FAITH ESTABLISHES THE LAW
By T. H. Starbuck
Ministration of Death and the Ministration of the Spirit — Law and Citizenship — Pardons — Ordained to Life “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Rom. 3:31. Sin is antinomian in its tendencies; and in our excessively antinomian age, we hear even teachers of the Word contending that the law of God was abolished at the cross. This is especially true when the claims of the fourth commandment are taught as binding under the Christian dispensation. The contention is that Christians are under grace, and not under the exactions of law; but this is certainly an error, as the following will show: DISESTABLISHED IN THE UNBELIEVER
The scripture previously quoted proves that faith establishes the law. That being true, in the unbeliever the law is disestablished, or is not operating normally. Sin does not take the transgressor from under the dominion of the law, but so changes his relation to it that he is under its ministration of death; “for the wages of sin is death.” The Scriptures voice this truth: “Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?” Rom. 7:1. The illustration which follows shows that its dominion holds both in a state of sin and in a state of righteousness. There are but two conditions under which a person can stand related to the divine law: first, the relation of obedience; second, that of disobedience. In both states, the law’s dominion holds secure while the individual lives. It is very evident, then, that the believer is under a dominion in which the righteousness of the law is established in his life, while the sinner is under a dominion in which condemnation is established; and the inevitable fiat in the former case is life, while in the latter it is death. From this, we know that the divine law is capable of two ministrations. THE TWO MINISTRATIONS EMPHASIZED
The third chapter of 2 Corinthians enforces the foregoing conclusion, showing that the two conditions previously mentioned are named the ministration of death, or of condemnation, and the ministration of the spirit, or of righteousness, which is practically the ministration of life. This is all perfectly consistent and natural in regard to law. The same is true of human law. In fact, no law is of any value unless it is capable of two ministrations. This same scripture teaches that the ministration of death is disannulled in the believer through faith in Christ, and that the ministration of the spirit takes the place of that which was disannulled. This argument of the apostle differs verbally from that which he uses in Rom. 7:1, but its meaning is precisely the same,—that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives; hence it is evident that every member of Adam’s race is under one or the other of these two ministrations of divine law. OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW AND CITIZENSHIP
Here is an illustration which the rational mind can easily comprehend: When a citizen of the state violates the law, he is punished or corrected by the law that he transgressed, not by some other law, or without law. After receiving his punishment, if he is restored to citizenship, his relation to the law is precisely what it was before he violated it; and every intelligent mind knows that he cannot retain that relation and his citizenship without obedience to the laws of the state. It is also true that under certain conditions, the governor of the state can legally pardon a criminal, while he is serving his sentence of punishment. In such a case, the pardon disannuls the ministration of punishment, and restores the individual to the ministration of liberty and citizenship that he enjoyed before he violated the law. The principle of the divine government is similar to that of the human. The subjects of divine government are free and in a condition of endless life by means of the divine law. If, however, they transgress that law, punishment becomes inevitable, and they lose their rights and immunities as citizens, and become alienated under sin and death. The law which was life to them while they were in a state of loyalty, now becomes the means whereby they are punished. In that state of alienation, the gospel offers them pardon on condition that they repent and become obedient to the law. If the sinner accepts the proffered conditions, his faith, in cooperation with the divine pardon, disannuls the ministration of death which he was under, and he passes naturally under the ministration of righteousness and life. MINISTRATION OF THE SPIRIT COMES AT ONCE
It is thus evident that the ministration of death can be done away in Christ; but the ministration of the spirit immediately takes its place. If this transaction could not take place in the divine economy, sinners could not be saved. It is a provision of divine mercy. Acceptance of gospel terms means salvation; but this work can be done for sinners only by a judicious use of the law, which will reveal to them their sins, and also the righteousness of the Author of the law, and the desirability of becoming citizens of His government rather than aliens under its wrath. When the sinner is thus restored to citizenship in the kingdom of heaven, his relation to the law will be exactly what it would have been had he never fallen into a state of sin; and the law which he had violated, is a chief agent in bringing about that happy change. The aim of the law is righteousness and life; and the purpose of the gospel is exactly the same. There is no conflict between them; and the gospel uses the law as its efficient agency. The law and the gospel are inseparably connected in the plan of salvation. “The law worketh wrath; for where no law is, there is no transgression.” Rom. 4:15. Were there no law, there could be no sin, and there would be no need of the gospel. Hence the existence of the gospel proves that the law also exists, and that there can be no abolition of its claims; and as the gospel is specially designed for the present age, the law still prevails with unabated force. The law is essential to life, for righteousness springs from obedience to its claims. “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.” Prov. 12:28. Sinners have forfeited all claim to endless life, because they have gone outside of the pathway of life by entering upon the way of transgression. The law is ordained to life. Rom. 7:10. Those who place themselves in the way of obedience, thus come into the way of eternal life. There is no way or possibility of placing the sinner in the path ordained to life without making him loyal to the law of life; and no agency aside from the law can do that work. The law is the right arm of the gospel. The two are so related that there can be no antagonism or separation between them. The word of God is very clear on this point, testifying that “the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” In the New Testament, the apostle, speaking of conversion from sin, affirms that “the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Gal. 3:24. And again it is asserted that the purpose of the law is the righteousness of Christ. Rom. 10:4. Within the jurisdiction of a state, its power is represented by its laws; and this is also true of the kingdom of heaven. The sustaining, governing power of God is inherent in His laws; for they are the agencies by which He is working out His eternal designs. The law ordained to life is the power of a sinless life; and as a repentant sinner553returns to Christ by the act of faith, he is brought under the efficiency of that power. Jesus said: “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24. Paul affirms that “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Here he refers to the abolition of the “ministration of death,” which is accomplished when the sinner comes into Christ by the act of faith and obedience. A return to the primitive state of obedience is the only possible way of salvation. God cannot change His form of government, nor abate the righteous claims of His law in order to save the sinner. Conversion is a miracle of divine grace, when we realize that God uses the law against which the “carnal mind” is at enmity, to slay that enmity, and establish the soul in harmony with the righteousness of His moral government. The moral law is a revelation of divine attributes. It is not all stern justice; the attribute of mercy as well is revealed in it. A law with only stern justice in it cannot fitly reveal the character of God. To be perfect, a law must also reveal the attribute of mercy. A truthful representation of divine government teaches that its laws dispense mercy as well as justice to repentant sinners. “By the law is the knowledge of sin.” Rom. 3:20. It reveals the righteousness of Christ. It shows, through the gospel, that God is merciful to such as love Him; and it is the agent in His hand for the destruction of the carnal nature, to bring the soul into harmony with God. We cannot marvel that the apostle to the gentiles contends that faith establishes the law.