The discovery of electricity
revolutionized the existence of man on the planet. With it we now have the capacity to go farther
than was ever dreamed before its discovery.
It provides us with heat, cold, transport; it gives us the ability to
see through space and to communicate over vast distances. Electricity is by far one of the greatest discoveries
of mankind. However, this power would be
useless if we were unable to harness this energy and put it to use. It is through harnessing this energy that we are
able to produce all the wonders we now enjoy.
Electricity is therefore a perfect
analogy to introduce this next installment. Your local power company provides your city
with the electricity that it needs to run all your appliances and tools that
are necessary for your daily activities.
Now the power company does not bring this power to us in a box or in a
paper bag does it? No, each of our homes
has a direct link to the source of the electricity – the power station. The
power station sends via wires and cables the power -- which in its raw form is
completely useless to us and in fact it is quite deadly. (Anyone doubting this can prove this statement
by using their finger to harness the power directly!) This power becomes useful to us as it is
channeled into our homes via outlets. It
is these outlets that provide us with a point of contact that we can use to
plug in our devices.
Here is where our use of power gets
tricky. The power is not the thing that
you really want. What you really want is
what the power can produce in your life.
For example to make a daiquiri you do not just need electricity but also
a blender. The blender, once connected
to the outlet then becomes a useful tool through which you can perform a
purpose. But what exactly causes the
blender to work? You have power,
yes. You have the blender, yes. But what is the most essential, often
overlooked, part of the equation? It is
the power cord that comes with every appliance, tool or electronic device. This often overlooked element is most
important for the simple fact that it turns the electricity into a useful state
from which we can fulfill our purpose.
Without the electrical cord the device will never work.
In keeping with our analogy; the
power becomes useful to us through the power cord that converts the electricity
to power our devices. The power cord
therefore is the conduit of the power.
But who determines what power cord to use on which device; the manufacturer
of course. But what if you the consumer
decided to cut the power cord from the device and connect to a power cord that
is not compatible with that particular device.
What would happen if you tried to connect your blender to the outlet
using a power cord that is designed for your mobile phone? It will not work. Why?
You have power, yes. You have the
device, yes. But what is the problem? The problem is the power cord. In this case
it would not provide sufficient power to the appliance and would result in the
device itself malfunctioning. But what does this all have to do with the Old
Testament? Everything.
The power company represents the power of God that is available to us,
the device represents our lives and the power cord represents the covenant that
God uses to interact with us and provide us with his power in the earth. You will come to see the importance of the covenant
(power cord) in the life of the believer, and you will understand how important
it is for us to connect to God with the correct power cord in order to gain
the desired results of life.
What was the other
gospel of the Galatians?
The Galatians had a problem. When Paul wrote to them he used some very
harsh words that were instrumental in declaring their conduct as heretical and
erroneous to the body of Christ. He peppered
his epistles with phrases like ‘Oh foolish Galatians’ and ‘Who
had bewitched you’. These are
indeed strong words from the apostle Paul that were used to target this
group. But why the strong language
brother Paul, why the harsh rhetoric? It
was because they had adopted another gospel that was completely different from
the one that Paul had preached to them.
Listen to what he says to them:
I marvel
that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not
another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of
Christ. Galatians 1:6, 7
They had adopted another gospel. Listen to his concern for the saints:
Ye did run
well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion
cometh not of him that calleth you. Galatians 5:7, 8
In this verse he says that whatever
this ‘other’ gospel was it was instrumental in hindering them from
obeying the truth. Do you realize what
this means? The gospel that they were
now listening and submitting to was now hindering them from obeying the
truth. To hinder means to obstruct or
get in the way of something. So whatever
this new gospel was it was obstructing their progress in the true gospel. He clearly says that such a persuasion does not come from the
one (Christ) who calls them.
So what was the nature of the
other gospel?
