THE LAW & THE GOSPEL OR THE NEED FOR BOTH THE OLD & NEW TESTAMENTS

 

The Law awakened conscience and disciplined moral faculties. The ancient Israelites were like an heir being trained and prepared with a view toward adoption. (Galatians 4:1-5) Just as the head of a household must set standards for his family, God set standards to preserve His truths and principles, protect His people from evil influences, and distinguish them from the heathen; also, the Law, God's standards of righteousness, made the sinful carnal adamic nature manifest, thus showing the need for redemption and a redeemer. (Psalm 119:142; Romans 3:20; 3:31; 5:20; 7:7; Galatians 3:19, 24; I Timothy 1:9)

The Law will always stand as God's standards of righteousness, but the Law itself had no saving power. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." (Romans 3:31) "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." (Romans 7:12) "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully." (I Timothy 1:8) "Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth." (Psalm 119:142)

Everyone is obligated to obey God. "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)

The Bible does not teach equality of sins; this can be seen in the differences in the severity of penalties prescribed in the Old Testament. However, one sin or violation of one law is sufficient to make one guilty before God and break fellowship with God. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10) How many sins did Adam & Eve have to commit to be expelled from Paradise? (One.)

Everyone will be judged by works. "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5:28-29) "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." (Revelation 20:11-13)

But good deeds, good works, or right living cannot and will not save anyone. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6) "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (II Corinthians 5:17-21) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

I Corinthians 6:11 makes it clear that born again Christians are fit to inherit (have, share, enter) the kingdom of God because they are JUSTIFIED, and distinguishes them from those who are UNRIGHTEOUS (unjust, unsaved) in I Corinthians 6:9-10. (Compare I Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:5, and Revelation 21:8; also consider Ephesians 2:1 and Colossians 3:6) Salvation is only possible through the imputation of Christ’s righteousness.

We cannot be saved without the righteousness of Christ imputed to us. Entrance into the kingdom of heaven requires perfection, a perfection which is not merely outward righteousness but is both outward and inward conformity to God’s standards. (Matthew 5:20-48) We cannot measure up to that standard. For example, Christ taught the whole Law is summed up in two commandments: “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. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40) While we should make this our goal, if we are honest we all must admit that our every thought, word, and deed does not always stem from love of God and neighbor. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) Our righteousnesses cannot justify us or keep us saved and assuming that they can is spiritually dangerous. “Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant?” (Isaiah 42:19) “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” (Proverbs 30:12) Our works have everything to do with rewards but nothing to do with salvation. (Matthew 16:27; I Corinthians 3:8-15; II Corinthians 9:6; Revelation 22:12; Ephesians 2:8-9)

To impute means to ascribe or attribute something to someone. Christ paid the sin debt to God, and the sin of a believer is ascribed to Christ and the righteousness of Christ is ascribed to the believer so that a genuine believer becomes perfect in the sight of God. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.” (Romans 3:21-22) “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Romans 4:5) “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (II Corinthians 5:21) “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Teaching God's holy law (standards of righteousness) is needful so that fallen men can see themselves as sinners in need of a savior and believers can recognise the need for sanctification. The Law served to manifest the sinful nature, man's depravity, and to pronounce everyone guilty before God and thus demonstrate the need for redemption and sanctification. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:19-20) "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." (Romans 7:7) "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." (Romans 7:12-14) "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) "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator." (Galatians 3:19) "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." (Galatians 3:24) "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust." (I Timothy 1:9-11) "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God." (Hebrews 7:19)

One great end of the Gospel is to deliver fallen men from the penalty of sin and restore them to a position of obedience to God's holy law (standards of righteousness). The New Birth is the beginning of a spiritual sanctification. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2) "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." (Romans 6:11-22) "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." (Titus 2:11-14)

Many dismiss the Old Testament as irrelevant, which is a mistake, as it is not possible to understand the New Testament without the Old Testament. For example, suppose a pastor was caught in the sex act with an animal and the church decided to dismiss him because a pastor must be blameless. What would be the charge? Fornication is clearly condemned in the New Testament but the English word fornication, and the Greek word porneia which is rendered fornication in the English text, simply means sexual immorality. How can bestiality and other immoral sex acts be identified as immoral using only the New Testament? Without the Old Testament the word fornication becomes vague and indistinct. Insisting that the Old Testament is irrelevant and that we only need the New Testament encourages and reinforces myths and heresies.

While the New Testament teaches a different application of grace, the New Testament echoes the truths taught in the Old Testament, reaffirms the moral principles of the Old Testament, and you cannot understand the New Testament without the Old Testament. (Consider Acts 24:14; Romans 3:31; II Timothy 2:15; 3:16) For example, salvation has always been through blood, starting with the blood that was shed for Adam and Eve: Making a coat of skin required the slaughter of an animal. (Genesis 3:21) Abel sacrificed animals while Cain offered the product or fruit of his labors, and Abel's offering was respected. (Genesis 4:3-5; incidentally, Genesis 4 gives the first account of a liberal attacking a conservative.) The blood of animals prefigured the blood of Christ. Old Testament saints looked forward to the Cross and New Testament saints look back to the Cross. (Hebrews 10:1-12)

The only right standard for civil law is Biblical law. Do Old Testament laws have any relevance and application today and to the society in which we live? Yes. The laws are based on truths and principles, and while the application of the truths and principles may have changed those truths and principles are eternal. Applying Bible teachings benefits both believers and unbelievers; the important difference is that for the unbeliever the Word of God is convicting and for the believer the Word of God is cleansing. The Holy Bible provides guidance and standards on every area of human existence and is the ethical standard for governing individuals and society. Along with other benefits, codifying God’s standards of righteousness into civil law helps the unsaved recognize their sinful condition and need of salvation.