Law or Grace?

The average churchgoer, and even those who adhere to "Christian values" in a general sense, consider the Ten Commandments to be the foundation of Christian faith and living. Even though they were given to Israel they are usually thought to be as much the law for Christians today. In recent years there has been much controversy over whether or not the Ten Commandments should be displayed in courts or other government facilities. But are the Ten Commandments addressed to those of us outside of the nation of Israel?

In addition, one commandment in particular is the subject of disagreement among Christians. Some believe that the Old Testament Sabbath was replaced by Sunday as the proper day for worship, and treat it as if it were a new Sabbath. Others believe that the Old Testament Saturday Sabbath was a universal command that should still be adhered to. Also, many well-meaning Christians, in an effort to live a life that is pleasing to God, try to keep various aspects of the Old Testament Law including dietary rules. Yet Paul insisted that Christ was the end of the Law and that by the works of the Law no flesh should be justified.

Part of the misunderstanding comes from the fact that Jesus told people at times to keep the commandments (such as the young man in Matthew 19:17). A number of things that Jesus said have been misinterpreted as saying that we should still follow the Old Testament laws. Two different conclusions have been drawn from this misunderstanding. On the one hand, there are those who believe that his teachings were addressed to a "different administration" and are not addressed or relevant to us as Christians. On the other hand, some believers (who may have formerly held to dispensationalism) realize that there is but one gospel and one plan of salvation, and have concluded that we should follow the Law of Moses, especially with regard to keeping the Sabbath.

There is a third alternative, however. Jesus said he did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it. This means more than just living perfectly and then dying for our sins so we could be guilt-free. Jesus did not simply reiterate the Law of Moses. He established a New Covenant, which he ratified with his own blood. The terms of this covenant are laid out in the words of his teachings. As we saw in a previous article, he taught that God is more interested in our having the right heart, than in our obeying the letter of the law.

Why then was the Old Testament Law given? It was a temporary measure which helped to keep the children of Israel separate from the surrounding Gentile nations. It pointed out the need for God's grace, and the need for a redeemer. It also foreshadowed that redeemer.

Moses said in Deuteronomy 6:25, "And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us." I used to use this verse to prove that righteousness was by the Law in the Old Testament, in contrast to the grace in the New Testament. However, when read in context, it can be seen that the commandments to Israel were what they were expected to do, not in order to be righteous, but as a demonstration of their love for and commitment to God. Verse 29 of chapter 5 says, "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!" God commanded them to observe His commandments and not turn aside to the right or the left (5:32). "Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess" (5:33).

Deuteronomy 6:
17 Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,
19 To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.
20 And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?
21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:
22 And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:
23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.
25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

These commandments and statutes were the expected response to what God had done for them. They were given to the children of Israel in order to keep them separate from the rest of the world, and thus demonstrate their unique relationship with God. The whole reason for this, and the reason for their unique relationship with Him, was to honor the promises he had made to Abraham and the other fathers.

Deuteronomy 7:
6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:
8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

You see, it was never God's intention to outline a code of conduct by which people could be made righteous. Rather, the works were to be an indication of their love and trust toward God. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Genesis 15:6). Likewise, if the children of Israel believed God and obeyed what He commanded them, it would be their righteousness.

But many of the Israelites, especially the Scribes and Pharisees, ended up using the works of the Law as a way of trying to establish their own righteousness. Instead of observing God's ways, out of love for Him and for their neighbor, they prided themselves in keeping minute details of the letter of the Law, but missed the whole heart behind it. But God knew that they would do that. He also knew that many others would not keep the Law and turn to sin and idolatry. This is why it also included the function of demonstrating their need for a redeemer, as well as foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice.

Paul wrote at length about the Law versus grace in his epistles. In Galatians 3:19 he said that the Law was added "because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made." It is called a "schoolmaster" that led us to Christ. The Greek word for schoolmaster refers to a slave whose job it was to bring the children to school. The law brought us to Christ. In Romans 7 Paul wrote about how the Law had the affect of stirring up sin, because it identified sin. Once something is identified as sin, our human nature immediately wants to do it. The Law could identify sin, but it could not change the sinful nature in the heart of man.

Jesus said that he did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Did that mean he simply obeyed the Law perfectly as Moses had commanded so we wouldn't have to? He describes the fulfilling of the Law a few verses later, when he said, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). The righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees is more than just following the letter of the Law in minute detail. It is having a perfect heart of love.

Jesus, as discussed earlier, introduced a higher standard than the Law, that of genuine love from the heart. When a man came to him in Matthew 19 and asked, "What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" he was starting with the assumption that doing good things were what was required. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, but that wasn't the end of it. The man replied, "All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?" Jesus told him, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." This is not a blanket command for everyone. He was addressing the specific need of this individual. The man had great possessions, we are told, and that is what was keeping him from a right relationship with God. He had to get rid of what was hindering him, and follow Jesus.

But keeping all the commandments is not the "standard formula" for salvation. When a lawyer came to him in Luke 10 and asked what he should do to inherit eternal life, Jesus responded by asking him what the Law said. The man replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Jesus said, "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live." This reflects an attitude of heart more than obedience to rules.