This other gospel sought to please
men. Now before establishing what group
of men the apostle was talking of let us first prove that this is what he said:
As we have
said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel
contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I
striving to please men? If I were still
trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. Galatians
1:9-10
Is there any example that can be
seen that would prove this new gospel in action? Yes there is, consider the following:
But when
Cephas came to Antioch
Did you catch that? Do you see what he said? These men were not acting in accordance with
the truth of the gospel. But in which
way did this occur ‘he began to withdraw and hold
himself aloof’. Peter withdrew
himself from eating with the Gentiles.
Why was this? According with the
Law of Moses, the Jews were not to have any accord with the Gentiles. Consider Peter’s own words in the book of
Acts:
He said to
them: "You are well aware that it
is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure
or unclean. Acts 10:28
What therefore caused this action
by Peter and others? They for a brief moment had reverted to following the Mosaic Law.
For prior
to the coming of certain men from James…
These were the Jewish
Christians. Peter withdrew himself in
order to please the Jewish brothers. Now
why did he do that? The answer to that question
will help us to realize what this other gospel was that the Galatians were
consuming.
Now back to or original thought,
can we prove that this new gospel was focused on pleasing men. Yes we can; we saw it in the above
verses. But just what type of men was
this new gospel aiming to please?
But when I saw that they were not
straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew,
live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the
Gentiles to live like Jews?
Were the Galatians the only ones
with this problem? No they were
not. Paul had the same problem in Ephesus
As I urged
you upon my departure for Macedonia Ephesus
Before we go on let us establish
what the men were supposed to be teaching:
But the goal
of our instruction is love from a pure heart
and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1
Timothy 1:5
So whatever these strange teachings
were they did not lead the ones being taught to love from a pure heart and a
good conscience and a sincere faith.
This doctrine was indeed strange.
Ok, Paul left Timothy in Ephesus
For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,
wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not
understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. 1 Timothy 1:6-7
Did you see what this other gospel
was producing? These men that were in Ephesus
This new gospel was a compulsion to
follow the Mosaic covenant. The new
gospel compelled the Gentiles to live as Jews! This was the nature of the new gospel, and this
is the thing that hindered them from obeying the truth. Well I ask you, do we have that problem
today. YES we do! This new gospel is alive and well and not
just in some sects of Christendom but in those who are blissfully unaware that
they too are following another gospel.
Justification: What
does it mean?
Justification is defined as the act
of declaring righteous and just a particular thing. It follows through with the recognition of
the justifier deeming the justified righteousness. This concept can be seen in our court systems
today. Suppose a man is accused of some
crime. Throughout his case both sides of
the story is heard. After concluding
arguments the judge deliberates and comes back with a verdict of not
guilty. Under the law this verdict of
not guilty declares this individual cleared of all wrong doing in regards to
the charges made against him. This in
effect makes him righteous (in right alignment) with the law of the particular
society in which he was judged.
Notice in my definition of
justification it is impossible to be justified without being declared
righteous. The concept of righteousness
can therefore be intertwined with justification, because in order to be justified
one has be declared right. But this
introduces then the concept of righteousness.
Righteousness involves being rightly aligned. But the natural follow-up to that question is
to what is the person rightly
aligned. One cannot be righteous if there
are no rules to which you are aligned.
Back to God then; our desire as believers
is to be found just in his sight. This
justification is a continual process because it is developed as we continue to
be rightly aligned with what he has determined as right. One cannot, therefore, justify himself because
the terms of righteousness is beyond us and this privilege lies with God
alone. So what then is the righteousness
of God?
For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ: for it is the
power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and
also to the Greek. For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:16, 17
The gospel and by extension the gospel
of the kingdom is the
righteousness of God. This means that
the righteousness that God uses to justify us is only found in the gospel
of the kingdom. Please recall the
definition we have for the true gospel of the kingdom:
The Kingdom of God is a compilation of the
ideas, precepts and principles outlined and explicated by Jesus in the New
Testament; incorporated into the elements of an individual’s life resulting in
the shifting of their core belief system; impacting all areas of that person’s
attitudes, behaviors and relations toward their fellow man. Effectively creating a life submitted to God,
while providing a structure that ensures continuous prosperity in every aspect
of life.
