IS THE LAW OBSOLETE? (Pt 11-15)

PART 11:

If the Law is Past, why does the Lord expect us to use it to correctly assess our relationship with people?

Mat 7:12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Mark 3:4 And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent.

START FROM THE TOP: IS THE LAW OBSOLETE? (PART 1-3)

PART 12:

If the Law is past, why is obeying it a requirement for maintaining a loving heart for God and His people in the days to come?

Mat 24:12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.

Timothy 3:1-5 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

READ ALSO: THE POWER OF THE TONGUE

PART 13:

There are three applications of the word “the law” in the New Testament:

1. The 10 Commandments (Romans 13:9-10)

2. The Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:2)

3. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2)

And the scriptures used them at different times by simply saying “The Law”. When you do not understand this and read them to all mean the same thing, misinterpretation is inevitable.

READ ALSO: WHOSE WORD?

PART 14:

There is a 4th way the phrase, “the law” is used in addition to the 3 applications from last week. It refers to the first five books of the bible: The Pentateuch. Sometimes, the other books of the ‘Old Testament’ are all included therein also or referred to as two distinctive parts – “the law and the prophets”.

Matthew 7:12 Therefore ,all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Matthew 22:36-40 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

READ NEXT: IS THE LAW OBSOLETE? (PART 16-17)

PART 15:

Romans 7:7-14 What should we say, then? Is the law sinful? Of course not! In fact, I wouldn’t have known sin if it had not been for the law. For I wouldn’t have known what it means to covet if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” But sin seized the opportunity provided by this commandment and produced in me all kinds of sinful desires. For apart from the law, sin is dead. At one time, I was alive without any connection to the law. But when the rule was revealed, sin sprang to life, and I died. I found that the very rule that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity provided by the rule, deceived me and used it to kill me. So then, the law itself is holy, and the rule is holy, just, and good. Now, did something good bring me death? Of course not! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what was good to cause my death, so that through the rule, sin might become more sinful than ever. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am merely human, sold as a slave to sin.

Think it through!