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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Not Under the Law but Under Grace, #3
For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: (I Thessalonians 4:2,3)
To blithely state we are not under the Law but under grace, or that Christ is the end of the Law, may not be a satisfying response.
It is clear we no longer are required to offer a bull as a fellowship offering. Instead, we are to offer our body as a living sacrifice to the Father.
What about adultery and incest. Is a Christian free to commit adultery and incest? If not, why not? Under what law is the Christian required to refrain from adultery and incest?
One may say, a true Christian will not practice adultery or incest. The fact is, in our day numerous Christian people practice adultery and many molest their own children.
We know how God commanded us to treat adultery and incest under the Law. How does God command us to deal with adultery and incest under the new covenant?
Perhaps if we examine some of the facets of the Law we can speak with more understanding when we state we are not under the Law but under grace, or that Christ is the end of the Law.
Elements of the Law That Have Been Replaced by the New Covenant
The animal sacrifices. The opening chapters of the Book of Leviticus describe the fellowship, peace, sin, trespass, and other offerings. Now that the one perfect sacrifice has been made it would be almost blasphemous to continue with the offering of animals and birds.
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. (Hebrews 7:27)
For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26)
When we say we are not under the Law but under grace, and Christ is the fulfillment of the Law, we may speak with confidence regarding the sacrifice of animals and birds. The blood offered on the cross by the Lord Jesus Christ has made an eternal atonement for the sins of the whole world.
And he is the propitiation [appeasement] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (I John 2:2)
The ordinances of the priesthood and of the Tabernacle of the Congregation. A great part of the Book of Exodus is devoted to the Aaronic priesthood and the ordinances concerning the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
Now that our High Priest, Christ, has come we no longer are bound by the rules of the Aaronic priesthood. He—Christ—is the fulfillment of all tabernacles and temples. He is the aim, the purpose, the end, the fulfillment of the Altar, the Lampstand, the Showbread, and the Ark of the Covenant. All is filled up and revealed in Him; and also in His Church, which is His Body.
Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. (Hebrews 8:1,2)
To be continued.