Law and Grace
Much of the misunderstanding regarding whether a Christian must keep the biblical law (i.e. the Ten Commandments) revolves around the term “grace.” Those who do not think a Christian “must” obey the law conclude that since we are under “grace” (Rom. 6:15), we no longer “must” keep the law. Those who follow this line of reasoning point to various scriptures –– especially those in the book of Galatians (some of which have already been mentioned) –– to support their case. They maintain that Christ came to free us from “the curse of the law,” or that “Christ is the end of the law” (Rom. 7:4). But Jude describes this line of reasoning as “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (lawlessness)” (Jude 4).
This approach also illustrates a basic lack of understanding of the word “grace.” “Grace,” in its biblical meaning and intent, means “the favor, forgiveness, beneficence, generosity, mercy, kindness and compassion of God.” Therefore, to be “under grace” means to live within this whole sphere of God’s favor and compassion. The two greatest acts of grace are: 1) forgiveness of past sins, which God grants upon true repentance, faith and baptism; and, 2) the unmerited, freely-given gift of eternal life, which God grants upon the condition of faith. Hence, to be “under grace” means that one’s sins have been forgiven, that he is in a favored position with God, and that he is an heir of salvation.
But the Bible nowhere equates “grace” with freedom to disobey God. On the contrary, the exact opposite is stated: “Do we then make void the law through faith? [i.e. do we negate the necessity of keeping the law because we are under grace as a result of faith?] God forbid: yea, we establish the law” (Rom. 3:31). We, as Christians, “establish the law” because when we accept God’s grace through baptism we are acknowledging the existence of laws against which we have sinned.
The true relationship between law and grace may be simply stated. Law defines sin because sin is the transgression of the law (I John 3:4). God’s forgiveness of our sins is an act of grace. But this act of grace –– this act of unmerited pardon and favor in God’s eyes, along with the eventual entrance into God’s Kingdom which shall follow if we are faithful –– in no way grants us a license or permission to continue to sin. In like manner, a convicted criminal who has been pardoned or has had his sentence commuted by a judge is shown an act of grace, but is not permitted to go out and repeat his crime. Again, far from doing away with the law, grace establishes the law, because one who accepts grace acknowledges that the law has been broken. Without law there can be no grace, therefore grace can never do away with law.
The purpose of the law is not to provide a means of earning forgiveness and salvation. Salvation cannot be earned. It comes by God’s free gift. Salvation is by grace alone (Rom. 3:21-24; 5:15-16). Faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the only requirement for this gift of grace. Keeping the law even in the most spiritual manner cannot and does not earn salvation. The central message of the New Testament is that salvation is a gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Yet this by no means negates the importance of law in the process of salvation. While salvation is in the final analysis a free gift, God will not give that gift to one who is not willing to submit to Him. Gifts are not given to the unappreciative, and lack of appreciation is indicated in many ways, including a basic contempt for God’s laws or a lack of any enthusiasm in trying to see how God’s laws reflect His mind (I John 2:4). Note again the well-known case of the young rich man who approached Jesus about the very subject of salvation in Matthew 19. When Jesus replied, “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments” (v. 17), He was not describing the method of salvation, but rather the prerequisite for His free gift.
The Jews in the time of the New Testament understood the importance of the law and the many promises about blessings for observing it. The problem was that many went on to assume that salvation came by observing it. When Paul and other writers showed them that this assumption was incorrect, it became a major stumbling block. Even after the Church had been in existence for almost 20 years, it was still necessary to call a conference over the question of circumcision, since some still believed salvation was impossible without it (Acts 15). Paul had a deep and abiding appreciation for the law (Rom. 6; 7:12; I Cor. 7:19), yet he also understood that salvation was not earned by law-keeping.
The New Testament makes it clear that sin brings on the death penalty (Rom. 6:23). And “sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). Since all have sinned and thus failed to keep the law perfectly (Rom. 3:23), all have brought the death penalty upon themselves. Only the giving up of human life will satisfy this penalty. Thus, the sacrifice of the Creator –– of God Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ –– is the only means by which that penalty can be paid and thereby removed from all humanity. No one (apart from Jesus) has kept the law perfectly; all have incurred the death penalty. This made the death of sinless Jesus, the Son of God, a necessity. Recognition of Christ’s freely given sacrifice not only brings home the sober reality of sin but also enables us to see what true love is at first hand (John 3:16).
