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Master Life
Lesson Twelve

What The Apostles Taught About The Law

In the last lesson, we looked at what Jesus taught about the Law. Now, let's look at the rest of the New Testament. How did the New Testament Christians view the Law?

Paul Personal Testimony

Paul wrote the majority of the New Testament. Sometimes he is seen as a great opponent of the Law [he certainly opposed its misuse]. How did Paul feel about the Law in its proper roles?

"But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets." [Acts. 24:14, NKJV]

The Amplified Version puts it this way:

"...I worship [serve] the God of our fathers, still persuaded of the truth of and believing and place full confidence in everything laid down in the Law [of Moses] or written in the prophets."

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Paul, in defending himself before Felix, declared that he still believed and had complete confidence in everything taught in the Law and the prophets. Obviously, Paul did not believe in the Law for salvation or maintaining a relationship with God, but equally obviously, he did not believe the Law was exclusively for the Old Testament age. Paul believed the Law to be in full force in the New Testament.

Paul In His Letters

"Do we then by [this] faith make the Law of no effect, overthrow it or make it a dead letter? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law." [Rom. 3:31, Amp.]

What did Paul teach us to do with the Law? "We put the Law in its proper place." [Phillips] The Law has a vital place. Faith does not do away with the Law, but both work together to complete the plan of God.

"To those without the Law I became as one without the Law, not that I am without the Law of God and Lawless toward Him, but that I am [especially keeping] within and committed to the Law of Christ, that I might win those who are without [outside] the Law." [1 Cor. 9:21, Amp.]

To the Gentiles who did not know the Law of God, Paul became like them. In other words, he did not expect them to come to him, but he met and ministered to them where they were. However, he is swift to qualify what he meant by that. Paul did not want anyone to think he was placing himself above or outside the Law of God. Even though he was ministering to those unfamiliar with the Laws of God, he himself kept and was committed to them.

Law In The Heart

"But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My Law in their minds and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." [Jer. 31:33, NKJV]

This verse is quoted in Heb. 8:10 and in Heb. 10:16.

In the Old Testament, they had the outward commandments. Unfortunately, only a few had any desire for the Law. David was a notable exception; he had an intense love of the Law. There were others as well, but the majority rejected the Law for Satan's ways.

God promised that the times in the New Testament would be different. Notice, God did not say He was doing away with the Law in the New Testament. God went the other way! He stated He was going to write His Laws in the hearts and minds of His people. No longer would they be simply outward commands, but the very commands would be made an intricate part of their being. They would have a desire and a love of the Law. If we do not love the Law, either we have misunderstood its proper application, or we need to check what is really written on our hearts.

Law Is For The Spiritually Minded

"For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin." [Rom. 7:14, NKJV]

What?!? The Law is spiritual? Is Paul teaching a new doctrine? No, although there are new, unbiblical doctrines circulating today. Actually, we should have been able to figure out that the Law is spiritual. After all, God is a Spirit, so it only makes sense that His Law would be spiritual.

"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the Law of God, nor indeed can be." [Rom. 8:6-7, NKJV]

Read these verses carefully. Why is the carnal mind at enmity against God?

"[That is] because the mind of the flesh - with its carnal thoughts and purposes - is hostile to God; for it does not submit itself to God's Law, indeed it cannot." [Rom. 8:7, Amp.]

The carnal, fleshly person is against God because he is not submitted to the Law of God. He is at war with the Law of God, and therefore, is at war with God Himself. If we don't submit to God's Law, then we are hostile to God Himself, no matter what we may say. People who are truly spiritually minded will walk in harmony with the Law of God. They will submit themselves to it and honour it. A person's view and response to the Law reveals a lot about their heart. Both Jesus and the Apostles said we could tell true Christians from false by their fruits. Can rejection of the Law bring good fruits? No, at least, not in the long term.

"I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there is envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?" [1 Cor. 3:2-3, NKJV]

Are not the carnal actions of envy, strife, and divisions all acts of rebellion against the Law? It is carnal to oppose the Law [or to enforce it as justification]. It is spiritual to enforce the Law in its proper place.

The Lawgiver

"There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy..." [James 4:14, NKJV]

James also supports the Law in the New Testament. He refers to God as the Lawgiver [not the Law-Destroyer]. Vine's dictionary has this to say of the word "Lawgiver": "...occurs in James 4:12, of God, as the sole Lawgiver; therefore, to criticize the Law is to presume to take His place, with the presumption of enacting a better Law."

God is the Lawgiver. To try and do away with the Law or to replace it is to commit a grave sin of presumption. It is to declare that we know more or are greater than God. It is to fall into the original sin of Adam - to be as God.

