yoke of bondage

The REASON that we see the Sabbath CONTINUE into the NEW EARTH of Rev 21 (as God tells us in Isaiah 66) is that the SABBATH was MADE FOR MANKIND (Mark 2:27)!

Thus Christ the Creator made HIS Holy Day FOR MANKIND - before the fall of man!! It IS the only reason for a 7 day week today. IN fact THE Seventh-day of the week today IS THE SAME as the one in Gen 2:3!!

What a wonderful God - to restore to us the JOY of that paradise home HE CREATED when HE gave mankind HIS own Holy Day - as a MEMORIAL of HIS creative act!

Would that fewer people would find cause to rebel against it - and more reason to embrace its blessing FOR MANKIND!

In Christ,

Bob

 

Now there is some kind of befuddlement going on in that claim for sure!

Christ died AFTER John died. Gal 4 said Christ lived UNDER THE LAW. So ENDING the LAW with John would have had Christ either in rebellion against the LAW (a transgressor) or having ABOLISHED what HE CLAIMED to be OBEYING in Matt 6!

"THINK NOT that I HAVE COME to ABOLISH the LAW" --

Yet some would have JOHN ABOLISH the LAW even BEFORE Christ gets to His point of ministry!!

What befuddled doctrines mankind will come up with in an anything-to-avoid-God's-LAW religion.

But that is not the Bible. In the Bible our faith ESTABLISHES the LAW of God!

Hence in Rev 12 the SAINTS are those who KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of GOD.

(Pretty tough to do if the commandments of God were abolished by John the baptizer!!)

In Christ,

Bob

 

God ordered 9 moral laws and one amoral law? And the other 603 laws?

 

Now there is some kind of befuddlement going on in that claim for sure!

Christ died AFTER John died. Gal 4 said Christ lived UNDER THE LAW. So ENDING the LAW with John would have had Christ either in rebellion against the LAW (a transgressor) or having ABOLISHED what HE CLAIMED to be OBEYING in Matt 6!

"THINK NOT that I HAVE COME to ABOLISH the LAW" --

Yet some would have JOHN ABOLISH the LAW even BEFORE Christ gets to His point of ministry!!

What befuddled doctrines mankind will come up with in an anything-to-avoid-God's-LAW religion.

But that is not the Bible. In the Bible our faith ESTABLISHES the LAW of God!

Hence in Rev 12 the SAINTS are those who KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of GOD.

(Pretty tough to do if the commandments of God were abolished by John the baptizer!!)

In Christ,

Bob </font>[/QUOTE]bmerr here. I'm always open for correction if needed, and it seems as though I may have misspoken. I'll be the first to admit that I don't have everything figured out.

Gal 4:4 does say that "...God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." John the Baptist was only about six months old when Jesus was born (Luke 1:31, 36), so I think it's safe to say that John had not yet begun his ministry at the time of Christ's birth.

John's ministry was to prepare the way for Christ, and to make Him known to Israel (Luke 3:4,5; John 1:31).

We understand that Jesus lived and died under the Law of Moses, since He came to fulfill it (Matt 5:17, 18). We also read in Luke 16:16 the the law and the prophets were until John.

I said in an earlier post that I didn't know how these things all reconciled, and I still don't. The fault is with my own understanding, and I'd be thankful for your insights on the matter.

Something else we need to understand is the fact that though the Mosaic Law has been fulfilled and done away with, there is still law under Christ in the NT (1 Cor 9:21). If there is no law under Christ, then Is 2:3 is left unfulfilled. It reads,

"And many people shall go and say, Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we shall walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

I don't think many of us would dispute that this is a Messianic prophecy, and speaks of the kingdom of God under the NT. Or maybe some would.

There are commandments of God in the NT that must be obeyed if we would spend eternity in heaven. There are eternal principles found under the Patriarchal, Mosaic, and Christian dispensations. Murder, for example, has always been a sin, from Creation until present day, and will continue to be till the end of time.

The biggest difference between the three dispensations is the sacrifice for sin. Animals for the first two, and Christ for the New. Morals have always been the same, for God does not change with the times.

