I agree with what you say yet He (Jesus) did change some of the laws given to Moses in that He said to no longer stone to death adulters or disobediant children, approve of divorce, hate your enemys, and others, isn't that doing away with at least part of the 613 laws origionally given to Moses?
Was The Law Of Mose Set Aside At The Cross ?
- Thread starter dan p
- Start date
-
Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.
You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
I agree with what you say yet He (Jesus) did change some of the laws given to Moses in that He said to no longer stone to death adulters or disobediant children, approve of divorce, hate your enemys, and others, isn't that doing away with at least part of the 613 laws origionally given to Moses?
Wherefore the law was our school-master to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." (Galatians 3:21-24).
A schoolmaster, (the Greek text gives, a child conductor), was one who held the child in restraint as they conducted the child from home to the school, making sure that there was no mischief along the way, and that the child arrived at the school. Then the child was given over to the care of the teacher, and the duty of the child conductor was ended. The child conductor did not stand in the back of the class room and continue to exercise control and authority over the child, for now the Teacher was in control, and there was to be no outside interference. So also, once we have been brought to Christ, and His anointing abides within us, we are to be led by the Spirit.
A schoolmaster, (the Greek text gives, a child conductor), was one who held the child in restraint as they conducted the child from home to the school, making sure that there was no mischief along the way, and that the child arrived at the school. Then the child was given over to the care of the teacher, and the duty of the child conductor was ended. The child conductor did not stand in the back of the class room and continue to exercise control and authority over the child, for now the Teacher was in control, and there was to be no outside interference. So also, once we have been brought to Christ, and His anointing abides within us, we are to be led by the Spirit.
James 2, Jesus' earthly brother gives us a short study of the law.
8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law,
according to the Scripture, "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
9 But if you show partiality, you are committing
sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
If we love others as we truly ought, we will find that we will never
violate the law, because love is the basis of the entire law. The
statutes and judgments of the law are given to us in order to help
us to define the love of God, because God knows that our carnal
minds are not always capable of understanding His love. How many
times have I heard men say that the law is vengeful or hateful and
that as New Testament Christians, we ought to discard it and replace
it with the law of love?
Such people do not understand that the law is love. I ask such people,
"Which law do you believe does NOT express the love of God?" They
then proceed to tell me which laws they believe manifest hatred, not
realizing that they are blaspheming Jesus Christ who gave those laws
to Moses. Every law is an expression of the love of Christ. The
judgments of God are designed to promote peace and to protect the
innocent in a nation. They are also designed to correct the sinner.
Even the death penalty is a statement of agape love toward society in
general, for it protects society from such sinners. There are certain sins
for which it is not possible to pay restitution. Those call for the death
penalty, because in such cases the earthly court lacks the power to
bring justice to the victims. Putting the sinner to death itself does not
bring justice to the victims. Justice is not done until all victims have
been fully restored and compensated. The death penalty merely refers
the matter to a higher court and postpones his trial until the Great
White Throne.
All of this is done by the mind of Christ by the spirit of perfect love--
whether we understand it or not. The law is also applied impartially, as
James says, because partiality is a sin. Sin is transgression of the law
(1 John 3:4).
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet
stumbles in one point, he has become guilty
of all.
11 For He who said, "Do not commit adultery,"
also said, "Do not commit murder." Now if
you do not commit adultery, but do commit
murder, you have become a transgressor of
the law.
To commit adultery is to covet, and covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5).
So if a man breaks the fifth commandment (adultery), he has also
broken the tenth commandment (covetousness) as well as the first and
second (idolatry). Likewise, he has stolen his neighbor's wife, so he has
violated the sixth commandment (theft). And because he then presents
himself to others as righteous, when in fact he is not, he bears false
witness to the world, violating the eighth commandment. This dishonors
his father and mother, so he violates the third commandment as well.
And finally, by sinning, he violates the Sabbath, for he ceases to abide
in God's Rest. He returns to his fleshly labor, no longer doing only what
his Father does.
