The Purpose of the Law by Justin Singleton

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Can I trust the Law? What method do I use to understand it? Didn’t Jesus abolish the law a long time ago? What is the Law? How far can I take it? Does God want us to continue to sacrifice bulls and goats? Tithing is a part of the law, should I avoid it? Don’t most people say that you are supposed to avoid at least some of the laws? Which one of the laws do I still keep? Aren’t the Ten Commandments all the law that exists today? Isn’t keeping the Law the same as being a Judaiser? Didn’t God only give the Law as a punishment? What happens to me if I do keep the Law? Must I keep all the Law to be saved?

… What is the purpose of the Law?

The Purpose of the Law by Justin Singleton Copyright © 2008 by Justin Singleton All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this study, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles. Published in Cincinnati, Ohio, by Life Ministries Publications. All Scripture quotations are preceded by the initials of the version in which they come.

Special thanks to: Brandy Singleton, my beautiful wife who helps me to study the Scriptures Dr. Allan Brown, for teaching me to love the Law

Disclaimer: This is paper I wrote as an undergraduate at God’s Bible School and College as a requirement for Bi432 “Letter to the Hebrews,” a class devoted to the study of the New Testament book to the Hebrews. Most of what I learned came through my studies at God’s Bible School and College and from the professors that mentored me there. The only work I have done was to rework it and make it look pretty for these pages. I say this in order to give honor where honor is due. I thank God for showing me to the college and helping me to grow. I pray that what I have learned there can now be passed on to others.

 “As I worked past some of the barriers (much like learning to read Shakespeare), I came to feel a need to read, because of what it was teaching me. Eventually I found myself wanting to read those thirty-nine books, which were satisfying in me some hunger that nothing else had – not even, I must say, the New Testament. They taught me about Life with God: not how it is supposed to work, but how it actually does work.” – Philip Yancey1



Yancey, Philip. The Bible Jesus Read. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999, pp20-21.

Table of Contents Introduction ……………………………...... 4 Word: How the New Testament views the Old …………………………….. 5 Logic: Why the Old Testament Must be Valid Today …………………………… 9 History: How the Church has viewed the Old Testament ………………………... 13 Weak: What the Law was never Meant to Do ………………………………. 18 Experience: The Law Written on Your Heart ………………………………... 22 CUPSA: How I Apply the Law in My Life …………………………………… 26 Purpose: What the Law Means to Me ……... 30

Introduction Man is autonomous; man is his own god. That is the thinking of so many in our world today. Men and women around this globe live their lives, not as if there is ‘no tomorrow,’ but as if tomorrow has already come … and gone. Rules are dismissed; authorities are disobeyed. The very word ‘law’ is a negative term to which many will laugh. You may be thinking that I am speaking of the great world of sinful and unreligious man, but I am not. I am speaking of the realm of the church. While I am not saying that all church-goers today are of this evil brood, I am saying that a great many of Christians today misunderstand the Law of God. The Biblical phrase is often quoted ‘we are not under law, but under grace.’ This has been used as a license to sin. Is this what God was doing when He sent His Son? This study is intended not to convince you that Christians should run off to Israel and demand a temple be built so that we can offer our sacrifices, but instead is to propose the idea that our eternal God is unchanging. God never meant for His law to be flushed, but it is in itself a reflection of the very character of the one who spoke it. The Law of God is universal, it is binding upon all people of all times, we need simply to understand it so that we may apply it in our lives today, i.e., we must find the Purpose of God’s Law to ourselves. In this study we will view the Old Testament through the eyes of Jesus and the Apostles (Chapter 1) and then see how the same Spirit of the New Testament was the author of the Old (Chapter 2). We will find that the Old Testament has been a part of the standard for Christian living from the very beginning of the Church until today (Chapter 3). We will answer the question why Christ needed to come to fulfill the Old Testament (Chapter 4) and find that the Holy Spirit has written the precepts of God upon our hearts (Chapter 5). In the last two chapters we will understand how to apply the statutes of God in our lives (Chapter 6) and realize the purpose of law to the believer (Chapter 7). May God bless you on your journey!

Word: How the New Testament Views the Old It is often mistaken that the New Testament disavows the Old, that it somehow replaces it or abrogates it. This couldn’t be further from the truth. On the contrary, Jesus and the Apostles taught that the Old Testament is our standard of living. The Old Testament through the Eyes of New Testament Writers 

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2 Timothy 3.16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Paul tells us that all Scripture is given by God. While he is referring to both New and Old Testament Scriptures, the only Scriptures written at that time were the Jewish Scriptures. He says that these Jewish Scriptures are profitable for doctrine in the New Testament, but not only that, but to reprove and correct the sinner and to show them the path of righteousness so that the ‘man of God’ can be brought to a spiritual perfection. In fact the two verses before, speaking to Timothy, state:

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2 Timothy 3:14-15 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Paul was telling Timothy that the same ‘Holy Scriptures’ that he learned as a child (the Old Testament) are able to make him wise and bring him to salvation through Jesus. Beyond this Paul tells the Corinthians:

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1 Corinthians 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.

