10/29/06 - “The Law and the New Testament – Part 1” - 44L - FM
Victory Ministries International presents:
Awesome Truths and Amazing Facts  
Treasures of awesome truths from God’s Word 
and facts that affect you!

Hello!  This is Richard Vaughn

This Week: “Law and the New Testament - Part 1”
(Before we begin let us invite God’s presence)
Father, today we ask for Your guidance to help us to really understand the truth as to the law as revealed in the New Testament. Give us we pray the Holy Spirit so that we may increase our knowledge and understanding, as we ask in Jesus Name, Amen.”
Right now, I continue to keep my pledge, to cry aloud and spare not, to lift up my voice like a trumpet and to show God’s people where they are transgressing God’s law.

It is a FACT – Everyone who will ever be saved is saved by God’s grace through their faith in what Jesus has done for them. No one before the cross and no one since the cross; have ever been saved by keeping the law.  Obedience to God’s law however, is evidence of one’s love relationship to God.

There are many Christians today, perhaps the majority, who believe that since the cross we are no longer required to keep God’s commandments. And that is true as a means to salvation since we are saved by grace though faith. But does that excuse obedience? Today we need to see what the Bible says regarding this very important subject.

Did you know that there were Five Laws in effect in the time of Jesus prior to the crucifixion:
1.	There were the Natural Laws – Fixed laws such as gravity, laws of physics, laws governing the solar system;
2.	There were Civil Laws – Laws of the land which governed human behavior, laws and ordinances protecting citizens;
3.	Next there were Dietary or Health Laws – Laws regarding health which, violation of, could bring on disease;
4.	Then there was the Law of Moses – Laws and ordinances which pertained to sacrifice and religious ceremonies;
5.	And fifth there was The Law of God – The moral law as found in the Ten Commandments.

Since the crucifixion there are four of these five laws still in effect. We still have natural law, civil laws and dietary laws. But it was either the Law of Moses or the Law of God which ended at the cross. 
In the New Testament, the word law is used when speaking of both the Law of Moses and the Law of God. To eliminate all confusion, it is necessary us to know which law is referred to in any single passage of scripture.
But first we will use a few proof texts to show that there were two distinct and separate Laws, the Law of Moses and the Law of God.
First Deuteronomy 33:2,4, “And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, … and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.”  Verse 4 “Moses commanded us a law, …”
The second proof text is Deuteronomy 4:13,14, “And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.” Verse 14 “And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.”  
Next Nehemiah. 9:13,14, “Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:”  
Verse 14, “… and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:”  
One more as the Bible is not silent in these regards, 2 Kings 21:8, “Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.”
Now we need to discover the clear distinctions between the Two Major Divisions of Divine Law
First we will look at God’s Ten Commandment Law and then we will look at the corresponding difference in Moses Ceremonial Law.
The Ten Commandments were written by the finger of God – Exodus 31:18; while the Ceremonial Law was written by Moses – Deuteronomy 31:9. The Ten Commandments were written on stone – Exodus 32:16; while the Ceremonial Law was written by Moses in a book –Deuteronomy 31:24. The Ten Commandments were placed inside the ark (Permanent) - Deuteronomy 10:1-5; while the Ceremonial Law was placed in the side of the ark (Temporary) – Deuteronomy 31:26. God’s Law was called the Ten Commandments - Deuteronomy 10:4; while Moses Law was called the book of the law - Deuteronomy 31:26. The Ten Commandments are Holy, just and good – Romans 7:12; while the Ceremonial Law was against us – Colossians 2:14; Deuteronomy 31:26
The Ten Commandments are Permanent – Psalm 111:7, 8; while the Ceremonial Law was Temporary (Nailed to the cross) - Colossians 2:14.

FACT - The book of Galatians deals primarily with the Law of Moses. It begins with the subject of circumcision.    Galatians 3:10 makes it clear which law is the basis for Paul’s letter. “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” Which law did we just see was written by Moses in a book? Then Galatians 3:24 states, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ,…” The law of ceremonies and sacrifices pointed to Christ.

Question- Does Ephesians 2:15 pertain to the Ten Commandments?  “Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;”  
Ordinances are requirements regarding religious festivals, feasts, sacrifices and ceremonies. Ordinances are found all through the Law of Moses. 2 Chronicles 33:8   “Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.”  
FACT - There are no ordinances in the Ten Commandments.

Jesus instituted the ordinances of humility (the foot washing) and the ordinance of communion. They, along with the ordinance of baptism, are part of the New Covenant. 

In Ephesians 2:15 Paul is speaking about the dissension which created the bitter feelings (enmity) between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians, primarily over circumcision, however they wanted them to keep the feast days as well. The wall of partition, verse 14, is what separates and Jesus in His death has abolished or slain the enmity verse 16, by nailing the Law of Moses to the cross.

Question- Does Colossians 2: 14-17 teach that God’s Law ended at the cross? “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
We need to take a closer look at these verses.    
1.	“Blotting out the handwriting - Handwriting was done by Moses – Leviticus 26:46 “These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.”
2.	handwriting of ordinances - There are NO ordinances in the Ten Commandments.
3.	that was against us, which was contrary to us – Deuteronomy 31:26 “Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.”  There is nothing against us in the Ten Commandments. In fact Paul said God’s law was holy and just and good in Romans 7:12. This was many years after the cross.
4.	Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, -  Meat or in drink – Has nothing to do with what people ate or drank. It was specifically pertaining to the offerings in ceremony. Leviticus 23:13 The meat offering is not flesh food, it is a fine flour mixed with oil. The drink offering was wine. It was usually offered with the animal sacrifice. See verses 16, 18 and 37. See also Numbers 28 and 29 for numerous mentions of meat and drink offerings. 
5.	Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: – Since verses 14-16 has pertained to the Law of Moses, the reference to Sabbath days cannot refer to the Sabbath of the 4th commandment in the Law of God. Notice it is plural, Sabbath days. They pertain to the seven yearly Sabbath days in Leviticus 23:5, 6, 11, 15, 24, 27 and 34. They are Passover; Feast of Unleavened Bread; Wave Sheaf (First Fruits); Feast of Weeks (Pentecost); Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah); Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Ingathering). These annual Sabbath days pointed forward to Christ while God’s seventh day Sabbath of the fourth commandment points back to creation.

Obviously the Law of Moses pointed to Christ and ended at the cross. So what is the purpose of God’s Law?
To point out sin. Romans 3:20, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”   Romans 7:7 “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.  

Well the clock says we’re out of time for this week. We will continue this study next week. Remember, you are always welcome to worship with us each seventh day Lord’s Day at the Victory Seventh Day Adventist Church located at 117 W. Danville Street in the center of South Hill, VA.

Next Week: “Law and the New Testament -  Part 2”

Until next week, Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”. Come Lord Jesus.