Bible Study For You

REVIEW OF LESSON ONE

THE LAW IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER: Webster’s Dictionary defines the DECALOGUE, the Latin name for The Ten Commandments, as a “basic set of rules carrying binding authority.” According to Unger’s Bible Dictionary, holy or holiness is a general term “to indicate sanctity or separation from all that is sinful, or impure or morally imperfect.” Obedience to the law is what makes a person holy. Just as a criminal is defined by acts of breaking the law, so one who is holy or righteous is define by keeping the law. God is holy in that He is entirely consistent within Himself. He never contradicts His Word or His Truth, for He is the Word and the Truth. (John 1:1, 14:6) No one outside the Godhead can make that claim. But the believer, who makes it his or her aim to obey the law, even though she may fail, can rightly be called holy. First Peter 1:15-16 reads: But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

A PECULIAR PEOPLE: In the Authorized Version (KJV) believers are referred to as ‘peculiar.’ But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: (1Peter 2:9) I like that word, “peculiar.” It means special, even odd or strange, standing out or set apart from the norm. And indeed today, the one who is committed to keeping the law of God is looked upon as being out of the ordinary. That’s fine. God’s people should be different and it should show. But there needs to be a warning at this point. The New Testament tells us that we will be known by our love for one another, not for our law keeping. What the world needs to know is that we keep the law out of love for God and one another. John 13:35 says, By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

OBEDIENCE BRINGS PEACE: The threads of God’s law and man’s obedience to it are woven throughout the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. But keeping the law for the Christian is not a burden. Rather, according to Alistair Begg in his taped sermon series on the Decalogue, it is a Pathway to Freedom. This is not difficult to understand. Just think of a child who has obeyed his mother all day long. He can hardly wait for Dad to come home and when it’s time to go to sleep, this young one drifts peacefully off to sleep in his father’s arms. On the other hand, the child who has been naughty fears his father’s coming home and at bedtime battles with fear of punishment, guilt, (and possibly a sore behind) and unsettling dreams. When we are obedient we can ‘rest easy.’

JESUS AND THE LAW: It is imperative that we see that the moral law of God pertains not only to externals, but to the very condition of the heart. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus make this plain when he teaches about the law. You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21-22, NIV) Just previous to this He had made a remarkable statement about the Pharisees, those keepers of the law that He was always lambasting for their hypocrisy. 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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20) Surpass that of the Pharisees? How can we surpass the Pharisees, those men whose entire lives were devoted to keeping the Law? Our Lord gives the answer when, toward the end of the gospel of Matthew Jesus is asked, “Which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NIV) Rather than seeing that this latter statement included the Ten Commandments, it might be thought it replaced them. In Romans the apostle Paul says: Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10, NIV) The trouble with the Pharisees was that they were legalists and not lovers. They wanted to do everything right. They were not obedient out of gratitude to God, but out of love for themselves

JESUS AND GRACE: Before starting to examine and study the Decalogue it is important to see how the role of the law changed with the death of Christ. Originally the Law of Moses was for God’s Chosen people, Israel. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. (Exodus 19:5, ESV) This was an “if/then” proposition. It required something of the people. But what happened? They couldn’t keep it and the law showed them that they needed something more than their own strength to be accepted by God. The prophet Jeremiah foretold what would be the solution to this dilemma. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Jeremiah 31:31-33 (ESV)

THE NEW COVENANT: This New Covenant was initiated with the death of God’s only begotten Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. The New Covenant superceded the Old Covenant of works and replaced it with a covenant of grace, God’s undeserved favor. But this does not nullify the law, as we saw in Matthew 5:17 quoted above. It is still to be kept, but not for the same reason. It still reveals our inability to comply in our own strength, but by God’s grace the blood of Jesus covers over our failure to keep it, and we can come to the Father, even in our weakness and sin. Now we desire to keep it, not for the purpose of earning favor, but because we have already received divine favor and want to express our gratitude through obedience. It is no longer an “ought” but now a “privilege” for the believer to please God.

LAW KEEPING DOES NOT SAVE: It is important for us to understand that the ‘ceremonial’ laws of the Old Testament period were done away with at the death of Christ. However, the ‘moral’ law or code is perpetual, having been written in stone for all time. But it cannot save! Unfortunately these truths are often not fully understood, even by those who attend church regularly and call themselves Christians. One has only to ask them what qualifies them for entrance to Heaven to find out that many continue to believe they can earn their own way. “I’ve lived a good life. I’m a good person.” They still do not understand that God has done for them what they can never do for themselves. Scripture is clear. “There is none righteous, no not one.” (Rom. 3:10) Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Rom. 3:20) God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8) These facts are stated clearly, but so often ignored by those who prefer to trust in themselves for salvation. So the law cannot save us, but it can set us free, free to live a life that pleases God and brings glory to His wonderful name, free to love, serve and obey. Every one of us who has experienced the love of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit has the privilege and the opportunity to do just that. Obedience to the moral law of God is the measure of our love for Him. When we truly believe in what God has done for us, our goal in all of life will be for perfect obedience to His moral law. So we must learn about His commandments and make every effort to keep them by the power of His Spirit.