"People" say Messiah died to free us from the Law. "Scripture" says Messiah died to free us from our sin. So then, is the Law sin?
1. WHAT IS THE LAW?
Ex. 19:9 The Word of Yahweh spoken to Moses
John 5:46 Messiah as the Word/Law -- John 1:1 Word/Law made flesh
Deut. 29:9 Covenant of Elohim with His redeemed people
Deut. 30:11 Not too hard for us
Deut. 32:47 Not worthless
1 John 5:3 Not too burdensome for us
Deut. 11:26-28 The blessing and the curse (our choice)
Deut. 4:6 Wisdom and understanding
Deut. 6:24-25 For our good
Deut. 5:33 The way (John 1:1, 14:6)
Ps. 119:151, 160 Truth (John 1:1, 14:6)
Deut. 32:47 Life (John 1:1, 14:6)
Ps. 119:172 Righteousness -- Matt. 21:32
Rom. 7:12 Holy, righteous, and good
Rom. 7:14 Spiritual
Rom. 8:2 Spirit of life in Messiah
James 1:25, 2:12 Perfect Law of freedom
2. WHO IS THE LAWGIVER?
Is. 33:22 Yahweh
James 4:12 Yahweh (quoting Is. 33:22)
3. WHY WAS THE LAW GIVEN?
Ex. 20:20 So we won't sin against Elohim
Rom. 3:20 For knowledge of sin
Gal. 3:24 Lead us to Messiah
4. WHO IS THE LAW FOR?
Deut. 4:9-10, 6:2 Our children and grandchildren
Deut. 26:17-18 His people, His treasured possession
Deut. 29:14-15 A mixed multitude of peoples-everyone!
Num. 15:16 Israel and strangers (gentiles) among them
Eccl. 12:13 All mankind
Rom. 8:4 Those who walk in the Spirit, not the flesh
5. HOW LONG DOES THE LAW REMAIN VALID?
Ex. 19:9 Yahweh spoke so the people would hear and believe Moses forever
Deut. 5:29 Fear Yahweh and keep His commandments forever
Deut. 6:2 Teach His Law to our children forever
Deut. 11:1 Love Yahweh and keep His commandments always
Is. 40:8 The word of Yahweh stands forever
Ps. 111:9 Covenant forever
Ps. 119:152 Law is forever
Matt. 5:18 Not one jot or tittle will pass from the Law until heaven and earth pass away. Heaven and earth are still here.
1 Peter 1:24-25 Word of Elohim is living and enduring forever (quoting Is. 40:8)
(Forever is Olam = eternity, without end; same word used for Yahweh Himself)
6. ARE WE EVER TESTED TO SEE IF WE'LL STILL KEEP THE LAW?
Deut. 8:2, 13:1-4 Yes
Rev. 14:12 Yes
7. WHO SPEAKS AGAINST THE LAW?
Gen. 3:1 The Serpent
Deut. 13:3-5 False prophets
Is. 30:8-9 Rebellious children
Jer. 9:13-14 Stubborn hearted
Jer. 11:3 The cursed
Jer. 14:13-15 False prophets with false visions
Jer. 16:11, 19 Those who inherited the lie from the fathers to forsake the Law
Jer. 23:28 Dreamers
Zech. 10:2 Bad shepherds, false prophets
Matt. 5:19 Those called least in the Kingdom
Acts 7:51 Stiff necked
2 Thess. 2:9-12 Lawless one
2 Peter 2:1 False teachers
2 Peter 3:17 Lawless men
1 John 2:4 Liars
8. WHO SPEAKS IN FAVOR OF THE LAW?
Ex. 19:5 Yahweh
Ex. 20:6 Those who love Yahweh
Deut. 30:19-20 Moses
Psalm 119 King David
Eccl. 12:13 King Solomon
Mal. 4:4 Malachi (all the prophets)