So how does this all relate to the sabbath? As far as I know, there was no set day for worship under the Patriarchal system. Job offered sacrifices for his family continually (Job 1:5). Whether that means "regularly", or "weekly", or "daily", I don't know.

The sabbath, or day of rest on the seventh day of the week was indeed instituted in the Creation week, but was not made know to the Israelites until Sinai (Neh 9:13, 14), "Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai...And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath...by the hand of thy servant Moses."

So the sabbath was made know to the nation of Israel, as opposed to the whole world, as a part of the Law of Moses. Since that law has been fulfilled, the things that were peculiar to that law (Levitical priesthood, dietary restrictions, sabbath observance, etc) are done away with to make room for the New Testament in Christ.

I think that's what I was trying to say earlier, though I should have given it more thought. I hope I've cleared up my position.

In Christ,

bmerr

 

Jesus waited a long time before starting his ministry. Very near the start of Christ's ministry - John gets beheaded! John appears to have started his ministry early - possibly in his early 20's and has a great following by the time Christ STARTS his at 30. If you want to abolish God's commandments (even though the saints are KEEPING them in Rev 12 and Christ insists that we KEEP His commandments in John 14 as does John in 1 John 2, 3 and 5) then you need to do so at at time when His Apostles are not insisting that they be kept!

In Christ,

Bob

 

John speaks about Keeping God’s commandments before the Cross, After the Cross and in the Rev 12, 16 end time period after the resurrection.

Here John says the commandments of God “kept” by the saints by contrast to the rebellion described about those who war against the saints and persecute them.

But “some” might argue that these saints “are special” and don’t actually live under the ONE Gopsel of Gal 6. As far fetched as that idea is – lets pursue some “proofs” showing that such wild speculation can not possibly be true.


Here John shows us that the saints of God commanded to “keep” the Pre-Cross Commandments of God.

And here John shows us that the saints are still to keep the commandments of God AFTER the resurrection of Christ!

Is it any surprise that Paul is in full agreement with John on this post-cross requirement to ”keep the commandments of God”?

 

That is true. The Law of God was "perfectly KEPT" by Christ rather than "perfectly abolished" or "perfectly ignored" by Him.

He was "without sin" - He never transgressed God's Law.

In Christ,

Bob

 

When God wrote His commandments on Stone and spoke them to the assembly of the saints gathered at Sinai - He says "And HE ADDED NO MORE".

The UNIT of TEN stands.

Paul refers top the SAME UNIT in Eph 6 saying in 6:3 that the FIFTH commandment is the "FIRST COMMANDMENT" with a promise.

The order remains, the list remains, the unit remains.

James 2 argues that to break ONE is to break ALL!

But the 'traditions of man' would do exactly that. Man looks for a way to downsize God's commandments.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Actually in Gen 2:3 Christ the Creator first makes the Sabbath "a Holy Day".

In fact - that is how they even HAD 7 days in a week!

As Christ said "The Sabbath was MADE for MANKIND" Mark 2:27

The Sabbath for Adam was a day of Worship without reference to animal sacrifice.

In the Sabbath commandment of Exodus 20 there is no specification for animal sacrifice.

Very true - it was made Holy right then and there - Adam's first full day of life!

D.L Moody points this out as well (Next post).

The actual "words" of the 4th commandment point out that the GEn 2:3 facts "alone" establish both the day as Holy AND the practice of following God's example.

In Christ,

Bob

 

The Two Laws

By what are all men to be judged at last?
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
"So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." James 2:12.

With what other law were the people of God for a time concerned, which is not to judge them?
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Colossians 2:14-17.

What terms are employed, for the sake of convenience, to designate these two laws?
"The first is called "the moral law," summarily contained in the decalogue; the second is known as the "ceremonial or typical law" of the Jewish dispensation.

What is the relation of the moral law to sin?
"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.

How early in the history of our world was this law applicable?
"For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." 1 Timothy 2:13,14.

Since this law was binding on man previous to his fall, what did it cover?
His relations to God and to His fellow creatures: "Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Matthew 22:35-39.

