Who Needs the Law?

A dear sister in Christ asked me a great question: Because Jesus died for my sins, and we no longer have to offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of our sins, does that mean we no longer have to live by the commandments that God gave Moses?

Jesus was the perfect, complete sacrifice. He said "It is finished" (John 19:30) because His completed, perfect work on the cross was sufficient to pay for all the sins of all mankind, past, present and future (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2). When God looks at the born-again believer (John 3:3-8), He no longer sees our sins, but the perfect righteousness of His Son (Romans 3:22,25;5:18).

Jesus Christ has forever removed us from the penalty of sin, which is death (Romans 3:25. Animal sacrifices (Numbers 15:1-13), which only temporarily covered sins and did not remove them, had to be repeated often, but His perfect sacrifice only needed to be made once (Hebrews 7:26-28; 9; 1 Peter 3:18).

So we no longer have to offer animal sacrifices -- instead, we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). We know that we cannot perfectly keep the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17; Romans 3:23), but even when we do sin, we cannot lose our salvation (Romans 8:35-39).

But Jesus expects us to refrain from sin by yielding to the Holy Spirit within us, Who cannot sin (1 John 3:9). When we do sin, breaking the commandments in thought or in deed (Matthew 5:28), as we do nearly daily by having a covetous or lustful thought, getting angry, etc., it is because the sin nature that we still have to deal with has momentarily won out over the Spirit (Romans 7:14-25).

Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15,21). He also summarized the Ten Commandments by saying "Love God (the first four commandments) and love one another" (the last six commandments; Matthew 22:36-40).

So what about all of the law that God gave Moses? To understand which laws still apply to us today, we must rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Some of those laws were intended specifically for His chosen people at that time in Bible history, like keeping menstruating women outside the camp (Leviticus 15:19).

Many of these laws preserved the lives of His people. In an age when “physicians” in Egypt “treated” open wounds by rubbing animal dung in them, the laws God gave Moses at the same period in history contain the elements of modern day germ theory. In essence, avoid and cleanse yourself after contact with sick people, dead bodies, unclean animals, and human waste, and you’ll live longer (Leviticus 11; Exodus 15:26). Only through the Holy Spirit could Moses record these laws long before mankind even had the first clue that bacteria existed and caused disease.

Some of the laws, such as not mixing two kinds of fiber in the same garment, are never mentioned in the New Testament, and I think it's safe to assume that those are not intended for God's children in the Church Age where we are now. Other laws, such as those dealing with circumcision (Leviticus 12:3) and diet (not eating shellfish, pork, and other unclean animals; Leviticus 11) have health benefits even today, although clearly we do not need to follow these laws to be saved.

The early church argued about some of the laws, with Peter and others even insisting wrongly that Gentile Christians should be circumcised before they could be truly saved. But Paul explained that we are saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) through faith alone, and the church then specifically concluded that these Jewish laws did not apply to Gentiles who were engrafted into God’s family by their faith (Romans 11:5-25; Acts 15:1-11).

Adding a practice like circumcision to God’s perfect plan of salvation through faith in the atoning sacrifice of His Son to pay for all our sins is like a slap in God’s face, for it implies that the ransom price Christ paid for us was not sufficient or complete (Romans 4:1-16).

However, other laws that God gave Moses, such as laws prohibiting homosexual acts, are repeated in the New Testament. Jesus reiterates Adam’s statement (Genesis 2:22-24) that one man and one woman unite as one flesh in the sacrament of marriage (Matthew 19:4-6), and Paul specifically states that homosexuality is a sin (Romans 1:26-30).

We are saved by grace, not by works, and Jesus Christ has freed us from bondage to sin. Given our liberty in Him (Luke 4:18), are we not freed from the law? (Romans 7:4-6). When asked if we can sin freely so that God’s grace can much more abound, Paul replied, “God forbid!” (Romans 3:31; 6:1-15).

We should yield to the Holy Spirit, Who empowers us to keep the law that is still our standard of conduct, namely the Ten Commandments and any commandment repeated in the New Testament. But praise God, even when we do sin, we cannot lose our salvation, and we no longer face the penalty of sin, which is physical, spiritual, and eternal death (Romans 6:23).

Similarly, we can't earn our salvation by being "good" or by not breaking the law (Romans 3:10-12) If we are guilty of breaking even a single point in the law, whether in deed or even in thought, we are considered guilty of breaking the whole law (James 2:10-13). .Only One Person could keep the law perfectly, and that is Jesus, Who died and rose again so that we could be freed from sin and death (Hebrews 9:14-15).

We still need the law, not for salvation (Romans 3:19-21; Hebrews 7:19), but as a mirror to show us our sin and our need for a Savior (James 1:22-25). May we daily die to our “old man” – our flesh that still wants to sin – put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-13), and yield to the Holy Spirit Who cannot sin and Who will lead us in the path of righteousness! 

