What Highest Respect for the Law Looks Like
“He answered them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ “For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.” He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God”;’ then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.”” (Mark 7:6-13 WEB)
When the Pharisees tried to keep the Law, it’s like they were cheating by amending the questions in a very difficult exam paper.
They added their own man-made traditions and commandments in, to try and make what was impossible to keep, more manageable—and they still failed.
The Pharisees tried to appear holy by keeping their own version of the Law, but the very act of depending on the works of the Law for righteousness shows their disrespect for the Law’s holiness—for no man who was born into sin can ever keep it perfectly.
Today whoever still tries to live by the Ten Commandments doesn’t know what they’re doing.
They’re essentially saying: “God, save and bless me based on my best efforts at obedience, not Jesus’ perfect obedience at the cross.”
I don’t insult or ridicule the Law because I have the highest regard for its perfect holiness—Yahweh (Jesus) wrote it by His own hand and had it given to Moses on Mount Sinai.
It’s also why I would never try to earn my righteousness through it because if you fail in one commandment, you become guilty of breaking the whole Law.
“For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.” (James 2:10-11 WEB)
The Law is holy, but mortal man is not. That’s why we need Jesus.
That’s why God had to establish the New Covenant of Grace—because the Old Covenant of the Law was faulty in the sense that no man could ever become righteous through it.
How did Jesus fulfill the Law for us? Not just by living a perfect life of obedience. That part only qualified Him to be an unblemished sin offering.
The Law necessitates that the wages of sin is death and that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.
Jesus fulfilled the Law on our behalf by shedding His precious blood and dying on the cross for our sins.
We are no longer slaves of sin because our debt has been paid in full.
The one sacrificial offering of Jesus far out-values all the blood of goats and bulls that was ever offered by the Jews throughout history.
Having died to the Law (for Gentiles it’s our conscience), our spirits have been raised to new life, recreated in perfect righteousness, to live forever to God.
The life of a child of God is not servitude to the Law, but rather obedience to the Holy Spirit.
We are not unappreciated slaves being forced to serve a hard taskmaster, but rather beloved sons choosing to trust and obey a good father!
Your patronage helps to keep us writing and delivering quality content at least twice a day, everyday!
Join as a “God Every Morning” tier or above patron to receive daily Bible studies and devotionals.
We will be starting a brand new teaching series soon called “Younger and Younger”—the Holy Spirit is going to work miracles of physical youth renewal among our patrons!
Remember to click “Show more levels” to see all tiers: http://Patreon.com/miltongohblog
Prefer to just send a one-time love gift? You can do so here on our Ko-Fi page: http://ko-fi.com/Miltongohblog
#Gospel #Jesus
Search