When another lawyer (in Matthew 22) asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, he responded with the same two: love God and love your neighbor. "On these two hang all the law," he said. When he declared the same two commandments in Mark 12, the scribe to whom he was speaking agreed. Jesus replied, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God."

The lawyer in Luke had responded "And who is my neighbor?" and we are told that he said this because he wanted to justify himself. Jesus' response was the story of the Good Samaritan. The point Jesus frequently made was that the heart of love was more important than the letter of the Law. This is the higher standard that the Lord introduced.

Some Christians have tried to say that Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial parts of the Law, including sacrifices and offerings, but that the moral code is still valid. However, the Law was viewed as a whole. No such distinction exists in the Bible.

Galatians 5:
2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
 
James 2:
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

Jesus did not reiterate the Mosaic Law. He demonstrated what the true heart of it was. Yet his words were not part of the Old Covenant. He established the New Covenant of grace, which included redemption from the curse of the Law, as well as the opportunity to develop the perfect heart that God desires for us. We cannot try to mix law and grace, for they are incompatible. To do so is to frustrate the grace of God (Galatians 2:21).

Paul taught that the Mosaic system included shadows of things to come, which are unnecessary now that Christ has come (Colossians 2:16-17). Nevertheless some Christians believe that the Sabbath was a universal command, established before the Law, at creation. They believe this because when the Sabbath was commanded in Exodus, it referred back to God resting on the seventh day.

Exodus 20:
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

While the commandment refers to God resting on the seventh day, there is no indication here or in Genesis that He commanded everyone to rest on the seventh day, ever since creation. In fact, when the Sabbath was introduced for the first time in Exodus 16, it was given to Israel in the wilderness. It was then established as Law in Exodus 20:8-11 (above; see also Exodus 35:1-3). Nehemiah establishes that it was given to Israel at Sinai.

Nehemiah 9:
13 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:
14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:

Nehemiah 10:29-33 also lists the Sabbath as part of the Law that was revealed at Sinai. Deuteronomy 5:3 specifically states that the Mosaic covenant was made with the Israelites at Sinai and not with their fathers. While the Sabbath law reflects God's resting on the seventh day, its primary purpose was not to commemorate His resting, but rather His leading them out of Egypt, according to Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 5:
15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

The Sabbath was to be a specific sign between God and Israel.

Exodus 31:
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
 
Ezekiel 20:
10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.

The Sabbath, along with the rest of the Mosaic Law, was part of God's unique covenant relationship with Israel, which set them apart from all other nations.

Psalm 147:
19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.

Many of the rituals and observances of the Mosaic Law have been spiritualized under the New Covenant. The spiritual circumcision of the heart has replaced physical circumcision (Romans 2:29). We offer spiritual sacrifices instead of literal ones (Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15-16; I Peter 2:5). And we have an ongoing rest rather than a weekly Sabbath (Hebrews 4:1-11). The only physical observances we are commanded to keep are baptism and communion, both of which commemorate what Jesus accomplished for us. The Old Covenant rules, regulations, and rituals are no longer valid since Jesus established the New Covenant.

Does this mean, then, that our works are irrelevant? Some groups teach that as long as we are born again, it doesn't matter what we do. But while the Ten Commandments are not adressed to us, the New Covenant words of Jesus are the standard we must adhere to. And in adhering to those commands, we will be automatically fulfilling the Law, and more, as we walk in love. Paul made it clear that those who continue to practice sin will not inherit the Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5). Jesus established a higher standard, but it is one of love, not license to sin. We are being prepared for our ultimate destiny of ruling with Christ. We are commanded to be holy (I Peter 1:15-16). We are to be developing Christ-like character during this life, in preparation for the next. We are "kings in training." This is what is meant by the "law of liberty" and the "royal law" in James.

At the same time we must avoid trying to interpret the words of Jesus as if they were a new law, with wooden, legalistic application. For example, Jesus said that divorce should not be permitted except for cases of fornication. Does this mean that once someone is divorced, he can never be in the Kingdom of God? Some churches have refused to allow people to participate in their communion or worship if they have ever been divorced. But while divorce is wrong in God's eyes, there is no sin that He cannot forgive if a person turns his heart back to God.

Another example that has actually caused great division in the church is the Lord's command to "resist not evil" and to "turn the other cheek." There are those who say that if I am attacked I should not even defend myself or my family, and allow myself or them to be beaten or even killed, rather than to resist. This is how it would be interpreted if strict wooden adherence to the letter of Christ's words is held to. But he taught his disciples that the heart is what is important. The overall message of his command (in Matthew 5:38-41 and Luke 6:27-35) is that rather than retaliate against wrongs done to me, I am to reach out and do good to someone who would want to hurt me. I must not have it in my heart to do any harm to another. But is it not possible to just defend myself or my loved ones, without retaliating in anger? There are ways of avoiding, blocking and/or disarming an attacker that can be done without the intent to harm. Trying to take a literal interpretation of Jesus' words without understanding the heart is as wrong as the Pharisees' legalistic approach to the Mosaic law. God is concerned with the heart.

Grace is the perfect balance between legalism on one side and license to sin on the other. We are to hold fast to the words of our Lord and allow them to permeate our hearts to the end that they produce genuine fruit in us. They will do this as we abide in him, as John 15 describes, for the Word is powerful and by God's spirit we grow into the kind of people that God wants us to be.

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