Spiritual Law
Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
The reality of our society is that we cannot impose faith on others. The Constitution of the United States forbids a state sponsored religion. While the first Amendments is interpreted in many different ways no one has pushed successfully for a Christian theocracy.
Acts 2:38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Faith is a gift not something we can impose on other people. Parents may be able to influence their children but when they leave the nest it now becomes their decision to keep the faith.
Matthew 10:15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
However with choice you have consequences. Some of these consequences are earthly with the destruction of Babylon and eventually the ruin of the Earth in Revelation. Noah’s flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Even if these “physical” punishments do not come to past in your life they surely will come in the next life. So while we give people the free choice to commit crimes they are indeed arrested and punished for doing so by our police agencies.
Romans 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
There are those who I have discussed with that feel the Mosaic Law was abolish by Christ and that we are justified by faith. This notion comes from Paul’s numerous mentions of circumcision and the law. What is stated is that the law of the Commandments are not to be abolished but Jewish customs created by man were no longer relevant or necessary in Christian society. At the time Paul raced to convert as many as possible in the Roman Empire. By doing so there was a clash between Jewish Christians and Gentiles on tradition. Paul preaches faith rather than Jewish law but ironically he is given permission to preach such things by St. Peter who was the leader of the Christian Church. By no means did Paul advocate spiritual anarchy.
From Jesus’ own actions we see that Jesus and his parents followed the Jewish law.
Luke 2:22And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
2: 24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
2:39And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
The parents of Jesus also obeyed the laws of the Roman Empire even though it was a harsh journey especially for the very pregnant Mary.
Luke 3 And all went to be taxed, F6 every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed F7 with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
St. John the Baptist baptized soldiers with this: Luke 3:14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence F13 to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. So in this case as well St. John the Baptist doesn’t scold the soldiers for being soldiers. In a society of law soldiers were necessary to keep order even if they sinned against Christians on numerous occasions.
Luke 16: 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one title of the law to fail.
A special emphasis in the Bible to know the law can be found in: John 7:49 But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.
Acts 7:51-53 51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
Acts 21:24Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
During Paul’s trial he had this to say concerning the law he supposedly abolished.
8 While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.
It is important to not just hear the law but to act upon the teachings.
2 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified
Romans 2:25For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
Romans 7:2For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
7:12Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
So we get a picture that the law is important, but what exactly is the law?
Romans 7:3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
Romans 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain F8 God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
While Paul and Christ specifically preached against certain acts Christ also provides us with the greatest commandment but not the only commandment.
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 19: 16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
With such importance on the law and so many laws to consider it would seem the whole world is doomed to hell, but there is hope yet. Through faith and repentance for sins we can make ourselves clean again. Through Baptism we make ourselves whole again. Not to say we should all get baptized on our death beds but to live a life of obedience to God. I conclude that Paul didn’t abolish the law any more than Christ did. Paul didn’t abolish anything other than Jewish tradition that no longer applied. In no case did Paul preach about Roman law as if it were a source of divinity. Paul preached against human law as it opposed spiritual law. Human law that at times came into conflict with spiritual law as we see in this example:
Luke 13: 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? 16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
1 Timothy 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
The New Testament gives us the knowledge that it isn’t good enough to just follow the law. You must have faith in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The law is imposing a doctrine on all people, but faith is a personal relationship with God that can’t be measured or examined with a microscope.
The next question is whether the law, the laws Christ and Paul have given us, hold any weight in US politics today. If we are “saved” through Christ why should we pray or work to stop injustice in the world.? As faith is dead without works, faith is also dead if you defy God’s law. How can one love God if they defy his law, and not only do so openly, but champion the very sin they commit? As Paul was not “ashamed” to proclaim the Gospel and as the Apostles filled with the Holy Spirit spoke of Jesus we should not be afraid to preach Spiritual Law. As the Bible is not obsolete due to science and technological knowledge it is not in the 21st century culture. While the law will do nothing for the unsaved and those who rebel against God, it would be an encouraging thing for Christians persecuted for their speech and practices. Would it have been better for the early Christians to always be under the assault of the Roman Empire or wouldn’t have been more fruitful to convert the Roman Empire?
Make no mistake, the United States is a swell place, but too many of our laws are in direct objection to Christian teachings. What would Jesus do if he were in an abortion operating room? Just stand by? What would Jesus do about gay marriage authorized by judges rather than the people? What about starvation in the Third World? Greed not just in corporate offices but in the offices of the common man? What about AIDS where people are more vocal about cheaper drugs than they are about behavior? Our culture is in decline even as our Churches convert more every year.
So what is the solution? One easy thing is to not allow your clergy men to openly sin and get away with it. No one denomination holds a monopoly on clergy abuse and law breaking. Consider not allowing someone who proudly defies Christian law a bishop. Promote voting booths and give out information on what your church considers to be just laws. Have your clergy speak out against blatant injustices in the world, and form special groups to deal with social injustice. At the very least vote, don’t care who, as long as there is debate and discussion.
“Did you know there were more students in law school right now than lawyers walking the Earth. We’re coming out, guns blazing. The two of you--all of us--acquittal after acquittal until the stench of it reaches so high into heaven it chokes the whole lot of them! What we cannot legislate we will buy. What we cannot buy we degrade. We will blow every fuse of enlightenment until it looks like a vandalized neon sign!” Milton a.k.a Satan
Devil’s Advocate 1997
“Pray not for me but for yourselves and your children,” Christ