The enormous importance of the law of God and man’s living within it can be measured by considering this immeasurable price that God has put on the conditions for the forgiveness of sins: repentance and recognition and acceptance of Jesus Christ’s death as payment for our transgressions of His laws. This certainly reflects God’s love towards mankind, and can begin to motivate man to express his love back to God by wanting to live within God’s laws.
God expects Christians to repent of sin (Acts 2:38). But repentance alone does not remove the death penalty. Once one turns from his sinful way of life in wholehearted repentance, God accepts his repentance and Christ offers His own sacrifice on the cross as payment for the death penalty previously incurred by that repentant sinner. The Holy Spirit is promised to the repentant individual as a free gift which makes possible salvation and eternal life. Even one who is converted will still sin out of weakness. However, he can call on the sacrifice of Christ and gain forgiveness. It is the direction of his life that God is concerned with; God does not keep a tally, as it were, ready to send the individual straight to eternal death if he dies with a single sin he has not repented of on his record. Far from being some sort of “Almighty Bookkeeper,” God wants to see His children receive salvation. He is very happy to forgive His begotten children who continually find themselves in trouble, so long as their hearts and attitudes are right –– so long as they are wholeheartedly sincere and making progress despite weaknesses and setbacks.
Thus, the fight against sin is a very important component of the plan of salvation. Sin is horrible and heinous. Yet one can become so preoccupied with sin as to miss the point of the law in the first place. He can be so concerned about making a mistake that he never steps out and does good. Some people so concentrate on their “sinful wretchedness” that they never climb out of the mire and exercise their positive spiritual talents as they should. Sin is important, but recognition of our sinful natures should not discourage or cow us to the point of not making positive progress through faith.
New Testament Application of Old Testament Laws
Both the Old and New Testaments form the written Word of God. The Old Testament is no less the Word of God than is the New. It would completely miss the point of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments to require everything from the former to be repeated in the latter in order to be considered as relevant for Christian behavior. (Bestiality can be used as an extreme and ludicrous example to make the point.) Conversely, it would be equally illogical to attempt to enforce in the secular states of the twenty-first century every exact regulation given to the theocracy of Israel over 3,000 years ago.
Christians read the Old Testament in the light of the New, and the New Testament does make some changes. The teachings of the Old Testament may also be understood in the light of the changed circumstances of the Church in the modern world. The Hebrew Bible was written initially to a congregation or church organized as a special nation in the culture and society of the ancient Near East. By the time of the first century, circumstances had changed to some extent. Furthermore, the full revelation of God’s plan with the concept of a spiritual Israel required the modification of certain Old Testament teachings in their implementation within a physical nation. This modification process continues today.
The Church, as ordained of God and authorized by Jesus Christ, has the power of binding and loosing –– of making judgments on the basis of biblical principles (Matt. 16:18-19). New situations arise not directly addressed in the pages of the Bible. The modern world is not the ancient world. Without the flexibility of making judgments and applying earlier laws to fit newer situations, the Church would become anachronistic and ineffectual. It may be necessary to look at the environment in which the Old Testament laws were given –– the society, culture, national situation, contemporary legal attitudes, literary influences and so forth –– in order to understand the reason why a law was initially given to Israel. But to understand the intent behind the law, we must examine the lives and teachings of Jesus, the apostles and the prophets. Once the purpose and intent of each law is discerned, its application to 21st century life becomes much more clear and obvious. (It is interesting and instructive to realize that though the principles underlying God’s laws are immutable and unchangeable, the specific applications of the laws have changed in every period of biblical history.)
The following sections examine certain laws of the Old Testament and show how the Church has applied these today. It has not been possible to cover all the individual laws by any means, but the general principles used should be basically clear. Of course, some of these laws have been clearly modified in the New Testament. In other cases, the New Testament is silent on the subject, and the Church has made decisions based on the Old Testament alone. (Note that the Sabbath, Annual Holy Days and Tithing and Giving are covered under those titles.)