The New Testament repeatedly confirms the legitimacy of the Law in New Testament times. The Law does have a vital function in Christianity and the world. Christianity without the Law is like a body without bones. The Law by itself is dead and dry, but in its proper place, it gives the shape and support necessary for the body to operate.

How The Law Works Today

Is The Law Valid Today - If So, How Much?

If you have studied the lessons so far, you're hopefully already convinced that the Law, at least to some degree, is valid today. Before we go into the application of the Law today, we need to be totally convinced of the Law's importance and its place in genuine Christianity. God has given us a plan to Master Life that reveals how to bring God-ordained order and stability to our world. If we let go, we will be tossed on the raging sea without a hope of reaching shore. [As I have made plain in previous lessons, this is NOT referring to salvation.]

God Is The Lawmaker

Who gave the Ten Commandments? Was it Moses or God? Instantly, we will answer God; however, many Christians imply Moses was the author [and therefore the words are not eternal]. Very few would come right out and say it, but when they talked about the Law of Moses, they underscore "Moses". The vital question is: How does Scripture view it?

Ex. 20:1 "And God spoke all these words, saying..."

Then follow the Ten Commandments and other Laws. Who originated the law? God. God is the Author, and all His works are eternal. By their very nature, they must be eternal because God is eternal.

"And He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'Honour your father and your mother,' and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban [that is, dedicated to the temple]'' and you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down." [Mark 7:9-13, NKJV]

How did Jesus view the Law? He spoke of the commandment of God and then quoted the Law of Moses. At the end, He again refers to the Law of Moses as the Word of God. Jesus unquestioningly linked the commandments of God with the commandments of Moses. They are the same. The Law was given through Moses, but he did not originate it.

God Does Not Change

Isn't this just Old Testament stuff? What does it have to do with us in the New Testament age? Hasn't it all passed away? The answer to these questions lies in the eternal character of God. If God gave the law [as we have seen] and then nullified it, then He has changed His mind. He has one set of rules for some people [Old Testament era] and another set of rules [or no rules] for people of another era [New Testament]. Does God change His mind? Why do we change our minds?

We change our minds for several possible reasons:

1. We come up with a better idea.

2. Our first idea was proven wrong.

3. Unexpected circumstances force a change of plans.

In our case, as finite human beings, all these reasons are legitimate grounds for flexibility in our plans. However, if any of these reasons apply to God, then He is not God, or at least not the God the Bible declares Him to be.

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." [Is. 40:8, NKJV]

How long will God's Word stand? The above verse found in Isaiah has special reference to the books of Moses, including the Law [as much of the rest of the Old Testament was still being written].

"For I am the Lord, I do not change." [Mal. 3:6, NKJV]

Blunt and to the point - God does not change.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." [Heb. 13:8, NKJV]

And here we have New Testament confirmation of God's unchangeableness.

We have only three choices in regard to the Law of God in the Old and New Testaments. The first choice is that God changed His mind. We have already seen that the Bible does not allow this option.

The second choice is that there are two Gods. This is an ancient heresy. It teaches that the God of the Old Testament was a God of anger, judgment, and strict Laws. The God of the New Testament is seen as a God of love, grace, and mercy. [Some Christians, while not believing in two Gods, believe something dangerous close to it by the way they divide the Old and New Testaments.]

"Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one!" [Deut. 6:4, NKJV]

"For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth [as there are many gods and lords], yet for us there is only one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we live for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, though whom are all things, and through whom we live." [1 Cor. 8:6-7, NKJV]

Both the Old and New Testaments testify to the oneness of God. If there is only one God and He does not change, that leaves us with choice three. God does not change; therefore, His Law [rules] do not change. His Law is just as valid today as the first day it was given. The Law stands, not as justification [salvation] but as sanctification [setting apart ourselves and our world for God]. We dare not reject the Law of God.

"The social order which despises God's law places itself on death row: it is marked for judgment." [R.J. Rushdoony]

The core confession of the Christian faith is: Jesus is Lord. Jesus is King, and He expects to be obeyed. More than that, He demands obedience.

"We have no king but Caesar!" [John 20:15, NKJV]

The Jews of Jesus' day rejected His kingship. They would not have Him to rule over them. They would not submit to His authority and His Laws. God answered their rebellion with the Jewish War, which ended with the destruction of the temple [and Jerusalem] in AD70. It was perhaps the most horrible, tragic, and bloody page in history. The conclusion is simple: We will submit to the kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ [which includes His Laws], or we will suffer the consequences [Ps. 2].

Coming up, we will look at How Much Of The Law Is Valid Today?

Master Life Assignments

Note: These assignments are written from the assumption that the student has completed the Feed Yourself Course. Some of the assignments may not make sense if you have not taken that course.

1. Analyze Acts 24:14

2. Rom. 8:6-7

Return to the Lessons.

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