This is true gospel and is God’s
standard for life. And it is only
through our alignment with the gospel of the kingdom that we can find
righteousness in God.
Where therefore is
righteousness obtained today?
Before we can answer this we must
address the statement of Jesus:
Think not
that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy,
but to fulfill. Matthew 5:17
Just what did Jesus mean when he
said this? He meant exactly what he
said! He came to fulfill the law i.e. he
came to satisfy the requirements of the law.
In him was the law complete. It
was through his perfection that he met its requirements, and in doing so he satisfied
the demands of God. The law required
that:
- Man should die for disobeying it
- We should seek atonement for our sins
Together Jesus fulfilled these acts
by being our substitution for sin and by atoning for our sins before God. This is why the scriptures tell us that our
faith should be in what Christ has done, and not by what we can
continue to do by following the law. The
Law itself is a collection of works, but salvation comes through faith and that
in Christ. The best way to describe this,
and it is by far not a perfect example, is by the body’s need for vitamins. We are told by our doctors that we should
take vitamins every day as a supplement to our diets. Now there are many types of vitamins that are
essential to the body’s operation. If we
are to be true to doctor’s orders we would be burdened by having to take many
tablets every day – one for vitamin c, one for vitamin e, the b-vitamins and a whole
host of other vitamins and minerals.
This is how the Law was; there were many requirements that were to be
complied with in order to gain righteousness.
But Jesus is like a One-a-Day
tablet. In these types of tablets all
the vitamins are concentrated into one simple tablet and by taking this one
tablet we no longer need to add other tablets (in fact if we were to do so that
would be considered and overdose and for our purposes that is called a hindrance
to the gospel).
We can further understand Jesus’
words that he came to fulfill the Law by what he continued to say in his
discourse in Matthew chapter 5. Jesus in
this talk on the mount said something very interesting. In the verses that followed the ‘fulfillment
statement’ he would quote a particular law from the Law of Moses and interjected
the phrase ‘But I say unto you…’ This
phrase was interjected six times in Matthew when he was talking concerning the
Law. This is a very important
statement. What Jesus did in effect was
change the nature of the Law of Moses.
Consider the following:
Ye have heard that it was
said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall
be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause
shall be in danger of the judgment:
Matthew 5:21-22a
Ye have heard that it was
said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her
already in his heart. Matthew 5:27, 28
It hath been said,
Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That
whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth
her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced
committeth adultery. Matthew 5:31-32
Again, ye have heard that
it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but
shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say
unto you, Swear not at all; neither by
heaven; for it is God's throne: Matthew 5:33-34
Ye have heard that it hath
been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That
ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to
him the other also. Matthew 5:38-39
Ye have heard that it hath
been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and
pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the
children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on
the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:43-45
Do you realize what is happening here? Jesus is quoting the Mosaic Law and then altering
its tenet. Under the Mosaic Law Jesus
said they were supposed to ‘Love their neighbors and hate their enemies’, but
under the gospel of the kingdom we are to ‘love our enemies’. Under the Mosaic Law one could be angry with
his brother and be perfectly in alignment with the law, but under the gospel of
the kingdom this was not allowed. Jesus was addressing the heart of man whereas
the Law only dealt with the outward behavior and never changed the man. Consider this:
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Romans 8:3
The law never addressed the internal changes; this
is what God really wanted -- change from the heart. In this way Jesus fulfills the Law in that he
supersedes it with a better law. The law
of life in Christ:
For the law of the Spirit of life
in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2
How can persons gain
righteousness today?
For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live
by faith. Romans 1:16-17
But now
the righteousness of God without the law is
manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets; Even the righteousness of
God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto
all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference. Romans
3:21-22
For Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness to
every one that believeth. Romans 10:4
What do all these verses have in
common? They all place righteousness
with God squarely at the feet of the gospel.