Hence, it is not possible to violate just one commandment. To violate
one is to violate them all. It is obvious that violating any of these
commandments is done from one's carnal nature, rather than from the
heart of God's love.
12 So speak and so act, as those who are to be
judged by the law of liberty.
13 For judgment will be merciless to one who
has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over
judgment.
God's law brings liberty. Man's laws bring slavery. That is why the
Kingdom of God is ruled by the divine law, which is the expression of
the perfect love of Jesus Christ and is the will of the King.
At the Great White Throne, judgment will be meted out with precision,
because the judgment will always fit the crime. That is the meaning of
"eye for eye" (Ex. 21:24). But James had learned from Jesus that such
factors as repentance, level of authority, ignorance, and especially the
Mercy Factor all serve to lessen the judgment upon the sinner.
Repentance is a form of death (of the carnal nature, the old man), which
can serve as a form of death penalty. Luke 12:47-48 shows that those
sinners who are ignorant of the will of God will receive fewer stripes than
those who know His will and yet violate it. Paul claimed mercy because
of his own ignorance (1 Tim. 1:13).
James, however, focuses primarily on the Mercy Factor, based upon
Jesus' words in Matt. 5:7,
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive
mercy.
In other words, God will treat us by our own standard of measure. If we
have shown mercy to those who have offended us, then God will show
us the same level of mercy for the times that we have offended others in
the same manner. Matt. 7:2 says,
2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged;
and by your standard of measure, it will be
measured to you.
This Mercy Factor is built into the law of equal weights and measures
found in Lev. 19:36, "You shall have just balances, just weights, a just
ephah, and a just hin." God judges us by the same standard of measure
by which we have judged others. This Mercy Factor is built into the law.
James understood this very well, and his inner jurist says, "mercy
triumphs over judgment." This is a play on words, based upon the word
picture presented by the Ark of the Covenant. In the Ark, the mercy seat
was positioned over the tables of the law which were inside the Ark.
When James says "mercy TRIUMPHS over judgment," he uses the Greek
word katakauchaomai, which means to exult (rejoice) or exalt, to boast
itself as superior to something, to triumph over, to position one's self
above or higher than something else.
The mercy seat was positioned higher than the tables of the law and the
manna in the Ark. So James tells us that mercy has a higher position than
the law itself. This is not an excuse for lawlessness, nor even for abolishing
all judgment. Instead, it indicates that there is a Mercy Factor that can
alter the sentence of the law upon sinners.
It must be kept in mind, however, that only victims have the divine right to
to forgive. It is not for the judge to forgive an injustice that has been
perpetrated upon the victim. The task of the judge is to weigh the evidence
from the witnesses and to apply the law as it is written. Only where there
are no actual victims does a judge have the right to apply the Mercy Factor
himself. In most cases it is the right of the victim alone to find reasons to
apply the Mercy Factor as he or she is led by the Spirit.
This was done by Jesus on the cross (Luke 23:34) and again by Stephen
when he was being stoned (Acts 7:60). As victims, each was given authority
to forgive and to show mercy to the full extent that he had been victimized.
It is the same today with each of us, and that is why God allows all of us to
become victims of injustice. It empowers us with divine authority that even
a judge does not have.
Logabe
8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law,
according to the Scripture, "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
9 But if you show partiality, you are committing
sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
If we love others as we truly ought, we will find that we will never
violate the law, because love is the basis of the entire law. The
statutes and judgments of the law are given to us in order to help
us to define the love of God, because God knows that our carnal
minds are not always capable of understanding His love. How many
times have I heard men say that the law is vengeful or hateful and
that as New Testament Christians, we ought to discard it and replace
it with the law of love?
Such people do not understand that the law is love. I ask such people,
"Which law do you believe does NOT express the love of God?" They
then proceed to tell me which laws they believe manifest hatred, not
realizing that they are blaspheming Jesus Christ who gave those laws
to Moses. Every law is an expression of the love of Christ. The
judgments of God are designed to promote peace and to protect the
innocent in a nation. They are also designed to correct the sinner.