© 2015 Laurie Collett

Water and Oil: Healing of Body and Spirit (Part 1: Water)

As we have seen in previous posts, water and oil in Scripture symbolize the life-giving and purifying qualities of Jesus Christ, Who is the Living Water (Jeremiah 17:13; John 4; 7:38), and of the Holy Spirit, Who ignites believers with holy fire. Since the Fall, man’s sin nature has brought the curse of sickness and death (Genesis 3). But God provides health, healing, and even eternal life, as symbolized by water and oil in Scripture.

Water cleanses us from disease. Modern science has explained the germ theory of disease, or how infection spreads through bacteria and other microbes. But long before germ theory was understood, God gave His chosen people instructions to maintain health and prevent infection by washing. This is yet another example of the supernatural, God-breathed inspiration and scientific accuracy of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16).

Levitical law defined  ”unclean” conditions, including touching dead bodies, animal carcasses, and human waste, which we now understand are highly likely to promote spread of infection. God’s prescription to the Israelites was not only physical isolation from these bacteria-laden dangers, but washing with water in the event of contamination (Leviticus 11:32; 14:8-9, etc., Numbers 19:13-21).

At the same historical time period, Egypt, which was considered the most advanced civiliztion of its day, was ”treating” open wounds by rubbing them with animal dung! Small wonder that Jews following God’s law survived plagues while pagans perished!

It was not until millennia later, in the mid 1800s, that Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis made a revolutionary, but unpopular discovery. Infants delivered at a teaching clinic by medical students  who were dissecting cadavers had a much higher death rate than those delivered by midwives, or even than infants born on the streets to prostitutes. Semmelweis theorized that  ”cadaverous particles” were transferred from the corpses to the newborns via the medical students’ hands.

This led to an understanding of germ theory and antisepsis, and to a dramatic reduction in obstetrical and surgical mortality through the simple practice of thorough hand washing before doctors delivered babies or performed operations. Physicians of the day considered this advice to be insulting, but when they humbled themselves and washed their hands before deliveries or surgery, survival improved significantly. Even today, signs in public lavatories, restaurants, and throughout hospitals remind us to wash our hands to help prevent disease.

Elisha cleansed Naaman of leprosy by commanding him to wash seven times in the river Jordan (2 Kings 5:6-14).At first, Naaman’s pride almost kept him from the cure, as he insisted that rivers of Damascus were superior to the Jordan, and he expected that he would have to perform some difficult or amazing feat to be healed.

How often does our own ”reason” and ”science” (1 Timothy 6:20) hinder our faith and keep us from following God’s simple prescription for spiritual healing? When Naaman finally obeyed, his flesh became like that of a little child, and he was clean (v. 14). If we have the faith of a little child (Matthew 18:3) in Jesus Christ, Son of God, Who died as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and in His resurrection, we too will be cleansed from sin and receive eternal life (1 Corinthians 15 1-4;John 3:16).

Water is a symbol not only of physical cleansing, but of spiritual purification and restoration through faith in God’s Word (Ephesians 5:26; Hebrews 10:22). God refreshes His people with springs and streams in the desert (Isaiah 35:6), and we need and long for Him as much as the deer craves water from the brook (Psalm 42:1).

While beneficial in its own right, water is also the perfect medium to carry healing ingredients to our bodies. Many drugs have to be swallowed with a full glass of water, and many medicines are formulated as water-based syrups or tonics.

Jesus changed water into wine (John 2), described as the good wine. This suggests that it was new wine or grape juice, carrying all the healthful nutrients of the grape without any of the harmful effects of alcohol. New wine was most highly prized in Bible times because of its very short shelf life --  there was no way to stop the fermenting process that would turn the natural grape sugar into alcohol and then into vinegar.

Paul told Timothy to take a little wine to treat his stomach, and not just water (1 Timothy 5:23). Most likely this reflected contamination of the water by parasites causing intestinal disease, as we may learn, to our regret, if we drink tap water in undeveloped countries!

The pool in Bethesda was said to heal those who were blind, crippled, or diseased, but only when an angel ”troubled the water.” (John 5:1-4). Stagnant water harbors disease, but flowing water in fountains and streams mixes with oxygen from the air that enlivens or quickens it, refreshing those bathing in it. With His Word alone, Jesus healed a man who had waited 38 years by the Bethesda pool to be cured of his disease (John 5:5-9). He is a quickening Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45) bringing healing and life, and His Word is quick and powerful (Hebrews 4:12).

God in His love and grace gave us His Word to help us understand the depth and richness of His love and blessing. In Scripture, His healing qualities are symbolized not only by water but also by oil, as we shall see next week!

© 2013 Laurie Collett