When and for what reason were laws of a ceremonial or typical nature introduced?
They were introduced after man had sinned, and were instituted because God in mercy provided a plan of redemption or a remedial system. "And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:" Genesis 4:3,4.
"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." Hebrews 11:4.

How was the moral law communicated to the people at Sinai?
"And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. "And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone." Deuteronomy 4:12,13.

How was the ceremonial law communicated to them?
"And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock." Leviticus 1:1,2.
"This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings; Which the LORD commanded Moses in mount Sinai, in the day that he commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai." Leviticus 7:37,38.

On what, and by whom, was the moral law written?
"And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone." Deuteronomy 4:12,13.

In what, and by whom, was the ceremonial law written?
"And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant." Nehemiah 9:14.
"And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel." Nehemiah 8:1.

Were the ten commandments a distinct and complete law by themselves?
"These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me." Deuteronomy 5:22.
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them." Exodus 24:12.

Was the ceremonial law composed of rules or ordinances?
"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;" Ephesians 2:15.

What is the nature of the moral law?
"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." Psalms 19:7.

Was perfection to be secured by the ceremonial law?
"Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;" Hebrews 9:9.

How did the prophet Isaiah say that Christ would treat the moral law when He should appear on earth as the great teacher?
"The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable." Isaiah 42:21.

How did Christ fulfill this prophecy?
By opening before the people the deep spiritual nature of the law, living in perfect obedience to both letter and the spirit of all its requirements, and giving His life to save men from the penalty of its transgression. See Matthew 5:17-48; John 15:10; 1 Peter 2:22; Romans 4:25.

How long was the ceremonial law to continue?
"Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation." Hebrews 9:10.

When was this time of reformation?
"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Hebrews 9:11,12.

How did Christ's death affect the ceremonial law?
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." Colossians 2:14.
"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;" Ephesians 2:15.

What was the object of the ceremonial law?
"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." Hebrews 10:1.

What does Paul say of the holiness and spirituality of the moral law?
"Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Romans 7:12.
"For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." Romans 7:14.

How does faith in Christ affect our relation to the moral law?
"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." Romans 3:31.

How does dependence on the ceremonial law affect our relation to Christ?
"Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing." Galatians 5:2.

How long does Christ say that the moral law is to endure?
"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 5:18.

To which code of laws does the Sabbath commandment belong?
"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Genesis 2:2,3.

 

The End of the Law

To the believer what does Christ become?
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Romans 10:4.

In what sense is the word end (Greek, telos) sometimes used in the Scriptures? Object, intention, or design?
"Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." James 5:11.

What was the object of the law?
"And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death." Romans 7:10.

What further is the end, or object, of the law?
"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:" 1 Timothy 1:5.

What is charity, or love?
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Romans 13:10. (See also 1 John 5:3).

Why did God send His Son to the world?
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:3,4.

Then what is one enabled to do through Christ?
"That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:4.

 

THE TWO LAWS

Are God's law and Mose's law the same?

No they are not the same. Mose's Law was the temporary ceremonial law of the Old Testament. It regulated the priesthood, sacrifices, rituals, meat and drink offerings, etc, all of which foreshadowed the cross. This law was added "till the seed should come," and that seed was Christ (Galtians 3:16,19). The ritual and ceremony of Mose's law pointed forward to Christ's sacrifice. When He died, this law came to an end, but the Ten commandments (God's law) "stand fast for ever and ever" Psalm 111:8.

That there are two laws is made crystal clear in Daniel 9:10,11. God's law has existed as lon as sin existed. The Bible says "Where no law is, there is no transgression (or sin) Romans 4:15. So God's Ten commandment law existed from the beginning. Men broke that law, or sinned (sinned- I John 3:4). Because of sin Mose's law was given or "added"- Gal. 3:16,19) till Christ should come and die. Two separate laws are involved.


