THAT NO-LAW THEORY

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Mar 19, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 12.

THAT NO-LAW THEORY.

FOR any one to assume that the law of God was done away when Christ died, and is no longer operative, and then to profess faith in Christ as a Saviour from sin since that time, is the height of inconsistency; for "where no law is, there is no transgression." Rom. 4:15. "Sin is not imputed when there is no law." Ch. 5:13. If this no-law theory be true, then there is no need of Christ as a Saviour.

Again, not only the inconsistency, but the fallacy, of the no-law doctrine is shown in the fact of Christ's priesthood in heaven. He is a "high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man." Heb. 8:1, 2. This inspired record was written at least thirty years after the ascension of Christ; yet it asserts in the present tense that "He is set," etc. Now what is the character of the office of a high priest? The next verse tells us: "For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is of necessity that this Man [Christ] have somewhat also to offer." As a high priest, what does He have to offer?—It must be blood, for "without shedding of blood is no remission." But "the blood of bulls and of goats" is not sufficient; so He presents His own blood.

Some claim that He did this on the cross; but His crucifixion was not a priestly act. He was representing the sinner then, and gave Himself as the victim to be slain. The slaying of the victim was always outside of the sanctuary, and the atonement was made inside with the blood. He could not offer His blood in the sanctuary, then, for three reasons: (1) He was dead; (2) that sanctuary was no longer recognized; (3) He could not be a priest on earth because he was not of the tribe of Levi. The earthly priests served "unto the example and shadow of heavenly things." So when Christ ascended to heaven, He began His priestly work, offering His own blood (His life, Himself) in mediation for penitent sinners. There was then a change of the law of the priesthood, a "disannulling of the commandment" that reposed the priesthood in the tribe of Levi; and Christ is a "priest forever [as long as there shall be any priesthood at all] after the order of Melchizedek."

Thus the inconsistency of the no-law doctrine to which we are referring, is emphasized by the fact that Christ is still mediating for sinners (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; 1 John 1:7), and that "sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4. G.