What IS (was?) the Purpose of the Law

How can you have a blog about the Law and not have a photo of Charlton Heston to accompany it?  Chuck makes everything cool.

While Mr. Heston is portrayed embracing the Ten Commandments, today, most Christians pride themselves in being “free from the Law” (Romans 8:2)

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Christians, however, tend to ignore the phrase “law of sin and death”.  When Peter says that the writings of Paul are difficult to understand –

As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

2Peter 3:16

it is because Paul was an exceptionally learned man and often spoke as an exceptionally learned man.  It would be like reading a dissertation about the Constitution’s freedom of speech written by me and one by Mark Levin.  Mine would be tersely accurate, while Mark’s would be painstakingly detailed.

Levin’s writings have lots of context and if his words are taken out of context, they could possibly have a different meaning.  The Apostle Paul’s writings are the same.

What is the “law of sin and death”?  Is it the same as the Law of God?  Why not just say, “the Law” if they are the same?  Does Paul just talk to hear the sound of his own voice or do his words mean something?

Paul actually speaks of SEVEN different laws – not knowing the context of which law he is referring to could lead ‘unto our own destruction’.

This is actually a completely different teaching and I am not scholarly enough to do it justice, but I raise this issue to address the Christian’s (of which I am one) tendency to quote a verse and give it a different meaning than the context of the verse would have given.

The purpose of this blog is to examine the purpose of the Law (Torah – Instructions) with an emphasis on their purpose since Christ was sacrificed as a propitiation for all sins.

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1John 2:2

I had to look up “propitiation”, because big words like that make me sound smart until someone asks for a definition.  Dictionary.com defines it as “the act of propitiating – someone who propitiates”.  That wasn’t overly helpful.

Strong’s defines it as [Greek: hilasmos] atonement.  That is better.  A use of a thesaurus also gives synonyms like reparation, payment, and recompense. 

Many (way, way, too many) Christians believe they are like Teflon where sin is concern . . . nothing sticks.  Confess Jesus as Lord and you can do anything you like and still get into heaven because ‘he died for all sins”!

Why does this sound suspiciously like Aleister Crowley’s [a satanist leader in the early 1900s] commandment, “Do what thou wilt” shall be the whole of the law?

First, see my blog Born Again? to get an understanding of what it means to “confess” someone as “LORD” (which is only half of what is required to be what Christians’ refer to as ‘born again’).

Second, let us read 1John 2:2 in context:

¹ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: ² And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. ³ And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. ⁴ He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. ⁶ He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1John 2:1-6 — emphasis added

If I came to your house and claimed I was a plumber, but I did not turn off the water supply before I started dismantling the kitchen sink, you would know I was a liar because plumbers will turn off the water supply (if they can) before they do their plumbing.  There are ‘laws (instructions)’ one should/must follow if they are going to be called a plumber.

So why do Christians claim that the law has been superseded?  Superseded by what?  Yahweh gave us ten Commandments as part of His Law and the Word says His Law is “perfect”

⁷ The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. ⁸ The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. ⁹ The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. ¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. ¹¹ Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

Psalm 19:7-11

Did we get something more perfect-er?  Something wiser? Simpler?  Right-er-er . . . er?  Purer?  Cleaner? . . . .

What is it?  Is it simpler than “thou shall not steal”?  Purer than “thou shall not commit adultery”? Are we allowed to worship other gods, now, because ‘the Law has been superseded’?  Is murder on the ‘okay list’, now?

Why will we be keeping the ‘Law of Moses’ in the Millineal Kingdom (Ezekiel 43- 46) if we have something NOW that is MORE perfect, MORE simple, MORE right, MORE pure, and MORE clean?

Nowhere in the Word does Yahweh speak of changing His Law, except when Paul is taken out of context – and those that claim Paul teaches that ‘the law has been done away with’ have to contend with Paul’s actions and words, for he always did the Law, including keeping the Feasts and having Timothy circumcised.

Paul states

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. (Romans 7:7)

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. (Romans 7:12)

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. (Romans 7:14)

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: (Romans 7:22)

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:25)

¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ² God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:1-2)

¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. ¹³ Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. ¹⁵ What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (Romans 6:12-15)

Doing the Law is not the way to salvation, but doing the law is the evidence of our salvation.  Yeshua died a horrible death as a recompense for our sinful lives.  Do we repay him by continuing in sin?

If Yeshua is our example and we are to walk as he walked (1John 2:6), should we embrace sin or avoid sin?  How do we know what sin is if the Law was done away with?

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

1John 3:4

Does a lifestyle of thievery help to witness Christ unto the masses?  A lifestyle of incest and adultery?  Or do we agree with Yahweh that such actions are disastrous to the body of Christ and a stumblingblock to those that are weak (1Corinthian 8:9).

Living sin-free is impossible in these fallen bodies, but avoiding sin is much easier.  If you know the Law says to not bear false witness [lie] (Exodus 20:16) then do your best to tell the truth in all things.

If a lie convicts you in your conscience, then you are probably not yielding yourself over to sin.  If you can lie ‘without batting an eye’ (what does that even mean?) and you are not ashamed, then you have not made the conviction to have Yeshua as Lord.

If you do not know the Law, how are you to know what to avoid?  How are you to walk at Yeshua did? or Paul? or Peter? or . . . .  Keeping the Law does not save you – your faith in a Redeemer will save you.  The Law will help you live as the one who redeemed you commanded.

Have faith unto salvation, but keep the Law as an evidence of your faith. 

¹⁸ Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James 2:18,26

Do you know the Law?  Do you want a quick guide to help you navigate through the 613(?) Instructions of Yahweh?

When I made the decision to become Torah observant, I looked for an easy guide that would tell me what to do, what to wear, what to eat, etc.  When I couldn’t find one, I wrote one.

GRAFTED: Embracing Torah

It is true that many of the Laws do not pertain to us today, but do you know WHY?  Yeshua did not do away with the Law, the feast days, the dress code, the dietary rules, etc.  Yahweh tells us both when and how, and when not.