Although certain applications of God’s law has changed from time to time, as seen throughout the Old and New Testament, God’s principles are always true and existing. Paul here tells the Corinthian believers that what is truly important is God’s word.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that the law has a significant place in the lives of new covenant believers. He says:

NIV

Hebrews 8:8-10 But God found fault with the people and said: "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. 10 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

God found fault with the first people, the Israelites, and made a new covenant. Through Jesus Christ this new covenant was realized and now those living in the new covenant have the very laws of the Old Covenant in their hearts. The question could be asked, if God has done away with the old law, then why would He place that same law into the hearts of His children?  “In the New Covenant, God does not do away with the law. Rather, God empowers us by His Spirit to live in harmony with His law.” Brown

– Dr. Allan

John in his Revelation tells us even more concerning the keeping of the Law. He tells us that those who persevered the great tribulation were those who kept the law and faith. John writes:

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Revelation 14:12 Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them."

Brown, Allan. Not Under Law, But Under Grace. “Romans and Galatians” BI 340, God’s Bible School and College. Summer 06, 2006, p14.

The Old Testament through the Eyes of Jesus  If it isn’t enough to listen to the words of the inspired teachers and apostles, the very words of Jesus tell us that the Old Testament is still valid. First and foremost are the words of Christ that He has not come to abolish the law: NASB

Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

Jesus tells us with amazing authority that the Law and the Prophets (a common name for the Old Testament) was not abolished or done away with by His coming. Instead, Jesus came to fulfill, to bring to pass, this law. Perhaps Paul was reminded of this teaching when He spoke to Timothy (in one of the passages above) about the law making him wise to salvation through Christ. Jesus stated that not a single stroke of the pen will pass from the law. To further that thought, on a certain occasion Jesus was answering His critics who wanted to stone Him for calling Himself God. He playfully told them that the judges of old wore titled ‘gods’ and then said these stunning words …

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John 10:35b ... scripture cannot be broken

But it isn’t the teachings of Jesus that speak so much, but His deeds. In dealing with others He often quoted the Old Testament to prove who He is. In the Gospel of John we see Jesus using the law to prove that He is the Messiah.

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John 8:17-18 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

Here Jesus uses the law, claiming its validity. In another place Jesus was confronted by a group of Pharisees (a group of religious Jews) who thought that the disciples of Jesus were breaking the Sabbath. We read:

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Matthew 12:2-7 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath." 3 But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, 4 how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? 5 "Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? 6 "But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 "But if you had known what this means, 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

Jesus here quotes the Old Testament, using it to prove to the Pharisees that what the disciples had done (picking grain on the Sabbath) was not a violation of Sabbath law. Notice Jesus never suggests that the Sabbath law is done away with, but instead He tells us that what David did in need of food or even the work of the priests during the Sabbath (and very hard work it was), was not sinful. In fact, Jesus was proving to these Pharisees that they misunderstand the law. He quoted Hosea 6.6 to prove the innocence of His followers. Jesus could have quoted Deuteronomy 23.25 which states that a man can pluck corn while traveling (which is what the group was doing).

NIV

Luke 11:42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.”

The most blatantly obvious words of Christ concerning the law were when Jesus confronted the Pharisees who had tithed, according to the law, but would not give to the poor (verse 43) or perform Justice and the love of God. Jesus pronounces ‘woe’ upon them, meaning ‘how horrible you are.’ Christ tells them, yes you are to tithe according to the law but you must also practice the others! Conclusion  The New Testament does not destroy the Old, but is simply a continuation of it. God is unchanging; what He speaks is eternal and His eternal words are meant to be a part of our lives. The New Testament writers, even Jesus Himself, who kept the law perfectly, tells us that the law of God, both Old and New Testament laws, are God’s standard of holiness for us today. From the laws of the Sabbath to the laws of tithing, all of God’s laws apply to our lives.

Logic: Why the Old Testament Must be Valid Today Although many pastors have successfully sheltered their parishioners from the harm of many types of ‘anti-law,’ or antinomian, preachers that does not mean that they do not exist. As a matter of fact, antinomian tendencies can be seen in many speakers today. The idea that the Old Testament, its laws specifically, are outdated seems to be, in at least some sense, the mainstream idea found in the church. In his book, By This Standard, Greg Bahnsen lists four types of antinomianism. He lists licentious (wicked/shameless) antinomianism to which he writes, “[This is] the most serious form of antinomianism [which] maintains that since we have been saved by grace, apart from the works of the law, we have been set free from the need to observe any moral code whatsoever.”3 Also he lists Spiritual4 and Dispensational5 antinomianism. The first rejects any written law and emphasizes the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The second allows for written standards, but denies the Old Testament laws as valid to today’s life. His final classification is what he calls latent antinomians; this school endorses the Old Testament as valid for life, but tends to use a “smorgasbord approach”6 or the “pick and choose method.”7 Can this be how God wants us to view His law?  The proper way to determine how God’s law applies to our lives will be discussed in Chapter 6, but stay tuned!

Our God is the Unchanging God  The most important character of God for men to understand is what we call the immutability of God, or the unchanging character of God. If God changed what He thinks and how He acted, then we would have no way of knowing how to please Him, we would constantly be failing God, never being able to make Him smile. Worse still, what if God decided to change the plan of salvation? How horrible that would be. Of course we can think of all of these incredible illustrations of God changing, but the simple fact of the matter is that God Himself tells us that He does not change.