Circumcision:
One of the laws regarding which the Old Testament is very clear is that of circumcision. Circumcision was instituted as a sign of the covenant with Abraham (Gen. 17). It was a sign of the covenant with God and of the Israelites’ national identity. It made the newborn boy a part of the community. It was, in a sense, an initiation rite since any male of whatever age was required to undergo it to become a part of Israel. Therefore, it is not surprising that circumcision became an important issue in the early Church (Acts 10-11; 15).
Christians do not consider physical circumcision as a requirement for entry into the spiritual community of Israel, the Church. The reason is that the New Testament makes it clear that the only circumcision that is required is spiritual circumcision of the heart and mind. The question had already been debated and settled in the early Church (Acts 10-11; 15; Gal. 5:2-12). While one could voluntarily undergo circumcision, it was not a requirement for membership in the body of Christ. To reiterate, the only required circumcision is spiritual circumcision –– circumcision of the heart and mind.
Nevertheless, this does not mean that the Church rejected all physical rituals. Baptism was taught as a physical ceremony. The symbolism of baptism is that of death followed by resurrection to a new life. It is a voluntary act requiring active, conscious repentance on the part of the mature individual, whereas circumcision is an involuntary act carried out on the unknowing babe in arms.
The Sacrificial System and Temple Ritual:
The New Testament has a clear teaching about the temple ritual, just as it does about circumcision. As long as the temple was standing, it was certainly not deprecated. On occasion Christians actually offered up sacrifices (Acts 18:18; 21:23-26). However, the death of Christ was the supreme sacrifice, of which animal sacrifices were only a type (Heb. 10:1-18). The Old Testament system was rendered unnecessary by Christ’s sacrifice. Christians look to this rather than merely to the “shadow” which represented it. Furthermore, Christians offer up not only their possessions (livestock and grain stuffs), but their very selves to God by presenting themselves as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2).
Many of the laws in the Old Testament were specifically designed for a physical people who did not have the help of God’s Holy Spirit and who lived in a national state. The whole sacrificial system was an extremely regulated and detailed physical ritual. It required a great many on a continual basis to keep it going. With many sacrifices, the person offering the animal was actually able to eat most of it along with his family. Only certain parts were burned on the altar and certain pieces went to the priest. But sin offerings were burned whole and neither the offerer nor the priest realized anything from them. It effectively hurt one’s pocketbook to sin!
The principle of sacrifice has certainly not been eliminated for New Testament Christians. However, the sin offering we look to is not an animal offered at the temple altar: it is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His death rendered the physical sacrificial system unnecessary for converted Christians. This system had pointed to Christ. Christians can now view the sacrificial system with greater understanding than could the ancient Israelites who participated in it (Heb. 9-10).
This does not mean that the temple worship was wrong or even bad. The book of Acts shows that the apostle Paul himself participated in the sacrificial system on at least two occasions. He took certain vows which could be completed only by offering an offering in the temple (Acts 18:18; 21:20-26 and cf. Num. 6:18). It was not wrong for Israelite Christians to continue to participate in the sacrificial system; it was simply unnecessary. Of course, once the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed, it became impossible for them just as for all Jews.
Clean and Unclean Animals:
Many regulations in Leviticus have to do with being “clean” (Hebrew, tahor) or “unclean” (Hebrew, tame). These regulations had two functions: (1) They usually required washing which served as a physical cleansing agent and helped prevent the contraction or spread of disease; (2) they served a ritual purpose in that anyone “unclean” could not participate in the sacrificial service. Ritual purity was a major emphasis in conducting any of the temple activities. Included in this regulation was the prohibition against eating all but certain types of animals (Lev. 11: Deut. 14) and such things as the blood and the bodily fat of these animals.