MOSES' LAW: Called the "Law of Moses" -Luke 2:22
GOD'S LAW: Called the "Law of the Lord" -Isaiah 5:24

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MOSES' LAW: Called "Law... contained in ordinances" -Ephesians 2:15
GODS LAW: Called the "Royal Law" -James 2:8

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MOSES' LAW: Was written by Moses in a Book -2 Chron. 35:12
GOD'S LAW: Written by God Himself on stone -Exodus 31:18;32:16

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MOSES' LAW: Placed in the side of the ark -Deut 31:26
GOD'S LAW: Placed inside of the ark --Exodus 40:20

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MOSES' LAW: Ended at the cross -Eph. 2:15
GOD'S LAW: Will stand forever -Luke 16:17

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MOSES' LAW: Added because of sin Gal 3:19
GOD'S LAW: Points out sin -Romans 7:7;3:20

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MOSES' LAW: Contrary to us, against us -Col. 2:14
GOD'S LAW: Not grevious -I John 5:3

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MOSES' LAW: Judges no one -Col. 2:14-16
GOD'S LAW: Judges all people -James 2:10-12

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MOSES' LAW: Carnal -Hebrews 7:16
GOD'S LAW: Spiritual -Romans 7:14

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MOSES' LAW: Made nothing perfect -Hewbrews 7:19
GOD'S LAW: Perfect Psalm 19:7

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I dont know how many times this needs to be repeated but here goes again:


"FIRST DAY" (SUNDAY) BIBLE TEXTS

Millions of conscientious Christians attend church every Sunday, the first day of the week. They do so believing that somewhere, somehow, someone changed the day of worship. Either that, or they aren't aware that God set aside the seventh day, not the first day of the week as His holy day.
It is true, a change has been made.
But by whom? We've discovered that God made the Sabbath during the first week of earth's history. He set it aside as a weekly appointment between man and Himself — as a blessing, a refreshment, a date between two lovers so to speak (God and man).
If God changed His mind about His special appointment day with us, wouldn't He have recorded so momentous an adjustment in the Bible?
We've already seen that the beast power claims to have made the change, but what does the Bible say about it?
There're eight texts in the New Testament that mention the first day of the week. Look at them carefully.
Matthew 28:1
Mark 16:1, 2.
Mark 16:9.
Luke 24:1.
John 20:1.
John 20:19.
Acts 20:7, 8.
1 Corinthians 16:1, 2.
The first five texts simply state that the women came to the sepulcher early on the resurrection morning, and that Jesus rose from the dead.
Now look up John 20:19 in your Bible. It tells us that Jesus appeared to the disciples later on the resurrection day. It says that the reason they were assembled was "for fear of the Jews."
They were scared. No telling when the Jews might grab them and treat them to the same fate as their Master. They were hiding.
They had seen their beloved Master die on Friday. They "returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment." Luke 23:56. And now they're hiding with the doors shut "for fear of the Jews." John 20:19.
There's no mention of a change.
The seventh text is Acts 20:7, 8. It says "and upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together."
This was a night meeting — the dark part of the first day of the week. In Bible reckoning, the dark part of the day comes before the light part. Genesis 1:5 — "and God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." The dark part comes first.
The Bible reckons a day from sunset to sunset.
The seventh day begins at sunset Friday evening. The first day of the week begins sunset Saturday evening.

Paul is together with his friends on the dark part of the first day of the week — Saturday night. This is a farewell get-together. He preached until midnight, when poor Eutychus falls out the window. (Acts 20:9).
You can imagine how relieved they were when it was found that God spared his life. Verse eleven says that they talked till the break of day and then Paul departed. Verse thirteen shows that Paul spent that Sunday morning traveling to Assos.
There's nothing here either concerning a change of the Sabbath.
The New English bible translates this text like this:
"On the Saturday night, in our assembly for the breaking of bread, Paul, who was to leave the next day, addressed them, and went on speaking until midnight." Acts 20:7.
The last text mentions the first day of the week in 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2.
It says — "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." Verse three tells that he will bring the offering to Jerusalem.
As he had done in Galatia, so Paul also requests of those in Corinth to have a collection all ready when he would come to take it to the poor saints in Jerusalem. There's nothing in the text about a church service, but each person is to "lay by him in store." The first day of the week was the best time for the people to set money aside because later in the week it would be spent. That's true today as well! Paul requested this so that "there be no gatherings when I come." 1 Corinthians 16:2.
At this time the Christians are suffering hardship in Jerusalem and Paul is making his rounds to the churches taking up a collection for them. (We should be that thoughtful today).
There's nothing in this text either about a change of God's Sabbath to Sunday.
Concerning worship, what was Paul's custom?
Here it is.
"And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbaths reasoned with them out of the scriptures." Acts 17:2.
Jesus, as our example also had the custom of attending church on Saturday, the seventh day. (Luke 4:16).

