In summary, the Scriptures show that ALL of the law, including the Ten Commandments are done away with in Christ so that we may be free to serve in the Spirit of the law and not the letter. This is important because if we are trying to meet the letter of the law, we are not grasping the fullness of what God is after with us.
Since this started with my daughter, I thought it would be fitting to end with her.Let’s say I give my daughter a checklist of things to do to clean her room. Vacuum, make the bed, wash dirty clothes, put up your toys, clean the windows, etc. When she does those things, she will be in compliance with what I have asked. But are these specific tasks REALLY what I am after? No. I really just want her to clean her room.
But, if I just said “clean your room” without giving the specific examples, she may not do even the minimum of what I am after. The instruction to just “clean your room” won’t produce what I am after because her standards for what is clean will not meet my standards.
So, I have to give her examples. I have to identify for her specific tasks that help her understand what I mean by “cleaning her room.”
Left in that condition, the list could become a crutch to her. It is predictable and unchanging, but requires less accountability & responsibility. If I come in and say, “Your closet is a mess! Why didn’t you straighten it up?” She could always say, “That wasn’t on the list!”
But, what if I could impart to her my understanding of what this means?
Then I could just say, “clean your room” and because my nature was reflected in her, she could go about accomplishing what I really want: a clean room. I could now put away the list, because she understands the heart of what I am after.
My preference is not for her to have a checklist of tasks, but to look around seeing what needs to be done in order for her room to be tidy…and do that! Does not having a list mean that she is free not to clean? No, in fact it means the exact opposite. It means that she is now even MORE accountable for completing the task according to my standards than she was before.
Fulfilling the spirit behind my command to clean her room requires her to know me; to know what I like and dislike, and to even see things as I see them.
She would never fully understand what I am after if all she could see is a list of specific tasks. This is what happened with the Ten Commandments in the minds of many people.
Even though God commanded man to “love Him”, man’s sinful nature made that impossible. Therefore, God – through the Ten Commandments and the rest of the law – gave examples of what it means to love God until His remedy for sin could be manifested. However, God's REAL objective was always for man to love Him and thereby love others.
God crucified His only begotten Son, so that we could finally fulfill His commandments for us to love by being born again. Now we can be perfected, not because we follow a list of commands, but because we follow Jesus Christ who IS perfect and who allows us to know God; know what He likes & dislikes and even see things as He sees them.
Now - being converted in our inner man - God can say, “love me” and we not only understand what He means by that, but He has equipped us to live in that through the guidance of His Holy Spirit. Being under the law of the Spirit is a much higher calling than obeying a list of commands because it requires us to look to God for everything; it requires us to get in touch with God’s heart. It requires us to follow Him.
It would be a shame - once my daughter has my character reflected in her, and she understands what I mean by cleaning her room - for her to return to having her actions dictated by the list. In doing so, she is shirking away from the full responsibility of which I have called her to walk in. She is downgrading her accountability to do what I have asked. Yet, she will be without excuse. For she and I will both know that she knows better.
Spirit of the Law Series
The Spirit of the Law – Part 1, Are Christians Under the Law?The Spirit of the Law – Part 2, What the New Testament Says About the Law
The Spirit of the Law – Part 3, Jesus Fulfilled the Law
The Spirit of the Law – Part 4, Christians Must Still Follow the Ten Commandments
The Spirit of the Law – Part 5, God Says “Keep My Commandments”
The Spirit of the Law – Part 6, All of God's Commandments
The Spirit of the Law – Part 7, Love, the Fulfillment of the Commandment
The Spirit of the Law – Part 8, The Law Has Been Magnified
The Spirit of the Law - A Summary
8 comments:
Interesting post and well said! Keep letting Jesus use you!
Blessings,
Evelyn
Shalom. I have read all of your "Spirit of the Law" posts and I have a question for you. If the Most High intended the "spirit of the law" to replace and supplant the "letter of the law", then why do we not see this exemplified in either the Savior or the Hebrew apostles and brethren. We know that the Savior kept the law perfectly, letter and spirit. While you may say that he needed to in order to be the perfect sacrifice, what about the apostles and Hebrew brethren? What about James telling Paul to show the people that he "walkest orderly and keepest the law" ( Acts 21:24 )? Or the many thousands of Hebrews that believed ( under the leadership of Peter, James, and John ) that were all "zealous of the law" ( Acts 21:20 )? Were these people in error? Or did they have a different understanding of the relationship between the law and the Spirit than you do? I believe the latter is the case. You seem to polarize the law and the Spirit, whereas when I read the scriptures I see more harmony than polarity ( See Ezek. 36:26, 27 ).
Hello Bro. Don,
For the sake of directly addressing your questions, I hope you do not mind that I refer back to some of the current articles.
The Scriptures clearly indicate that the "letter of the law" has been replaced by the "law of the Spirit": http://thelatterdays.blogspot.com/2009/07/spirit-of-law.html
Jesus exemplified the letter and spirit of the law because that is how the law was fulfilled. This fulfillment was necessary in order to usher in the new and better covenant through faith in Christ: http://thelatterdays.blogspot.com/2009/07/spirit-of-law-part-3.html
Acts Chapter 21 reveals Paul coming to Jerusalem and being received by the brethren as he reports on the success of his ministry. Paul is told that there were concerns among the Jews in the city who were believers in Jesus, but were also zealous for the law regarding the teachings abroad about not needing to keep the law.