It is the gospel of the kingdom, that if we obey we will gain
righteousness with God.
Can the tenets of the Law
of Moses justify us?
Another form of this question is: Can
we just use the ‘power cord’ of the Old Testament to act as a conduit for the
power of God to our lives today?
What is the Law of Moses?
That answer is simple enough and
can be declared in a similar fashion to our gospel statement:
The Law of Moses is
a compilation of the ideas, precepts and principles outlined and explicated by Moses in the OLD Testament; incorporated
into the elements of an individual’s life; impacting that person’s behaviors
and relations toward their fellow man.
The laws that were given through
Moses was God’s way of separating his people (the children of Israel) from the
world and providing them with a standard for which they would gain
righteousness with him.
Can it justify us now?
Now this is a very important
question. Can the Law of Moses provide
us, the body of Christ, with the requirements necessary for righteousness? Consider the following:
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. Galatians 2:16
This passage shows us two things:
1-
Whatever the works of the law is, it cannot
justify us
2-
The works of the law and faith in Jesus Christ are two
distinctly different things
This is important to know because
whatever is determined to be the works of the law cannot be the way that God
desires for our justification.
Brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God for Israel
Paul is here addressing the Romans
in regards to Israel
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to
establish their own righteousness, have
not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Paul is saying that the Jews are
ignorant of God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own. How can this be, seeing that the Jews had the
Law of Moses and this Law was the standard of God’s righteousness? They knew and followed the law, how could they
be ignorant? Well it is evident in the
final statement of this verse:
[they] have not submitted themselves unto the
righteousness of God.
Now this is important. Did they follow the Law of Moses? Were they zealous for God? Yes to all, but they were now without righteousness. How did this happen? Paul said they have not submitted unto the
righteousness of God; so what is this righteousness of God?
For I am
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one
that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed…
There you have it; the
righteousness of God is now in the gospel of the kingdom, and can only be
applied to the lives of those who obey the gospel.
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come
by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Galatians 2:21
Is the Law
then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life,
then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. Galatians 3:20
These are poignant statements;
first he says that the belief that righteousness can come by the law is a
frustration to the grace of God.
Remember he says that it hinders them from obeying the truth, because
holding to one takes you from the other.
Then he asserts that if there was a law that could have given life then
righteousness would be based on law.
This is proof that the law could not make anyone righteousness.
Consider the superiority of the New
and Living way to the law in regards to justification:
…and
through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.
Acts 13:39
Look at what is said about the
inability of the law to justify as God intended. Paul says that the gospel of the kingdom
frees us from what…ALL THINGS. He
continues to say that the law did no such thing.
One more note on this section. Could it be construed by any stretch of the
imagination and interpretation that Paul preached that we should adhere to the
Law for righteousness?
And I,
brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then
is the offence of the cross ceased. Galatians 5:11
He says to them that if he preached
circumcision, which was the Jews connection to the Mosaic covenant, why did he
still suffer persecution? He suffered
persecution because he spoke the cross of Christ which was incompatible with
the Old Testament covenant.
As many as
desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised;
only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
Galatians 6:12
Here he says that those demanding
that you be circumcised only wanted to straddle the fence. They did not want to be persecuted by the
Jews so they compelled that believers be circumcised so they can glory in the
flesh!
Is the Law of Moses as a way to
righteousness obsolete?
A covenant is a document that articulates benefits,
provisions, rules and penalties of an agreement. It clearly defines the rights and privileges
of the parties to the contract while delineating the punishments if the
agreement was ever to be broken.
God has used covenants throughout the existence of
mankind. The first covenant was in the
garden between the human race, represented by Adam and Eve, and God. This covenant was prematurely terminated by
the humans. The next covenant was
between God and the Jewish people at Mt.