Bahnsen, Greg. By This Standard. Tyler: Institute for Christian Economics, 1985, p298. Ibid, p299. 5 Ibid, 299-300. 6 Ibid, p301. 7 Brown, Allan. Not Under Law, But Under Grace. “Romans and Galatians” BI 340, God’s Bible School and College. Summer 06, 2006, p19. 4

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Malachi 3:6a For I am the LORD, I change not …

We should be thankful that God is the unchanging God. He does not change His plans or His ideas of right and wrong. He does not as James shows us, change like the shifting shadows:

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James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

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Psalm 33:10-11 The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

It is hard for us, mere humans, to think of God not changing. We live in a changing world. Every year we see the world “die” and be “reborn.” We see our children grow, our pets die, and our cars fall apart. Everything changes in our world, even our plans for the future. We can think through the next fifteen years, but when it comes to actually working that plan out, something within it will change probably fifteen times. What is so great about the Creator is that His plans do not change. Yes He works with our failures and perhaps we may seem to mess everything up, but he can see the future and knows exactly how to plan things. Thank goodness for that, because if God relied on me for His plans to come about, I’m afraid His plans would never come true. The Unchanging Holiness of God  The fact that God is immutable is comforting, but that wouldn’t be so unless we knew also that God is holy, and that He is.

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Leviticus 11:44a For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.

In one of the most famous passages (or at least should be) in the Old Testament, God commanded His children to be holy. The holiness He required for His people was not just any ‘holiness’ as other nations might claim (pagan nations who worshipped nature), but was a holiness after God’s holiness. He said, “Be Holy, for I am Holy!” In the heights of Heaven God’s holiness is sung about, while in the depths of the earth, God’s holiness is sought. This can be seen in two Scriptures:

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Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

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Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

It is the Holy character of God that makes His immutability worthy of praise, for if god was a wicked god, as of those of the Romans and Greeks, then we would desire God to change. But since His is Holy, Righteous and True, then we know that we can trust God in whatever He says. The Unchanging Law 

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2 Peter 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

It was the Holy, Immutable God who authored the Scriptures of old. It was the Unchanging and Pure God who commanded every law ever uttered. Men did not right these laws, if they did we could stop this study right now, for we know that man is flawed and his law changes. But the fact the same Holy Spirit who urges us to walk after Himself is the same Holy Spirit who authored every pen-stroke of the Old Testament.  “We have seen … that God’s holy character, of which the law is the transcript, is unchanging and beyond challenge; accordingly God’s holy law cannot be altered today or brought into criticism by men’s traditions.”8 8

Bahnsen, Greg. By This Standard. Tyler: Institute for Christian Economics, 1985, p62.

NASB

1 John 5:1-3 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

Bahnsen writes concerning the Spirit, “If living by the Spirit indicates that salvation must bring sanctification [growth in holiness], then it means that salvation produces a life of glad obedience to God’s law.”9 This is the life of the Spirit driven Christian. It is not to look for a loop-hole in the law, as the Pharisees tried, but to love God with our heart, all of our heart, which in turn leads us to holiness which in turn must lead us to the law of God. Conclusion 

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Luke 16:17 “But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.”

We thank you Father for being an Immutable, Holy God. Because of His unchanging holiness, we can trust that God’s word is forever binding.

Bahnsen, Greg. By This Standard. Tyler: Institute for Christian Economics, 1985, p65.

History: How the Church has viewed the Old Testament “What is essentially new is essentially false.” That is what a good friend of mine taught me not too long ago, and is a good standard to live by. Actually, it is the standard used by all theologians from the conception of the church. It was used by Jesus to prove His own coming; it was used by Paul and the other apostles to prove that Jesus was the Messiah. It was used all through history to ensure that the doctrines of God were not corrupted. Any ‘new’ idea that we come across today should be squared to this standard. There is an idea today prevalent in the United States that says that Jesus is not God, the third person of the Trinity. Instead, they teach that Jesus is a created being, not much higher than we are. This is a ‘new’ idea so we must place it into the context of history. What we find is that all throughout history men have stood up for the authority of God’s Word and the divinity of Christ. Men like Athanasius who stood as if amongst wolves and said, “Though the whole world be against me, I will stand on the word of God.” What we need today, is to come together as the men of old and stand for the word of God, whatever that word may say. They Were Bereans  It is amazing how we learn truths sometimes. In the case of Acts 17, we actually learn truth from the unsaved.

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Acts 17:10-12 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

The Bereans were a very noble people, at least these were. Why were they noble? It is because they didn’t just accept what Paul said, but they put it to the test. They tested the ‘new’ truth to the ‘old’ truths they already stood firm upon, the Old Testament, the teachers of the past. Throughout history God’s truth has never changed, even at the coming of Jesus. Does much of God’s truth change in the years after Jesus? No, not any of it.

We today must be Bereans as well. We must test all truth through the network of truth. Compare it to Scripture, compare it to logic, compare it to history and compare it to experience. Here we will learn what history has said about the Old Testament. The Early Church  To understand the purpose of the law in our lives, we must put the law to the test. We must search and see what the theologians through the history of the church have always believed. What we will find, is that from Paul’s view to Wesley’s view, the validity of Old Testament law has stayed the same.

