Did No One Keep the Law but Christ?
By J. H. Totman
WHILE in conversation not long since with one that claimed that God's law was abolished, he stated that no one ever kept the law of God but Jesus Christ, and he broke the Sabbath. When he was referred to John 15: 10, to the words of Jesus, “I have kept my Father's commandments.” Well, he replied, he did not keep it as the Jews did; notwithstanding he had just said that no one ever kept it but Christ. The fallacy of such assertions will appear by consulting the word of God. WE read that Abraham obeyed God's voice, and kept his laws. Gen 26: 5. Oh! says one, the law did not exist until they got to Sinai, so it could not have been God's moral law (which condemns sin). But Paul says that sin is not imputed when there is no law. Rom. 5: 13. And again, “Sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3: 4. Again it is recorded of the Sodomites that they were wicked, and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. Gen. 13: 13. And again, see the principle of the seventh commandment in Gen. 20: 6. This was more than 400 years before Sinai. But to return. David said, I have kept thy law. Ps. 119: 55. Again, it is recorded of Caleb and Joshua that they followed the Lord wholly. Num. 32: 12. Webster's definition of the word follow, is to obey; hence they obeyed God. Again, it is said of Jeroboam, that he had not been as his (God's) servant David had been who kept God's commandments, following the Lord with all his heart. See 1 Kings, 14: 8. Even Daniel's enemies confessed that he was a servant of the living God (see Webster's third definition of servant); for they confessed they could find no fault with him, unless they found it concerning the law of his God. Dan. 6: 5-20. Now if the law was not kept by any one but Christ, will they harmonize such a theory with these records and with Luke 1: 5, 6. Will they tell us how Zacharias and Elizabeth could have been righteous and not have kept the law; for it is recorded of them that they walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. The third message says, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Oh! that men would not be willingly ignorant of the truth.