Against the Law
Much of what I write is driven by concerning patterns I observe within the Church that need to be corrected by Scripture. And these days, there seems to be a popular, yet unbiblical, trend within American evangelicalism of believing that Christians should “unhitch” themselves from the Old Testament and, more specifically, from the Law of God within the Old Testament.
Some say our ethical standard comes solely from the commands of the New Testament. Some say we can toss the Law out because we are no longer “under” the Law.
The question we must always come back to in the face of such issues is this: What does the Bible say about the Christian’s relationship to the Law of God?
Is it binding and valid today? Or should we ditch the Old for the New?
The Four Uses of God’s Law
I think that this divisive issue stems from the fact that the Bible speaks of the Law in different ways. At first glance, there seem to be two, contradictory ways that the Bible speaks of God’s Law. Sometimes it’s spoken of as a blessing; sometimes it’s a curse. So, how do we solve this apparent contradiction?
The key to solving the dilemma is by surveying the ways that God’s Law is used by men in the Scriptures. The prolific Reformation theologian, John Calvin, identified the three uses of the Law which are commanded by God. But the Bible speaks of a fourth use as well. These four uses are as follows:
1. God’s Law reveals both the holiness of God (as it is the transcript of God’s own moral character), and, consequently, the sinfulness of man. Man is to use the Law to understand the sinfulness of his sin, the hopelessness of his fallen condition, and his desperate need of saving grace from God in Christ.
2. God’s Law is to be used by earthly, governing authorities as the perfect, unchanging standard for carrying out justice upon those who commit crimes. While this use does not change man’s heart, it greatly restrains evil in the world, which is a wonderful grace to humanity. The State is commanded to carry out imperfect justice now while humanity awaits the perfect and final judgment of God on the last day (Romans 13:4).
3. God’s Law reveals to us, in principle and in application, what it means to love God, please God, honor God, and to love other people as well. It is used as the light upon our path, the pattern of our sanctification. It shows us how to live. It reveals to us what it means to be holy, as God is holy.
4. God’s Law is used (unlawfully) by men as a way to obtain righteousness in the sight of God. In denying their need for God’s grace in light of sin, men attempt to offer up their obedience to God’s Law in exchange for eternal paradise. They attempt to earn their salvation by their works, such that God would owe them heaven because of their deeds.
The third and fourth uses mentioned here are our greatest concern for the purpose of this discussion. These two are in view when we consider the apparent contradiction.
The Unlawful Use of the Law
The fourth use of the Law, though clearly corrected in the Old Testament (Hab. 2:4), is addressed in the New Testament in detail. Across the New Testament Scriptures, the apostles remind Christians that they are no longer “under the Law.” We have “died to the Law” and have been “released from the Law” (Romans 7). This doctrine is summarized well by Galatians 3:10 where Paul states, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’”
But is Paul telling us that we are no longer required to obey the Law of God? May it never be! “But why does he speak so negatively about the Law?” you may ask. And the answer to this entire dilemma is this: In every place where Scripture seems to speak negatively about the law, it is condemning an unlawful use of the Law (1 Timothy 1:8).
Because the Jews of that day had misinterpreted the Law and Prophets and were seeking salvation through their obedience to the Law, this unlawful use of the law was a significant, ongoing problem for the Jewish Christian converts that desperately needed correction. Hence, Paul’s main point in Galatians is that Christians have been freed from the curse of the Law because justification can only be obtained on the basis of faith!
If someone tries to be justified by their law-works, they must keep the Law perfectly. But this is impossible due to sin, so the curse of disobedience upon them will never be lifted. Only by receiving the forgiveness and righteousness of Jesus Christ through faith alone (no works added), can one be made righteous before God (Eph. 2:8-9).
Never at any point in the Old or New Testament is our requirement to obey God’s Law relaxed or removed. Jesus Himself establishes that fact in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17-20). What is abolished in salvation is the condemning curse of the Law, which rested on those who attempted to obtain salvation through obedience, rather than by faith.
The Law of Freedom
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” – 1 John 5:1-2
In summary, here are the main reasons why the Christian should not view God’s Law as a burden or a curse, but as a blessing:
1. God explicitly states in Scripture that His Law is not a burden to His children. He also explicitly states that we love God by keeping His commandments. To love God is to obey His Law (1 John 5:1-3).
2. God’s Law is one of the brightest revelations of His unique glory. His moral excellence is to be treasured and adored in our hearts and minds. The blessed man meditates on the Law of God both day and night (Psalm 1:2).
3. God’s Law gives us objective and detailed direction for how we ought to live in every circumstance, so that we are not left in darkness and confusion, like the unbelieving world (Psalm 119:105).
4. After conversion, the true believer is given a new heart and, with that, a new capacity to love, desire, understand, and apply God’s Law to his own life with ever-increasing faithfulness and joy (Ez. 36:26, Jer. 31:33). The believer is enabled to love God’s Law and no longer dread it, given that the perfect love of God has cast out all fear of punishment (1 John 4:18).
5. God’s Law provides direction for the governmental regulation of nations and is a primary restraint of evil in the world.
I hope this little article serves to improve your relationship with what James calls “the Law of freedom,” and I pray that you would be able to join the psalmist sincerely and enthusiastically in exclaiming, “Oh, how I love Your law!” (Psalm 119:97).
Thanks for the article; it was really helpful! I was recently reading Psalm 119 and noticed that it was a prayer full of love for God’s law and commandments. I wanted to feel the same way about them too, but whenever I thought of them, I just felt a heaviness and fear of not being able to measure up to them. But reading this article, I realized I’d been focusing on my own righteousness (or rather, my unrighteousness) and forgetting God’s grace. And since Christ has clothed me in His righteousness, it really should be a JOY to learn more about Him and how to please, honor, and obey Him, as well as be reminded of the great love and sacrifice that gave me hope and peace and life. Thanks again, and God bless!
