LAWS PROPER USE

What is the LAWS PROPER USE?

The slanderous charge has been made in affirming that if the Christian is not under law we are rejecting a part of Scripture as the word of God for us.

1. We do not reject the law. On the contrary, we accept the law in its totality, including all its elements-moral, ceremonial, and civil-not merely a part of the law stripped of its sanctions, as our opponents are in the habit of doing. They, not we, are the real rejecters of the law. 1 Tim. 1:8-11.

2. We accept this entire law as a part of the inspired word of God, and therefore profitable for all Christians, to be used for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness 2 Tim. 3:16.

3. We accept this law as something good, if a man uses it lawfully 1 Tim. 1:3-11 for the meaning of lawfully (nomimos) see 2 Tim. 2:5-“according to law.” This must mean that it must be used as law, not stripped of its legal penalties. This proper use is further elaborated in the passage.

            a. The law, as law, is not made for a righteous man. This must mean that a Christian should be not put under the law, for the Christian is righteous in relation to the law as law, because in the work of Christ the law was completely fulfilled and satisfied for us in all its demands and sanctions. In addition, there was imparted to him a new nature, whose disposition is to do right, wants to do right, and does do right 1 Tim. 1:9.

            b. The law, as law, was made as an external restraint for the lawless and ungodly. See 1 Tim. 1:9-11, which agrees with Galatians 3:19, as to this purpose of the law.

            c. The law is our schoolmaster (Gal. 3:24) to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith, not law.

In summary: the relation to the Christian, the law, as law, having been satisfied in Christ, is completely done away. On the other hand, the law, as divinely inspired Scripture, still abides, and as such is profitable for all Christians in all its parts both dispensationally and experientially.

Questions and problems:

1. It will be said that many professing Christians are not living as they should, and that the law should be used to remedy this.

            We admit the problem and deplore the situation. they may not be genuine Christians, not having appropriated Christ. They may be carnal Christians, not being submitted to Christ.

            But we deny that the law can make bad men good. (Heb. 7:19-the law made nothing perfect. the remedy for sin is not more law, but more grace Rom. 5:20; James 4:6. the grace of God in Christ came to do what law could not do Rom. 8:3).

2. We shall also be told, some may use the truth of grace as a license to continue in sin. Here again, we admit the problem. Even in the early church, there were those who turned the grace of God into lasciviousness (sexual deviations)-Jude 4. Of this fact our headlines inform us almost weekly. But the basic defect in these men was not merely that they had broken the moral law, in this sense, all have sinned. These men were denying the only Master and Lord Jesus Christ Jude 4. They were not saved men at all. They should be warned of the doom awaiting all such, and urged to flee to Christ from the wrath to come, even if they use religious ropes to perform these dastardly deeds.

3. You will be also charged with "antinomianism", if you preach the gospel of the grace of God for salvation without the law. This charge is nothing new. Paul was accused of the same thing in Romans 3:8. Unless you are charged with this sooner or later, you probably are not preaching salvation by grace. This is the only position that is open to slander. Never is salvation by law or righteousness by law slandered. Why is the gospel slandered? Because it cuts from beneath every man the last square foot upon which he can stand and boast (Eph. 2:8-9). But the charge is false. In the gospel of salvation by grace in Christ, we are honoring the law, and establishing law. For our Lord by his death satisfied in full all the laws demands. The legalists are the real antinomians, for they either take only one element of the law, or strip it of its penalties, or relax its demands. To this extent they are against the law. Romans 3:31.

4. You will be told that in refusing to put Christian under law, you are lowering the standards of the good life. We are not lowering the moral standards, but actually raising them. See John 15:12 "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you." The standard of the law for the so called good life is cold, unstoppable, and impotent; and it inevitably degenerates into the lowest depths of sin. Why? Because it is ultimately a rejection of God's standards, God's grace to maintain those standards, a retreat to human appraisals, the relative, and ultimately a descent into the lowest depths. It results in the death of His Most Precious Son. It is not the law, but Christ dying under the law for us and in our stead, Who sets the standard of the good life in grace. See Phil. 2:5 and following.