 

The Law itself is not the "Yoke of Bondage"


It is too bad that so many Christians do not understand that biblically, to be in "bondage" doesnt mean in bondage to the Law itself. The Law itself and keeping the Law is not what the bondage is.

The real BONDAGE IS TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW ... this round of trying to keep it and failing over and over again. You are in bondage to your old sinful nature and cannot break free from it. Satan is able to keep you as his servant to sin. You are kept running on this treadmill of the Law of sin and death... you sin and the condemnation of that sin is death.

But God has provided a way out of this bondage.

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John Chapter 8 AND BONDAGE:

31: Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33: They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
34: Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35: And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
37: I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
38: I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
39: They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.


ROMANS 7 AND BONDAGE:

Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law), how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For a woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed form the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, which were by the law, did work in our bodies to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:1-6).

The ground covered by this seventh chapter is really gone over twice. The first part lays the broad facts before us; the latter part goes into the details and particulars of what is given in the beginning.

In the six verses that have been read, there is given us an illustration and the application. The illustration is easily understood. The simple fact of marriage is taken. A woman having a husband is bound to that husband so long as he liveth. By what is she bound? By the law. It is contrary to the law for her to have two husbands at the same time; but if the first husband be dead, the same law will allow her to marry another man. This is but a plain illustration, and if it is kept in mind throughout the study of the chapter, it will be a great help to us in understanding it.

There is no need of any argument in this chapter for the perpetuity of the law. That is not the question under consideration. The apostle is not making a special argument to prove that the law is not abolished. His argument starts from that point as one already settled, and shows the practical working of the law in individual cases. He brings it right home to the hearts of men that they are under the law; and if they are under it, how can it be abolished? He urges its claims upon the hearts of men, and by the Spirit of God they feel its working power upon them, and therefore know that it is not abolished.

Note the class of people to whom Paul is writing. "I speak to them that know the law." This epistle is addressed to professed followers of Christ. We find that in the second chapter, commencing with the seventeenth verse: "Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law and makest thy boast of God."

Now to the illustration: While the law will not allow the woman to be united to two husbands at the same time, it will allow her to be united to two in succession. It is the law that allows her, and it is the law that unties her. The same law that unites her to the first husband also allows her to be united to the second, after that the first is dead. This is easy to be understood and there is no need to consider it further.

Now to the application: "Wherefore my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that ye should bring forth fruit unto God." We can determine who the two husbands are by beginning with the second one. The "another" to whom we are to be married, is the one who has been raised from the dead, and that is Christ. We are one of the parties in the second marriage, and Christ is the other. He is the second husband.

The question now arises, Who was the first husband that died, in order that we might be united to the second? The sixth chapter has answered that. Compare Romans 7:5 with Romans 6. "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." The law held us in the first union and now to what were we united? What were we in? We were in union with the flesh. In the sixth chapter we found that the body of sin is destroyed by Christ. By what means is it that the body of sin becomes destroyed? By the man being crucified with Christ.

In the first place we are joined to sin--the sinful flesh. We cannot serve two masters. Here are two figures. We are servants to one master--united to one husband. We cannot serve two masters at the same time and we cannot be united to two husbands at the same time. But we can be united to two in succession. The first one of these, to whom we have all been united, is the body of sin; the second is Christ, who is raised from the dead.

