DO YOU STILL PREACH THE OLD LAW FOR JUSTIFICATION?

10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. Jas 2

10 All who rely on works of the Law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” -Gal 3:10

3I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.” – Gal 5:10

Churches that still teach ” just be a good person” and keep the 10 Commandments are teaching justification by Law. A church that is teaching tithing or keeping the Sabbath is teaching old Law and might as well be teaching circumcision and sacrifices.

Paul teaches that the law written on tablets of stone is dead and has been replaced by the perfect law, the law of liberty, which James and Paul both speak about.

Look at what Paul says.

7Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.” 2Cor 3

Take note that Paul is making reference to what was written on stone tablets, the “10 Commandments”, and refers to that law as a ministry of death and condemnation. Why? Because the law keeping could not save since no one could keep it. This is why Paul said that law had to die so that sinners could be joined to another law that actually saves.

Jeremiah the prophet foretold the time when the old law of Moses would be replaced by a better Law written on the heart.

Look at what Jeremiah says.

31“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer 31

Take note of the difference between the law that was given to Israel when coming out of Egypt and the new covenant. The first law or covenant was born into. On the 8th day and boy was a son of the covenant apart from him having any knowledge of what he was committed to by his parents. The new one Jeremiah spoke of would have no one who didn’t have it in his heart.

Entering the covenant of Christ is a personal choice one makes when he or she hears the gospel and makes a personal decision to follow Christ. The point, the new covenant is better than the old..

So why are churches still teaching law keeping? They have failed to distinguish between the old law and the New testament of Christ.

When did the New testament go into effect?

15Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.h 16For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.” Heb 9

The Old testament has value, as there are many great lessons for Christians.

4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Rom 15:4

And…

6Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9We must not put Christc to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” 1 Cor 10

Even though there are many great lessons in the Old testament, we must discern and distinguish between the old and new testament. So important is this that Paul makes the point that trying to live by both would be akin to committing adultery by having two wives. We have to die to the first in order to be joined to the new.

So back to the first verses given in this lesson, make a choice to follow the old or the new laws. You can either follow Christ and be saved by faith or you can follow the old law with its sacrifices dietary laws, circumcision and festivals and Sabbaths. Choose one or the other.

Categories: Uncategorized