THE LAW OF GOD | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 8, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 26.

THE LAW OF GOD.

The Law That Was Abolished, and the Law of God.

(Lesson 14.—Sabbath, July 24.)

1. WHAT has Christ abolished in his flesh? "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace." Eph. 2: 15.

2. What is love? "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5: 3.

3. Can the same thing be both love and enmity? Certainly not.

4. In another place what testimony did Paul give concerning the law of God? "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Rom. 7: 12.

5. How did he feel toward it? "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man." Rom. 7: 22.

6. Then can it be the law of God, or the ten commandments, that is spoken of as "the enmity" in Eph. 2: 15? No; Paul would not apply the term "enmity" to that which he loved.

7. What did God speak to the people from Sinai? "And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire; ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice. And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone." Deut. 4: 12, 13.

8. Did he speak any other words in the hearing of the people beside the ten commandments? "These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me." Deut. 5: 22.

9. When the Lord had finished speaking the ten commandments, what did the people say? "And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." Ex. 20: 19.

10. What did Moses and the people then do? "And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was." Ex. 20: 21.

11. How did the Lord, after he had given the ten commandments, give other instruction to the people? "And madest known unto them thy holy Sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant." Neh. 9: 14.

12. Where do we find some of the things which the Lord gave through Moses? Exodus, chapters 25-30.

13. Is there any part of the instruction that has reference to flesh? Lev. 4; 6: 25-30; 10: 16-18.

14. Did these offerings really take away sin? "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." Heb. 10: 4.

15. Who only can really take away sin? "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1: 29. "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." Heb. 9: 26.

16. How did Christ bear our sins? "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed." 1 Peter 2: 24.

17. Of what must we be partakers in order to have eternal life? "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6: 53, 54.

18. Were the sacrifices to be continued after Christ suffered? "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me." Heb. 10: 4, 5.

19. Then how were they done away? Christ abolished them "in his flesh;" that is, they found their fulfillment in the body of Christ.

20. Were these ordinances a cause of enmity between the Jews and the Gentiles? "And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them." Acts 11: 2, 3.

21. After Christ, did this cause of enmity exist? "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." Gal. 6: 15.

22. Through Christ what union was effected? "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." Eph. 2: 16-18.

23. Are those thus brought together planted on a new foundation? "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." Eph. 2: 19, 20.

24. After circumcision and the ceremonies connected with it had passed away, what still remained in full force? "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God." 1 Cor. 7: 19.

God's service runs counter to the world's requirements. Hence there must be a collision. A man who will serve God will clash with the world. . . . The world hates God, and will not recognize his exclusive demands. Political, commercial, and social customs will bring a tyrannical pressure upon the soul, and the Christian in the name of his God will have to resist. If he resist, he will meet with scorn, contempt, insult, persecution, according to the ability of those about him. His own family will sometimes ridicule and despise him. The fiery furnace has different forms. The more resolute he is, the more wrath the world has and the hotter will it make the fire. Then is the opportunity for the Christian to triumph in his faith and to taste the glory of his position as with God. Deceit, Sabbath-breaking, impurity, fraud, lying, intrigue, to which the customs of the age allure the Christian, are all forms of idolatry; for they are revolts from God after the gods of ambition or carnality.—Crosby.

BEWARE of shrinking from the exposition of truths which you fear will be unpalatable to the better classes of the flock; of altering, by little and little, your message, under the soft excuses of not giving needless offense, of not being understood, of the necessity of consulting the feelings of influential people who will be shocked by this truth. Give to saint and sinner a portion in due season, and neither fear the frown nor court the smile of any.—Methodist Recorder.