THE LAW OF MOSES:
ABOLISHED BY CHRIST – YES,
BUT WAIT A MINUTE!
THE LAW OF MOSES:
ABOLISHED BY CHRIST – YES,
BUT WAIT A MINUTE!
JAN LILLEBY
Many of you may have sifted through my articles in which I explain the Biblical truth of the Law of Moses having been abolished.
My main quotes has been (and still is) Eph. 2:14, 15; Col. 2:14-17, reading,
From AMP net version:
«14For He Himself is our peace and our bond of unity. He who made both groups—[Jews and Gentiles]—into one body and broke down the barrier, the dividing wall [of spiritual antagonism between us],
15by abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the hostility caused by the Law with its commandments contained in ordinances [which He satisfied]; so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thereby establishing peace.” (Eph. 2:14, 15)
«14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands [which were in force] against us and which were hostile to us. And this certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross.
15When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross.
16Therefore let no one judge you in regard to food and drink or in regard to [the observance of] a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.
17Such things are only a shadow of what is to come and they have only symbolic value; but the substance [the reality of what is foreshadowed] belongs to Christ.” (Col. 2:14-17)
From NASB net version:
“14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,” (Eph. 2:14, 15)
«14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-
17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Col. 2:14-17)
These few quotes from Ephesians and Colossians does away with all uncertainty and wavering doubt regarding whether the Law of Moses really has been abolished, and actually blotted out.
BUT WAIT A MINUTE!
The reason I say this, is to clarify what manner of understanding we have to employ to get this whole thing straight.
It is obvious to us that even if the Law of Moses has been ‘littered’ – the ethics and morale found in it are NOT.
For instance, we just read above Col. 2:16, 17 which is Paul’s way of telling us that the abolishment of the Law is first and foremost those things which fore-shadowed the things to come: Christ and His fulfillment of the Law and the prophets.
Thus Paul points out for us that all Law-based ordinances have ended…such as holy feast days, New Moon calendar adjustments, Sabbaths, food rules of what to eat and what not, - for these things were just part of what God pointed to in that He should one day send His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for all sin.
The absence of the Law of Moses does not mean that from now on everything is lawful. “Just go ahead, get drunk, get yourself as many illegal mistresses you want, steal as much as you want, kill and extort and make havoc…it is now all lawful and you shall not be punished!”
Only fools think like that. Every normal believing Christian will easily understand that the morale and all ethics mentioned in the Law is STILL VALID and should be followed.
EPHESIANS 5 PROVES IT
Eph. 5:3-8 is a sharp exhortation from Paul’s hand – and we find same morale as in the Law, NASB net version,
«3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know with certainty, that no * immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.” (Editor’s emphasize)
Particularly verse 5 is very sharp, as Paul not only refers to hetero-sexual immorality (adultery), and greed of money – which is classified as idolatry, but indeed he also warns against homo-sexuality. The word ‘impure person’ is found in Romans too, where he exhorts and warns against all types of sinfulness, like Rom. 1:21-32 NASB net version, I have emphasized verse 24 -
«21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural *,
27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge * God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;
32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
We clearly see that the use of ‘impurity’ in verse 24 refers to homo-sexual practices. It is flat out condemned by God in His Holy Bible.
As a Christian, I cannot engage in all sorts of campaigns against the gay ‘Rainbow’ communities in the world. When I write about these things, it is to tell CHRISTIANS that they cannot expect to be saved by Christ if they live and practice a gay lifestyle….living out their lusts and pleasures. Neither can a Christian expect to get saved if he or she lives out a sinful lifestyle, not honoring their marital contract. The world out there is something I can only try to influence, warning against this. But I cannot physically stop anyone. I cannot interfere with their lives. That is what Paul refers to when he said that we shall be ‘Light in the world’. We influence the world so it will take to the faith in Christ and get saved by faith.
The abolishment and the blotting out of the Law of Moses are not in such a way that we can now do as we like. We will have to fight sin, and keep away from sin as much as we manage. We must be enemies of sin. In our lives.
THE NATURAL FUNCTION OF SEX
A key-word is used by Paul: “Natural function” - verse 27.
The Bible thus classifies homo-sexuality as an unnatural and perverse sexual practice.
Thus the natural practice must be….hetero-sexual. Man with a woman. Alternately a life without any sexual relationship, called celibacy.
God did not create Adam and then create for him Allan…so they could have that kind of homo-sexual relationship. No, thank God, He created for him Eve, and so humankind was started, and up until this very day people are having children and when these children become adults, they marry and get their own children…and so on and so forth. It’s not ‘Rocket Science’. It’s enough with ‘The Flowers and the Bees’- theology to understand that two-sexes lifestyle is the normal, and shall stay so as long as humankind exists.
The Pride-festivals held in the streets of many cities are a clear expression of their rebellion against what is a natural lifestyle. They try to make the unnatural and perverse lifestyle become a new normal.
Time will show how this ends.
Actually, the Bible already has foretold of what the end of this will be: Jude, verses 1-16, NASB net version,
«1 Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:
2 May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.
3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.
4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.
6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,
7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
8 Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.
9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.
11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
12 These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;
13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.
14 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones,
15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.”
Editor’s emphasize.
Verse 7 quoted from AMP net version reads,
«..just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjacent cities, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in gross immoral freedom and unnatural vice and sensual perversity. They are exhibited [in plain sight] as an example in undergoing the punishment of everlasting fire.”
We see that the words ‘unnatural vice and sensual perversity’ are used, where NASB says ‘Indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh’. So it cannot be any doubt that the Bible is pointing to homo-sexual life style and practices. Jude therefore found it right to point to Sodom and Gomorrah for warning the believers in his time. But also pointing forward to the end time.
Yes – Christ took away, and He abolished and blotted out the Law of Moses with its commandments and ordinances, but He did not blotted out the regular and ever valid morale and ethics portrayed in the Bible!
Take care!
Eph. 4:30 speaks of the very same matter, NASB net version,
« Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
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