Light Brings Salt
Volume 2, Issue 37
Iron Range Bible
Church
Dedicated to the
Systematic Exposition of the Word of God
The Believer's Relationship
to the Mosaic Law
The question is
often asked: Is the Christian under the law? Is it to be the authority for their
life?
Some typical and
very confusing answers are given and for most part they are based upon wrong or
inadequate understanding of the law.
1.
Some argue that the believer is under the moral law, but not under the
ceremonial law.
2.
Others say that we are under the moral law, but not under its penalties.
3.
Still others assert that we are under the moral law as a rule of life, but not
as a way of salvation.
Another way of
saying the same thing is that we are under the law for sanctification but not
for justification.
4.
Another view is that we are under the Sermon on the Mount, but not under the
law of Sinai.
5.
A rather curious view advanced recently is that the Christian believer is under
the law of God, but not under the law of Moses.
According to this
view the law of Moses is the entire system of law
recorded in the Pentateuch, whereas the law of God is limited to the Ten
Commandments!
That such a
distinction between the law of God and the law of
Moses cannot stand is clear from Scriptures.
See Luke 2:21-24, 39 where the same law is
called variously the law of Moses and the law of the
Lord, and the law under consideration here is ceremonial in nature.
See also Mark 7:8-13 where what Moses said is
also identified as the commandment of God, and the material quoted from the
Pentateuch includes one of the Ten Commandments and also a death penalty from
the civil code.
We will not be
misled by any of the above erroneous views if we hold fast to a complete
definition of the divine law, namely, that the law of God in the Bible is one
law, including moral, ceremonial and civil elements, and inseparable from its
penalties.
The following verses clearly state that the Believer is not under the
Law as the governing principle for their life: Romans 6:14 "for sin shall not be master over you, for
you are not under Law but under grace." This verse not only
teaches the deliverance of the Believer in the church age from the Law, we are
no longer under the authority of the law. It also clearly demonstrates the
dominion the sin nature has over those who seek to walk according to a Law
system!
Rom.
Romans
7:4 "you also were made to die to the Law
through the body of Christ ... "
Romans
7:6 "but now we have been released from the
Law, having died to that (the Law) by
which we were bound,..."
Gal.
Gal.
1
Cor.
1 Cor.
The 3 phrases to "die to
the Law" [7:4], "to
be released from the Law" [7:2], "not under the Law" [6:14; Gal. 5:18] are instructive
and mean that we as Believers are freed from the condemnation of the Law and
separated totally from it as a source of
motivation and regulation of our life.
The Law is not a means of spiritual success; it is in fact, just the
opposite; [under law = under sin, the Sin nature dominates; upo
= under subjection/authority]
To be "under grace"
means that the Believer is under the dynamic and regulatory controls of grace,
that is, we are under authority of grace
as the governing principle for our life. This largely if
not totally centers in the ministries of the Holy Spirit to the Believer. Need to link in our thinking grace + ministry of the Holy Spirit equals
life! The Law with its works system was categorically not designed to
produce this life. Note the LIFE emphasis in the following verses: Galatians
3:21; Romans 8:2; Romans 7:4.
Believers are dead to the Law in its entirety including the Moral Law
(the ten commandments). That is, the moral law
provides no life, no dynamic for life nor any functional stimulus for the
Believer, also true of any external law system. We are dead to it [separated
from it] and the entire system with which it is a part.
Proof: When Paul demonstrates that the
Law is a ministry of death and condemnation in Romans 7:7-9 he quotes from the ten commandments "you shall not covet" and in
2 Corinthians 3:7-11, refers to the Decalogue as "tables of stone." Believe there is no question what he
had in mind, the ten commandments [or any external
law] are a ministry of death, not life!
Application: for a Believer to seek to be
"spiritual" that is having a right relationship with God, by
fulfilling the 10 commandments, that is, by trying to live-up to the moral law,
is to practice self-defeat! Paul's message of Rom seven.
Spirituality and experiential righteousness [sanctification] are
realized solely by proper relationship to the Spirit of life and
righteousness. Romans 8:3,4; Also Gal. 5:16; walk by the Spirit; in Gal. 5:25 to walk
in a straight line [stoice,w] to conduct
oneself in a proper manner
Deliverance from the Law does not mean that Believers are left without principles. We have the will of God
for the one in Christ. Note the following New Testament uses of the word "law" which are distinct from
the Mosaic Law: in each example, the word can be equated with "principle" or "principles."
Romans 8:2 "
... the law of the Spirit of life in Christ ... "
Romans
1 Cor.
Gal. 6:2 "
... so fulfill the law of Christ"
James
Believers, though not under the law as governing principle of life,
are not left without principles, or precepts for living our life in the sphere
of the will of God.
The Point is one does not have or acquire life by trying to live up to
a set of external principles (true whether Old or New Testament principles).
Believers have life because they have been made alive in Christ Jesus; that
life came from the Spirit of God in regeneration.
Secondly, that new
life in Christ does not mature, grow by trying to live up to a set of
law-principles; any human effort for deliverance from sin is contrary to the
grace system and will always lead to frustration. It’s a failure to use
resources. The regenerated life of the Believer grows by fellowship with the
Spirit of God and His Word, being
encouraged by others who are also in the word.
Maintenance of
fellowship is through confession of sin. The Spirit always maintains His
fellowship with us, we often forsake fellowship with
Him. As we have seen sin grieves the Holy Spirit (Eph
The normal state for the Believer is to walk by the Holy Spirit, Gal. 5:16; to
walk by faith 2 Cor. 5:7. This is the sphere of power for the believer.
Christ and His righteousness are the end of
the law for righteousness to every Believer, (Rom. 10:4). To seek then to be
right before God, whether as an unbeliever or as a believer in Christ, by a law
performance system, a law merit system, is to "fall from grace"
to be moving away from God's grace-faith system, (Gal. 5:4). [lit. to drift-off the course
of grace]
Christianity then is not a system of legalism nor is it antinomianism.
Legalism is a formal arrangement of the external matters [non-essentials] of
our lives in order to make ourselves "appear" righteous or in order
to gain "righteousness." Legalism has no place in the Believer's
mentality.
Christianity is not antinomian ("against or no law") in the
sense that it does not have principles or imperatives that we are to
apply. After all, nine of the Ten
Commandments are repeated in the New Testament. The point is that these
principles or commandments or precepts are not fulfilled by human effort.
Indeed they find the source of their fulfillment totally in the Spirit of
Christ and/or the grace provision of God.
Thus, human merit and human bragging are excluded from the plan of
God. Obedience to the Word of God by the believer is not legalism!! Obedience is
a response to God's love for us! (1 John 2:3-5; John 13:17)
The law and its ultimate intent are fulfilled in the Believer by agape-love, the mental and overt expression
of the essence of the indwelling Spirit of God within, (Romans 13:8; Galatians
Conclusion: As Believers living in the church
age we are in no way connected to the Mosaic Law. As Paul put it, "we have
no need of the bondage elements of such a pedagogue!" [message
Of Galatians] By the works of the law no man is justified (Rom.
None of which comes by any system of external law/legalism. The reason being that the ministries of the Spirit cannot be legalized into some mechanistic system.
Note: I
am indebted to some notes from Ron Merryman for some of the
preceding observations.