5. Does not the Bible say we should fulfill the law of Christ? The sole basis for this idea is found in Galatians 6:2. The verb here is very probably future indicative, not imperative. For the textual argument, see Ellicott on Galatian 6:2. Meyer accepts the reading without discussion. So also Nestles Greek New Testament. Under the influence of legalism, we can account for the change from the indicative to the imperative. Thus we have here a simple statement of fact, not a command. But more important here is the question, what is "the law of Christ?" Practically all commentators who deal with the question at all find a reference back to Christs’ words in John 13:34 and John 15:12. Cf. 1 John 2:7; 3:11, 23; 4:21; 5:1-3. The law Christ then is not the Decalogue, nor even the Sermon on the Mount, but the law of love, namely, that we should love one another as Christ loved us, ever working for the one He loves to arrive at perfection through grace and washing. This is the principle which dominated the ministry of Christ while here on earth, and even to the end (John 13:1) which is not yet. Note also that this law of love is the fulfillment of all other divine law Rom. 13:8-10.; Gal. 5:14; 1 Tim. 1:5. We are commanded to love one another, and this love is the fulfillment of the law, but nowhere are we commanded to fulfill the law. See Rom. 8:1-4 for the proper formula. "That the righteousness of the law"-a reference to the moral element "might be fulfilled in us"-passive, not active form. "In us" is an important phrase.

6. May not this salvation by grace without law prove to be dangerous? May be dangerous for some people, all divine truth is dangerous to men who resist it. Cf. 2 Cor. 2:15-16; 2 Thess. 2:1-12. All depends on the attitude. Salvation by pure grace is not dangerous for the true Christian. But anything else is dangerous, for the simple reason that only grace in Christ can break the power of sin See 1 Cor. 15:56-57; Rom. 6:14.

CHRISTIAN UNDER LAW

Is the Christian Under law?

Some evasive answers to that question:

1. Under the moral law, but not under the ceremonial law.

2. Under the moral law, but not under its penalties.

3. Under the moral law is a rule of life, but not as a way of salvation.

4. Under the moral law for sanctification, but not for justification.

5. Under the sermon on the Mount, but not under the law of Moses.

6. Under the law of God, but not under the law of Moses.

But what does God say-not under law.

The word of God declares plainly that the Christian believer is not under the law. Rom. 6:14, 15; 1 Cor. 9:20; Gal. 5:18.

The Christian believer is not under law in any sense as a means of salvation, or any part of his salvation. Rom. 3:20; Rom. 6:14; Rom. 8:3.

The law would give no help to men as a means of salvation from sin. Col. 2:14; 2 Cor. 3:7; Acts 15:10; Rom. 4:15; Gal. 3:12.

The Christian is delivered from the law. Rom. 7:4; 7:6; 10:4.

Furthermore, the law itself, as regards the Christian, is done away, abolished. 2 Cor. 3:7-11; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14.

Meaning of the phrase under law.

It occurs 11 times in the  authorized version 12 times in the ASV. Once the preposition is "en" with article; "en to nomon" Rom. 3:19.

11 times the preposition is "hupo" Rom. 6:14, 15; 1 Cor. 9:20; Gal. 3:23; 4:4, 5, 21; 5:18.

Preposition "en" in Rom. 3:19 refers to the sphere in which the subject is dwelling and acting. This would accurately described the Jew was not merely under the law, but in the law.

Preposition "hupo" with accusative in the other texts means subject to the power of any person or thing. They are sites as references the ones under consideration in this study. See Matthew 8:9 for a good illustration.

Summary: to be under the law means to be under the law of God, the Mosaic Law in its indivisible totality, under its commands and sanctions (penalties).

In what sense were the Old Testament saints under the law?

Gal. 3:17-23 makes it clear that they were under the law.

Under the law in the Old Testament could have only two possible meanings.

            A. Under the law as a way of salvation for unsaved people. (Soteriological)

            B. Under the law is a rule of life or saved people (Dispensational)

It could not mean as a way of salvation (Rom. 3:20; 4:13-15)

Therefore it must mean that under the law for Old Testament Saints was to be under law as the rule of life. The people to whom the law was given were a Redeemed people. They had been redeemed out of Egypt.

