*THE LAW OF MOSES*
Many Christians still believe in the law of Moses.
They say for us to go to heaven we have to keep the Law of Moses.
According to them *there is no difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament other than a blank page you jump between Malachi and Matthew*.
This is not true.
APOSTLE PAUL HAD A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THE LAW AND HE SAID THE LAW OF MOSES DOES NOT APPLY TO A NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER.
Let me sample some verses for you.
"But now the righteousness of God *without the law* is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets"
Romans 3:21
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith *without the deeds of the law*."
Romans 3:28
"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then *Christ is dead in vain*."
Galatians 2:21
So clearly the law of Moses ended in the Old Testament and does not apply to us.
I know we have some people who will say that the Law of Moses Paul was referring to in the scriptures above is the ceremonial law and not the moral law.
For those who don't know the difference between the ceremonial law and the moral law let me elaborate first.
When Moses was on mount Sinai he did not just give the ten commandments; *actually he gave 613 laws*.
The ten commandments are what is usually referred to as the moral law while the other laws are called ceremonial law.
For example the ceremonial law is the one that talks about atonement stating about the sacrifice of goats and bulls if a person sins, etc ,etc.
So, many Christians consider that the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament is that the ceremonial law applied to Old Testament but it does not apply to the New Testament.
*So they will say we are still bound by the ten commandments.*
But is this the case?
Did all the law end with Old Testament or only the ceremonial law?
To answer this question let's go to 2 Corinthians 3:6-7:
"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
*But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones*, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away"
From this we can see the Law of Moses is referred to as the ministry of the letter whereas grace in Jesus Christ is referred to as the ministry of the spirit.
Clearly the letter kills but the spirit gives life.
Some will say that this still refers to the ceremonial law.
However what makes it to be clearly the ten commandments is the phrase *engraven on stones*.
Which law was engraved on stones?
Wasn't it the ten commandments?
Yes its the ten commandments that were written on stones.
PAUL IS SAYING THAT THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS TO BE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD ARE UNDER THE MINISTRY OF DEATH.
The ten commandments bring death, not life.
Some people will say I am trying to extract a French truth from one verse in scripture, let me show you more verses.
"The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law."
1 Corinthians 15:56
The law was not intended to bring life. The law was intended to bring death.
The law was not intended to justify us before God. The law was intended to condemn us.
Jesus said the same thing.
This is what he told the Jews.
"[39]Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
[45]Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. "
John 5:39,45
Jesus was telling the Jews that you trust in Moses [or in the Law] because you think that through the Law you'll have life, Moses cannot give you life because Moses is your accuser, not your redeemer.
I know someone will say but Jesus said he did not come to destroy the Law:
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."
Matthew 5:17
That's very correct. Jesus did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it.
That verse is not saying that we are the ones who are to fulfill the law, *it is Jesus who was to fufil the law*.
ONLY JESUS WAS PERFECT SO ONLY JESUS COULD PERFECTLY FULFILL THE LAW, NOT US.
It was not our duty to fulfill the Law, it was the duty of Jesus.
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Romans 10:4
Only Christ was the last person to fulfill the righteous demands of the law after that we were to no longer rely on the law but on the grace found in Jesus Christ.
"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."
John 1:17
So clearly we can see the law was not intended for New Testament believers.
"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.
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 doeth them shall live in them."
[13]Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree"
Galatians 3:10-13
James said if you keep nine commandments and break one you are guilty of breaking all.
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law."
James 2:10-11
So I know you'll ask me does that mean we nolonger need the law because we don't need it to be made righteous with God?
Apostle Paul answered that question.
"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."
Romans 3:19-20
THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW IS JUST TO MAKE US AWARE THAT WE ARE SINNERS AND WE CANNOT DEPEND ON OUR OWN EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH OUR SIN PROBLEM.
The law was intended to make you know you cannot depend on yourself to become righteous, you need Jesus.
The law was intended to point you to Christ.
The law was to lead you to GRACE and FAITH in Jesus Christ.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9
Therefore we are to nolonger rely on the law but on grace and faith.