Sinai
But today we have a problem. By examining these three covenants one thing
is completely obvious. When one covenant
was deemed null and void the provisions of that covenant were no longer
available, and any benefits now can only be had through the provisions of the
covenant that was enforced. When Adam
transgressed he could not hope to continue to receive the benefits under the
broken covenant. The conditions for
failure had been met, and therefore he could not hope to experience the benefits
again. Today in the modern church we too
seek a similar arrangement. The law
which embodies the old covenant given to Moses is filled with promises and benefits
to one’s compliance and obedience. From Exodus
to Malachi there are a host of benefits based on the old covenant. But God deemed this covenant to be ineffective:
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Judah: Not according to the
covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of the land of Egypt;
because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the
Lord. Hebrews 8:7-9
There are several important points to see here,
1 – The first covenant was faulty. Why was this? It could not produce the righteousness that
God demanded. It did not change the
heart of man it just modified his outward behavior.
2- God says that he sought a second covenant because
the first was faulty. God moved to a
second covenant because the first was faulty.
The first could not do what he wanted so he moved to another
covenant. How many ways can I say this one
thing! How many ways could God?
3- God made a new covenant. Do you understand that? God made a new covenant.
4 – This new covenant that God made was NOT in accordance to the covenant he
made with the fathers when he bought them out of Egypt Egypt
So what this is saying is that a person is
righteous in the sight of God by just following the teachings of Jesus. Well now, isn’t that a kettle of fish and a
kick in the head. I know some reading
this may think they already know this but we shall see.
Hebrews continues with this line of thought:
When He said, "A new
covenant," He has made the first obsolete But whatever is
becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear. Hebrews 8:13
Do you know what obsolete means? Dictionary.com
and the American Heritage Dictionary define
it. It means, of a discarded or
outmoded type; out of date; to make obsolete by replacing with something newer
or better; antiquated; No longer in use.
Am I going too fast for anyone?
Do you see the definition of this word? Will you understand it? Let us move right along. You must realize
that this is a huge stumbling block for the church today, because in many
respects we are holding onto the tenets of the old covenant in the hopes of maintaining
righteousness with God. We even seek the
benefits and promises of the old covenant.
How can this be when God said that these are obsolete? Oh it gets even better:
Now if perfection was
through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received
the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to
the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of
Aaron? For when
the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs
to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a
tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clearer still, if another priest arises
according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis
of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an
indestructible life. For it is attested of Him, "YOU ARE A PRIEST
FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK." For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former
commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing
perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope,
through which we draw near to God. Hebrews 7:11-19
Again let us examine what these verses say,
1 – Not only was the Law imperfect the Levitical
priesthood was imperfect. Well now, let
me hear from my modern day Levites. This
is important because oftentimes preachers of today liken their roles to the
Levites. God himself says their
priesthood was NOT PERFECT (please say
with loud booming voice).
2 – Jesus arose according to another priesthood. Get that?
Another priesthood. It will become clearer in the next point.
3 – For when the priesthood is changed of necessity there is a change of law also. Did you know that? Before I began this study I didn’t. If the priesthood is changed then the law is
changed as well.
4 – Here God raps the law again. He says that the commandment was set aside
because it was – get this now, his words not mine – WEAK and USELESS. Do you understand what that means? God calls his own covenant weak and
useless. You will see just why he does
so in a few minutes.
5 – Now here is the kicker. He says he brings in a BETTER hope through
which we draw nigh to God. God is saying
that the NEW covenant, that has no resemblance to the tenets, rules
and order of the old covenant, is what we must use to
draw nigh to God. Hello! Are you still there?