Didache 4.13 thou shalt not abandon the commandments of the Lord, but shalt guard that which thou hast received, neither adding thereto nor taking therefrom; 10

“The Didache is also called the ‘Teaching of the Twelve Apostles.’ It was possibly written around 65 - 80 A.D. and is supposed to be what the twelve apostles taught to the Gentiles concerning life and death, church order, fasting, baptism, prayer, etc.”11 Although the Didache is not inspired Scripture, it gives us a good idea of what the early church taught. Here they taught that the commandments of the Lord should not be abandoned or changed.

Didache 13.3 Thou shalt, therefore, take the firstfruits of every produce of the wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and sheep, and shalt give it to the prophets, for they are your chief priests12

In the early church, they continued to use the laws reference to tithing in order to provide for Pastors. Paul taught this when he said:

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1 Timothy 5:18 For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages."

Translated by Charles H. Hoole. http://www.carm.org/misc/didache.htm Ibid 12 Ibid 11

It was the teachings of the Apostles that carried into history. Those who loved and feared God made sure that what was taught at the beginning carried through to last in the ages to come, they even gave their lives for the teachings. As a matter of fact, what the early church taught can even be seen in Scripture itself.

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Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

It was this steadfast continuous teaching that gives us what we love today. In circa (around) AD200 we hear the words of Mathetes in his letter to Diognetus. The following words are given under the title: These Things are Worthy to Be Known and Believed.

Then the fear of the law is chanted, and the grace of the prophets is known, and the faith of the gospels is established, and the tradition of the Apostles is preserved, and the grace of the Church exults; which grace if you grieve not, you shall know those things which the Word teaches, by whom He wills, and when He pleases.13

A hundred and some years after the apostles, the tradition of the apostles was preserved, primarily through the New Testament. But with the faith of the gospel and traditions of the apostles and the grace of the church came also the fear of the law and the grace of the prophets. Clement, writing to the Corinthians spoke of the law written upon the hearts of believers:

1 Clement 2.8 Being adorned with a most virtuous and honorable life, ye performed all your duties in the fear of Him. The commandments and the ordinances of the Lord were written on the tablets of your hearts.14

In the early stages of the church, the law was loved and cherished. The Old Testament was the still the primary Scriptures and everything was put through them to be tested. As a matter of fact, as the New Testament was being tested and the Scriptures threatened by heretics, it was the Old Testament that gave evidence to which epistles and gospels were combined into the new. 13

The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-01/anf01-08.htm#P733_138047

In c. AD 170, am man by the name of Melito wrote to his brother Onesimus and gave him a listing of the Old Testament. He gave him this list and extracts because his brother had a yearning to know who God was. Melito writes:

Melito to his brother Onesimus, greeting! Since you have often, in your zeal for the Word, expressed a wish to have extracts made from the Law and the Prophets concerning the Saviour, and concerning our entire Faith, and have also desired to have an accurate statement of the ancient books, as regards their number and their order, I have endeavored to perform the task, knowing your zeal for the faith, and your desire to gain information in regard to the Word, and knowing that you, in your yearning after God, esteem these things above all else, struggling to attain eternal salvation. Accordingly when I went to the East and reached the place where these things were preached and done, I learned accurately the books of the Old Testament, and I send them to you as written below.15

Later Writings and Their Love for the Law ď&#x201A;&#x2013; Athanasius should be the hero of all in our world today. He was one man who raised the alarm against when the heretics attacked the truth of Scripture. The distorted the word and changed the teachings, dragging others deep into the clutches. When it seemed that no one could stop them, Athanasius stood up and held his ground. Speaking through his love for Scriptures he said:

These are the fountains of salvation, that he who thirsts may be satisfied with the living words they contain. In these alone the teaching of godliness is proclaimed. Let no one add to these; let nothing be taken away from them. For concerning these the Lord put to shame the Sadducees, and said, Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures. And he reproved the Jews, saying, Search the Scriptures, for these are they that testify of me.16

Athenasius called the Old Testament Scriptures the fountain of salvation. When the Arians tried to do away with Jewish Scriptures, Athanasius wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow it. He inspired the later councils and writers to stand firm even when the waves are tall.

Melito (about A.D. 170). http://www.bible-researcher.com/melito.html

From his Thirty-ninth Festal Epistle. (Easter Letter) in 367 Athanasius (trans by Metzger). http://www.bible-researcher.com/athanasius.html

Years later we find the reformed church and their statement on sin:

Westminster Larger Catechism 1.24 What is sin? A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, any law of God, given as a rule to the reasonable creature.17

The purpose of God’s law (a later chapter in this study) goes far beyond the simple idea of showing us sin though. That it did, and quite well, but I think Wesley hit on something when he said:

The commandment - That is, every branch of the law. Is holy, and just, and good - It springs from, and partakes of, the holy nature of God; it is every way just and right in itself; it is designed wholly for the good of man.18

That good of man, which Deuteronomy claims for itself, doesn’t mean that we throw it aside, but that we embrace it. When we embrace the law of God, we are embracing God Himself. We are taking into our lives knowledge of the very character of Him who created us and accepted us into His kingdom. Adam Clarke taught us all when he wrote:

“The Law, which is to regulate the whole of the outward conduct, is holy; and the Commandment, Thou shalt not covet, which is to regulate the heart, is not less so. All is excellent and pure; but it neither pardons sin nor purifies the heart; and it is because it is holy, just, and good, that it condemns transgressors to death.”19

Conclusion  The law of God has always been held in the highest regard. It wasn’t until within the last couple hundred years that theologians have begun to overlook the Old Testament. History holds that it is our standard for living, from cover to cover; the New Testament holds the same. It is time that we take a look a little deeper into the law and the prophets and come closer to understanding the God who has revealed Himself to us.