Even the death penalty is a statement of agape love toward society in
general, for it protects society from such sinners. There are certain sins
for which it is not possible to pay restitution. Those call for the death
penalty, because in such cases the earthly court lacks the power to
bring justice to the victims. Putting the sinner to death itself does not
bring justice to the victims. Justice is not done until all victims have
been fully restored and compensated. The death penalty merely refers
the matter to a higher court and postpones his trial until the Great
White Throne.
All of this is done by the mind of Christ by the spirit of perfect love--
whether we understand it or not. The law is also applied impartially, as
James says, because partiality is a sin. Sin is transgression of the law
(1 John 3:4).
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet
stumbles in one point, he has become guilty
of all.
11 For He who said, "Do not commit adultery,"
also said, "Do not commit murder." Now if
you do not commit adultery, but do commit
murder, you have become a transgressor of
the law.
To commit adultery is to covet, and covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5).
So if a man breaks the fifth commandment (adultery), he has also
broken the tenth commandment (covetousness) as well as the first and
second (idolatry). Likewise, he has stolen his neighbor's wife, so he has
violated the sixth commandment (theft). And because he then presents
himself to others as righteous, when in fact he is not, he bears false
witness to the world, violating the eighth commandment. This dishonors
his father and mother, so he violates the third commandment as well.
And finally, by sinning, he violates the Sabbath, for he ceases to abide
in God's Rest. He returns to his fleshly labor, no longer doing only what
his Father does.
Hence, it is not possible to violate just one commandment. To violate
one is to violate them all. It is obvious that violating any of these
commandments is done from one's carnal nature, rather than from the
heart of God's love.
12 So speak and so act, as those who are to be
judged by the law of liberty.
13 For judgment will be merciless to one who
has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over
judgment.
God's law brings liberty. Man's laws bring slavery. That is why the
Kingdom of God is ruled by the divine law, which is the expression of
the perfect love of Jesus Christ and is the will of the King.
At the Great White Throne, judgment will be meted out with precision,
because the judgment will always fit the crime. That is the meaning of
"eye for eye" (Ex. 21:24). But James had learned from Jesus that such
factors as repentance, level of authority, ignorance, and especially the
Mercy Factor all serve to lessen the judgment upon the sinner.
Repentance is a form of death (of the carnal nature, the old man), which
can serve as a form of death penalty. Luke 12:47-48 shows that those
sinners who are ignorant of the will of God will receive fewer stripes than
those who know His will and yet violate it. Paul claimed mercy because
of his own ignorance (1 Tim. 1:13).
James, however, focuses primarily on the Mercy Factor, based upon
Jesus' words in Matt. 5:7,
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive
mercy.
In other words, God will treat us by our own standard of measure. If we
have shown mercy to those who have offended us, then God will show
us the same level of mercy for the times that we have offended others in
the same manner. Matt. 7:2 says,
2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged;
and by your standard of measure, it will be
measured to you.
This Mercy Factor is built into the law of equal weights and measures
found in Lev. 19:36, "You shall have just balances, just weights, a just
ephah, and a just hin." God judges us by the same standard of measure
by which we have judged others. This Mercy Factor is built into the law.
James understood this very well, and his inner jurist says, "mercy
triumphs over judgment." This is a play on words, based upon the word
picture presented by the Ark of the Covenant. In the Ark, the mercy seat
was positioned over the tables of the law which were inside the Ark.
When James says "mercy TRIUMPHS over judgment," he uses the Greek
word katakauchaomai, which means to exult (rejoice) or exalt, to boast
itself as superior to something, to triumph over, to position one's self
above or higher than something else.
The mercy seat was positioned higher than the tables of the law and the
manna in the Ark. So James tells us that mercy has a higher position than
the law itself. This is not an excuse for lawlessness, nor even for abolishing
all judgment. Instead, it indicates that there is a Mercy Factor that can
alter the sentence of the law upon sinners.
