Do not mistake acquirement of mere knowledge for power. Like food, these things must be digested and assimilated to become life or force. Learning is not wisdom; knowledge is not necessarily vital energy. The student who has to cram through a school or a college course, who has made himself merely a receptacle for the teacher's thoughts and ideas, is not educated; he has not gained much. He is a reservoir, not a fountain. One retains, the other gives forth. Unless his knowledge is converted into wisdom, into faculty, it will become stagnant like still water.
-- J.E. Dinger
The man who would lift others must be uplifted himself, and he who would command others must learn to obey.
-- Charles K. Ober
THE LAWS OF MOSES
(or the Laws of God as given to Moses)
Do They Apply Today?
"From the cowardice that shrinks from new truth, From the laziness that is content with half-truths, From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth, O God of truth, deliver us."
Ancient Prayer
Allow me to first start off by pointing out what the Law is clearly NOT used for. Our salvation is not imputed to us because we keep the Law for no man is justified by the works of the law (Gal. 2:16). The book of Galatians was written to show why those who were trusting in the keeping of the law for salvation were wrong.
The Scriptures are clear:
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Romans 3:28
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of your selves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8-9
It is abundantly clear that the keeping of the Law does NOT work salvation in us. At the same time it is incorrectly taught that the entire law of Moses has been done away with. In support of this false teaching many verses are taken out of context, such as:
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." Romans 6:14
In order to get a better understanding of what is being said we must look at verse 15 also.
"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."
These verses become clearer when we understand what sin is. "Sin is the transgression of the law." (I John 3:4). He is asking "Shall we transgress the law, because we are not under the law, but under grace?" He next answers his own question by saying that "God forbids it." Do you see that? God forbids us from transgressing the law! Just because we are not under the law, does not mean that the law is not there and that we can violate it.
The things I am sharing with you is the result of 8 years study on this subject. I happened upon this study by accident. While in Bible College at Indianapolis Baptist Bible College, Dr. Dixon was giving a message and part of it went like this "The Laws of God are called many names. They are called: Commandments, Statutes, judgments, precepts, ordinances, etc."
I challenge you to look up what each of these names mean and you will get a greater blessing from God's Word. I took that challenge and I've never looked at God's Word the same again.
I, like most Baptists, used to think that the Old Testament laws had no place today. With this thinking I started my study and I got confused. In all honesty I'm not that bright, so I didn't get too worried about not understanding all this. I was sure that if I keep on studying it would clear up. However, this was not the case. The more I studied the more confused I got. I was trying to fit what I was learning with what I believed and it just wasn't fitting.
I was finally brought to the place where God wanted me. One night in prayer I told the Lord that since what I was learning was not fitting in with what I believed. I was now willing to change what I believed to fit with what I was learning from His Word. After that things just started falling in place and here is a little of what I've learned:
Definitions -
Before I define the different kinds of laws, I need to point out that these definitions are not to be followed 100% of the time. The reason for this is that words are used interchangeably in the King James Version. For example - the Hebrew word usually translated "statute(s)" is also translated as: commandment, law, ordinance, decree, etc. So to be sure of which kind of law you are dealing with in Scriptures, I suggest that you look it up each time. Nevertheless, each word is usually translated one way and so below find the definitions for these -
How the above laws are classified Moral Civil Ceremonial Personal - governmental- ritual (religious) applies to applies to applies to each everybody those in power wanting atonement Commandments Commandments Sacrifices O.T. Statutes Statutes Ordinances N.T. Judgments
It is not hard to figure out what kind of law you may be reading. In many cases God's Word tells us "this shall be a statute forever." At other times God's Word does not specify. In these cases ask yourself "is this one of the Ten Commandments" or "is this a Sacrifice?" or "is this a law that someone in power must enforce?"
You have just looked at the contents of the Old Covenant. Now, how does the Old Covenant relate to the New Covenant?
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Jer. 31:31-34
Notice that God will put His law in our inward parts and write it on our hearts. It's the same O.T. law, it's just moved to a different place so that it can be observed as God intended.
I like to explain it like this: When I was growing up, we had a rule in our house, "Don't put your feet on the coffee table." I obeyed this rule because if I didn't I might acquire the need for medical attention. Thus I was forced to obey out of fear. That's how the O.T. was, they obeyed out of fear. Now I'm an adult and when I visit my parents they have the same rule. I still obey that rule but not out of fear. Now I obey it because I want to. I love my parents and I want to please them and that's why I now obey their rules. That's why in the New Testament (New Covenant) God has put His laws in us. He wants us to obey them because we love and want to please Him.