Westminster Confession of Faith, (drawn up in England 1643-1647) John Wesley Commentary on Romans 7.12 19 Adam Clarke Commentary on Rom 7.12 18

Weak: What the Law was never Meant to Do A lot of misunderstanding concerning the law stems from the idea that the Old Testament saints were saved through it. We call this a ‘works’ type salvation, where all they had to do was to keep the law and then they would be saved. If these men and women couldn’t keep the law, then they must perform ‘good acts’ or ‘good deeds’ to fix the wrong they had done. These good acts were carried out by ‘making’ sacrifices as the law prescribed. While this is the thinking of many today, even outside the church world, it was and is untrue. If the Bible teaches anything at all it is the fact that all sin separates us from God and that no matter how hard we try, nothing that we can do could ever entice God to not punish our sin. In fact, if it were up to us to find our own salvation (to be saved from the great punishment our sins deserve), then it would be utterly hopeless for all mankind. The Great Schoolmaster 

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Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

Throughout all of history God has been trying to show us what must eventually come to pass. When Adam and Eve received their respective curses, God gave them hope and told them that someone will come one day who will save the children of Adam. Throughout the law of Moses and in the Prophets we see glimpses of Jesus. The Old Testament was meant to point us to the future, to train us as a schoolmaster or a tutor.

NIV

Hebrews 10:1a The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming-- not the realities themselves…

They are quite a few fairy tales out there that tell of different worlds that are simply shadows of this, or vise versa. In a way, that is what the Old Testament was to the New. It was merely a shadow or a reflection of what Jesus would one day come to do for us all on the cross.

The Law Can Not Bring Justification 

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Romans 3:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Salvation and Justification does not come by keeping the law. Many of the Pharisees thought this, but the law never taught it. It was not intended to give salvation to men. But what about the sacrifices, didn’t these save the Old Testament saints?

NIV

Hebrews 10:1,4 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming-- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. … because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

The sacrifices performed by the those godly men of old were never intended to actually deliver freedom, but were intended to teach the world that blood must be shed. Although the priesthood, sacrifices, altars, and dwelling places of God gradually changed all throughout the Old Testament, the glue that stuck them all together was the fact that blood had to be spilled. The sinners of old were brought to salvation by looking forward to Christ’s blood by their faith in the promises of God.

NIV

Galatians 3:5-8 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? 6 Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."

The Law Could Never Break the Power of Sin  The Law never could bring justification, but neither could it release man from the power that sin had over him because of Adam. When Adam fell into transgression, he brought all of his children under the curse of sin. This gave power over our lives to sin and selfishness.

NASB

Romans 8:3-4 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Why didn’t the law have the strength to break sin’s control? Because that wasn’t its purpose, instead the law was meant to show us what sin is.  “The law could show what was right, but the faulty character of the sinner prevented the right from being performed. In the face of this failing, the law was helpless to amend the situation. However, God did condemn sin and destroy its dreadful power by sending His own Son to save sinners.” – Greg Bahnsen 20

KJV

Romans 3:20 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.

NIV

Romans 6:6, 14-15 For we know that our old self was crucified with [Jesus] so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- … 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

Because of the work of Christ on the cross, we have been freed from the power that sin once had on us. Because we are no longer under that curse of sin (that held us tight in its evil clutches) but under grace, we now have the power, through the Holy Spirit of course, to follow our Holy Father and live how He wants us to live. Or as Gresham Machen says, “The Gospel does not abrogate God’s law, but it makes men love it with all their hearts.”21

Bahnsen, Greg. By This Standard. Tyler: Institute for Christian Economics, 1985, p185 Machen, Gresham J. qtd in Bahnsen, Greg. By This Standard. Tyler: Institute for Christian Economics, 1985, p43-44. 21

The Law Could Never Truly make Anything Perfect  It was not in the law’s place to bring perfection. The law teaches us the character of God, who is perfect and teaches us what is right and wrong, which declares perfection, but it does not make one perfect.

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Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

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Hebrews 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

As we said in the beginning, the law is weak. If it brought about perfection, then why would we need Jesus? We wouldn’t need Jesus if the law performed this feat. But the fact of the matter is that the law did not … but Jesus did. Speaking to those Hebrews who came to Christ but forgot their past, the Hebrew writer says:

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Hebrews 5:12; 6:1 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. …Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God

Why should these Christian Jews have been teachers? Because they knew the Old Testament, they grew up with the foundational teachings. Now it is time for them to build upon these principles, to stop working on the foundation of the house, and to build the walls and roof. It is time for them to go on to perfection that Christ allows us to reach. Conclusion  Was the law meant to save us, free us or make us perfect? No, that was the place of Christ. The law leads us to Christ, and when we get there, we accept His love and power into our lives which saves us, frees us from sins power and empowers us to live our lives for the God who gave us so much. Let us live for the one who died for us.

