The Torah of Moses and the Believer
(I Timothy 1:6-11)
1. Am I getting worried about my memory," says 75 year old Rachel to her best friend Sarah.
"So why is that?" asks Sarah.
"Because every time I go online banking," replies Rachel, "I just don't seem to be able to remember my bank's password. I have to try many times before I enter the right code. Do you have such problems?"
"No I don't, Rachel," replies Sarah. "I've found a way around such problems."
"So what do you do then?" asks Rachel.
"I changed my password to 'INCORRECT'," replies Sarah. "Then, if I enter a different code, my computer tells me, "Your password is incorrect." [http://www.aish.com, altered]
2. Wouldn’t it be great if every time someone misinterpreted the Bible or misused the Bible, God would send a message that says, “incorrect.”
3. As it stands, we must be the judge, and our leaders must be the judge in a church context. This means we ourselves need to understand the Word as best we can. And it’s not always easy.
4. One of the more complex issues is the relationship of the Torah or Law of Moses to the Christian. As far as salvation goes, no issue. And Christians do not become Jews, and are not under the Law. Yet all Scripture is inspired and profitable and relevant to today; the Torah is part of the Word. We can’t just write it off, as many pastors and churches do.
Main Idea: The Torah of Moses is good and relevant to the New Covenant believer in a variety of ways. It is worth our while to study and apply its principles, even if we do not live under it system.
I. Confident Teachers Can Easily Misuse the TORAH (6-7)
A. Some people want to teach before they UNDERSTAND
B. People who exude CONFIDENCE may gain followers, but confident people can be wrong
1. To some people, everything is easy
2. The relationship of the Torah to the Christian — a piece of cake, they say
3. The multitudes are drawn to simplicity
4. A better perspective: anchor convictions & conclusions, but acknowledging uncertainty
5. We should not complicate the simple, nor should we present the complex as simple
C. The obvious problem: PRIDE
Perhaps I Timothy 3:6 was written to address this when choosing new, replacement elders: “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. “
• Pride turns angels into demons.
• Quickly promoted new believers are not the only pride nurturing events
• Some people use the church as an area to work out their psychological issues
• We all want to feel significant, but there are right ways and wrongs way to go about
D. The relationship of the Torah to the gentile Christian is a COMPLEX issue
Our conclusions may vary between us. Some issues: Is it okay for a Christian to get a tattoo? Does God expect the Christian to tithe? If a man divorces and remarries and his second wife leaves him, can he remarry his first wife? Do Christians need to observe the Sabbath Day, which is Saturday? Is it okay to eat blood sausage or blood pudding?
E. The problem of misusing the Law is a CONTEMPORARY problem
Since Jesus ate kosher, and, since some say, we are to imitate Jesus, must we eat kosher?
Do we have to keep the 10 Commandments to be saved?
II. The Torah is Good, But Must Be Used LAWFULLY (8)
A. As Scripture, the TORAH is both inspired and useful for doctrine (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
B. The Torah (Law) was given to Israel and is BUNDLED
• Not given to the entire world, as was the Covenant of Noah (Genesis 9)
1. Part of the Law's purpose pertains to governing God's chosen NATION (Theocracy)
2. Part of the Law's purpose pertains to Jewish RITUAL (Temple Worship)
3. Part of the Law's purpose pertains to making Israel UNIQUE (e.g., kosher laws, sabbath)ß
4. Part of the Law's purpose pertains to God's ABSOLUTE moral standards
5. Part of the Law's purpose is to expose our sin and lead us to faith in JESUS (Gal. 3:21-24)
6. Part of the Law's purpose is to train us in WISDOM (Psalm 119:99-101)
7. Cannot always tell God's eternal moral law except by CONVERGENCE in New Testament
Aaron Blumer writes, “My view is that God's standard of righteousness is timeless and the Mosaic covenant is but one expression of it for a particular group of people for a particular space of time. The entire covenant…has been superseded ... However, some of it's rules are identical to God's timeless standard of righteousness (His Law--in the higher, non-Mosaic sense).”
C. No one can be saved/justified by LAW KEEPING (Romans 3:20, 28; Galatians 2:16)
Romans 3:28, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”
Galatians 2:16, “...yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
D. Jewish believers who are trusting in Christ alone for salvation can be Torah observant if they CHOOSE to do so (Acts 21:20-25, Romans 3:30)
In Acts 21:20-25, the apostles are speaking to Paul: “ And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
E. Gentile believers are urged not to become TORAH observant (I Corinthians 7:18)
F. Much of the New Testament is a Midrash on the TORAH, applicable to all believers
Those NT Midrashim, teachings, based on the Law can be called “The Law of Christ” or the “teachings of Grace.”
G. The Law is FOUNDATIONAL to the rest of Scripture
III. Unregenerate People Need a Law System, Gospel Believers are TRANSFORMED and RESTRAINED by the Gospel (8-11)
A. False teachers argued that GENTILE believers would live sinfully if not Torah observant
• God’s Law and man’s law is intended to restrain sin and well as guide the righteous
B. They did not understand the TRANSFORMING power of Gospel of grace
1. Some who believe we can lose salvation often have a similar misunderstanding
2. Mike E. at Moody “they believe you can sin all you want”
3. Those who are truly regenerate may and do falter, but they remain by and large true
C. The relevant aspects of the Torah have been COMMUNICATED in the New Testament
D. A system of Law – including Torah -- does help restrain the UNREGENERATE
E. At the same time, believers can apply the PRINCIPLES of the Law
Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope...”
There is much wisdom in the Law. For example, building codes demand parapets for balconies, 7 year limit on bankruptcy, and special protection against preferring both the rich or poor in court. We are not living under the Torah as a system, but we need its wisdom and principles today!
