“I am the law!!!” Judge Dredd 2000AD Comics
There is much debate in the body of Christ revolving around the law. Do we keep the law? What is the law? Is it just The Ten Commandments, or is it every movie Yule Brenner ever made? Do we keep the Law of Moses? Are we to submit to the law of men? Should we be caught living a law unto ourselves? After diligent study, and discourse with many religious scholars, much more learned than me, I have come to an answer. Maybe
In the church there appears to be two general schools of thought. One school of thought I will call liberal, it asserts that Christians are not beholden to any law because of the freedom given by Christ. The other view I would term legalistic, which states that all the Ten Commandments and every scripture must be done. We do not stone many witches these days, so the legalistic approach has drawbacks. Another version of legalism is practiced by modern day Judaisers. They would have you follow the entire Law of Moses to the letter. Don’t eat pork, not even with a fork. Do the Mishna, observe the Torah.
I remember a book called The Ten Commandments; I do not recall who wrote it because in the end it did not matter. The book was a complete waste of time. Anyone who tries to keep The Ten Commandments is doomed to failure. You will be coveting your neighbor’s ass before you can say Jack Robinson. Therein is my thesis: any human attempt to keep “The Law” will fail, and should be viewed as adultery. Now what laws are we talking about? They are the laws that pertain to the Kingdom of God.
Back before Abraham met YHWH in the suburbs of Chaldea, there was already law. The laws of nature do not really apply to our discussion so I will omit them. But there was already a “law” of principle. “But now a righteousness of God has been revealed apart from Law, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets” (Rom 3:21 LITV). This is the same law wherein YHWH showed His righteousness to men through nature. “For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, both His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse” (Rom 1:20 LITV).
Since the fall of humanity in the garden, the law of principle has been at war against another law. This is the one law that is easy to keep; the law of sin in the members “I find then the law, when I desire to do the right, that evil is present with me. (Rom 7:21 LITV) These two laws are consistently at each other’s throats. Some people contend that only believers feel the struggle, and non believers always give in to the law of sin.
Abraham understood these laws because they were codified by the government he lived under. It is possible that Abraham was a kid when Nimrod / Gilgamesh started building his ziggurat to Astarte, and he may have even seen the scattering of the peoples. But God had a plan, and a new law. The Law of Faith states simply that righteousness comes by believing on YHWH. “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Gal 3:6 KJV). This law excludes self righteousness, “Where then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner of law? of works? Nay: but by a law of faith.” (Rom 3:27 RSV) You will note that Abraham’s justification predates all forms of Judaica! Also the Lord put Abraham to sleep to codify the promises based on this law. The benefits of this law are unilaterally derived, coming only from YHWH.
But why should anyone believe Abraham? Men ignored the law of principle when it suited them. Humanity requires a harsh schoolmaster. So on Mt. Sinai Moses witnessed the law of God, which is the law of principle being carved into stone. Moses presented the tablets to the people; who were busy displaying the law of sin in the members, and he was so wroth that not only did he break the tablets; he also penned another law, with YHWH’s guidance. While the law of God is the intent of the creator, the Law of Moses serves to teach that the law cannot be adhered to. “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Gal 3:24 KJV) Even that required another law to be instituted. There had to be a law of the mind that would convince mankind of his need to submit to the Law of God. Sadly the law of Sin always defeats the law of the Mind “But if I do what I do not will, I agree with the Law, that it is good.” (Rom 7:16 KJV) Can you begin to see the lengths God goes to, just to reach out to humanity?
If we cannot keep the Law of God or the Law of Moses, what law can be kept? The laws of the mind, sin and death demand a resolution. “For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus set me free from the law of sin and of death.” (Rom 8:2 KJV) So this law of the spirit is a loophole law, it sets us free from the other laws, even the law of sin and death. How? Jesus paid the price as our advocate; we can place ourselves under His law. So the law of the spirit sets us completely free from all other laws. In fact the marriage analogy Paul uses in beginning of chapter seven details how if we try to keep the “law” when we are bound to The Law of the Spirit, we become adulterers! God’s grace operates on a continuum of infinite depth. Here is God demonstrating His righteousness: this Law of the Spirit yields benefits through submission to Christ, not by human effort. “so that the righteous demand of the Law might be fulfilled in us, those not walking according to flesh, but according to Spirit.” (Rom 8:4 LITV)
The benefits are that the Law of Faith, and the righteous Mosaic Law are made manifest in a believers life. All laws become fulfilled through faith alone in Jesus Christ. “Do not think that I came to annul the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to annul, but to fulfill.” (Mat 5:17 LITV)
How can you tell if someone is in the Law of the Spirit? “Everyone practicing sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. Little children, let no one lead you astray; the one practicing righteousness is righteous, even as that One is righteous.” (1 Jhn 3:4,7 LITV) They practice righteousness. Strong’s dictionary has a multitude of definitions for that word practice, (G4160 Strong’s) among them are; to make or do, to abide or agree. The idea here is summed up well with practice, not that we are perfect, but rather we attempt and we work at it. So what are you practicing? Are you trying to sin more or less is the idea you might get.
But what does Paul say about righteousness? “But to the one not working, but believing on Him justifying the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”(Rom 4:5 KJV) Whoa, righteousness believes on Jesus. We really do serve an awesome God. Because of this amazing thing Christ has done, we are compelled to serve Him out of love, and this is the Law of the Spirit.
Bibliography
Missler, C. (2000). Romans. Retrieved August 22nd, 2007, www.khouse.org
Scofield, C.I. (1967). The New Scofield Reference Bible. New York: Oxford University Press
