THE TARSUS TURN

Abre mis ojos

  • Answers in the End Times
  • John McTernan's Insights
  • Paul Washer - Heartcry Missionary Society
  • John C Rankin Theological Education Institute
  • Lance Lambert ministries
  • Hebrew for Christians
  • The Fuel Project
    • Edit
    • Delete
    • Tags
    • Autopost

    Thoughts on the Law in the Bible, its function

    1) The Law embodies the character of God - the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) reflects God's character. He is Holy, His sacred name is not to be blasphemed. He values marriage (no adultery), truth (no lying), property (no stealing)

     

     

    2) The Law reflects what is lawful / unlawful, what is right/wrong. It defines and protects society. If you break the law, you become an out-law. That means you are put out of society.

     

    When Adam and Eve sinned, they were put out of the garden of Eden, out of fellowship with God.

     

     

     

    Jesus restores broken relationship and calls us back to fellowship.

     

    3) The Law imposes a penalty / sanction where it is broken. It brings judgment upon us as we are all law-breakers (sinners) and through the clarity of its provisions, it brings inner conviction.

     

    All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23

     

    The wages of sin is death - Romans 6:23

     

    The life is in the blood - Leviticus 17

       

    4) The law institutes a system for substitutionary atonement. This reflects a principle of proportionality and justice (eye for an eye, life for a death).

     

    a) A Temporal System which must be satisfied

     

     

    The Annual Sacrifice of the blood of bulls and goats were

    a) An annual reminder of sin

    b) Unable to take away the sins of the sinner

    c) Only able to "cover" sins for one year.

     

    This temporal system pointed out the requirements of justice, and also, hinted at how God would fulfill His system of justice and permanently deal with sin - John 3:16.

      

    Christ did not come to abrogate but to fulfill the law by meeting its requirements - Matt 5: 17

     

     

     

    Christ is the lamb of God slain from the foundations of the earth (Rev 13). John the Baptist said He "takes away" the sin of the world (John 1:29)

     

    Permanent removal of sin, not an annual sacrifice but one-off, a perfect sacrifice which satisfies justice. This is why Christ 'sat down' at the right hand of the Father because the task was completed. You do not sit till your mission is done.

     

    We move from the Old Covenant (distance and fear) to the New Covenant, based on relational intimacy, law written on our hearts

     

    Hebrews 9: 11-15

     

    But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

     

    Hebrews 9: 23-28

     

    Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another—He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. 

     

     

    Hebrews 10:1-4 - Annual Sacrifices - a temporal patch pointing to a permanent solution

     

    For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.  But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

     

    Humans alone are created imago dei.

     

    vv8-14 - One Perfect Sacrifice - finishes the job.

     

    Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

     

     And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.  But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.  For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 

     

    Hebrews 10: 16-18 the new covenant: intimacy (and end of the sacrifices)

     

     “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

     

     

     

    Jeremiah 31:33-35 - the veil is torn.

     

    But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

     

    5) The Temporal Function of the Law - For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come (Hebrews 10:1)  

     

    a) The Law bring a Curse - but Christ became a curse for us (Galatians 3:10-14)

     For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),  that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

     b) The Law is under Tutor - "until"  - Galatians 3:19-29 - it was a means to an end (going to Christ in faith) and not an end in itself.

     

    What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator.  Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.

     

    Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.  But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.  But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

    Sons and Heirs For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

    The faith basically is faith that Jesus has satisfied the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf, and delivered us from our sin and iniquity.

     

    OLD COVENANT                                 NEW COVENANT

    Blood of bulls and goats                            Blood of Jesus

    Annual sacrifice                                         One perfect sacrifice for all

    Reminder of sin: covers it                          Takes away sin

    Broken fellowship                                      Return to Fellowship, Communion

     

    Law

     

    a) is a shadow of the substance to come: Christ

     

    b) brings conviction (estragement) and a curse: Christ takes the curse for us

     

    c) Law is a tutor = to bring us to Christ: a permanent solution for sin

     

    d) Law is fulfilled and superceded, not abrogated, and replaced by relationship and intimacy with Christ which brings healing

     

     

     

    Sin = moral confusion, lawlessness

     

    Law - moral clarity and conviction (of penalty of sin and need for mercy)

     

    Christ = satisfies the law, offers forgiveness, cleansing, restoration of relationship

     

    His Spirit - brings life, moral transformation, restores shalom and moral order as facet of creation order.

     

     

    • 15 September 2012
    • Views
    • Permalink
    • Tweet
    • 0 responses
    • Like
    • Comment
  • Paolo Compania's Space

    Issachar Gazette: Common Sense in an Age of Vain Ideology

  • About Paolo Compania

    Issachar Gazette: Common Sense in an Age of Vain Ideology

  • Subscribe via RSS

    Archive

    2013 (16)
    February (7)
    January (9)
    2012 (16)
    December (16)
  • Follow Me

Theme created for Posterous by Obox