It must be kept in mind, however, that only victims have the divine right to
to forgive. It is not for the judge to forgive an injustice that has been
perpetrated upon the victim. The task of the judge is to weigh the evidence
from the witnesses and to apply the law as it is written. Only where there
are no actual victims does a judge have the right to apply the Mercy Factor
himself. In most cases it is the right of the victim alone to find reasons to
apply the Mercy Factor as he or she is led by the Spirit.
This was done by Jesus on the cross (Luke 23:34) and again by Stephen
when he was being stoned (Acts 7:60). As victims, each was given authority
to forgive and to show mercy to the full extent that he had been victimized.
It is the same today with each of us, and that is why God allows all of us to
become victims of injustice. It empowers us with divine authority that even
a judge does not have.
Logabe
You have a very good understanding of the matter, and what you wrote is well written. However, I do question the extent to which you have taken it in the last two paragraphs that state only a victim has the right to forgive. After David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then killed her husband, he said that he had sinned against God only. When David repented, God forgave him, regardless of what any victim thought.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done [this] evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest. Psalms 51:4
The prophet Nathan was sent to confront David with his sin in 2 Sam. 12. Nathan
told David that a certain rich man in his kingdom had had some unexpected
company come to visit him. So he took a poor man's only lamb and butchered it
to feed his guest, instead of taking one of his own lambs. Nathan asked David
what to do about this. David's response is recorded in 2 Sam. 12:5-7,
5 Then David's anger burned greatly against the man,
and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, surely the
man who has done this deserves to die.
6 and he must make restitution for the lamb fourfold,
because he did this thing and had no compassion.”
7 Nathan then said to David, “You are the man!”
By the law of equal weights and measures, David had sentenced himself to
death and to restore the lamb fourfold. David later repented and as a
consequence his sentence was overshadowed by grace. Yet someone had
to die to satisfy the law's demands. There was no way around it, for the
law demands equal weights and measures in judging sin. David's son by
Bathsheba was the first to die to pay for David's sin (2 Sam. 12:14).
What a beautiful picture we are given of David's greater Son, Jesus, who
died for our sins. And yet we ourselves who are in Christ, who are priests
of God and of Christ, are likewise called to do the works that He did as
our great Example. He paid the debt of sin for the whole world; we are
called to pay smaller debts to the law according to our abilities and callings.
But getting back to the story of David, we find that David had also judged
himself to repay fourfold, according to the law found in Ex. 22:1,
1 If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters
it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for an ox and
four sheep for the sheep.
David's judgment was indeed just, according to biblical law. Thus, David
lost not only the baby that Bathsheba bore to him; he also lost three
other sons: Amnon (2 Sam. 13:33); Absalom (2 Sam. 18:15); and
Adonijah (1 Kings 2:24).
Other men also set the level of their own judgment by judging others. It
was the same with Ezekiel, Hosea, Isaiah, and even with you and me. We
may have a difficult time understanding the ways of God, but there is no
question that God does this. It is written in the law, by which He judges all
sin. The law of equal weights and measures gives us opportunity, a legal
technicality, to extend to ourselves grace and to lessen God's discipline
for our own sins. It provides God with a legal opportunity to give us grace.
If we know the law and utilize and put into practice its grace, we may save
ourselves much hardship and trouble.
There is, of course, a sense in which Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins.
Yet observant Christians also know that God disciplines us by the law when
we sin. For this reason, in order to really understand grace, we must see it
within the context of God's law that judges sin. If grace were absolute in
the sense of canceling all liability for sin, then God could not judge us at
all for any reason, and we would end up abusing grace (Rom. 6:1).
Logabe
The law is in effect...not the ceremonial parts which are fulfilled in Christ...for the sake of righteousness. Those who are actually in Christ are fulfilling the law through the Spirit. Those who are not in Christ will be judged by the law.
Similar threads