James' concern is that this might present an obstacle to the Jews gathering together (verse 22). So, James in essence requests that Paul become as one under the law in order to win those who are zealous for the law.
"And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law." I Corinthians 9:20
However, note as well that James confirms the teaching that we are no longer under the law as well:
"As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication." Acts 21:25
So, this is not about error in the status of the law, but the apostles doing all in their power to become all things to all men in order to save some. James did not want Paul's testimony to be impeded over disputes of the law.
You may also want to read Chapter 22, where Paul gives his testimony to support the fact that he was called of God to preach such things and was anointed by Ananias (a devout keep of the law) to do the same.
If the text actually said what you infer (that Paul AND the other Apostles promoted being keepers of the law), then there would not have been any need for the multitudes to rush Paul, throw him from the temple, arrest him and beat him. The reason they did so is because he claimed his teachings were justified and directed by God. A teaching that one must keep the law once in Christ would have been welcomed and not rebuked by the Jews.
Shalom LDM,
"Paul is told that there were concerns among the Jews in the city who were believers in Jesus, but were also zealous for the law regarding the teachings abroad about not needing to keep the law." Please clarify that statement.
Also, are you saying that James was asking Paul to put on before the people, or did Paul truly walk orderly and keep the law?
Remember, the charge against Paul was that he taught the JEWS amongst the Gentiles to forsake circumcision and the customs of Moses, which charge James called "nothing." This is confirmed by Acts 25:8 and Acts 28:17. I am fully aware of the judgment that the apostles made concerning the Gentiles, however, Paul did NOT teach the Hebrew brethren to forsake circumcision and the customs of Moses. If you disagree, then please show me where in scripture he did so.
Also, please comment on
Ezek. 36:26, 27.
Hi Bro. Don?
"Put on?" I am not sure that I understand what you imply here.
Examine the full text from which I referenced in this matter:
"For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you." I Corinthians 9:19-23
Is Paul putting on airs? Pretending? No. He is making himself a partaker of those to whom he ministers so that he can win them to Christ.
The answer is in your own statement. These things are in essence "nothing" to the Kingdom of God. Whether one is free or slave, Jewish or Gentile, under law or not under law, weak or strong...They do not add to, nor take away from, the new covenant. So it gives Paul, and us, the freedom to minister the Gospel without causing offense to those with whom we minister.
This is why Paul was asked by James to "be at charges with them".
"For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law." Hebrews 7:12
"In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to VANISH AWAY." Hebrews 8:13
The entire book of Hebrews is filled with Paul's discussion of the law and it's relation to believers in Christ - and this was written to the Jews.
"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
Who was serving in the oldness of the letter? It surely wasn't the Gentiles, but the Jews.
"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
Is not Paul a Hebrew of Hebrews? Yet, He is made free from the law.
"For Christ is the END OF THE LAW for righteousness to EVERY ONE that believeth." Romans 10:4
Are not Hebrews included in "every one"?
There are many texts, and a number of them are covered in this series. Remember, there is neither Jew nor Gentile in Christ but all are under one covenant for God has made of them both one new man.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 speaks of the law of the Spirit, where we obey the motivation behind God's commands by nature versus an outward performance by compulsion to a letter because He has given us a new heart and a new spirit.
Such is discussed throughout the series, but also here:
http://thelatterdays.blogspot.com/2009/07/spirit-of-law-part-4.html
http://thelatterdays.blogspot.com/2009/07/spirit-of-law-part-8.html
http://thelatterdays.blogspot.com/2009/08/spirit-of-law-summary.html
I have a question about the Old Testament laws. If we don't follow those lists of rules and ordinances, then should we quote them to people when they are sinning?
For example, I have a Christian friend who is thinking of getting a tattoo. I was shocked to hear this. If I say to that friend you are sinning because God said in x scripture that we shouldn't mark ourselves then am I putting the person under the law? Or should I think that something is wrong with a Christian who even desires to have a tattoo? How can I say don't get a tattoo because the scripture says so but you don't have to tithe because we aren't under the law? Or I might say don't get a tattoo but you don't have to keep the Sabbath, even though both are commandments given by God. It's like I would be picking and choosing which laws to keep and which to throw away.
I hope my question makes sense.
Hi Anonymous,
Perhaps the following would help: How the Law is to Be Used Lawfully
Also, remember, the laws of the Old Testament are good and contain much wisdom. The issue is that they are merely a type or shadow of the great commandment: love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and your neighbor as yourself.
The principles of the OT are true and valid. Our quest as Christians however is to walk in the Spirit behind the commands, and not simply the letter.
For example, Christians absolutely DO keep the Sabbath...by ceasing from their own works to rest in Christ. The OT focused on a physical day as a type of this spiritual "rest" we now find in Christ.
Further, in the OT, God told His people not to tattoo themselves because it was an outward show of dedication to false gods. In the NT, we are told to be sanctified into the Lord which represents a dedication/consecration to Him alone. The OT focused on the outward appearance of idolatry while the NT deals with the idolatry in the heart.
So the OT commands are not nullified, but fulfilled and expanded as they deal with the heart of man and just not outward conformity.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." Matthew 23:25-26
Jesus said that if we make the inside clean, then the outside will take care of itself. So, it is not that it is okay to get tattoos because such is in the OT, but that - having been transformed within to be in the image of Christ - He eradicates from us the desire to dedicate ourselves to other gods through such acts as tattooing.
The OT surely reflects the mind of God as does the NT; and God changes not.
Thanks for posting!
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