Experience: The Law Written on Your Heart A small child once asked, “Daddy, if Jesus is in my heart and my belly hurts, does Jesus hurt too?” While we can all smile and say how cute that is, this young child made a profound statement, Jesus lives inside us! The Holy Spirit dwells within all believers. He resides within our hearts, and thus makes us holy. Not because of anything we have done, but because Jesus Himself is holy and because the ‘Word’ lives within us, so does the law. The New Covenant  The people of Israel as a nation failed the Lord their God, they turned from Him and were adulterous in that they followed after other gods. Jeremiah tells us that because of this, the day will come when He will make a New Covenant with His own, a covenant where God’s word is written within His children.

NASB

Jeremiah 31:31-33 "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. 33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Because the covenant had been broken, the Lord had to make a new one. The Hebrew writer explains (8.8-10) that this promise had come true through Jesus Christ. The New Covenant is alive in those who believe in Jesus Christ.  “The New Covenant is the same covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David, but with some new additions. It is a renewed covenant. Both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant reflect the same basic root – God’s Law.” Allan Brown

Paul writing to the Corinthians gave us an example of this New Covenant. Speaking to his converts he said:

–

Dr.

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2 Corinthians 3:3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Paul in Romans describes this New Covenant by illustrating an olive tree. The root is God and His word. Originally His covenant was with the Jewish people so that through them the world would be blessed. But because of their disbelief, God removed those branches that did not bear fruit, made a New Covenant, and grafted in those who would believe.

NASB

Romans 11:17-18 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.

The New Covenant is offered not just to those born into the family of Jacob, but is open to all men, women and children who will put there trust in God. Those who accept Christ are placed under this New Covenant. Glory be to God!  “The difference, therefore, between the old and the new covenants consists in this, that in the old the law was laid before the people that they might accept it and follow it, receiving it into their hearts, as the copy of what God not merely required of men, but offered and vouchsafed to them for their happiness; while in the new it is put within, implanted into the heart and soul by the Spirit of God, and becomes the animating life-principle.” – Johann (C.F.) Keil & Franz Delitzsch

Evidence of the Law  When one has the law written on his or her heart, as the Hebrews did when they placed it there or as we do in the New Covenant, then that law shows itself to us. Even the gentiles placed parts of God’s law into their hearts and can be seen by their actions.

NASB

Romans 2:12-15 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them

It is the conscience of those gentiles that evidenced the law that they placed into their hearts. If that law was not there, then there would be no accusation or defense. The Apostle Paul boasted in that his conscience evidenced that his conduct was pure, he said:

NIV

2 Corinthians 1:12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace.

The apostle didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t simply keep his conscience clear, but pressed others to do the same. Each of us who believe in Christ, who has the law written in our hearts, knows that that law is there. Many times in our lives when confronted with certain failures the first response we make is an excuse. We do not like to be told that we are wrong or do wrong. We try to make excuses for the sins that we commit. Just like the gentiles spoken of above we try to defend our beliefs. Of course, not every defense means that the person is sinning, that is not what I am saying. I am saying simply that when you feel yourself making an excuse for sin, that in itself is evidence that Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laws are written on your heart. Of course, sometimes because of continuing sin we block out the Spiritâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tugging and even our very own consciences. Like a finger that has lost feeling after a horrible burn, so we allow our consciences to become seared.

NIV

1 Timothy 4:1-2 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

It should always be our most valiant effort not to sear our consciences, but in love to follow after Christ. To allow Him to throw our sin in our faces so that we can feel the pain and turn from those sins, before it becomes too late for our consciences.

NASB

Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

Transformation By the Law ď&#x201A;&#x2013; Grafted into this covenant relationship, where the Law of God is written on our hearts, means that we must become transformed into the men and women that God wills us to be.

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Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

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Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him

How are our minds renewed? Our minds are renewed in knowledge after the image of Christ. We find this image of Christ in the Word of God. The Law transforms us into who Christ is. Conclusion ď&#x201A;&#x2013; What is it that we should do with our lives? Do we neglect the law, hide it away somewhere and ignore the tug of the Law written in our hearts? Do we allow ourselves to fall into the depths of antinomianism? Do we abolish the law, doing away with its holiness? No, may it never be. We press forward in our love of God, in our commitment to Him and Him alone. We empty our hearts of all of us and ask for all of Him.

CUPSA: How I Apply the Law in My Life It is not enough to say that the Old Testament applies to our lives. Many times a speaker or Sunday School teacher will explain to the listeners that ‘things apply to you!’ Often though, we never learn how that truth applies. Instead we leave knowing that it applies, but never really understanding how it changes our lives. Even more still, it is not enough to know how it changes our lives, but we must also learn how to apply other truths. We can study the food laws and learn of holiness, but how does that truth help us explain sacrifices? What we need is a method, that method is what we call the CUPSA (pronounced coop-sa) method of interpretation. C – Character of God  When God speaks, He speaks living words. His words feed us and carry us. Jesus told us that:

NIV

Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

NASB

2 Peter 1:21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

His truths are always true, not because He is God and He gets to say what it right and wrong, but because every word He speaks is an explanation of His very character. God cares and loves humanity, which is why He sent His Son to the Cross. He extends His salvation to all men, that is why the Gospel is given to all.