You are blessed.
Many Christians still believe in the law of Moses.
They say for us to go to heaven we have to keep the Law of Moses.
According to them *there is no difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament other than a blank page you jump between Malachi and Matthew*.
This is not true.
APOSTLE PAUL HAD A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THE LAW AND HE SAID THE LAW OF MOSES DOES NOT APPLY TO A NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER.
Let me sample some verses for you.
"But now the righteousness of God *without the law* is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets"
Romans 3:21
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith *without the deeds of the law*."
Romans 3:28
"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then *Christ is dead in vain*."
Galatians 2:21
So clearly the law of Moses ended in the Old Testament and does not apply to us.
I know we have some people who will say that the Law of Moses Paul was referring to in the scriptures above is the ceremonial law and not the moral law.
For those who don't know the difference between the ceremonial law and the moral law let me elaborate first.
When Moses was on mount Sinai he did not just give the ten commandments; *actually he gave 613 laws*.
The ten commandments are what is usually referred to as the moral law while the other laws are called ceremonial law.
For example the ceremonial law is the one that talks about atonement stating about the sacrifice of goats and bulls if a person sins, etc ,etc.
So, many Christians consider that the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament is that the ceremonial law applied to Old Testament but it does not apply to the New Testament.
*So they will say we are still bound by the ten commandments.*
But is this the case?
Did all the law end with Old Testament or only the ceremonial law?
To answer this question let's go to 2 Corinthians 3:6-7:
"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
*But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones*, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away"
From this we can see the Law of Moses is referred to as the ministry of the letter whereas grace in Jesus Christ is referred to as the ministry of the spirit.
Clearly the letter kills but the spirit gives life.
Some will say that this still refers to the ceremonial law.
However what makes it to be clearly the ten commandments is the phrase *engraven on stones*.
Which law was engraved on stones?
Wasn't it the ten commandments?
Yes its the ten commandments that were written on stones.
PAUL IS SAYING THAT THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS TO BE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD ARE UNDER THE MINISTRY OF DEATH.
The ten commandments bring death, not life.
Some people will say I am trying to extract a French truth from one verse in scripture, let me show you more verses.
"The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law."
1 Corinthians 15:56
The law was not intended to bring life. The law was intended to bring death.
The law was not intended to justify us before God. The law was intended to condemn us.
Jesus said the same thing.
This is what he told the Jews.
"[39]Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
[45]Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. "
John 5:39,45
Jesus was telling the Jews that you trust in Moses [or in the Law] because you think that through the Law you'll have life, Moses cannot give you life because Moses is your accuser, not your redeemer.
I know someone will say but Jesus said he did not come to destroy the Law:
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."
Matthew 5:17
That's very correct. Jesus did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it.
That verse is not saying that we are the ones who are to fulfill the law, *it is Jesus who was to fufil the law*.
ONLY JESUS WAS PERFECT SO ONLY JESUS COULD PERFECTLY FULFILL THE LAW, NOT US.
It was not our duty to fulfill the Law, it was the duty of Jesus.
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Romans 10:4
Only Christ was the last person to fulfill the righteous demands of the law after that we were to no longer rely on the law but on the grace found in Jesus Christ.
"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."
John 1:17
So clearly we can see the law was not intended for New Testament believers.
"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.
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 doeth them shall live in them."
[13]Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree"
Galatians 3:10-13
James said if you keep nine commandments and break one you are guilty of breaking all.
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law."
James 2:10-11
So I know you'll ask me does that mean we nolonger need the law because we don't need it to be made righteous with God?
Apostle Paul answered that question.
"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."
Romans 3:19-20
THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW IS JUST TO MAKE US AWARE THAT WE ARE SINNERS AND WE CANNOT DEPEND ON OUR OWN EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH OUR SIN PROBLEM.
The law was intended to make you know you cannot depend on yourself to become righteous, you need Jesus.
The law was intended to point you to Christ.
The law was to lead you to GRACE and FAITH in Jesus Christ.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9
Therefore we are to nolonger rely on the law but on grace and faith.
You are blessed.
Amen
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