Therefore let me ask you a question. What do we hope
to gain when we remind God of the provisions he made in Deuteronomy? Realize this that by introducing the new he
made the old obsolete which means it has no effect. What we are doing is trying to find some
tenet under the old covenant and make it work under the new covenant. You are suffering from Covenant
Confusion. You cannot meld Deuteronomy
chapter 8 with Luke chapter 6. You cannot have it both ways. The old and the new are NOT interchangeable. They are from two different
dispensations. Look at what he says to
us:
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as
much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on
better promises. Hebrews 8:6
Better covenant and better promises. Better than
what? The old covenant. Better promises than found where? The old covenant. Let me ask you, did the people of the old
covenant have our promises? NO!!! Then how is it that we can have their
promises under this new covenant. The
key to attaining these better promises is through righteousness. Righteousness or in right-standing with the
new covenant not the old.
So why does God call the old covenant useless and
faulty? It was because it was only
suppose to be temporary:
…which is a symbol for the
present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot
make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and
drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation. Hebrew 9:9, 10
Wherefore then serveth 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. Galatians 3:19
The law was only
temporary and was put in place to stem transgressions until the time of reformation. When did this time of reformation begin? When Jesus uttered these words ‘Repent for
the Kingdom of God
Didn’t Paul observe the Law of
Moses?
This confusion arises because of
two instances in the scripture that if not read properly would lead us to believe
that Paul did indeed follow the law. The
first instance is found in Acts 21:20-24:
And when
they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, "You see,
brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have
believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about
you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake
Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to
the customs. "What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you
have come. "Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are
under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses
so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to
the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk
orderly, keeping the Law.
The brothers wanted Paul to make an
outward show in the flesh to declare that he was walking in accordance with the
Law of Moses. So why did he comply
seeing that he himself had denounced it in his letters?
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave
to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might
win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not
being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;
1 Corinthians 9:19-20
This is the reason for his
compliance. By the way do you see that
little interjection in verse 20 he says ‘as under the Law though not being
myself under the Law’. If there was
still any question consider what he says in the very next verse:
To the
Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like
one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those
under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law
(though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.
This Law of Christ is the message
of the gospel of the kingdom
of God
Another instance where it seemed as
though Paul followed the Law was found in Acts 24:14:
But this I
confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the
God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the
prophets
The context in which he says this
verse clears up any discrepancies:
Having therefore obtained
help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and
Moses did say should come: That Christ
should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead,
and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. Acts
26:22-23
Paul says he worshipped God in the New Way
What then is the
purpose of the Law of Moses?
The Law of Moses has three purposes
relevant to the body of Christ for today.
1-
It was our tutor
2-
It is a symbol
3-
It was a shadow
The Law the tutor
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to
bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith
is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:24-26
The law served a purpose as a school master. It was a temporary measure to lead us to the
way of God until faith was revealed in Jesus.
Now it is no longer required.
The Law the symbol
The Holy Spirit is
signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed
while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and
sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,
Hebrews 9:8-9
The Law the shadow
For the law having a
shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never
with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the
comers thereunto perfect. Hebrews 10:1
This passage shows that the law was a shadow of the
things to come and was not the substance which was found in Christ.
What then do we do with the Old Testament today?
Am I advocating that we should only read the New
Testament scriptures and discard the reading of the Old Testament? NO! Consider the following:
All scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16,17
All the scripture has value! The trouble occurs when we try to determine
righteousness from a particular passage.
So what of the value for today:
1 – The Old Testament displays the nature of
God. God does not change. He is as he has always been. Through proper understanding of the Old
Testament we can learn the very nature of God himself. We learn of his sovereignty,
his requirement for holiness; his justice and his wrath. We can see his care for his children and
learn of his deep understanding. In the Old
Testament we see how God protects those who obey him and we realize how the patriarchs
themselves had faith in God and how he rewarded that faith.
2 – The Old Testament provides us with examples,
principles and guidelines. Contrary to
popular belief the entire Old Testament does not just speak of the laws of Moses.
In fact Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are filled with principles that tell us how
God works and why we should obey him.
3 – The books of the prophets provide us with
eschatological teachings that are essential for our understanding of the end of
time. No one can discount the importance
of Daniel’s vision or Ezekiel’s insights.