Nowhere in all these regulations is anything stated specifically about physical health. Yet physical health seems clearly to be one aspect of these regulations. The continual requirement of washing after touching dead bodies or engaging in certain activities has the concept of hygiene behind it. Modern science has also discovered the dangers of consuming animal fats (they are high in cholesterol among other things). Public health doctors are also acutely aware of the importance of quarantine in avoiding the spread of disease, another requirement for various types of disease in ancient Israel (e.g. Lev. 13).
Modern science has also found that certain of the biblically proscribed animals present potential health hazards. For example, the danger of contracting trichinosis from pork is one known by almost every housewife. Such scavengers as crabs are also among the most affected by conditions of pollution since they tend to feed in contaminated areas and thus concentrate the dangerous substances in their bodies. Granted, these are only potential hazards. However, there is always the question of whether there may be other, as yet unknown, dangers to be discovered by science in the future –– dangers known and forestalled by the Creator of all.
True Christians, however, obey these Old Testament directions because God says to do so. God stated that certain foods should be avoided by man, and He, as Creator of both man and animals, knows best. The laws of clean and unclean meats clearly transcend any ritualistic system given to Moses and Israel, since Noah obviously had known about clean and unclean animals generations before (Gen. 7:2; 9:4). It is recognized that total avoidance of these and other potential hazards in our environment is well nigh impossible. They are physical matters to be kept in balance and perspective. The Church does not have a rigid, ultraorthodox-type ruling which forbids eating out in restaurants or buying packaged foods. One simply exercises a reasonable amount of care, yet does not make a fetish of the regulations. Though the Church continues to abide by the prohibitions against blood, animal fat and certain animal foods, these laws are not considered to be of overriding spiritual importance since food does not constitute the Kingdom of God (Rom. 14:17). (The Church does not see any direct biblical support for the orthodox Jewish rule of not eating meat and milk together and thus does not have any such regulations, even though some of its food practices may otherwise resemble those of orthodox Jews.)
The year of Release and the Jubilee:
According to Leviticus 25, every seventh year was to be set aside to allow the land to rest (no crops were to be planted and the permanent orchards and vineyards were to be left unattended) and for the releasing of all debts and of all fellow countrymen kept as slaves. Every fiftieth year was also to serve as such a year (thus making two in a row) but additionally as a time when land should revert to its original owner. The seventh year and jubilee were major events in the society of ancient Israel and required the cooperation of the entire community to be effectual.
Today’s society is not geared to such an institution. (Even the jubilee was evidently never observed after the return of the Jews from Babylon.) Farmers may not always own their own land. Those who do are often not in a financial position to allow their entire land to rest for a full year; their creditors would not allow them to do that. Debts are considered owed until paid, regardless of the year. (In fact, as discussed in the next section under “Monetary Interest,” to release debts incurred voluntarily rather than from necessity was not part of the original intent of the law.) Fortunately, slavery is no longer practiced either, in most areas of the world, rendering that aspect of the law inapplicable.
It is recognized that allowing one’s land to lie fallow every so many years is a good agricultural procedure. Thus, the seventh year land rest teaches a principle from which farmers can indeed learn. Yet the same result can be accomplished by letting a portion of the land lie fallow each year rather than the whole land every seventh year. The Church recognizes the agricultural and other principles in the laws about the year of release and the jubilee. But, because of our differently constituted modern societies, the Church teaches that each person should observe them as best he or she is able according to his or her circumstances and according to the spirit of the law. Farmers are not required to let all their land lie fallow each seventh year, nor should they feel a moral obligation to do so. The important thing is that they respect their heritage –– the land and its environment –– and do their best to protect it according to the ability and the means God has given them. In this way, the intent of the Old Testament laws (Lev. 25; Deut. 15:1-8) is achieved even though the exact means of application may not be the same as in ancient Israel.
Monetary Interest:
A number of passages forbade charging interest on loans to the poor (Ex. 22:25-27; Deut. 23:19-20). The Church considers that this principle still applies today: one should not lend money at interest to anyone in genuine need. Yet most contractual loans today are not for the purpose of assistance to those in absolute need but instead are a means of obtaining capital for an immediate project (rather than saving up the capital over a period of time). In other words, a person has an amount sufficient to maintain his life and well-being but wants an additional investment or luxury. He could save his money over a long period of time to obtain the particular item. Or he could be enjoying it now while turning the savings payment into repayment for a loan. It is perfectly legitimate to consider interest in such a case as simply payment for services rendered. Likewise, for corporations and institutions to be able to borrow money from banks is essential for economic growth.
