THE APOSTLES AND THE LAW OF GOD.
By W. L. Iles
Man never can become holy or righteous by his own works or by the “deeds of the law.” This proposition makes it necessary to consider the object of the law. “I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Gal. 2:21. Righteousness comes by Christ, and not by the law, and yet the righteousness we are to have is the righteousness demanded by the law. The law may make certain demands, and still not give that which it demands. The object of the law to the sinner is not to give righteousness, but to present to the world a true standard of righteousness. Because the law will not give righteousness, some have concluded that it is of no good in this dispensation, and that it was abolished at the cross. Shall we consider the law abolished because it will not do for us that for which it was not given? The law being the standard of righteousness, it will reveal that which is not righteousness, or that which is sin. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Rom. 3:20. So long as people need to know that they are sinners, just so long will there be need of the law. It was the law that revealed to Paul that he was a sinner. “I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Rom. 7:7. When Paul found himself a sinner, by a look into the law he received righteousness through Christ. He put on God’s righteousness, and the law bears witness to that righteousness. Rom. 3:21. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Gal. 2:16. The faith that Jesus had while upon earth is that by which we are justified. The faith of Jesus benefits those that believe in him, because they put on a robe of righteousness, woven by the “faith of Jesus.” If we try to weave our own garment by the “works of the law,” then we have no need of Christ. “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” “Do we then make void the law through faith?” God forbid; yea, we establish the law. Faith in Christ does not affect the law only as it establishes it. Faith that makes void the law of God is not a true faith. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Rom. 10:4. The word “end” in this text has the meaning of object, or purpose, as in James 5:11. The object of the law is to get a man to Christ, where he will find a robe of righteousness, which he puts on by faith. Many suppose that this text proves that the law ends, or is abolished, at the cross. How could this be true, when it is only to those that believe? Then the law has not ended yet to those who do not believe. And the unbeliever must keep the law, but the believer can break it. This is a logical conclusion, this false theory. Where to Get Righteousness.
There is only one place to obtain righteousness, and that is in Christ; and there is only one way to get it, after we find where it may be obtained, and that is by faith. There is no other way. It is not by “works;” it is by “faith,” and faith only. “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Rom. 4:5. We may try to get out of the bondage of sin some other way than by faith, but we always fail. We are shut up under the dominion of the law, because of transgression, until we accept of pardon through Christ. If we transgress the law, we are condemned by it, and its penalty hangs over our heads. If a man commits a crime in civil government, and he knows he is guilty, and condemned by the law, he should expect to pay the penalty of his crime, or be pardoned by the governor. The law, by refusing to release its claims upon the individual, until the penalty is paid, or until pardoned, causes the sinner to look for some one who has the power to pardon, and so he is directed to Jesus. As “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), all are guilty and condemned by the law. Then all must pay the penalty of their sins, or look to Jesus for pardon. Christ is the desire of all nations. He alone can satisfy the guilty soul. “That ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins (he said unto the sick of the palsy), I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.” Luke 5:24. Christ proved by this miracle that he could forgive sin. The individual who has not been pardoned is under the condemnation of the law. He is not free, but “shut up,” until the penalty is paid, or until pardoned. “For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Rom. 6:14. What is it to be “under the law”? Let the Bible answer: “If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” Gal. 5:18. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:1. Placing the thoughts of these texts together, we have the following,—to be “led of the Spirit” and to “walk after the Spirit” is a condition of “no condemnation,” and a condition of “not under the law.” Therefore those under condemnation are under the law. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Being the sons of God, we are led by the Spirit of God, and being led by the Spirit of God, we are not under the law. Therefore all who are not the sons of God, or who are unconverted, are under the law, or condemned by the law. When the condemnation is removed, and we are pardoned through Christ, then we are under grace. The only way for us to be in a condition free from sin, and free from condemnation, was for Jesus to take our sin and condemnation upon him. “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Cor. 5:21. We are condemned because we have sinned. We are made free from condemnation because he was “made sin for us.” Jesus bore the condemnation of sin, altho he never sinned. The penalty of the law rested upon him, that we might be free. “He bore our sins and carried our sorrows.” Jesus was then “under the law,” under condemnation, because he bore our sins. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Gal. 4:4, 5.