Is. 8:20 Isaiah
Matt. 5:19 Those called great in the Kingdom
John 15:10-14 Messiah
1 John 2:3-5 Those who truly know Yahweh
Rom. 3:31, 7:12 Paul
9. KEEPING THE LAW IS...
Deut. 5:29 Fear of Yahweh
John 15:14 Friendship with Messiah
1 John 2:3 True knowledge of Elohim
2 John 1:6 Love of Elohim
Deut. 32:47 Prolongs our life
Luke 11:28 Blessings for us
James 1:25 Blessings
Ps. 119:165 Great peace for us
Ps. 119:47, 77 Our delight
Rom. 7:22 Delight of the inner man
*Note: Salvation is not on the list
10. WHY WAS MESSIAH SENT TO DIE?
Matt. 1:21 Save His people from their sin
John 1:29 Take away the sin of the world
Acts 4:12 Salvation
Rom. 6:18-19 Set us free from sin, uncleanness, lawlessness
Titus 2:14 Redeem us from lawlessness
1 John 3:8 Destroy works of the devil
*Note: To end the Law is not on the list
11. WHAT IS SIN?
John 8:34 Enslaving
Is. 42:24 Not walking in His Path, not obeying His Law
Ps. 45:7 Something Yahweh wants us to hate
Prov. 14:34 Disgrace to any people
Neh. 1:6-7 Not keeping commandments, statutes, ordinances from Moses Daniel 9:8-10 Not obeying the command to walk in His Law
1 John 3:4 Sin is lawlessness--breaking the Law
(#458, 459, 3551 w/o His Law, aka: iniquity, unrighteousness, wickedness)
1 John 3:8 Of the devil
12. WAS THE LAW NAILED TO THE CROSS?
Col. 2:14
No! The code of ordinances against us was nailed to the cross; the decree within the Law that required death as the penalty for sin. Since He who knew no sin became sin for us, because of our lawlessness, how terrible it is when we continue in that sin willfully rejecting His Law and incurring sin once again.
**Therefore, if keeping the Law is righteousness, and breaking the Law is sin, "IS THE LAW SIN?" Paul says, "Elohim forbid!"
-Rom. 7:7
**Therefore, if the Law is NOT sin, WHY WOULD MESSIAH COME TO ABOLISH THE LAW? He didn't! He said, "Do not think I came to abolish the Law..."
-Matt. 5:17
****
If the Law is good and holy and valid and for all who will believe, why are believers still willfully rejecting the Law and walking in sin against it? An answer can only be found by each person searching his own heart for what motivates his own sin.
****
**So then, DOES KEEPING THE LAW SAVE US? No- "For by grace we have been saved through faith, not of ourselves, it is the gift of Elohim, not of works that anyone should boast"
-Eph. 2:8-9
**So then, "CAN WE CONTINUE TO SIN (break the Law), BECAUSE WE'RE UNDER GRACE? Let it not be! In Messiah we died to sin, why still live in it?"
-Rom. 6:1-2
**So then, "DOES OUR FAITH NULLIFY THE LAW? Elohim forbid! On the contrary, we establish the Law!"
-Rom. 3:31 (Deut. 27:26)
****
IF THE LAW DOES NOT SAVE US, WHY KEEP IT? Besides all the items listed above, how about simply because the Creator of heaven and earth, the Savior of our souls, the One in Whom we live and move and have our being-our very life-has asked us to? If that isn't reason enough...
****
Messiah is our Savior and our Deliverer. He has saved us from something-Sin, to deliver us unto something-Righteousness (Rom. 6:19), and that life of righteousness is walking in the ways of the Law of Elohim, that we were unwilling to do without the Spirit of Messiah. But thanks to Him, we are now free to have His Law fulfilled in us! "For the Law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yahshua has set me free from the law of sin and death...so that the righteousness of the Law should be completed in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
-Rom. 8:2,4
"Because the mind of the flesh is enmity towards Elohim, for it does not obey the Law of Elohim, neither is it able, and those who are in the flesh are unable to please Elohim." (Rom. 8:7-8). But now we have His Spirit "Writing His Law on our hearts and minds" so we can freely live it, and our "sin and lawlessness He'll remember no more."
-Heb. 10:16-17
***Therefore, we see that the Law, as Paul said, is truly holy and righteous and good. But we have broken that Law and become Lawless sinners. Messiah did not come to set us free from the Law, but to set us free from violating the Law-which is sin! Messiah did not come to abolish the Law that shines its light in the darkness of our sin, but He came to redeem us from slavery to sin so that we could become slaves of righteousness for Elohim-so that we could stop breaking His Law and start living it, as His redeemed people, His treasured possession will delight to do! Not to be redeemed, but because we are already redeemed. Not to be His people, but because we are His people. Not for salvation, but for love of the Savior. Living the Law of Elohim is truly our delight!
"For the saving gift of Elohim has appeared to all men, instructing us to renounce wickedness and worldly lusts, and to live sensibly, righteously, and reverently in the present age, looking for the blessed expectation and esteemed appearance of the great Elohim and our Savior Yahshua Messiah, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness, and to cleanse for Himself a people, His own possession (Ex. 19:4-5), ardent for good works." -Titus 2:11-14
Back to Articles
|