NKJ

Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

When we find a law, any command in Scripture either in Old or New Testament, we must immediately recognize that this law is spoken directly from the nature of who God is, i.e., all laws are derived by the Character of God.

UP – Universal Principle  The Bible is full of commands, although that seems almost negative to say. These commands are not God’s attempt to be a cosmic kill-joy, but are truths that find their origin in God’s eternal character. From His character he issues forth Universal Principles. Universal Principles are universal in that they apply to all people of all ages of every culture. We find universal principles all throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Probably the most famous UPs are the Ten Commandments.

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Exodus 20:13-15 " You shall not murder. 14 " You shall not commit adultery. 15 " You shall not steal.”

These are basic universal principles. These apply to every man, woman and child on earth. In every culture, killing adultery and stealing are sins. While the individual governments may allow such crimes, God’s word stands above those manmade laws. God’s principles are forever binding.

NASB

Deuteronomy 22:5 "A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.

Some laws of Scripture are a little harder to place. This passage above is often overlooked in today’s society, but nonetheless is still a valid UP. God declares that any man who dresses as a woman, or woman who dresses as a man, is an abomination. It is sinful in every culture, every time period of history or future, to every person. SA – Specific Application  There are two types of specific applications, those that apply only to those in the past and those that apply to us today. Either one can be seen in Scripture. For example the universal principle that we are to love God with everything we are and have found in Deuteronomy 6 is followed by several specific applications.

NIV

Deuteronomy 6:9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

In Israel’s day God commanded them to write His laws on the doorframes of their houses and gates. He wanted them to always be reminded of His law.

NIV

Deuteronomy 6:7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

This is a command that we teach that we are to love God with all we are and have, yet it is still valid in our days. We are to teach our children, can this be done when we sit in the home? Yes it can. Can it be done when we walk along the road? Yes it can. Can we teach them when they go to bed and wake up? Yes we can! The UP behind this command (teach your children God’s law) is explained by using specific instances as to how we are to carry this out. This is not the only way to follow out these commands, they are just specific instances in which we can and must follow. We can also place Scripture on our walls (perhaps framed) or teach our children when we are riding in a car. The point is, sometimes we can make other applications to the Ups of the Law. Sometimes we have no choice but to make other applications. Perhaps the best way to show this point is to give you a rather odd command.

NASB

Deuteronomy 22:6-7 "If you happen to come upon a bird's nest along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; 7 you shall certainly let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, in order that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days.

God specifically told the Israelites that if they are traveling and are hungry (perhaps it is breakfast time and an omelet sounds wonderful) then they must leave the mother, but can take the eggs (for their omelet). Isn’t this just one of those laws that we can throw aside? The answer is a resounding no. None of God’s laws should be taken lightly.  “Everything in Scripture relates first of all to God and includes something of importance He wishes to teach us about Himself, and how he thinks. The implications of this foundational premise is that when we read the Old Testament, we must remember that God is speaking to us.” 22

– Dr. Allan Brown

Brown, Allan. Not Under Law, But Under Grace. “Romans and Galatians” BI 340, God’s Bible School and College. Summer 06, 2006, p20.

In this instance we must look back up the chart and determine why it is that God commands this. In this statute we discover that God does not want to take the mother, but why not? It is because if you take the mother, how could more eggs be made? They can not. If everyone were to take the eggs out of the egg farms and kill the chickens too, then eventually … no more eggs. The UP behind this application is that God wants us to maintain this world and its resources (and you thought only the liberal cared for the earth). Why, because the very character of God is that He loves us and has given this world to us, he wants to see it last so that we can as well. Conclusion/Putting It Together  Putting it together is a lot easier than it looks. When you come across a law (remember either New or Old Testament) the first thing you must do is decide, “Is this a UP or an SA?” If it is a specific application that applies to you, then problem solved. If it is not, then you determine what the principle behind the precept is. Only then can you really get a glimpse into the mind of God, and in your love for Him can apply that truth to your own life. Lets give one more example, the sacrificial system. Why would God command this? Because, as we know today, without the shedding of blood no sins can be forgiven. The sacrifices were specific applications of the universal principle that blood must be shed. We can not atone for our own sins, we must look to Jesus for that. Character of God: He loves us so much that He wanted the curse to end. Back done the ladder now, how do we specifically apply this law to our lives? We do so, by accepting the blood that Jesus shed in our place. Do the sacrifices still apply today? Without a doubt they do, for without them we could never find that holy love relationship with the creator of the world.

