How anyone who calls himself a Christian could think that the Law of Moses is still in effect, is beyond me. It is noted how some pick and choose things from the Law, like tithing and Sabbath observance; but the law is one whole. How can it be anything but hypocrisy to claim to follow the law, yet not observe the 7th year sabbath, not go to Jerusalem 3 times a year, not seek ashes of a red heifer for defilement, not follow the fringes, etc. dress code of the Law, and obey circumcision?
The law did not exist before Moses, it was only given to Israel, it was in force during the ministry of the Lord Jesus on earth, but it ended at the cross. It is positively harmful to try to put persons under that yoke of bondage.
As Peter said in Acts 15:
"Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did to us; and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that you should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"
ROM 10:3-4 "For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
The Christian rightly has destroyed any law-ism that he had:
"For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought.
Neither the imputed righteousness of Christ which a man receives when he trusts Christ as Savior, nor the production of practical righteousness in the Christian life comes by the Law.
At the basis of our Christian life is our co-crucifixion with Christ. We were baptized into the Body of Christ, connecting us so intimately with Christ that when He died on the cross, so also our Old Man died; our co-resurrection with Christ is the basis of our walking in newness of life.
Rom 6: "We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin.
The Old Man flesh provided a "body" for sin, which dwells in the flesh. What we want is to be alive apart from the law. When the law comes, sin revives and we die (get out of fellowship with Christ) and enter a state of carnality and frustration in the Christian life. (Rom 7: When the law came, sin revived and I died. . . . I am carnal, sold under sin.")
The law was a temporary child-guardian, pedagog. Gal 3-4.
When we trusted Christ as Savior, we were joined to Christ and “died to the Law.” (Rom.7:4).
The Law was abolished, made inoperative.
Ephesians 2:14-15: " For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances. "
At the cross was nailed and blotted out:
Colossians 2:13-14: 13. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He [God the Father] has made alive together with Him [ Jesus], having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.
The weak and unprofitable Law was put away:
Hebrews 7:18: For truly there is a putting away of the commandment which went before, because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it.
Hebrews argues that by making a new covenant, the old was made obsolete.
"Hebrews 8:13: When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear."
The law has been taken away:
Hebrews 10:9: Then He said, "Lo, I come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first so that He may establish the second.
Trying to follow the law calls into question a man's salvation:
"Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods: but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how turn you back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto you desire to be in bondage over again? You observe days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain."
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s. - Col 2.
The law did not exist before Moses, it was only given to Israel, it was in force during the ministry of the Lord Jesus on earth, but it ended at the cross. It is positively harmful to try to put persons under that yoke of bondage.
As Peter said in Acts 15:
"Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did to us; and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that you should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?"
ROM 10:3-4 "For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
The Christian rightly has destroyed any law-ism that he had:
"For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a transgressor. For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought.
Neither the imputed righteousness of Christ which a man receives when he trusts Christ as Savior, nor the production of practical righteousness in the Christian life comes by the Law.
At the basis of our Christian life is our co-crucifixion with Christ. We were baptized into the Body of Christ, connecting us so intimately with Christ that when He died on the cross, so also our Old Man died; our co-resurrection with Christ is the basis of our walking in newness of life.
Rom 6: "We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin.
The Old Man flesh provided a "body" for sin, which dwells in the flesh. What we want is to be alive apart from the law. When the law comes, sin revives and we die (get out of fellowship with Christ) and enter a state of carnality and frustration in the Christian life. (Rom 7: When the law came, sin revived and I died. . . . I am carnal, sold under sin.")
The law was a temporary child-guardian, pedagog. Gal 3-4.
When we trusted Christ as Savior, we were joined to Christ and “died to the Law.” (Rom.7:4).
The Law was abolished, made inoperative.
Ephesians 2:14-15: " For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances. "
At the cross was nailed and blotted out:
Colossians 2:13-14: 13. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He [God the Father] has made alive together with Him [ Jesus], having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.
The weak and unprofitable Law was put away:
Hebrews 7:18: For truly there is a putting away of the commandment which went before, because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it.
Hebrews argues that by making a new covenant, the old was made obsolete.
"Hebrews 8:13: When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear."
The law has been taken away:
Hebrews 10:9: Then He said, "Lo, I come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first so that He may establish the second.
Trying to follow the law calls into question a man's salvation:
"Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods: but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how turn you back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto you desire to be in bondage over again? You observe days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid of you, lest by any means I have bestowed labor upon you in vain."
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day: which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s. - Col 2.
