Beloved, I have the joy of sharing with you today on the eternal law, as the second window of the temple of truth. The divine law is the set of stipulations imposed by God. The crowds who followed the Lord Jesus had just heard some extremely important words about the beatitudes, before being reminded that he had come to fulfill the Law and not to abolish it.
So he took the time to explain to the crowd a new beginning, once one became a true member of his kingdom, for he himself taught the complete and spiritual meaning of divine law, fulfilling perfectly the law by his holy life, and finally by realizing it by all his work and especially his death, as well as the promises, the sacrifices and the hopes of the old alliance. And this fulfillment takes place in the hearts of believers through communion with him.
I . CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAW AND ITS ACCOMPLISHMENT BY JESUS CHRIST
The Law designates first the five books of Moses because it is written in:
Mat 5.17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them”. ; Mat 7.12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”; Luke 16:16 “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it”. ; John 1:17 ”For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” ; 2 Cor 3.15-16 “ Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away”. It is the whole of the OT: John 10.34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’? ; Rom 3:19 “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.”
Indeed, Jesus reaffirms the authority of Scripture by emphasizing the way he interprets and applies it, because in all that he is, he claims to be the culmination of the message of the Law and the prophets . Indeed, if the Scripture is fulfilled in him, it can not be read after him as it was before him. The smallest letter would not be removed from the Law until the whole divine plan announced in the Scripture is fulfilled.
And the gospel of the kingdom of heaven includes total obedience to the commandments of the law, and this obedience depends on participation in the kingdom. And the grace of God which is expressed to those who recognize themselves spiritually poor does not dispense with obedience; on the contrary, it is grace that makes it possible. Here are the corresponding verses:
Php 2.13 “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”; Mat 7.21-27 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Mat 24.13 “but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved”; Gal 5:19-22 “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”; James 2: 8-11, 14-26 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
In relation to the Spirit and the law, the Bible teaches us that:
- the Spirit frees us from sin: Rom. 8.2,13 “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” 2 Cor 3.17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
- It makes us able to obey the Law: Rom 7.6 “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”; 2 Cor 3.6 “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”; Gal 5:16-17,22-25 “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
So we understand that life in Christ, subject to the Spirit, in his opposition to the flesh, Christ in us, is the principle of victory over death.
And everything was said before his coming and recalled in the New Testament:
Isa 40.8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” ;
Isa 55.11 “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” ;
Mark 13.31 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” ;
Luke 16.17, 21, 31 It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Mat 18:3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ;
Isaiah 26.2 “Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith.” ;
John 3.5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”;
James 2:10 “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.”
So the divine law must always be observed in its entirety to produce the expected effect of God.
II. CHRISTIANS AND THE LAW OF GOD
Obedience to the will of God, expressed by the divine law and the principle of obedience to the divine law remains as a condition of entry into eternal life for all.
The apostle John strongly insists on the new commandment of Christ, as we read in the verses below:
John 12:47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.”
John 13.34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”;
John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands.”;
John 14.21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”;
John 14.23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ;
John 15.10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.;
John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
John 15:14 “You are my friends if you do what I command.”
John 15:17 “This is my command: Love each other.”
1 John 2.3-5 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him:
1 John 2.7-8 “Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.”
1 John 3: 10-12 “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. 11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.”
1 John 4.21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.;
1 John 5.2-4 “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”
2 John 1.4-6 “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.”
III. FAITH AND WORKS
The religion of the new commandment does not mean to be a religion of the law, but a religion of grace; for the new commandment also commands faith in Jesus Christ, and the law of Moses is opposed to the grace and truth that came through Jesus Christ, as written in John 1.17: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Revelation constantly talks about works:
Revelation 2.5 “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place”;
Revelation 3.1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”;
Revelation 3.8 “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” ;
Revelation 3.15 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!”
Revelation 9:20 “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.”
Revelation 14.13 “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”;
Revelation 16.11 “and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.”
It is according to them that the dead are judged during the great judgment: Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”
Sometimes works are added faith: Revelation 2.19 “I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.”;
Revelation 14:12 “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.”
And to the commandments of God the testimony of Jesus Christ: Revelation 12:17 “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”
Apostle James maintains the necessity of the works of the law beside the faith: James 2.14 “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?”
James 2.26 “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”;
James 1:25 “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
Faith is dead and vain without works: James 2.20 “You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ?” ;
James 2.26 “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”;
it does not help the neighbor alone: James 2.15-;
without works, faith is found even among the demons: James 2.1 “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”;
Abraham was justified only by faith and works; faith contributes to salvation with works; as written in James 2: 21-25: “ 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?”
Some words of Jesus are inspired by the idea of the double path of salvation, for Jesus had come to save sinners, the lost sheep, the prodigal son, the workers of the last hour; like the righteous ones, the sheep left in the fold, the son who had remained near the father, the hired ones from the first hour did not need him. In other words of Jesus, on the other hand, it is the sinner who is justified by God rather than the just (Luke 18.9, Luke 18:14), because he possesses humility; the righteous, on the contrary, is proud of his works, and yet he too will have to recognize the uselessness of all that he has been able to do (Luke 17:10). These are however only a few rare statements by which Jesus rejects confidence in works.
Finally, from all of the foregoing, it is now clear that integral observance of the law is considered an ideal of our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s why he counseled the rich young man to add to the obedience to the Ten Commandments the sale of his goods for the benefit of the poor (Mark 10: 17-21), and he declared that there are men who became eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:12). We can see how important it is to become children of the kingdom of God, beyond works and faith. Our prayers are with you all in this matter.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me as follows :
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my Lord and personal Savior. I acknowledge that you died on the cross of Calvary and that you rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me each day to eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal to me and strengthen my heart and my faith so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me in your divine family so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all adoration, power, and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to your questions and comments, before sharing with you next week on self-control.
May the Eternal God Almighty bless you profusely.
David Feze, Servant of the Lord of armies.