The New Testament did not do away with the Law but rather it completed it.
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-19
Now the ordinances or sacrifices were not considered a part of the general law. Christ was the final sacrifice and thus He fulfilled the ordinances for us.
"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;" Eph. 2:13-15
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." Col. 2:14
Notice that it is the Law of Ordinances that is gone NOT the commandments, statutes and judgments! Now without the ordinances, we are free to serve (God's Law) in the newness of the Spirit (obeying to please God and be Holy).
"But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." Rom. 7:6
Now we can understand why the New Testament is called the perfect law of liberty in James 1:22-25. Now that you have the basic understanding, I will give you some areas to get you started in your study -
A. Christ clearly stated that He wanted us to keep His commandments. John 14:15 & 21; John 15:10; I John 2:3-4
B. Christ, while talking to those who knew the law, told them that the easiest way to keep the laws was by loving one another. (In other words - if you love your brother, you won't commit a transgression of the law against him). Matt. 22:36-40; John 13:34; John 15:12 & 17; I John 5:2- 3
C. If there is no law, then there is no sin. If the law was completely done away with, there is nothing left to transgress and thus there is no sin and no need for salvation. I John 3:4; Rom. 4:15; Rom 5:13
D. The meats we are to eat are those that are sanctified (set apart) by the Word of God (the O.T. at that time) and prayer. What meats did the O.T. set apart? I Tim. 4:4-5; Deut. 14:3-21 (Note: Acts 10 is talking about MEN not food, see verse 28)
E. The word "iniquity" in the following verses means "lawlessness; against or without the law." Matt 7:23; Matt 13:41; Matt. 23:28; Matt 24:12; Rom. 6:19; II Thes. 2:7; Titus 2:14; Heb. 1:9
F. All of the Ten Commandments are reinstated in the New Testament (see chart on page 5)
Let me conclude by saying that this should not be considered a final authority. If anything, this should be considered a place to begin your study. Those who read this and are noble will search these things out (Acts 17:11). I recognize that this work can be improved and will not be error free because it was written by fallible man. May God receive all the glory for any good this work may produce.
"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Rom. 3:31
For King Jesus,
Jeffrey A. Weakly
[From: "Jehu's Chariot," 503 N.E. 155th Ave., #10 Portland OR 97230.
Send a donation if requesting his newsletter.]
THE LAW OF GOD Old Testament
I Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
II Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep my commandments
III Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.
IV Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
V Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
VI Thou shalt not kill.
VII Thou shalt not adulterate, nor commit adultery.
VIII Thou shalt not steal.
IX Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
X Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's
See Exodus 20:1-18
I will not alter nor break the thing that is gone out of my lips. Psalms 89:34
THE LAW OF GOD
New Testament
I "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." Matt. 4:10
II "Little children, keep yourselves from idols" "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." I John 5:21, Acts 17:29
III "That the name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed." I Timothy 6:1
IV "Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day." "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." "For He spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all His works." "There remaineth therefore a keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God. For he that is his own works, as God did from His." "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth." Matt. 24:20, Mark 2:27, 28, Heb. 4:4,9,10, margin; Col. 1:16.
V "Honor thy father and thy mother." Matthew 19:19.
VI "Thou shalt not kill." Romans 13:9
VII "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Matthew 19:18.
VIII "Thou shalt not steal." Romans 13:9
IX "Thou shalt not bear false witness." Romans 13:9
X "Thou shalt not covet." Romans 7:7
AFTER HIS DEATH
"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Romans 3:31.
"They . . . rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment." Luke 23:54-56
THE WHITE CELL
By Richard Kelly Hoskins
Excerpt from "Vigilantes of Christiandom"
(Editor's Forward: When the civil rulers fail to enforce God's Law men of God rose up to see "God's will be done." The book 'Vigilantes of Christiandom' tells the story of these men from Phineas to the present.)
Western Society is like the human body. The life is in the blood. The blood cells are its peoples. There are two kinds. Red blood cells, whose primary job is work, and white blood cells whose job is defense. There are about 740 red blood cells for each white one.
Red blood cells seldom recognize an invading foreign substance. It's not their job. On the other hand, white cells go snooping in closets and around corners looking for alien bodies to attack. The attack itself causes heat; the heat causes the body to manufacture additional white cells. The infected combat zone rises to a head as white cells are killed in the conflict. The head discharges pus along with the alien invader as the body cleanses itself. The pus is dead white cells. They have done their job and paid the price. If they fail, all is lost, the body will sicken and die.