Purpose: What the Law Means to Me There is a story of a man who had a picture painted of himself. As time progressed, that picture became a portrait of his soul. What he saw was different than the face in the mirror; the picture was much darker and uglier. It showed this man not what he wanted to see, but what reality saw. It showed him himself as he really was. Unfortunately this story ended rather sadly. Instead of seeing his flaws and asking God to remold his life, he instead in a fit of rage stabbed the portrait and ended his own. The law, as we said before, was never intended to save man’s soul, but that doesn’t leave it purposeless. The law serves as a window that looks deep into our souls and shows us the flaws that have filled in the hole in our lives. But beyond this, the law gives us wisdom to know how to please God, it reveals our savior, it shows us the way of faith. The law encourages faith and obedience, shows us how to be blessed and how to grow closer to God. It is the law that condemns us to an eternity in Hell. The law of God is a strong law that must be feared as much as it is loved. The Law Condemns Us 

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Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

The law kills us, but not as if it is evil and a murderer, for it isn’t God’s fault that we hated Him, it was His holiness that demands a verdict. The law not only points out that what we did was wrong, but witnesses against us in court and therefore sentences us to Hell. That of course is the bad news, but the good news is that we are ‘no longer under law, but under grace.’ What does that means?  “When Paul declares that those who have repented of their sin and put their faith in Christ as their sole means of salvation are no longer under the Law, but under grace, Paul is speaking only of [this] purpose of God’s law – the design of God’s Law to bring a sense of guilt and condemnation for willful sin.” – Dr. Allan Brown23

Brown, Allan. Not Under Law, But Under Grace. “Romans and Galatians” BI 340, God’s Bible School and College. Summer 06, 2006, p7.

KJV

Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Christ Jesus rescued us, he redeemed us by paying an equal price. He has set us free from the curse of the law (condemnation) so that the apostle could write that we are no longer ‘under law, but under grace.’ Now that we are no longer ‘under law,’ that is the condemnation of the law, we are free to follow after Christ and allow His character and word to transform us into His image. The Law Declares the Character of God and Reveals His Glory 24 The statutes of a people or government tell you just who those people are government really are. In the same light, when we see God’s law we have a glimpse of his character.

KJV

Psalm 119:12,68 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. … Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

Psalm 119 is a wonderful Psalm. I suggest that you take the 119 challenge. Read the entire chapter and try to figure out which verses do not mention the law of God. There are only a few, but I will give away the challenge. Throughout Psalm 119 David shows us who God is. He calls Him good and righteous and holy and so on. God’s law shows us who He is. The Law Declares God’s Demand for Us 25

NIV

Joshua 1:7-8 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

24 25

Bahnsen, Greg. By This Standard. Tyler: Institute for Christian Economics, 1985, p192. Ibid, p193.

God’s demand for us is that we be holy as He is holy. He wants us to follow His character (which is seen through His commands). Only when we bring His word into our lives can we truly be prosperous in the literal sense of the word. The Law Teaches us how to be Blessed and Happy 26

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Psalm 119:1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD!

The blessed man is he who thrives upon the word of God. The Old Testament is filled with instances of blessing and cursing. It was those who followed the Lord who were blessed, all others were cursed.  “Since the law sets down the pattern of God’s holiness for our lives, since the law was our obligation from the beginning, and since it is precisely the violation of the law which brought about the death of Jesus Christ for sinners, it stands to reason that those delivered from sin’s guilt and bondage should now desire to follow the previously spurned law.” – Greg Bahnsen27 The Law Tells us What Sin Is 

KJV

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Sin is the breaking of the law. Any breaking of this law, whether intentional or unintentional, is sin. The Old Testament revealed to us this fact, not to curse us, but to help us to keep from being cursed.

Brown, Allan. Not Under Law, But Under Grace. “Romans and Galatians” BI 340, God’s Bible School and College. Summer 06, 2006, p6. 27 Bahnsen, Greg. By This Standard. Tyler: Institute for Christian Economics, 1985, p197.

The Law exposes Sin in Our Lives and Convicts of Sin 

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Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."

The law tells us what sin is, but then it points to our sin. It convicts us and tells us that we have hurt our God. It does this so that we can fix the problems and learn to please our beloved. The Law Leads Us to Christ 

NASB

Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

The entire law and prophets (the Old Testament) leads us to the savior of the world. Jesus on the road to Emmaus told of how the entire Old Testament pointed to the onw who would come, the Messiah. The Law Guides the Sanctification of the Believer 

NASB

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 "Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?

Our love for God, our desire to please Him, is the Law itself showing that it is truly written on the tablets of our hearts. When you love the Lord your God with all of your heart, then every word and deed that comes from that love will be holy, not violating the Law. Not because God overlooks it, but because what you say and do will be in conformity to His law. Of course, we are always finding ourselves in need of more of Him. When we come across these moments, it is our choice to continue to follow or run away. This is the essence of sanctification, continually growing closer to God. The law of God helps to guide us in that journey. Conclusion 

The Holy Scriptures are immutable, they never change. The eternal God who wrote them is the same eternal God of today. The Holy Spirit who indwells the believer is the author of the Jewish Old Testament law. Yes we know that a few specific applications have changed for our culture and time, but the principles behind the law, ever law, serve a purpose. These purposes we have outlined and studied. But it isn’t the idea that ‘since God wrote them we had better do them,’ but it’s because of the love that He has us was so great, that we should now dedicate our lives to pleasing Him. My love for God pushes me to make Him feel loved.