The question arises, what is meant by our being dead to the law by the body of Christ? That brings us to the point where the illustration fails us. The illustration fails us--why? Because it is utterly impossible to find anything in life that will correctly represent in every particular divine things. There is no illustration that will serve in every particular. That is why we have so many types of Christ. No one person could serve as a complete type of Him. We have Adam in one place as a type of Christ; we have Abel; we have Moses; we have Aaron; David; and Melchizedek, and many others who represent different phases of Christ, because there is no one of them who could represent Him in every particular.

So when the apostle would represent the union of all people with the house of Israel, he says, "I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery." It is a mystery; it is something unnatural. He says that it is a grafting process, but that is contrary to the natural method. Therefore this illustration of marriage cannot be considered as complete in every particular. And yet, after all, the illustration does not fail, if we choose to consider that the union with the first husband is a criminal connection. It is so in the application. Those who are united to the flesh are guilty of a capital crime. The law holds them in that connection; i.e., it will not allow them to lightly dissolve the union and pass it by as though nothing had taken place--but it demands their life. With this explanation we can understand what follows.

We find that we are united with sin and with the body of sin. Then Christ comes to us and He presents Himself as the one altogether lovely. And in reality He is the only one who has any real claim upon us. "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." The apostle is writing to those who know the law and who have left their first love, and what applies to them will also apply in larger measure to those of the world. Christ comes to the door of our hearts and knocks and begs that we will come to Him. He has spread out His hands all the day unto a rebellious people, "which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts." How deep, how unfathomable is the love of God!

In Jeremiah 3:1 we read, "They say, If a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another man's shall he return unto her again? Shall not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord." Paul in writing to the Corinthians says, "I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."

Now we desire that loveliness of character which can be found only in Christ. We find that this union in which we are held--with the flesh--is not a pleasant union but the husband to whom we are wedded is a taskmaster, he is a tyrant who grinds us down so that we have no liberty. The flesh is tyrannical, and it holds us down and makes us do, not as we wish to do, but as it wishes us to do. When we by the aid of Christ come to feel that this union is a galling bondage, then we awake to the real state of our condition and realize that whereas it may have satisfied us for a time, now we hate it and desire to rid ourselves of it and become united to Christ.

But here is where the difficulty comes in. It is expressed in the words of James 4:4. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." Do you think that it is vain that Christ hath said, "What communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial?" Now while we still remain in the flesh we desire to take the name of Christ. of course it is impossible for us to really be joined to Christ and still cling to the body of sin, although to outward appearance we may be able to do it. We cannot actually be united to Christ and the world at the same time. We cannot have Christ for our husband and at the same time be living with the world.

But we can take the name of Christ and at the same time retain the sins of the flesh. But the law will not justify a person who does this--who takes the name of the one man and at the same time lives with another. The law of God does not justify us in taking the name of Christ and in living in union with the body of sin? No, certainly not.

Here again we find how the law is guarded at every step in this matter of justification by faith in Christ. Here every possibility is cut off for a person to say--I am Christ's and Christ is mine and no matter what I do, it is Christ that does it in me. No, that is not so. We cannot charge any sin to Christ: He is not responsible for any sin, for the law does not justify us in committing any sin. So we see that justification by faith is nothing else but bringing a person into perfect conformity to the law. Justification by faith does not make any provision for transgression of the law.

But we will proceed to consider the case of those who have been unconscious of the claims of the law, while professing it. Paul speaks to those who know the law and who make their boast in the law and profess to exalt the law and at the same time they are so blind to the requirements of the law that they have thought they could profess Christ and live in sin. It is not always those who profess to fear that the honor of the law will be lowered that realize its claims to the fullest extent. Some have even preached the law and have at the same time thought that they could live in the indulgence of the lusts of the flesh, while thinking that they were united with Christ.

Now Christ has been set before us and we see that we cannot be united to Christ and the body of sin at the same time. Then we say that we will give up that first husband--the body of sin and become united with Christ. But how can we get free from this body of sin--this first husband? We cannot cause it to die by simply saying that we wish it were dead. The woman who has a loathing in her heart for her husband, because he is a brutal tyrant, cannot cause herself to be separated from him by simply desiring it. It is a good thing to want to serve Christ, if we have counted the cost and know that we are sick and tired of the old life and want to begin a new life and live with Christ for when we come to that point we can easily find out how it can be done.

