David thought life could be found in the law which was introduced to the nation of Israel through Moses. Before he came to faith in Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul said he thought the same thing and then came to find out “the very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.” So how is it the church culture has gotten this so backwards?
Why have religious institutions lured Gentiles into a ministry referred to as one that brings bondage while being unable to bring life or righteousness? The Ten Commandments were part of a law containing 603 other commands, rules and statutes. This is the very bundled requirement that Jesus came to deliver the Jewish people from … not to bring Gentiles into.
The title of this week’s program is an obvious paraphrase, but it isn’t far off from what Paul explained when it came to being freed and delivered from the Mosaic Law with its burdensome commandments. He found out that what he thought would give life had actually proven to bring death and despair, while causing sin to increase. Today many believers will get up in front of the church and talk about how they used to do bad things and now they work on doing good things. To be clear, pursuing sin will never be a profitable venture - less sin is a good thing. But this was not Paul’s testimony. He didn’t boast about how he used to murder and then stopped after he was saved. He emphasized that we’ve been made a new creation, and the value of getting to know Jesus and the power of His resurrection. God’s life in us, has caused us to pass from death into life in a New Covenant that isn’t based upon our ability to a meet certain standard of rules and regulations. Instead, we live by the righteousness of faith with the power of Jesus Christ abiding in us.
Frequently we’ll find church doctrines and teachings encouraging believers to cling to a law of works, found within the commandments of the Old Covenant. The problem with this? New Covenant writings reveal why the law was given to Israel (and not to us who are Gentiles). Those commands within the law caused sin to increase (not decrease). It was a ministry that killed and condemned. The law demanded perfection but was powerless to provide the ability to attain it. It once had glory, but came to an end, where the glory faded, and now has no glory at all. Why? Because of the surpassing glory ministry of the Spirit of God, which replaced the requirements written on ink and on stone. We are now in the life of Christ, we’re empowered by the Spirit of Grace where new life flows and the fruit of the Spirit is produced, apart from the works of the law.
Christ did not enter a place made with human hands, but He entered the more perfect tabernacle, in the Most Holy Place once for all, obtaining eternal redemption with His blood. The writer of Hebrews contrasted this work of Christ with the former ministry of repeated animal sacrifices, and explained how this would be superior to the old way. It would cleanse our conscience from dead works and move us into serving the living God. When did all of this begin? Not with the birth of Christ, but with His death, which would allow for the will or covenant to go into effect.
In reference to the New Covenant, you may have been told that God would put his law, commandments and statutes in our minds and write them on our hearts. However, in the same passage, God declared the New Covenant would not be like the one made with Israel when they were delivered out of Egypt. Since the old law brought death, condemnation and increased sin, why would God choose to write it on our hearts, since it could not provide life or righteousness to us? There was a change of law with the new priesthood of Jesus Christ, and it brought a new heart to us with a new ministry that would far surpass the old way.
Although Jesus often ministered despair and hopelessness by elevating the Mosaic law, there were times when He would provide samples of the approaching New Covenant. Even though the "New" would not be in effect until after His death, we see examples of the gospel being served, such as the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. The purpose of the old commandments was to minister condemnation and death. This woman received a taste of unconditional love mixed with mercy and grace, while her accusers walked away speechless.
This is the third in a series of why Jesus taught two covenants, this week looking at some specifics within the Mosaic law from the first covenant. That was a covenant made with Israel and those of us who are Gentiles were not included. Ultimately the law brought a curse because it required all of it be kept perfectly. The New Covenant would not be anything like the Old. The first covenant resulted in death and condemnation, whereas under the second covenant, we've been removed from that and placed into life. The law was meant to shut mouths, stop boasting, and bring people to the end of themselves.
We continue looking further into the sin and death that came through Adam, compared to righteousness and life that came through Jesus. In the book of Romans, Paul explained through the first several chapters, how the people of Israel were also considered sinners, not just the Gentiles. They fell short because Adam's one transgression came to "all men." On the other hand, the one righteous act of Jesus brought justification to all men. In the context of many chapters, "all men" is referring to both Jews and Gentiles. Through Christ's obedience, "many" are made righteous: those who receive the abundance of grace.
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Oftentimes Christian believers are taught to abide by old covenant commandments that were handed down to the Jewish people. By trying to keep these rules and commands it actually strengthens sin and reduces the amount of (good) fruit coming forth. The law brought death, guilt, enmity and it was against us. So what happened after Christ came and died? What relationship do we have to these commandments under the new covenant? The focus is no longer on our good works but it's on Christ working through us. He will bear the fruit. Mixing the law into our new life in Him will produce another kind of fruit that we want to avoid.
The Fruit of the Law (14 Min, 9.6 MB)
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)
The death of Jesus Christ was foreordained since the foundation of the world. It was not the result of being betrayed or because law-zealous Pharisees or Pontius Pilate had him killed. He was not murdered. He willingly gave His life for our sins so that we could experience justification by His blood that was shed for all. To understand this demonstration of love brings us to a place of humility and peace. Christ did not die in vain. No law or commandment could bring us righteousness. Only by the blood of His death and suffering could we be perfected.
Jesus Came to Die (14 Min, 9.6 MB)
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)
