Wes said: The moral law law of God FOREVER binds everyone, believers and non-believers alike.
Matthew 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 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.”
Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”
Wes
Wes,
What makes you think that those who say we are not UNDER law but UNDER grace are in any way destroying the law? They are not. It is not a question of whether the law changes or not – it is immutable. It remains just where it is.
No it is a question of the believer’s POSITION relative to law. Once he was under it, now he is no longer under it, delivered from it, dead to it by the body of Christ – Romans 7.
In London there is a bridge over the River Thames called Tower Bridge. If I took a boat and stood under that bridge I would be under it. If I sailed upstream I would no longer be under it. Have I destroyed the bridge? Of course not.
Likewise with law. As unbelievers we are brought under it, so that it can condemn our sin. It is a schoolmaster unto Christ. But once faith has come we are no longer under the schoolmaster. Read Galatians 3:-
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“Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:21-29
Faith you see establishes the law. It proves it to be right, but to have been fulfilled in Christ who paid its debt for us on the tree. All the laws demands have been met in Christ. We are now dead to it by the body of Christ, but risen again, being new creations in Christ. The other side of death we are no longer under law but under grace, and grace reigns through righteousness. The law isn’t destroyed, we are just not under it. Now that faith is come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster.
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“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4
But does being under grace and not under law lead to sin? No! At it is written:-
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“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” … “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Romans 6:1-2, 14-15
How then is the law destroyed?
Well one way is by altering the law. Those who divide it into three sections, moral, ceremonial and judicial (which God never did), and then set aside, abrogate, two sections leaving only the ‘moral’ bit, and then remove the teeth from the law, its curse, and present the remaining hub as some ‘rule of life’ for the believer, are destroying the law.
This is setting asunder what God joined together as one for all time. Law is law, as a whole, with sanctions intact. Put yourself under it and you are a debtor to keep the whole law – not just ten commandments of it…
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“Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” Galatians 4:21-31
Oh put both eyes upon Christ! Set your gaze entirely upon Him by faith. Walk in the Spirit, and by doing so you won’t fulfil the lusts of the flesh. This is the way to escape the dominion of sin: “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace”.
