Gods commandments are not
only taught in the old testament, but also the new. I know this may ruffle a
few feathers, but I plan to use scripture to prove this point. I always use
scripture when I am building doctrine to live my life by. I am currently
studying this topic, and have been for some time, but I am definitely leaning
toward the idea that all the Old Testament laws are still in effect today.
Granted there are some differences I will explain as I progress through this
teaching.
The first thing I noticed
people say is that we are no longer under the law. If you are under the law you
are then judged by the law. We are under the law of liberty, that means we are free
to do as we choose so long as it is with love. When I heard this, the first
thing that came to mind was Alister Crowley. He was the leader of an early 20th
century Satanic cult. His motto was, “Do what thou wilt”. This made me ask the
question, what is the law of liberty? What does that mean? Here is the verse
usually quoted in reference to this line of thinking.
James 2: 12
So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the
law of liberty.
Now here is a verse that
points to what liberty is, and the first verse in this book to reference the
“law of liberty”.
James 1: 25
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and
continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one
will be blessed in what he does.
Psalm 119: 45
And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts. (precepts means commands)
This seems to point to the
fact that we need to be doing something under this particular law. Considering
being specifically mentioned in the Old Testament as walking in liberty means
to follow God’s commands, I tend to believe that His commands are the law of
liberty. But we will continue before I
state that outright. The book of Jeremaiah mentions walking in liberty, and
what it means to do so.
Jeremiah 34: 15, 17, 18
Then you recently turned and did what was right in My
sight—every man proclaiming liberty to
his neighbor; and you made a covenant before Me in the house which is
called by My name.
Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming liberty, every one to his
brother and every one to his neighbor…
And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me…
This leads me to the question
concerning the covenant. What IS the covenant?
1 John 2: 3-6
Now by this we
know that we know Him, if we keep His
commandments. He who says, “I know
Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in
him. But whoever keeps His word, truly
the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who
says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
All throughout the OT
prophecy the new covenant was meant for reuniting Judah with Israel. The
prophets said that the new covenant is made up of Gods law being written on His
people’s heart. But it goes much deeper than that. We will know we are in the new
covenant by a few things.
1. We no longer need to teach
the word of God, because everyone will already know it.
2. He will physically dwell
with us and reign over us here on earth.
3. We will all desire to do
His commands.
Jeremiah 31: 31-34
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that
I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them
out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband
to them, says the Lord. But this is the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says
the Lord: I will put My law in their
minds, and write it on their hearts;
and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his
brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they
all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the
Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity,
and their sin I will remember no more.”
This is the very same thing
we see in Hebrews chapter 8.
Hebrews 8: 5-10
who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things,
as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For
He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on
the mountain.”But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant,
which was established on better promises.
For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, then
no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming,
says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and
with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their
fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of
Egypt; because they did not continue in
My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the
Lord: I will put My laws in their mind
and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be
My people.
If we break this down by
verse, this is what we come away with.
Verse 6 tells us the new
covenant was established on better promises, with no mention of a better law.
This lead me to believe that it is the same law, but with better rewards for
keeping it.
Verse 7 the word covenant
isn’t in the text
Verse 8 tells us the fault
was not with the law, but rather with the people
Verse 9 says they did not
keep the covenant
Verse 10 states that it is
still the same laws that was originally given, only now they are written on our
heart
As we can clearly see, this
is a direct quote from the Old Testament prophets. These prophets always
preached that God’s people needed to return to His commandments. Therefore, we
can only conclude that the new covenant is speaking about keeping these very
same commands. But, I can extend on this a little more.
Ezekiel 36: 24-29
For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring
you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall
be clean; I will cleanse you from all
your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will
take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause
you to walk in My statutes, and you
will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I
gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will
deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply
it, and bring no famine upon you.
Lets break this one down as
well.
The first thing that happens
before the new covenant is established is that His people are gathered out of
all the nations. Sins will then be forgiven, followed by a new heart of flesh
being put within His followers. The next statement seems to be overlooked more than
any other verse. YHWH states “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to
walk in My statutes. This tells us then that the whole purpose of the Holy
Spirit is to cause us to walk according to His Torah. If this is the case, why
do so many churches today teach the exact opposite? If we are saved and have
the holy spirit, we do not need the weak Old Testament law. My understanding
shows that most preachers refer to the book of Romans for this idea. Here is
the passage they use to supoort a weak law.
Romans 8: 1-4
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk
according to the flesh, but according to
the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For
what the law could not do in that it
was weak through the flesh, God did
by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He
condemned sin in the flesh, that the
righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk
according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Verse 1 No condemnation for
those that walk according to the spirit (the spirit guides us to follow Torah)
Verse 2 the law of sin and
death is the law Adam initiated. He chose to sin and therefore he must die
Verse 3 the law was weak
“through the flesh” no in itself
Verse 4 the requirements of
the law are fulfilled in us who walk according to the spirit (the spirit guides
us to follow Torah)
As we can see, the Law in
itself was not weak, it was the law through the flesh. Men would continuously
choose to disregaurd the law for their own desire. Therefore, we need the Holy
Spirit to help us choose to obey.
The final thing I would like
to discuss also comes from a popular teaching. This idea is that because there
is a new preisthood, Jesus, there is also a new law. This comes from the book
of Hebrews.
Hebrews 7: 12
For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there
is also a change of the law.
The very first thing I would
like to point out about this particular verse is that the two words changed, and
change are different Greek words and have different meanings.
For the priesthood being
changed (G3346) there is made necessity a change (G3331) also in the law.
The first word (G3346) means
replacing a thing
The second (G3331) means to
transfer from one place to another
That being said, the only
change in the law was the one in power. The preisthood was changed, as in
replaced, from the Levites to Yeshua (Jesus). However, the law itself was not
changed, but rather transferred and governed from the Levites to Yeshua
(Jesus). So the law is the same, but we no longer need to answer to an earthly
high priest when we fail to uphold it. We now answer to Yeshua.
Thank you
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