Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy
to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of
man. - Luke 21:36
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy
to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of
man. - Luke 21:36
Generally, the evangelical community believes that our salvation comes by grace alone (Eph 2:8-9). However, there is often confusion as to the balance between law and grace. Questions arise such as, do we need to accomplish a certain amount of works in order to be saved? If not, why did Jesus teach us that He will judge us by our works? (Rev 2:2,9,13,19 Rev 3:1,8,15)
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
- Matthew 7:23
Some denominations teach that there is a moral law that we must keep, and there is ceremonial law that it is a sin to keep. Pastors will show us the Ten Commandments and teach us not to lie or steal, yet are we not forbidden to make an image? (The second commandment Exo 20:4) Where do the Ten Commandments fit in? Which of the Old Testament laws still apply to us? If we are the ones who decide which commandments to keep, does that not make us the final authority rather than the Bible? What is a Christian to do? These are important questions that deserve a careful answer.
Does the New Testament revoke the Old Testament?
Christians are to spread the Gospel of Jesus not our western culture
Now let us look at The Ten Commandments
Most Christians know that there are two covenants, or testaments. Christians should know that before these covenants, God confirmed an eternal covenant with Noah, all his children and every living creature that was on the Ark.
Many years later, God made another covenant with Abraham and confirmed it with the children of Israel through Moses. Finally, God confirmed a third covenant with “whosoever will believe”, through Jesus Christ.
And God spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, and I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; and with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. - Genesis 9:8-10
In Genesis chapter nine you can read about the entire covenant, however, right now we will only look at our obligations under it.
Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
- Genesis 9:3-4
After the flood, the children of Noah were able to eat flesh without being disobedient to God; however, we were not to eat flesh with the blood.
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. - Genesis 9:5-6
In Acts 15:20 the elders and apostles forbade the gentile Christian’s from consuming blood. I believe that it is because the gentiles are bound by Noah’s eternal covenant with God. In this covenant, God also condemns murder, and institutes the capital punishment for murderers.
And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth. - Genesis 9:15-17
This covenant is an everlasting covenant with all mankind. As an evidence of this covenant, and a sign to us, God created the rainbow. Genesis 2:5 implies that it never rained before the flood, and therefore, it is likely that there would have been no rainbow in the sky. Since we still see a rainbow and God says this covenant is everlasting, it is a mistake to assume that he has rescinded it.
And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words. - Exodus 24:7-8
The first five books of the Bible cover the fullness of the Mosaic covenant. For now, these are the four points that we will examine:
The word everlasting is important. If an everlasting covenant is not everlasting, how can we believe that we have everlasting life?
And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
- Genesis 17:7
AND
He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;
Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;
And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,
- 1 Chronicles 16:14-17
Many Christians think that when the Old Testament was broken it thus ended. Not so, when the Children of Israel broke the Lord’s commandments, they left his blessings and entered into the punishment section of the contract. It is the same when a motorist breaks the speed limit, the laws concerning speed limits do not end, rather, when the driver is caught speeding, he faces the punishment prescribed by the law.
If the Old Testament is an everlasting covenant, then the Jewish Christians kept the Mosaic Law and Acts 21:20-24 clearly states that this was so.
And when they heard [about Paul’s ministry], they [James and the elders in Jerusalem] glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
- Acts 21:20-24
Before Peter went to visit Cornelius in Caesarea, the church was entirely Jewish. Peter even starts his sermon a little surprised.
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. - Act 10:34-35
Later Peter rehearsed what happened at Cornelius' house to the apostles and brethren in Jerusalem and:
When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.- Act 11:18
The fact is, in the beginning, the church was entirely Jewish and they kept the intire law. Should it be a surprise that Paul kept the law? (Acts 21:24) As an apostle of Jesus, Paul taught the same thing that Jesus taught and that was:
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. - Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus did not say whoever shall break one of the Ten Commandments should be called least in the kingdom of heaven, he said, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments”.
When Jesus came, it was not to do away with the Mosaic Covenant. It was because God remembered this covenant. Praising God, Zechariah the father of John the Baptist said:
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he swore to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fearIn holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. - Luke 1:68-75
Jesus came not to annul the Mosaic covenant, but to fulfill it.
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: - Jeremiah 31:31
In the fullness of time, God made a third covenant. This is a better than the Mosaic Covenant for several reasons, first, nobody could keep the law as required in the second covenant. If you think that you are getting into God's Kingdom by your works you should know that God's righteousness is uncompromising.
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. - James 2:10
The second reason is that when a person thinks he is doing a good job keeping the law, he becomes a proud person. Have you ever spent much time with a self-righteous person? It would not be much fun to spend eternity in a room full of them. Jesus shared this parable to teach humility.
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
- Luke 18:10-14
The third covenant, which we will now call the New Testament, is also superior, as it was Jesus himself, who atoned for our sins, not a bull or goat. Consequently, there will no bragging in the Kingdom of Heaven.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9
In atoning for our sins himself, he was able to remove sin without our becoming proud.
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
- Hebrews 10:4
AND
For by one offering he [Jesus] hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
- Hebrews 10:14