*THE CHRISTIAN UNDER THE LAW OF MOSES?*
part1

Christians are no longer under the rule of the Mosaic law (see Rom6:14;7:1-14;Gal3:10-13,24-25; 4:21;5:1,13; 2Cor3:7-18,Eph2:15), but there have always been those who insist that the Mosaic Law, at least the Ten Commandments, are still in force for the Christian, saying that once we have been justified by faith, then the Mosaic law becomes our rule of life for sanctification or the way to please God: that is wrong, here are SOURCES OF SANCTIFICATION FOR THE BELIEVER IN JESUS:
–1Cor1:30 CHRIST IS OUR SANCTIFICATION and our righteousness
–2Thes2:13;1Pet1:2 THE SPIRIT of CHRIST PRODUCES SANCTIFICATION IN US
–THE WORD OF GOD SANCTIFIES US: Jn17:17;v19 Jesus says He also sanctifies Himself, sanctification means to be set aside for God, it does not mean to stop sinning. Moses sanctified the temple and objects of the temple as a sign that these were set aside for God’s purpose. See also Eph5:26;
–1Thes.5:23 GOD SANCTIFIES
–Heb.13:12 JESUS SANCTIFIES US WITH HIS BLOOD
–1Pet.3:15 Peter says that we should SANCTIFY THE LORD GOD IN OUR HEARTS, which means to set our hearts aside of God; heart here means thinking process, volition (will), meditation, self-consciousness (identity), conscience, emotions
–we please God by trusting in Jesus: Jn6:29,Mat17:5;Heb11:6
All of the above points exclude keeping the law as a means of sanctification or of pleasing God.
Those saying we are under the law make a division of the Mosaic law into two parts: MORAL AND THE CEREMONIAL. The ceremonial portion they agree as having found its fulfillment in Christ at His first advent (coming), and thus as having now passed away. But the moral portion of the Mosaic law, say they, is still in force as the believer’s rule of life.
The New Testament makes it clear that the believer in Christ is not any longer under the Mosaic law in its entirety.
After having been delivered from the law, to deliberately place ourselves once again under its control is said to be “falling from grace” Gal5:4.
That does not mean we should kill, steal, bear false witness. Long before the law was given through Moses, it was known as wrong to do such evil things; just as the age in which we live, the church age, is called the age of grace: this is not because God’s grace has not been manifested in other ages, but because in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ we have the full manifestation of God’s grace Jn1:14-17
TIT2:11-12: ”for the GRACE OF GOD HAS APPEARED, bringing salvation to all people and it teaches us (trains us) to reject ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age”; GRACE (NOT THE 10 COMMANDMENTS) TEACHES CHRISTIANS TO DENY SIN;
–Christ showed us that the 10 COMMANDMENTS WERE SUPERFICIAL, based only on external behavior and thus not really sufficient to identify sin to all its extent, therefore even if you keep the 10 commandments (which nobody ever did 100%) you can still be sinning IN YOUR MIND: Mat5.21 ‘you heard it say, do not kill’ (Jesus didn’t even mention where and whom you have heard it from, if the 10 commandments were so important for us to keep today then Jesus would have mentioned them and Moses clearly), ‘but I say’: if you even get angry you are a criminal; even if you lust you have committed adultery; swear not by heaven of earth but your yes be yes.
The teachings of Jesus and of the apostles go far beyond the 10 commandments:

*Duties toward God*
*Positive*
1.Trust Him Mk11:22; Jn14:1; Heb11:6
2.Love Him and seek to know Him better 1Jn5:2;Phil3:10,15;Jas4:8
3.Be thankful to Him; worship and praise Him Jn4:23;Col3:15;Heb13:15
4.Serve Him Rom12:6-8,11;1Cor15:58
5.Pray to Him Lk18:1;Rom12:12;Eph6:18;Phil4:6;Col4:2;1Tim2:2
6.Live in accordance with His will Rom12:1;Heb13:21;Jas4:7
7.Walk in the Spirit Gal5:16,25;Eph5:18
8.Hold fast to sound doctrine and contend for the faith 2Tim1:13;Heb13:9; Jude3
9.Witness for Christ Jn15:27;Acts1:8;1Pet3:15
10. Do everything as unto Him 1Cor10:31;Eph6:7-8; Col3:17,23-24
11. Be diligent in devotion and study of His Word Jn5:39; Col3:16; 2Tim2:15; Jas4:8; 1Pet2:2
*Negative*
1.Do not have idols 1Cor10:7,14;Eph5:3;Phil3:19;Col3:5;1Tim6:17;Heb13:15;1Jn5:21
2.Do not receive false teachers 2Jn10
3.Do not mock or speak against God Gal6:7;Col3:8

*Duties toward Other Human Beings*
*Positive*
1.Love all, especially our brethren Jn15:17; Rom12:10; 1Cor16:14; 1Pet1:22; 1Jn3:23; 4:7,1Jn4:7
2.Be sympathetic and compassionate Eph4:32; Phil2:4; Col3:12
3.Forgive and forbear Rom12:19; Eph4:32; Col3:13
4.Deal honestly and fairly Rom12:17b;13:7;13:13;1Thess4:12; Jas2:1
5.Do good to all and help all Rom12:13;Gal 6:2,10;1Thess5:15;Tit3:1;Heb13:16;Jas4:17;3 Jn11
6.Tell the truth Eph4:25
7.Be courteous and live peaceably with all Rom12:18;1Pet2:17;3:8;1Pet3:8
8.Treat others as we would like for them to treat us Lk6:31; Rom12:17a
9.Provide a good example for others 1Cor8:9,13;Phil2:15
10.Urge brethren to good works and seek to restore backsliders Gal6:1;Heb10:24
*Negative*
1.Do not lie or bear false witness Eph4:25;Col3:9;Tit2:3
2.Do not steal Eph4:28;1Pet4:15
3.Do not murder 1Pet4:15
4.Do not commit adultery or fornication 1Cor6:18; 1Thess4:13
5.Do not judge others or speak evil of them Rom14:13;Tit3:2;Jas4:11;Jn7:24
6.Do not be unequally yoked with an unbeliever 2Cor6:14
7.Do not have fellowship with professing Christians who live in scandalous sin 1Cor5:11;2Thess3:14
8.Do not go to law with other believers 1Cor6:l
9.Do not glory in men 1Cor3:21
10.Avoid troublemakers and useless disputes Rom16:17; 2Tim2:23;Tit3:12
11.Do not have unpaid debts Rom13:8

