The Character of God's Law

So many professing Christians today are afraid of trying to keep God's law, the ten commandments, just in case they are being legalistic. The problem lies with what the Pharisees did. They went the wrong way with God's law, in that they did not keep it out of love for God. And because of the way they treated the law of God, it has caused the majority of professing Christians today to not even try keeping it. Satan worked a great deception through the Pharisees that has caused God's law to be thrown in the trash by many people today. So in this study we are going to find out the character and nature of God's law and see what the Bible has to say about the ten commandments.

How many law givers are there? ..... James 4:12 .....'There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy.' ..... So God is the one law giver. And what is said of the stability of God's character? ..... Malachi 3:6 .....'For I am the Lord, I change not.' ..... So many Christians today ignore this important Bible verse and keep suggesting that we, "church", need to change with the times. We need to change with the world and become more worldly in order to win the world for Christ. No! This is wrong! God never changes, therefore what He requires of us never changes either. What is the character of God's works? ..... Psalm 111:7-8 .....'The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.' ..... The way God does things never changes, and the way we serve Him should never change either!

How about God's law, what is the character of His law? ..... Romans 7:14 .....'For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.' ..... Now if there is a change in one's life, from the carnal to the spiritual, does the law of God have any part in that change? ..... Psalm 19:7 .....'The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.' ..... Yes!! The law of the Lord is used to convert the carnal soul into a spiritual one.

What did Christ say About the Law?

Let's take a look at what Christ Jesus revealed about the Law of God, the ten commandments. What did Christ say to the young man who enquired about eternal life? ..... Matthew 19:17 .....'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.'

So keeping the commandments according to Jesus, is associated with entering into eternal life. So was it the intention of Christ to abolish or change any part of God's law, as many professing Christians teach? ..... Matthew 5:18 .....'For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.' ..... The answer is a plain no! So what did the Saviour say He came to do to the law of God? ..... Matthew 5:17 .....'Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.' ..... Take a look at the meaning of that word fulfil, and you will find it actually means "to exalt", or "to bring full meaning". So Christ came to exalt the law of God and bring full meaning to it. He did not come to abolish the law.

What did Jesus say He came into the world to do? ..... Hebrews 10:7 .....'Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.' ..... So Christ Jesus came to do God's will. Did He keep the ten commandments? Yes. And who did the Saviour say should be saved in the kingdom of heaven? ..... Matthew 7:21 .....'Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.' ..... Now what did Christ say about those who break God's commandments and teach others to do the same? ..... Matthew 5:19 .....'Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.' ..... What does this mean? Those who are called great in the kingdom of heaven will be saved, but those who are called least will be lost.

Have a real good think about the Bible verse above in Matthew 5. What did the Pharisees do? Did they not teach mean to break God's commandments by their own traditions? Yes they did! ..... Matthew 15:9 .....'But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' ..... So according to the verse in Matthew 5:19, the Pharisees will be called least in the kingdom of heaven and are lost. Now what did Jesus say of those whose righteousness (right doing) did not exceed that of the Phrisees? ..... Matthew 5:20 .....'For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.' ..... Wow! The majority of professing Christians will say that we need not keep the law of God anymore, and yet Jesus says that to enter into the kingdom of heaven, our righteousness (right doing, ie, keeping the law) needs to EXCEED that of the Pharisees!

Now on what point did Christ reprove the Pharisees? ..... Matthew 15:3 .....'But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?' ..... How did they transgress God's command? ..... Matthew 15:4-6 .....'For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.' ..... The Pharisees were guilty of breaking this one commandment by replacing it with a TRADITION that was handed down to them. Sounds rather like the tradition of "Sunday" worship that Christians have replaced God's true seventh day sabbath with! And what does Jesus say that causes? They no longer worship in spirit and truth, and their worship is in vain.

God's Law in Judgment

By what rule will man's actions be weighed in the judgment? ..... Romans 2:12-13 .....'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; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified).' ..... It is by God's ten commandments, His eternal law of love that men are judged, and we can see a glimpse of this in the book of Revelation ..... Revelation 11:19 .....'And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.' ..... This is a judgment scene and at the centre of this scene is the ark of the testament, which contains the ten commandments. See THIS PAGE for more information on the time of judgment.

Now what blessing will be bestowed upon those who do keep the commandments of God (all ten of them)? ..... Revelation 22:14 .....'Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.'

It is not to be taken that simply keeping the ten commandments will give one a place in the heavenly kingdom, because by deeds of the law no one shall be saved. But we MUST show willingness to yield to the commands of God before we can ever have the blood of Christ to wash away our sins. God is eternal and never changes. The ten commandments came from this same God and are also eternal and cannot be changed or done away with. The character of God's law is an eternal, unchangeable character.