God's Law and Grace Together - Part 3

Why is the law important?

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death

1 John 3:4 - Sin is the transgression of the law

Romans  3:23 - For all have sinned.

How do I escape the death penalty imposed by the law?

John 3:16 - God died for our sins and whosoever believes in him will have everlasting life.

John 3:7 - Must be born again

What part does the law play in our salvation?

Romans 3:20 - For by the law is the knowledge of sin

Psalms 19:7 - The law of God is perfect, converting the soul

Note: As a mirror reveals the dirt on someone’s face, but can't remove it, so the law of God reveals sin, but can't rid us of it. The law shows the problem and sends us to Christ for cleansing.

Can the Law save us?

Ephesians 2:8-9 - for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. If is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Note: Paul teaches us in the New Testament that the law is good for showing us our sin and our need for Christ, but alone it can't save us. We need the grace of Jesus. Those who have received forgiveness and pardon for their sins are under grace, and no longer under the death penalty that the law demanded.

What enables a person to keep the commandments?

1 Corinthians 3:16 - Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth within you?

John 14:15 - If you love me, keep my commandments.

Note:  We don't keep the law to be saved, we keep it because we are saved!

Are the Ten Commandments binding for New Testament Christians?

Matthew 5:17-18 - Think not that I have come to destroy the law, but I have come to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matthew 19:17 - If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

John 14:15 - If you love me, keep my commandments.

Note: The principles embodied in the 10 commandments are a part of God's character of love. These laws show us how to come into harmony with God's nature. When they are presented the rebellious heart says " How can I get out of keeping the 10 commandments"? The heart that loves God wants to keep them and come into unity and harmony with God. So the 10 Commandments are binding for not only New Testament Christians, but for all Christians, which in turn are really called Bible Believing Christians.

The Two Laws in the Bible

God gave us two sets of laws at Mt. Sinai. The Law of Moses and the Moral Law. The Bible supports both, but clearly shows that only God's Law is still valid and Moses's Law is not anymore since it was done away with. Take a look at the evidence I listed below comparing God’s Law and Moses’s Law. Notice how I draw from both the old and new testaments to support this. Moses's Law is sometimes called "The Ceremonial Laws."

God's Law

Isaiah 5:24 - Called The Law of the Lord

James 2:8 - Called the Royal Law

Exodus 31: 18, 32:16 - Written by God on stone

Exodus 40:20 - Placed inside the ark

Luke 16:17 - Will stand forever

Romans 7:7, 3:20 - Points out sin

1 John 5:3 - Not Grievous

James 2:10-12 - Judges all men

Romans 7:14 - Spiritual

Psalm 19: 7 – Perfect

Moses Law

Luke 2:22 - Called the law of Moses

Ephesians 2:15 - Called the law contained in ordinances

2 Chronicles 35:12 - Written by Moses in a book

Deuteronomy 31:26 - Placed in the side of the ark

Ephesians 2:15 - Moses law ended at the cross

Galatians 3:19 - Added because of sin

Colossians 2:14-16 - Contrary to us and judges no man

Hebrews 7:16 - It's Carnal

Hebrews 7:19 - Made nothing perfect

If that wasn't evidence enough for the 10 Commandments still being valid here are the 10 Commandments listed from both the Old and New Testaments found in the Bible. It's pretty cool because most people only know of the 10 Commandments in Exodus in the Old Testament. But people miss that the same 10 Commandments are clearly stated by Jesus in the New Testament.

Old Testament - 10 Commandments found in Exodus Chapter 20

First Table of the Law (Shows how we should be towards God)

1. Thou shalt not have no other gods before me

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image/ idols

3. Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work; But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, nor they son, nor they daughter, nor thy manservant, or they maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor they stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Second Table of the Law (Shows how we should be towards Man)

5. Honor thy father and mother

6. Thou shalt not kill

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery

8. Thou shalt not steal

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor

10. Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's house, nor wife, nor his manservant, or maidenservant, his ox, nor anything that is thy neighbor.

New Testament - Same 10 Commandments found in the New Testament

First Table of the Law (Shows how we should be towards God)

1.      Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve - Matthew 4:10

2.      Little children, keep yourselves from idols. For as much then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device - 1 John 5:21, Acts 17:29.

3.      That the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed - 1 Timothy 6:1

4.      Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath; therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his work. There remaineth therefore a keeping of a Sabbath to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth - Matthew 24:20, Mark 2:27, 28, Hebrews 4:4,9,10, and Colossians 1:16.

Second Table of the Law (Shows how we should be towards Man)

 5. Honor thy father and they mother - Matthew 19:19

6.  Thou shalt not kill - Romans 13:9

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery - Matthew 19:18

8. Thou shalt not steal - Romans 13:9

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness - Romans 13:9

10. Thou shalt not covet - Romans 7:7

Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid, yea we establish the law. Wherefore the law is body, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. For by the law is the knowledge of sin - Romans 3:31, 7:12, and 3:20.

So as you can see if you follow the whole Bible you should be following the 10 commandments of the Bible as Jesus states we should be following, which are still valid, from both the Old and New Testaments. They are the same 10 commandments in the Old and the New, and Jesus never got rid of them or changed them. So in my mind all Christians who study there Bible should at some point become Commandment keepers which would by default make them Sabbath keepers because they love God and they finally see with there own eyes from the Bible that it's the truth right from God's very mouth. The reason people don't is because they are still fighting within themselves in trying to get around them in some way or another, mainly because it messes up there lives or there worldly schedules. We must pray for these people for God to work on there hearts in time. Everybody is at different places in there walk with Christ. It's not our job to convert people to Bible truth, it's God's.