*Duties toward Self*
*Positive*
1.Be holy 1Pet1:15;2:11,1Pet2:11; 2Pet3:1
2.Cleave to the good and do good to all Rom12:9; 1Thess5:15
3.Study the Word of God and meditate on sacred things 1Thess4:11;2Tim2:15
4.Grow spiritually 2Pet3:18
5.Think on good things Phil4:8
6.Think soberly of yourself Rom12:3
7.Be ambitious in the right way 1Cor12:31;14:1,1Cor14:1; 2Cor5:4
8.Be content with what God gives you Heb 13:5
9.Rejoice in the Lord Rom 12:12; Phil 3:1; 4:4,Phil4:4; 1Thess5:16
10.Live in the light of the judgment seat of Christ 1Cor 9:24
11.Judge yourself and confess sins to God 1Cor11:31;2Cor13:5;1Jn1:9
12.Conserve time for good purposes Eph5:11;Col4:5
13.Cultivate your mind 1Pet1:13
14.Do useful work Eph4:28; 2Thess3:12
15.Keep your body clean and in good health 1Cor 6:15;6:19,20;1Cor6;10:31;1Cor10:31; Rom12:1
*Negative*
1.Abhor evil Rom12:9;1Thess5:22
2.Avoid pride Rom12:3;Jas4:10;1Pet5:6
3.Do not conform to or love the world Rom12:2;1Jn2:15
4.Do not fellowship with evil Eph5:11
5.Do not sin through anger Eph4:26
6.Do not worry Phil4:6;1Pet5:7;1Jn14:1,27
7.Do not be lazy Rom12:1
8.Do not use filthy speech Eph4:29; 5:4,Eph 5:4
9.Do not become drunk Eph5:18
10.Do not complain 1Cor10:10;Phil 2:14
Paul said in Gal.5:14 that if you love your neighbor as yourself you have fulfilled the 10 commandments, see also James2:8, Rom.13:9-10

*PURPOSE OF THE LAW OF MOSES:*
–*1.To provide A certain STANDARD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS* (Deut4:8;Ps19:7-9). The Mosaic Law revealed the righteousness, holiness, and goodness of God (Deut4:8;Lev11:44-45;19:2;20:7; Rom7:12-14) but only to a certain measure, full measure is in Christ. The Law at Sinai was given to Israel to reveal to a certain measure who God is, as full revelation is in Christ, and to shed light on the reality of an infinite gulf that separates God from man.
Rom3:19 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 may be held accountable to God.
–*2.The Law was given TO IDENTIFY SIN AND REVEAL MAN’S SIN AND BANKRUPT CONDITION* as guilty before God (Rom3:19f,23;7:7-8;5:20;Gal3:19). God’s holy Law reveals to man just who and what he is—sinful and separated from God by an infinite gulf that he is unable to bridge in his own human strength.
However, Jesus comes to punish not those that disobey the 10 commandments but those that disobey the Gospel of Jesus, 2Thes1:8, Gospel which does not have the 10 commandments at its center but the death and resurrection of Jesus 1Cor15:1-4. Those who reject Jesus will be sent to hell and their degree of punishment in hell will be according to their sins: Lk12:47, Acts20:12, Mat25:31-46; just as those who go to heaven go there for free because of faith Rom.6:23, but in heaven they will have rewards based on their faith-works: 1Cor3:10-15.
Rom3:20 FOR NO ONE IS DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE HIM BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, for THROUGH THE LAW COMES THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.
–*3.The Law was given TO SHUT MAN UP TO FAITH,* to exclude the works of the Law as a system of merit for either salvation or sanctification and thereby lead him to Christ as the only means of righteousness: Gal3:19-20, 20-24; 1Tim1:8-9; Rom3:21-24. The ceremonial portion of the Law did this by pointing to the coming of a suffering Savior, “for without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” Heb9:22
-Rom3:21-24 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God, which is attested by the law and the prophets, has been disclosed, namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe…they are JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
-Gal3:24-26 Thus THE LAW HAD BECOME OUR GUARDIAN UNTIL CHRIST, so that we could be declared righteous by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” Greek word ”PAIDAGOGOS’ translated ‘guardian’ or schoolmaster literally means ”child leader”, it was a slave accompanying a child to school: he was not the teacher of the child.

*THE LIMITATIONS OF THE MOSAIC LAW*
When approached as a meritorious system, the Law cannot:
-can’t justify Gal2:16
-can’t give life Gal3:21
-can’t give the Holy Spirit Gal3:2,14
-can’t sanctify Gal3:21;5:5; Rom8:3
-can’t make perfect or permanently deal with sin Heb7:19
-can’t give rest through Sabbath Mat11:28-29
-can’t give righteousness Rom9:31,Gal3:21,Phil3:9
…see part2
Pastor Daniel