A healthy body will quickly recognize and destroy an invading alien body. To remain in the body, invading alien bodies must first neutralize the body's defenses.
The only way to do this and not be destroyed in the process is to beguile and infect the governing brain - the king. Once this major obstacle is passed, other defenses can be infected one by one. Then, the diseased defenses, infected by the aliens invaders, can lead the defenses in full cry after the white cells.
A diseased body's defenses are naturally the most outspoken against invading aliens. They are supposed to be and it is expected of them. But, the defenses are infected, which means that the anti-aliens are aliens themselves. Aliens must control the defenses, even doing great damage to their own kind at times, or they will not survive. This is why crusades against communism, drugs, pornography, immigration, and abortion come to nothing. They are led by aliens, or by body cells infected and financed by them.
It is catastrophe for themselves if invading alien microbes lose control of the defenses. It is the only way they can prevent the body from instantly destroying them. This is why an infected body does not mount a proper defense, and why there are seemingly patriotic leaders who cheer the flag and claim to love their nation and hate evil, but who don't know the basic Ten Commandments,with their allied statutes and judgements, which are essential for successful defense.
The infected defenses must divert attention from themselves. They are active. The body cells are constantly told that there is a crisis. The true virus that has invaded is not identified, but is said to be something else -from acid rain, to bad food, to terrorists from abroad or harmless foreign nations painted as hostile. The aliens lead the body to prepare its defenses to fight this 'great' peril. The body is then led in unprovoked attacks against its own self, or bodies just like itself, killing tens of millions of healthy red and white cells in the process. These abortive efforts exhaust the body and make room for additional invaders to occupy the space vacated.
Numerous efforts are made by the body to organize an internal defense. Almost all these efforts are initiated by the disease itself. These efforts boast prominent names, are adequately financed, and given publicity. Healthy white cells who respond are neutralized by expending their energy chasing a false prey, or are led to prison where they can do nothing.
The body is told that its ancient laws are void. It becomes muddled in its thinking. It has forgotten the laws established long ago to direct its thinking and actions. There is no shining knight who stays on his knees until he is wise enough to rise.
Through the weakened and exhausted body the infection spreads demanding that the body stockpile tanks, ships, and planes for another abortive defensive effort against a victim who is not an enemy. Bloodstream infection becomes obvious when alien bodies boldly enter and are actually seen traveling along the same blood vessels with the red and white cells while the infected defenses will not allow any defensive acts by the white cells against them, or even allow them to be identified, or even spoken against.
The illness has reached its crisis. The body must now overcome the disease or die. In the hour of absolute desperation the formerly wooden and useless white cells reject all slogans, all leaders, all abortive movements, and return to their own Leader, the Leader whose ancient Word gave the body life in the beginning. When they do this they become immune to false friends, renegade leaders, planted dead-end organizations. They have everything they need. They pour over the Word seeking instruction. Humbled, a new being rises. His sword is The Word. Wise, he can identify the sins of his people.
Survival depends on the regenerated white blood cell, a cell rigidly judging everything and everyone by the ancient rules that ensure survival, a cell no longer misled, wooden, and ineffective.
It is the day of the Phineas priest.
("Vigilantes of Christiandom" is available from:
Virginia
Publishing Company, P.O. Box 997, Lynchburg, VA
24505
Ph: 804-845-1335 Hardcover, 472 pgs, $20.00)
"Some unskilled persons . . . boldly discard the whole law of Moses, and do away with both its Tables, imaging it unchristian. . . Far from our thoughts be this profane notion. . . . many . . . say, that in regard to believers the Law is abrogated: . . .
"When the Lord declares, that he came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil (Matt. 5:17), that until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or tittle shall remain unfulfilled; he shows that his advent was not to derogate, in any degree, from the observance of the Law. And justly, since the very end of his coming was to remedy the transgression of the Law. Therefore, the doctrine of the Law has not been infringed by Christ, but remains, that, by teaching, admonishing, rebuking, and correcting, it may fit and prepare us for every good work. . . ., it must ever remain an indubitable truth, that the Law has lost none of its authority, but must always receive from us the same respect and obedience.
"The case of ceremonies is different, these having been abrogated not in effect but in use only. . . .; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross; (Col. 2:13-14). Others examining Paul's words more carefully, see that they properly apply to the Ceremonial law, and show that Paul repeatedly uses the term ordinance in this sense. He thus writes to the Ephesians: ' . . . , even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; . . . ' (Eph. 2:14)."
-Institutes of the Christian Religion,
by John Calvin, book II, pgs 310-312.