The Law in Light of God's Will?
One of the first objections that I found to God's will being accomplished, was the fact that people do not obey the Ten Commandments. I thought about it for a while and began to wonder for what purpose did God write the Ten Commandments. As I go along in this I hope that I can make clearer the point of God's purpose in writing the Ten Commandment.
In the Old Testament God handed the law down to Moses, writing them on stone tablets with his very own finger. Establishing them forever and so permanent that not even one jot or one tittle could be changed.
Mat 5:18 (KJV) “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.”
God gave the Ten Commandments and to the children of Israel and intended on them to follow them. He even made promises to the children of Israel that if they would follow them, that he would bless them.
Deut. 11:26-28 (ESV) "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.”
Now God said that there would be a blessing attached to obeying the Ten Commandments, and a curse if they were not obeyed. Now following the children of Israel through: Joshua, Judges, 1st and 2nd Kings, we can see how they were blessed when following God’s commands, and were under God’s judgment when not following his commands. So God gave the children of Israel guidelines which they were to follow to please God. Yet we know that the children of Israel did not follow the commandments always, and even when they had some good kings they did not always follow God’s commands.
So it would look as if God instituted a plan for his children to follow, which he didn’t realize they could not follow. Or did he institute a set of rules of obedience for another reason? If we take a look at what the Apostle Paul says we get another look at the purpose of the law. That God knew that we could not follow it perfectly and that is why they were instituted, not for us to find self-righteousness in them. Rather that we should be led to another fountain, a fountain not of man for righteousness before God. We should be led to a fountain filled with blood.
Gal 3:24 (KJV) “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
Rom 7:7 (ESV) “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."
Rom 7:12 (ESV) “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.”
If we look here at the law, we don’t find a God who is mean who wishes us not to have any fun. We find a God who instituted a set of rules and guidelines to reveal sin to us, and to help us not find within ourselves the ability to overcome and become righteous, but rather to look to the Father and his beloved Son for our righteousness, freedom, life.... This is the greatest love of all, to not leave men to his demise, but rather to institute a law to lead men and reveal to men a salvation above and beyond themselves.
From looking at the law alone, we see a God who revealed his will to men in the form of the Ten Commandment. While in his unrevealed will which only he decrees and is perfectly obeyed, all men by the law become guilty and unrighteous, filthy, wicked, and reprobate sinners before a holy and righteous God.
Rom 3:19-20 (ESV) “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
When men recognize their sinful condition and their own inability through the law, then will men find Christ.
Rom 3:21-25 (ESV) “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”
In the Old Testament God handed the law down to Moses, writing them on stone tablets with his very own finger. Establishing them forever and so permanent that not even one jot or one tittle could be changed.
Mat 5:18 (KJV) “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.”
God gave the Ten Commandments and to the children of Israel and intended on them to follow them. He even made promises to the children of Israel that if they would follow them, that he would bless them.
Deut. 11:26-28 (ESV) "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known.”
Now God said that there would be a blessing attached to obeying the Ten Commandments, and a curse if they were not obeyed. Now following the children of Israel through: Joshua, Judges, 1st and 2nd Kings, we can see how they were blessed when following God’s commands, and were under God’s judgment when not following his commands. So God gave the children of Israel guidelines which they were to follow to please God. Yet we know that the children of Israel did not follow the commandments always, and even when they had some good kings they did not always follow God’s commands.
So it would look as if God instituted a plan for his children to follow, which he didn’t realize they could not follow. Or did he institute a set of rules of obedience for another reason? If we take a look at what the Apostle Paul says we get another look at the purpose of the law. That God knew that we could not follow it perfectly and that is why they were instituted, not for us to find self-righteousness in them. Rather that we should be led to another fountain, a fountain not of man for righteousness before God. We should be led to a fountain filled with blood.
Gal 3:24 (KJV) “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
Rom 7:7 (ESV) “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."
Rom 7:12 (ESV) “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.”
If we look here at the law, we don’t find a God who is mean who wishes us not to have any fun. We find a God who instituted a set of rules and guidelines to reveal sin to us, and to help us not find within ourselves the ability to overcome and become righteous, but rather to look to the Father and his beloved Son for our righteousness, freedom, life.... This is the greatest love of all, to not leave men to his demise, but rather to institute a law to lead men and reveal to men a salvation above and beyond themselves.
From looking at the law alone, we see a God who revealed his will to men in the form of the Ten Commandment. While in his unrevealed will which only he decrees and is perfectly obeyed, all men by the law become guilty and unrighteous, filthy, wicked, and reprobate sinners before a holy and righteous God.
Rom 3:19-20 (ESV) “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
When men recognize their sinful condition and their own inability through the law, then will men find Christ.
Rom 3:21-25 (ESV) “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”
posted by James | 5:31 PM
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