Christ comes to us and He proposes a union with us. That is lawful, because He is the only one who really has any claim upon us, and therefore while we are living in this base connection with the body of sin, He can lawfully come to us and beg us to be united with Him. But here we are united with this body of sin, and the law will not justify us in becoming united to Christ till that body of sin is dead.

For note again what is implied in the figure of the marriage. When two persons are united in marriage, they become one flesh. This is a mystery. Paul says that it is, "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." This is the thought that is held before us in this figure of marriage. For we twain--ourselves and the flesh--are so completely joined together that we are no longer twain but one flesh, and our life is just one.

Look back over your life and see if there is any time in it where you can see that it has been separated from sin. It has been a life of sin. Sin has ever been a part of your life. We have only one life, and that has been sin. Therefore, so closely have we been united with sin, that there has been only one life between us--we twain have been one flesh. Then the only way by which we can get rid of this body of sin--which is one with us, is to die too. That is how it is that the apostle says--that we are become dead to the law by the body of Christ. For that union with the flesh was really unlawful, and the law had a claim against us for that union. It will put us to death for that union. We are dead in Christ, and the body of sin dies also.

In chapter six we read, "Our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed." Christ in His own flesh bare our sins in His body on the tree. He takes our sins that they may be crucified with Him, that the body of sin may be destroyed. We consent to die. We acknowledge that our life is forfeited to the law and that the law has a just claim upon us. Then we voluntarily give up our lives so that this hated body of sin may die. We loath the union with it so much that we are willing to die in order that it may die too.

"Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Therefore as we die with Christ, we are raised also with Christ. But Christ is not the minister of sin, so while he will crucify the body of sin, He will not raise it again, and the body of sin is destroyed. Thus we rise, the union between us and Christ complete, that henceforth we should bring forth fruit unto God.

"Now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held." What is dead? The body of sin! It was because we were united to that body of sin that the law had somewhat against us. Notice: God does not have any hatred against us. God does not have any desire to punish us, but He cannot endure sin. His law must condemn sin, and since we have identified ourselves with sin, so that we were one with it, in condemning sin, he necessarily condemned us, and so long as we lived a life of sin, that condemnation necessarily rested upon us. But as we have already shown, we have a choice as to when we will die, and we have chosen to voluntarily give up our lives to Him, while we can have His life instead.

When our lives have been given up to the law, the claim that the law had against us is satisfied, because now, the body of sin being dead, we are delivered from the law, just as the woman whose husband is dead, is loosed from the law of her husband, so that she can be united to another. But the same law that held her to that first husband unites her to the second. So it is in this case. The same law that bound us to the body of sin now witnesses to our union with Christ. Romans 3:21. That perfect law witnesses to the union with Christ and justifies it. And so long as we remain in Christ, it justifies us in that union, showing that union with Christ is conformity to the law.

And the power of Christ is able to hold us in that union. "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him." Romans 6:8. We became united to Christ in the act of death. By that death, the bond that united us with our first husband--the body of sin--was broken; the body of sin was destroyed, and now we rise with Christ.

We believe that we shall live with Him? Why do people get married? That they may live together. Then, because we have been united by death with Christ, we believe that now since we are risen with Him, we shall live with Him. Notice further--when two are united, they two are no longer twain but one flesh. Christ "makes in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace." Ephesians 2:15. We are His, Christ and we are one, and therefore together we make one new man. Now who is the one? Christ is the one.

Well might Paul say, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Galatians 2:20. It is Christ now, not we. Thus we are the representatives of Christ on earth. This is why Christ in His prayer in the garden prayed that "they may be made perfect in one: and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."

How may the world know this? From the Bible? No, for the world does not read the Bible, and therefore God hath put us in the world as the light of the world. The Bible is a light and a lamp, but not to those who do not take it. We take the word of Christ; we feed upon it in spirit and bring Christ into our hearts and thus effect the union, and then the light shines forth to the world, and the world knows that Christ has been sent as a divine Saviour.

