are many verses in the Bible that show this, but we will only look at a couple of them.
Colossians 1:14-16 makes it very clear. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”
John 1:1-3,10,14 also shows that Christ is the Creator. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” It should be obvious that the Word is Jesus.
We saw that the Ten Commandment law is the constitution of the universe. Since the Ten Commandment law is the law of Christ, and since Christ is the Creator, it should come as no surprise that the Ten Commandments are the constitution of the universe.
Remember that Jesus, Himself, told us to keep the commandments if we expect to be saved. “And, behold, one came and said to him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said to him, Why do you call me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:16,17) How could it possibly be any clearer?
Why does God begin the Sabbath commandment with the word “remember?”