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Last week I wrote an article entitled, God’s Law: The Standard Yesterday, Today, and Forever
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David may have oversimplified it a bit, but his point is valid. Galatians 4 makes his argument precisely:
Galatians 4:1-5
"What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons."
Of those who claim the law is still in effect, what response should be given to Galatians 3:23-25?
"Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law."
Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum gives an excellent illustration: (paraphrased)
When one lives in California, he obeys California law. But, when he moves to Texas, he obeys Texas law. Now some of the laws in California and Texas are the same, but some are different. Yet, each is its own unique standard. I cannot obey California law in Texas and expect it to mean anything.
Saying that the law was fulfilled in Christ is to say that he has rendered the former law inoperative:
Hebrews 10:1-2
"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins."
Romans 8:1-4 says,
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit."
Christians do not live under the Law - AT ALL - but under the law of the spirit. A new law, yet similar in that both reveal the character of the common architect. Christ fulfilled the written law, that we may live by faith in him, finding NO CONDEMNATION from the former.
I DO agree that the law reveals God's character, and is a good study for that end purpose. Yet, to assert that believers are still under the law is to assert that we each should:
- not have a garden with two kinds of plants (Leviticus 19:19)
- put to death our children who curse us (Exodus 21:17)
- do no work on Saturday (Exodus 20:8)
and the 610 remaining commandments.
Do you observe the seven Jewish holy celebrations each year?
Do you abstain from pork, catfish and shrimp?
If not, James 2:10 says,
"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."
Thanks be to God for salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.
I have to agree with David on this one. The entire book of Galatians is a treatise on the subject. I would recommend anyone desiring to understand this issue to sit down for a week and simply outline that book.
I am currently writing a series on this very issue at http://returningking.com/?series=30. I'm very early in it, but will make the case I have essentially made here, which is a clearly scriptural case.