We pass over a few verses. The apostle shows that while the motions of sins were by the law, it is not because the law is sinful but because the law is holy. By the law is the knowledge of sin. Paul was once alive in carnal security, serving God, he thought; but when the commandment came, then sin abounded, and he died; and this law which was ordained for life, because it justifies the obedient, he found had nothing but death for him, because he had not really been obeying it. That is why he says, "The law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good."

But note: Before this time Paul had been one who honored the law; he had made his boast in the law, and therefore he writes to those who know the law--to those who have been striving with all their might to keep the law, and yet, they are the ones who have to be delivered from the law. Why? Because while making their boast in the law, through breaking it, they dishonored God.

Now we shall still serve, but how? Not the way we did before, in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the spirit. That means that our very service to the law is something that we have got to be delivered from. Why? Because it has been simply a forced service; it has been simply the oldness of the letter; there has not been spirit and life in it. It has not been of Christ, therefore it has been sin. We boasted in the law, and we professed to keep the law, yet that very service was sin, and we must be delivered from that kind of service to the law, to serve in the right way. so now we serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

In the latter part of the chapter, the apostle shows what that oldness of the letter is from which we must be delivered. "I am carnal, sold under sin." We do great violence to the apostle Paul, that holy man, when we say that in this he is relating his own Christian experience. He is not writing his own experience now that he is united with Christ. He is writing the experience of those who serve, but in the oldness of the letter, and while professedly serving God, are carnal, and sold under sin.

A person sold under bondage is a slave. What is the evidence of this slavery? "For what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. . . . For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do." Have we ever had any such experience as that in our so-called Christian experience? Yes. We have fought, but with all our fighting, did we keep the law? No. We have made a failure and it is written upon every page of our lives. It is a constant service, but at the same time it is a constant failure.

I fail; I make a new resolution--I break it, and then I get discouraged, then make another resolution and break that again. We cannot make ourselves do the thing we want to do by making a resolution. We do not want to sin, but we do sin all the time. We make up our minds we will not fall under that temptation again, and we don't--till the next time it comes up, and then we fall as before.

When in this condition, can we say that we have hope and that we "rejoice in hope of the glory of God"? We do not hear such testimonies--it is solely of what we want to do and what we have failed to do but intend to do in the future. If a person has the law before him and acknowledges that it is good and yet does not keep its precepts, is his sin any less in the sight of God than the sin of the man who cares nothing for the law? No.

What is the difference between the would-be Christian, who knows the law, but does not keep it and the worldling who does not keep the law and does not acknowledge that it is good? Simply this: We are unwilling slaves and they are willing slaves. We are all the time distracted and sorrowful and getting nothing out of life at all, while the worldling does not worry himself in the least.

If one is going to sin, is it not better to be the worldling who does not know that there is such a thing as liberty than to be the man who knows that there is liberty but cannot get it? If it has got to be slavery, if we must live in the sins of the world, then it is better to be in the world, partaking of its pleasures, than to be in a miserable bondage and have no hope of a life to come.

But thanks be unto God, we can have liberty. When life becomes unbearable because of the bondage of sin, then it is that we may hope, for that leads to the question, "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Mark: There is deliverance. "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Christ came that we might have life. In Him is life. He is full of life, and when we are so sick of this body of death that we are willing to die to get rid of it, then we can yield ourselves to Christ and die in Him, and with us dies the body of death. Then we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life, but Christ who is not the minister of sin will not raise up the body of sin; so it is destroyed, and we are free.

Let all your sinful passions go and believe that Christ will give you something so much better than they are that you will have an unspeakable joy. Not only will there be joy now, but there will be joy through all eternity, a song of joy for the precious gift that He has given.

Christ has condemned sin in the flesh and by faith we take Him and live with Him. That is a blessed life. Take hold of Christ by faith and live with Him.

 

&gt;James 2 argues that to break ONE is to break ALL!

Yes, but it doesn't compute.