If you had to go to Court – would you go without a lawyer? Some do. So, it is with God’s Law and Covenants. It is helpful to know the basic words and what is the proper protocol when in God’s court.
Paul warned that too many teachers of The Law did not know what they were talking about.
TEACHERS OF THE LAW
“Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm [to be true]. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully” (I Timothy 1:7-8). What a simple statement. There is a right way as well and a wrong way to administer The Law.
These proud teachers are very dogmatic and certain they have the right definitions and know how to apply The Law. These teachers are not able to be taught themselves. Rather than seeking the truth they think they have the right information. To them, “being right,” is of greater importance than finding out “what is right.” They have the same problem Job had.
WHO NEEDS THE LAW?
The Law clearly tells you what sin is (I John 3:4). The question, Paul, asks is “What is The Law and who is it given to?” What is the purpose in having The Law?
He gives everyone the answer to this simple question, “Knowing this, that the laws is not made [created] for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners [willful], for unholy and profane, for murders of mothers and manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound [wise] doctrine” (I Timothy 1:9-10). The Law is for criminals not Followers of God.
Those who must adhere to The Law are certainly not Christians but unrepentant, carnal people. That’s simple. The Law is, only, needed for criminals not those who obey God’s voice as Abraham always did (Genesis 26:5). Abraham did whatever God said, by faith. If he sinned he was immediately repentant like King David and forgiven.
That is why The Law has blessings and curses as shown in Deuteronomy 27-28. Abraham lived by faith with no other Law.
Once you repent as a Christian through Christ’s blood, there is no curse. Without curses or penalties you have no Law. Carnal people would never obey without a curse or penalty just like Israel. The Law was given only to Israel because they had a wrong heart and were carnal transgressors.
Paul asks a very basic question about The Law of Moses, “Wherefore then serve [keep] the law?” (Galatians 3:19). His reply was, “It was added because of transgressions [sin], till the seed [Christ] should come to whom the promise (Covenant) was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hands of a mediator [Judge].” Why do we even have to go further? Paul said once Christ came a transfer from The Old Covenant to The New Covenant transpired.
How do Christians know what sin is without The Law? Simple, “And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law [The Torah didn’t have The Law of Moses until The Promise was given to Abraham] which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that is should make the promise of none effect” (Galatians 3:17). Wow! How much basic understanding do you scripturally need? What existed at the time of Abraham was The Melchizedek Priesthood (a different spiritual Priesthood). This changed The Law from the letter to the Spirit (II Corinthians 3:1-4).
There was no Law of Moses as The Old Covenant from Genesis 1 till Moses came upon the scene. It even gets worse, “The LORD [God] made not this covenant with our fathers, [Adam, Abraham, Noah, Isaac, and Jacob] but with us [Israel], even us, who are all of us here alive this day” (Deuteronomy 5:3). Are you reading and understanding each word you read from The Bible?
Only The Israelites “who were there that day” were those who sinned and transgressed the commandment against Idolatry. Those Israelites sinned by building the golden calf and worshipping it. There was no Law of Moses with blessings and curses before Deuteronomy was added to The Torah as A Law. That is why Deuteronomy defines as a rewriting of The Law from “spirit” to “the letter.”
CHRISTIAN TRUTH
Can Christians know what sin is without knowing The Law? Yes, Paul said, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified…do by nature [no law needed] the things contained [written] in the law, these, having not the law [demanded], are a law to themselves” (Romans 2:13-14).
There it is. God gives “a special something” in every person’s human nature to know what sin is. Christians need no commanded Law from God. He, through His “spirit” allowed you to know what is good and evil. It is all a matter of faith and trusting God to make everyone in His Image (Genesis 1:26).
What does God − through Christ − give everyone? “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide [lead] you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (John 16:13).
Christians need no Law to define sin. God’s Holy Spirit leads Christians into all truth even prophecy. Don’t you think Paul knew The Law and what it could or not do?
SIN DIFFERS
Sin can be a transgression in relationship to a property and the owners’ rights. Adam and Eve sinned with no Law by eating from the wrong tree. “Sin” in Hebrew and Greek is defined as “missing a mark.” What kind of mark? “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not to death” (I John 5:17). Anything which is not “the right thing” to do is a sin. Some sins do not lead to death.
You, now, have covered some good basics about Laws and sin. It is obvious, scripturally − The Old Covenant Law of Moses is only for carnal criminals and not for repentant Christians.
Future articles will deal with Covenant Law, different types of sin and even what The Torah really means without “The Added Law” in Deuteronomy.
No one can understand Algebra without really knowing Arithmetic or Geometry. Each discipline from Arithmetic to Algebra to Geometry to Calculus is useless without knowing the basics of all Mathematics. You will be confused and will fail unless you know all the steps to lead you to higher mathematics. So it is with The Scriptures − you must read each word and understand it before you can grow in knowledge and truth. You must see the whole.
Understanding the entire universe God created can only be comprehended with God’s Holy Spirit. God’s “Holy Spirit” is not “a separate being.” Paul said, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love [agagé] and of a sound mind [wisdom]” (II Timothy 1:7). That is what leads a Christian to truth and to be able to understand The Bible. God’s Spirit creates all things which are God’s power, love and a sound mind.
The Holy Spirit leads you to “a more sure word of prophecy” (II Peter 1:19-21).