Absolutely. You’ve put it beautifully. God’s Law is a blessing and joy for the Christian; a beacon of light in a dark, dark place. I’m glad the article was helpful!
When you say law of God, are you talking specifically about the ten commandments?
This is a great question. I am referring to the entirety of the Mosaic Law in this article. There are traditionally three categories of the Mosaic Law that we recognize: the Ten Commandments (or moral law), the judicial (or civil) law, and the ceremonial law. I recognize that these categories are distinct, but I do not believe that this means these three aspects of God’s Law are separate from one another. They are more like different sides of a diamond. There is only one diamond, one Law, but many sides from which we can view the diamond, three aspects of the Law.
The judicial law of the OT is nothing more than the real-world application of the Ten Commandments, relevant to the Jewish people in the time of Moses. The judicial law is still abiding today (Matthew 5:17-20), as long as we are extracting the principles of the judicial law. We are not obligated to obey the culture-specific, time-bound application of the judicial law that was given to the Jewish people; we are obligated to obey the underlying principles of each of those laws today. The judicial law is a God-breathed illustration of how to apply the moral law into the real-world, with all of its sin and problems. The principles which underly the judicial law ARE the Ten Commandments. Hence, the essential content of the judicial law is the moral law, and they are, therefore, in unity with one another. I believe God gave the judicial law primarily for God-fearing governments to have a God-breathed standard for carrying out justice upon the earth, and that is the primary way in which it has been used. The separation between the civilian, the Church, and the State are crucial to understanding our usage of the judicial law for today.
In the New Covenant Era, we are no longer obligated to obey the specifics of the ceremonial law with its dietary restrictions, clothing restrictions, rituals, and atonement sacrifices. This is clearly supported by Ephesians 2, especially in Ephesians 2:15. Every place in the NT where dietary restrictions are abolished is also clear evidence that the ceremonial law was fulfilled in Christ and also abrogated by the authority of Christ. However, the principles behind the ceremonial law, just as with the judicial law, are moral in nature and are, therefore, ethically binding today. The prohibition of mixing fabrics in the ceremonial law must be applied in its moral essence today by “keeping oneself unstained by the world (James 1:27).”
Hence, I do mean to say that we are obligated to obey the entirety of the Mosaic Law, not just the Ten Commandments. But scripturally derived clarifications are necessary, because we are obligated to keep the judicial and ceremonial law IN PRINCIPAL, not in a literal fashion.
Moreover, I do not limit our ethical obligation to the Law of Moses because there are commandments in the OT and NT outside of the Mosaic Law. We are obligated to keep every command on every page of Scripture from beginning to end, except where God Himself, in Scripture, has released us from that obligation (e.g., the letter of the ceremonial law).
I hope this was helpful to clarify where I am coming from. I recognize that not everyone takes this view of the Law. Jesus’ words in Mathew 5:17-20 are what control my understanding of the validity of God’s Law for today.
God bless.
Why telling the usefulness of Gods Law ?
The Law was for them who
were under the law., accor ding to( Rom. 3 : 19, 20 ):
‘Now we know that what things soever the law saith,
it saith to them who are under the law. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.’
So, whosoever of you are justified by the law; are
fallen from grace.'(Gal.5 : 4 )
Now we are not under the
Law. As Jesus said :
“Do not think that I have come to abolish Law; I
have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
.'(Matthew 5:17)
lt is said in (Ephe.2 :14,15)
‘For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the
middle wall of partition between us; Having abolis hed in his flesh the enmity, even the law of comman dments contained in ordinances . ‘
And, (Gal. 2 : 16,19 ) says,
‘Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of
Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ,
that we might be justified
by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.’
Question : Then what is
the law ?
Answer :_
‘ All things whatsoever ye would that men should do
to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law.
(Matthew 7 :12 )
Lastly ,
‘My brethren, ye also become dead to the law
by the body of Christ; that
ye should be married to another, even to him who
is raised from the dead,
that we should bring forth fruit unto God.’ ( Rom.7: 4 )
======
Dear Usha,
It doesn’t seem that you’ve grasped the central point I made in the article. Most of the “anti-Law” passages you quoted are Paul establishing the fact that it is unlawful to use the Law of God as a means to be declared righteous before God. The best of our obedience to the Law is “filthy rags” before the Holy God.
You erroneously quoted Jesus in Matthew 5 and twisted what He actually said by ripping one verse out of the context of the statement. Here are Jesus’ words in context:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not [g]the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches [h]others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus did not come to abolish, or nullify, or abrogate, the Law of God in the OT. That’s Jesus’ first point. Whatever you think Christ’s fulfillment of the Law means, it most certainly cannot mean that Jesus has removed the validity of the Law for the Church Age. He goes on to specifically state that the smallest letter and stroke of the OT Law will not be removed or relaxed or abrogated until the entire creational order passes away. He then says that those who annul the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same will be least and those who do and teach the entirety of the Law will be the greatest.
If interpreted properly and within their own context, Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 destroy any position which would seek to remove the binding validity of the Old Testament Law for today. All Christians are obligated to keep the entirety of the Law, because the Lawgiver, Jesus Christ, clearly stated that this is so.
Paul’s great concern in his letters to the Churches was that it is evil and futile to use the Law as a means of justification. God never gave the Law as a means of justification before Him. But he is clear, across his writings, in agreeing with Jesus that the Law is the eternal standard of holiness and therefore MUST be used for our sanctification. The content of what it means to “love God and love man” is primarily revealed in the commandments of God, including the commandments of the Old Testament.
Zach