What of those who would bring back
the tenets of the law for our obedience?
Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you
not listen to the law? Galatians 4:21
The desire to follow the law has never really left
the church. The early church struggled with this concept and we today still
struggle with it. Of late however there
are some that have ramped up their adherence to the Mosaic Law and are seeking
to entangle the body of Christ again in this bondage. See the law is unique, in that, if one is to
adopt any part thereof then he is obligated
to obey the whole law. When Paul used
the term circumcision in the New Testament; he used this term interchangeably
with the concept of obeying the law, because circumcision was one’s connection
with the law. Look at what he says:
It was for
freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you
receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to
every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the
whole Law. Galatians 5:1-3
Several things of importance here,
1 – Paul calls the law a YOKE OF SLAVERY. Does anyone reading see that?
2 – To those who want to follow the Law, Christ is
of NO BENEFIT TO THEM. What! Do you understand what this means? This is nothing to take lightly. Those of us who are seeking to have both
covenants, CHRIST IS OF NO BENEFIT TO YOU.
In fact in verse four in case you did not understand what he said he
says, ‘You have
been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace’. Pretty harsh words
there Brother Paul. He says if you are
doing something other than what the gospel of the kingdom demands for
righteousness you are severed from Christ.
3 – If you take up one part of the Law you are
obligated to do all. Now this is
serious. There are some who want you to
observe certain festivals and rituals of the old covenant. God says, ‘oh yeah’. If you want to do that then you are OBLIGATED
to obey the ENTIRE law. Listen do not
play with this. Paul did not say this to
just say this; this is a very serious thing.
Want to hear more:
For as many as are of the
works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE
WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM."
Galatians 3:10
You are cursed if you do any part of the law and
not the whole!! THIS INTRODUCES A VERY IMPORTANT CONCEPT. Do you realize what this verse is saying in
Galatians 3:10? This verse is saying in no uncertain terms that if you are
living under ANY part of the law and not the whole YOU
ARE CURSED. Do you see this? Those who
would take a tenet here and a tenet there and claim it or institute it in their
lives God says that you are living under a curse. Those who would teach any part of the law as
mandatory are shackling their listeners to a curse. The law is a total package and God says that
you cannot do one part and not do all.
Is there any way that we can seek righteousness by
following the law in our lives? We shall
see!
Paul goes on to say:
But now that you have come
to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it
that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which
you desire to be enslaved all over again? You
observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I
have labored over you in vain. Galatians 4:9-11
He says we
desire to return back to weak and worthless elements. Remember who he is talking to – the Galatians
who had adopted another gospel based on the Law of Moses. He calls this enslavement! By the way, what were they doing exactly?
You observe days and
months and seasons and years.
Where are these found? These are requirements of the Law. Paul in disappointment says that perhaps he
has labored in vain.
Paul talks a lot about this problem because he had
dealings with it first hand:
Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." Acts 15:1
These men were seeking to add to the gospel of the
kingdom by including the tenets of the Mosaic covenant. What was the apostles’ official response to
this madness?
…and they sent this letter
by them, "The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in
Antioch Syria Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. "Since
we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have
disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed good to us,
having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved
Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ. "Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will
also report the same things by word of mouth. "For
it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden
than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and
from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep
yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell."
Well now.
Are the apostles seeking to deceive these people? They are giving them the way of righteousness
in the gospel of the kingdom. Well how
is it that there is no mention of recognizing the day of Atonement or
celebrating Rosh Hashanah or even of that other popular teaching in the church
today (Hint: It begins with a T)? My
goodness they sure left out a lot, probably they ran out pf parchment. Pretty expensive those days you know.
Remember what we said at the beginning:
For some men, straying
from these things, have turned aside
to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers
of the Law, even though
they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which
they make confident assertions. 1 Timothy 1:6-7
To those who would bring us back under the Law of Moses,
remember it is not possible to adopt one aspect and not adopt the entirety of
the law. My question to you is what then
do we do with our errant children? Do
you know what the law DEMANDS that we do to them?