Consider the logic of the argument-the dispensational change from the age of law to the age of grace does not mean that Old Testament saints were saved by law whereas today they are saved by grace, because men are not saved by law in any age. But it does mean that the Old Testament saints were under law as a rule of life, whereas today, they are not. Yet this is the very sense in which Pink and his crowd affirmed that the law is still in force over us today. And this is the very sense in which the Jews sought to impose the law on saved Gentiles in Acts 15:1-11. And this is the very thing Paul denounced in the book of Galatians. Jews for Jesus is an attempt to put the Jews back under the law.

What is the danger of putting Christians under law?

1. Under the law-pure Judaism.

2. Under the moral law and its penalties-pure legalism.

3. Under the moral law separated from his penalties-qualified legalism. (Mormonism; British Israelism; Seventh Day Adventism; Other Legalism as Jews for Jesus)

Note the dangers of this third position.

            Employs an unbiblical terminology-"the law" in the Bible is a unity which includes all elements with its sanctions.

            The law of God is dishonored and reduced to complete innocuousness. Where there is no penalty, all that is left is good advice. Transgression of the moral code no longer seems to be sin.

            This ultimately moves in the direction of the logical disaster, by bringing confusion into our view of sin, salvation, the work of Christ, and even the doctrine of God, sin and righteousness are confused. Where sin is not sin, then what need is there for salvation. Where there is no need for salvation, then, to what purpose did Christ die? And where all this confusion exists, what is the nature of God?

The abstraction of the moral element from the ceremonial element, and its imposition upon the Christian as a rule of life, has a grave spiritual and moral danger--for the ceremonial element provides the context of grace for the moral element, and it is in this context of grace that provides the motivating principle which secures the fulfillment of the moral element of the law. Thus a legal morality defeats itself.

The Bible condemns unsparingly any attempt to put the Christian under law for it misrepresents God and did maneuvers the sinner or saint into eternal loss. (1 Cor. 15:56; Rom. 7:9; Gal. 3:1-13; Cf. Gal. 1:6-9)

Problem:

Does 1 Corinthians 9:20 contradict on this? No! All Paul was saying was this, that he could perform the works of the law from the point of the true meaning, now that he was a Christian, in order that he might win a Jew and this he did in Acts 21:17-30.

What is the objective standard of life for the Christian believer? The will of God in the context of his grace in our Lord Jesus Christ as revealed perfectly in the entire word of God, written. (Rom. 12:1-2-mercies of God-will of God) (2 Tim. 3:15-16-profitable) (John 5:39-which testify of Me).

This entire word of God makes us wise with reference to that salvation which we have by faith in Christ. 2 Tim. 3:15.

This entire word of God is profitable for the Christian. 2 Tim. 3:16-doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness Cf. 1 Cor. 10:1-11.

This entire word of God serves as a mirror for the Christian. James 1:23. To see Christ. 2 Cor. 3:14-18. Even the law is part of the mirror though done away is a law over the Christian. See Luke 24:24-44.

This entire word of God points us to a perfect example in Christ so as to see in Him what we ought to be now. 1 John 2:6. 1 Pet. 2:21-23 we need the whole Bible here, not merely the gospels Cf. Phil. 2:5-7. And also to see in Him what we shall be in the future 1 John 3:1-2.

This entire word of God centers our attention on Christ. (Matt. 17:1-8-save Jesus only; 1 John 4:8-9, John 15:9-on His love; John 1:29-on His work; John 14:23, 1 Tim. 6:3-4-on His words; 1 John 2:3-4, 3:22-23, 5:2-3-on His commandments)

What does it mean to keep His words and Commandments?

John 17:6. See 1 Kings 14:8 where David kept His commandments. Certainly, this does not mean sinless perfection. But it does mean to recognize the truth of God's grace and provision for sinning men. Thus all legalists and perfectionists are shut out.