Our modern society runs on credit. To require members of the Church to avoid all borrowing or lending at interest would be asking them to live outside society. The original intent of the law was simply to avoid adding an additional burden on the poor man who had to borrow because of his financial straits in the first place. Only in such cases of dire emergency does the Church consider it wrong to charge interest.
Summary: Read these scriptures in your own Bible:
John 15:10 – Jesus tells disciples to keep the commandments as He did.
Leviticus 11 – Clean and unclean meats (See Deuteronomy 14).
Luke 24:44 – Jesus accepts the authenticity and inspiration of the entire Old Testament.
Romans 3:21-24 – Salvation is by grace alone (see also Romans 5:15-16).
Romans 3:23 – All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:31 – The law is fully established by faith.
Romans 6:23 – The wages of sin is death.
Romans 6:1-2 – Do not continue in sin.
Romans 7:7 – The law is good.
Romans 7:8 – Without law, sin is dead.
Romans 7:12 – Law is Holy, just and good.
Romans 7:14 – The law is spiritual.
Romans 8:4 – The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us.
Romans 8:7 -The carnal mind is enmity against God.
Questions (Answers on Next Page):
1) According to Romans 6:23, the wages of sin is _____ [what?]
2) Can the law, in and of itself save someone? Yes or No?
3) According to Galatians 3:11, justification must be by _____ [what?]
4) If we rely on the works of the law-the keeping of the law we…
a) will fail
b) are justified
c) are saved
d) all of the above
5) Grace means…
a) forgiveness of past sins
b) release from having to keep the commandments
c) the unmerited, freely-given gift of eternal life.
6) Which of the following are true statements?
a) law defines sin
b) God’s forgiveness of our sins is grace
c) grace establishes the law
d) without law there can be no grace
e) all are true
7) Which of the following statements is false?
a) the purpose of law is to provide a means of earning forgiveness and salvation
b) salvation cannot be earned
c) salvation is by grace alone
d) salvation is a gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ
8) Salvation is a free gift of God, but comes with a prerequisite, that of keeping the commandments. True or False?
9) God expects Christians to repent of their sins but repentance alone does not remove the death penalty. True or False?
10) A chief element of the Salvation Process is to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit in the form of Godly principles [doing good]. True or False?
11) The best way to fight sin is to displace it by doing good. True or False?
12) Which of the following are true?
a) circumcision was instituted as a sign of the covenant of Abraham
b) it is not voluntary, but carried out on newborn infants
c) whether it was required of gentiles was debated in the early church
d) today the only requirement for membership in the Body of Christ is circumcision of the heart and mind
e) all are true.
13) Which statement is false regarding animal sacrifices:
a) they pictured and looked forward to the sacrifice of Christ
b) required the temple
c) are required today.
14) The principle of sacrifice has not been eliminated for New Testament Christians. However the sin offering we look to is not an animal sacrifice but the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. True or False?
15) Clean and unclean meats was part of the sacrificial system and done away with the sacrifice of Christ. True or False?
16) Which of the following is true regarding clean and unclean meats?
a) true Christians avoid unclean meats, blood, and animal fat because God says so
b) the church maintains rigid rules on this subject and monitors it’s membership
c) the church forbids members to eat in restaurants or to buy packaged foods
d) the church sees these laws of overriding spiritual importance.
17) One should not lend money at interest to anyone in genuine need. True or False?
18) In New Testament times the emphasis is on spiritual, rather than physical, Israel. True or False?
Lesson Sixteen –– Answers:
1. (death)
2. (No)
3. (faith)
4. (a)
5. (a and c)
6. (e)
7. (a)
8. (True)
9. (True)
10. (True)
11. (True)
12. (e)
13. (c)
14. (True)
15. (False)
16. (a)
17. (True)
18. (True)