"If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will
not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even
listen to them, then his father and mother
shall seize him, and bring him out to the
elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. "They shall say to the
elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not
obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.' "Then
all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel
Any takers?
Well now, you sophisticated teachers with your brand new revelations of
what we should follow from the Old Testament, what is your answer here? You cannot do too much altering here now can
you? Notice what he does not
say. We cannot bring them before the
Lord in prayer, or fast for their salvation.
We are OBLIGATED to bring our disobedient children
before the elders to be stoned. How selective are we!!!
One final note on those who would bring us back to following
the old covenant. The high priest was
essential in doing and receiving acts of righteousness under the old
covenant. If then we are to do these
acts following the Old Testament who then is our High Priest? Before you spout off the name Jesus, because the bible says that he
is our High Priest, recall for me please, does it really say that -- remember
back a few paragraphs:
And he says in another
place, "You are a priest forever, in
the order of Melchizedek Hebrews 5: 6
…and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal
salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in
the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:9-11
Now if perfection was
through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people
received the Law), what further need was
there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not
be designated according to the order of Aaron?
Jesus is not a priest in the order
of the Levitical priesthood and so:
For when the priesthood
is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. Hebrews
7:12
So I ask again who is representing those who would
use any tenet of the Mosaic Law for righteousness – who is representing
them before God? I end this
section with this:
A little leaven leaveneth
the whole lump. Galatians 5:9
The Gospel of the Kingdom: The new
and living way
Jesus came to bring us a new covenant. This new covenant was designed by God and it is
what he always wanted.
By a new and living way,
which he hath consecrated for us… Hebrews 10:20a
The two wills
There once was a man whose name was John
Cartwright. John had a wife and two
children that he cared for deeply. John
was a dedicated provider for his family and this dedication was shown by the
way he provided for his loved ones.
Through diligence John amassed a great fortune; by all accounts he was a
multi-millionaire. Around the time his
family was young -- his oldest child being 5 years of age – he decided to go
and draft up a will to protect his family in the event of his demise. He
tallied up all his assets, and it was determined that his assets at the time were
valued at 10 million dollars. He based his will on his current assets. The will divided the property and cash between
his wife and two children. That was done
and John continued to live life. He
continued for another 10 years, but by this time he had had two more children bringing
his brood to 4 and he had increased his fortune to 175 million dollars. He decides that it is now time to update his
will. He goes to the legal counsel to
update his will, but his lawyer tells him that he cannot simply update his will
but must have a new will to accommodate his new assets and children. The legal team goes to the task of writing a
new will for John. They eventually come
up with a document that satisfies John and he signs it. One month later John dies. With the funeral behind the family the will
is bought out to be read. My question to
you is which of John’s wills would his lawyer read? He would have to read the new will. Why?
It is because the old will became obsolete once John signed a new
will. In this scenario which is better
the old or the new? The new is better
because it had a greater fortune from which to share among the family. This crude example shows what happened in the
new covenant of God.
Consider the following:
…so much the more also
Jesus has become the guarantee of a better
covenant. Hebrew 7:22
But now He has obtained a
more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted
on better promises. Hebrews 8:6
FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT
THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
For this reason He is the
mediator of a new covenant, so that,
since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that
were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive
the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 9:15
Seeing then that we have
such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a veil
over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end
of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the
same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done
away in Christ. But even unto this day, when
Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to
the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians
3:12-18
But now we are delivered
from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in
newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Romans 7:6
The new covenant is the gospel of the kingdom of God
The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath
sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised Luke 4:18
The new gospel:
1. Has
the answer to spiritual and physical poverty
2. Heals
the broken hearted
3. Brings
freedom to those in captivity to sin
4. Release
us from oppression
Again you may say that I am not a follower of the
Law of Moses but I am a follower of this new gospel. If so then read with gusto the next
installment!
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