Many gravitate to the Decalogue because of thinking it will make them right with God! But only the Jew keeping the Law, can “live” (Mat 19:17), for to him only was the Decalogue made. Jesus came to establish the Law by “fulfilling” it (Mat 5:17); and after fulfilling it, God “took it away” (Heb 10:9), so that the Jew would advance onto being in Christ, which some did (e.g. the Apostles and disciples). Though an Israelite was saved by obeying the Law, which was the sole means of salvation at that time, disobeying it brought judgment. -NC
The law is neither the ground of life to the sinner nor the rule of life to the Christian: the Lord Jesus is both the one and the other—He is our life and He is our rule of life. The law can only curse and slay. The Lord Jesus is our life and righteousness. He went down into the place where the sinner lay—into the place of death and judgement; and having, by His death, entirely discharged all that was or could be against us, He became, in resurrection, the source of Life and the ground of righteousness to all who believed in His name.
Having life and righteousness in Him, we are called to walk not merely as the law directs, but to “walk even as He walked” (1Jo 2:6). It will hardly be deemed needful to assert that it is directly contrary to Christian nature and ethics to kill, commit adultery, or steal. But were a Christian to shape his way according to these commands, or according to the entire Decalogue, would he yield the rare and delicate fruits which the epistle of Ephesians sets forth?
Would the Ten Commandments ever cause a thief to give up stealing, and go to work that he might have to give? Would they ever transform a robber into a laborious and liberal man? Assuredly not. The law says, “Thou shalt not steal”: but does it say, Go and give to him that needeth. Go feed, clothe, and bless your enemy; go gladden by your benevolent feelings and your beneficent acts of the heart for him who only and always seeks your harm (like the Gospel does –NC)? By no means; and yet, were I under the law as a rule, it could only curse and slay me.
How is this, when the standard in the New Testament is so much higher? Because I am weak, and the law gives me no strength and shows me no mercy. The law demands strength from one that has none, and curses him if he cannot display it. The Gospel gives strength to one that has none, and blesses him in the exhibition of it. The law proposes life as the end of obedience; the Gospel gives life as the only proper ground of obedience.
If the law be indeed the rule of a believer’s life, where are we to find it presented in the New Testament? Paul evidently had no thought of its being the rule when he penned the following words: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And “as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy” (Gal 6:15). What “rule”? The law? No; But the “new creation.” The law speaks not a word about “new creation.”
Why does not Paul say, As many as walk according to the rule of the Ten Commandments? Is it not evident that the believer has a higher rule by which to walk? Unquestionably. The Ten Commandments, though forming, as a true Christians admit, a part of the canon of inspiration, could never be the rule of life to one who has, through infinite grace, been recreated into the new creation, one who has received new Life in the Lord Jesus Christ. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Ro 8:2)
— Charles Henry Mackintosh (1820-1896)
MJS daily devotional for July 20
“We are to find out in Romans 6, through the gracious teaching of the Spirit of truth, all that happened to the Lord Jesus there on the Cross. Then we will know our own position and standing, since we were judicially in Him there.” -MJS
“Have you ever thought about God’s thought about you, that you are ‘to be conformed to the image of His Son’? ‘It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him’ (Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:2).
“This cannot fail. The Lord Jesus presses on our hearts that He brings us into association with Himself. He ‘hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’ (Eph. 1:3). He puts us in this position answering perfectly to His nature, and with a nature to enjoy it.”
“He imparts to us of Himself in order to qualify us for Himself.”
“Not only is my blessing in heaven, but I need the Lord Jesus’ power to enable me to rise above the sense of my infirmity down here; for this world, instead of contributing to me, makes me feel my weakness and need, and that I must rise out of it to find and enjoy my blessing.
“The very infirmity which this evil age makes me conscious of makes me draw upon the power of Christ, as the One outside it, passing into the heavens, so that I take pleasure in the very infirmity which is exposed here, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” James Butler Stoney (1814-1897)
Law Out – Life In!
The law is neither the ground of life to the sinner nor the rule of life to the Christian: the Lord Jesus is both the one and the other—He is our life and He is our rule of life. The law can only curse and slay. The Lord Jesus is our life and righteousness. He went down into the place where the sinner lay—into the place of death and judgement; and having, by His death, entirely discharged all that was or could be against us, He became, in resurrection, the source of Life and the ground of righteousness to all who believed in His name.
Having life and righteousness in Him, we are called to walk not merely as the law directs, but to “walk even as He walked” (1Jo 2:6). It will hardly be deemed needful to assert that it is directly contrary to Christian nature and ethics to kill, commit adultery, or steal. But were a Christian to shape his way according to these commands, or according to the entire Decalogue, would he yield the rare and delicate fruits which the epistle of Ephesians sets forth?
Would the Ten Commandments ever cause a thief to give up stealing, and go to work that he might have to give? Would they ever transform a robber into a laborious and liberal man? Assuredly not. The law says, “Thou shalt not steal”: but does it say, Go and give to him that needeth. Go feed, clothe, and bless your enemy; go gladden by your benevolent feelings and your beneficent acts of the heart for him who only and always seeks your harm (like the Gospel does –NC)? By no means; and yet, were I under the law as a rule, it could only curse and slay me.
How is this, when the standard in the New Testament is so much higher? Because I am weak, and the law gives me no strength and shows me no mercy. The law demands strength from one that has none, and curses him if he cannot display it. The Gospel gives strength to one that has none, and blesses him in the exhibition of it. The law proposes life as the end of obedience; the Gospel gives life as the only proper ground of obedience.
If the law be indeed the rule of a believer’s life, where are we to find it presented in the New Testament? Paul evidently had no thought of its being the rule when he penned the following words: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And “as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy” (Gal 6:15). What “rule”? The law? No; But the “new creation.” The law speaks not a word about “new creation.”
Why does not Paul say, As many as walk according to the rule of the Ten Commandments? Is it not evident that the believer has a higher rule by which to walk? Unquestionably. The Ten Commandments, though forming, as a true Christians admit, a part of the canon of inspiration, could never be the rule of life to one who has, through infinite grace, been recreated into the new creation, one who has received new Life in the Lord Jesus Christ. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Ro 8:2)
— Charles Henry Mackintosh (1820-1896)
MJS daily devotional for July 20
“We are to find out in Romans 6, through the gracious teaching of the Spirit of truth, all that happened to the Lord Jesus there on the Cross. Then we will know our own position and standing, since we were judicially in Him there.” -MJS
“Have you ever thought about God’s thought about you, that you are ‘to be conformed to the image of His Son’? ‘It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him’ (Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:2).
“This cannot fail. The Lord Jesus presses on our hearts that He brings us into association with Himself. He ‘hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’ (Eph. 1:3). He puts us in this position answering perfectly to His nature, and with a nature to enjoy it.”
“He imparts to us of Himself in order to qualify us for Himself.”
“Not only is my blessing in heaven, but I need the Lord Jesus’ power to enable me to rise above the sense of my infirmity down here; for this world, instead of contributing to me, makes me feel my weakness and need, and that I must rise out of it to find and enjoy my blessing.
“The very infirmity which this evil age makes me conscious of makes me draw upon the power of Christ, as the One outside it, passing into the heavens, so that I take pleasure in the very infirmity which is exposed here, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” James Butler Stoney (1814-1897)