This will of God, must be seen in the context of the grace of God throughout the entire word of God. (Rom. 12:1-2-presenting body; 1 Cor. 8:7-11-not to misuse liberty; Eph. 4:1-walk worthy of the calling; Phil. 2:1-8, 4:1-3-mind of Christ; Col. 3:1-4-affection on things above; Gen. 3:17-21-sorrow, submission, clothing; Exod. 20:1-17, 24-26-law, altar; Matt. 5:23-24-reconciliation; Matt. 19:16-26-believe on Christ; Heb. 12:1-3-run the race with endurance; Matt. 22:39 with 1 John 4:11-love thy neighbor, love the Brethren; Matt. 7:12 with Phil. 2:3-golden rule, esteem others better than self; Deut. 6:5 with 1 John 4:9-love Lord thy God, God loved us in His Son).

Note:  Don't be afraid to find the Lord Jesus in the Old Testament everywhere. Only be sure that what you find is true to the historic revelation of the Son, as recorded in the New Testament.

This context of grace is the only environment in which the Christian life can be fully realized. In this context of grace as Christians (2 Pet. 3:18-we grow; 1 Pet. 5:12-we stand; Acts 20:32-we are built up; 2 Tim. 2:1-we are made strong; 1 Pet. 5:10-we are made perfect; Rom. 6:14-we find freedom from the dominion of sin; Gal. 5:1-4-we find liberty from legal bondage; 2 Cor. 8:9-we find a sufficient motive for doing the will of God; 2 Cor.12:9, 1 Cor. 15:10-we find an enabling power for Christian living; Heb. 4:16-we find recovery when we fail; Acts 20:32-we find assurance as to the final goal of the Christian life). NOTE: See Acts 13:39-43 for the importance of continuance in this context of grace. See Gal. 4:11 for the reaction of  Paul toward those who stepped outside of the context of grace-"I am afraid of you."

LAW WITHOUT PENALTIES

LAW WITHOUT PENALTIES

“Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” Rom. 4:15

The Law of God, defined by the Bible itself, calls it the written Mosaic Law, including the entire Pentateuch. Cf. Gal. 3:10; Matt. 5:17; Luke 24:44; Acts 28:23; Gen. 3:16 with 1 Cor. 14:34; Exod. 20:17 with Rom. 7:7; Lev. 19:18 with Luke 10:26-28; Num. 28:10 with Matt. 12:5; Deut. 25:4 with 1 Cor. 9:9.

And occasionally Law refers to the whole Old Testament. Cf.  John 10:34 with Psalm 82:6; 1 Cor. 14:21 with Isa. 28:11-12.

The one law of God carries as an integral part of it the appropriate penalties or sanctions to enforce its demands.

Cf. Gal. 3:10 “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.”

Rom. 4:15 “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.”

1 Cor. 3:7 “But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:”

Rom. 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

            A law without a penalty is just good advice, you can take it or leave it. To emasculate the law of its penalties, and to call it: law, is a serious misnomer, can only confuse the minds of men, and finally bring all law into contempt or indifference, whether human or divine law. In the long run, such a procedure may even empty Calvary of its deepest meaning.

Cf. 1950 Indiana passed a Daylight savings Law. But you didn’t need to change the clock for they never placed a penalty for it. So it was just good advice.

Today we see those in the highest offices not abiding by passed laws and they have the TV set passing on this lawlessness to the next generations. Calvary will not be robbed!!!

GRACE AND SECURITY

SALVATION BY GRACE AND SECURITY

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” Rom. 6:1 “God forbid.”

“What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Rom. 6:15

Does the doctrine of salvation by grace encourage men to go on sinning, while thinking they maintain their salvation? For the true believer, the suggestion is unthinkable. Cf. Rom. 6:1, 15. For the true believer, victory over sin comes through grace, cf. Rom. 6:14. “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

For the true believer, grace, leads away from sin, not into sin. Titus 2:11-12. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”

But suppose the professed believer does presume upon the grace of God, by continuing to sin with a high hand, what should we think?  Cf. 2 Pet. 2:20-22 “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”

Where a dog is always a dog and a sow is always a sow - no change in nature, and 1 John 3:9 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” Here again it teaches those who have been born of God do not live in a practice of sin. These verses only prove that such a person has not yet experienced the results of grace, who is a mere professing believer in whom no change of nature has taken place, and who therefore is interpreting everything about grace in terms of the unregenerate flesh.