The Perpetuity of God's Law
By J. O. Corliss
T is a striking fact that every characteristic of God, such as His name, His righteousness, and His strength, like the essence of His very being, is said to be eternal, or everlasting. When one takes a moment's thought on this point, he readily sees that it could not be otherwise; for whatever attribute one exhibits, he does so because that particular quality is an essential part of his actual nature. In the case of Jehovah, however, one finds infinitely more latitude of application in this respect than can be looked for among men. With Him the vitality of nature attaches to everything with which He connects Himself. For instance, His kingdom is called an "everlasting kingdom" (Dan. 7: 27), over which He is to reign forever. Rev. 11: 15. This proposition suggests the question as to the standard by which this eternal kingdom will be regulated; for surely the very expression "kingdom" intimates a ruling power to whom subjects will be amenable. This may be determined through the solution of another interesting question; namely, that of the association of the saints in their eternal home — this "everlasting" kingdom of God. Upon the very best authority, we are told that the purpose of Christ is finally to "gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth." Eph. 1: 10. From this it is clear that the future associates of the redeemed are to be the angels of God. Why should not this be so? The angels are sinless; the redeemed also will be sinless; and as there is to be but one "everlasting kingdom" of God, where would the ransomed sinner find a place, if not with the angels, who are the original inhabitants of the regions of bliss? But to have a basis of confidence on this point, one has but to read the following: "The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all." Ps. 103: 19. This inspired verse sets at rest every inquiry regarding the unity of God's government. But one may ask, Will not the law of that kingdom change when earth's delivered saints are transferred to its jurisdiction? That would not be possible; for having lived under certain regulations throughout all past centuries, only confusion would ensue to the angels as the result of any such attempt. Besides, the rule under which these heavenly beings have always lived has been a perfect one, in exact harmony with the design of their heavenly King. To change that rule in any particular, at any time, would be to mar its perfection, and thus destroy its identity with the character of Him whose will it has ever voiced. The question may now be brought forward as to the constitution of Heaven's rule to which the angelic host deferentially respond. The psalmist settles this by saying, "Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, harkening unto the voice of His word." By this we may rest assured that whatever utterance issues from Jehovah regarding His universal kingdom, the angels harken submissively to it, and obey it with alacrity, in the same way it is designed for man to do. Otherwise that part of the Lord's prayer which supplicates, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," would be entirely out of place, and therefore an unreasonable request. Every one who repeats this prayer, whether understandingly or not, really asks for the same rule of government over him that controls the forces of heaven; and this is the law of Ten Commandments, which God delivered to His people from Sinai's heights, in the presence of all the angelic host. Deut. 33: 2; Ps. 68: 17. This is and ever has been the one universal law of heaven and earth, from the eternity of the past, down through the history of patriarchs and prophets. It was the teaching of Christ throughout His earthly ministry, and was recognized in all the general epistles of the New Testament writers. Thus the Saviour gave force to His exhortation to observe the "Golden Rule" of doing to others as one would have others do to him, by saying, "For this is the law and the prophets." Matt. 7: 12. This was equivalent to that other impressive remark of His when, defining the second great commandment of the law, He said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Matt. 22: 39. This, however, was but a repetition of the Old Testament teaching along this line. This particular point was there strongly set forth as an important feature of the Ten Commandments. Lev. 19: 18, 34. Every principle of doctrine taught by the Saviour had its foundation in the Ten Commandments, the one universal law of Heaven's government. Indeed it could not be otherwise, and He retain His oneness with His Father. John 10: 30. It was this enduring, loving union that bound Him to the observance of His Father's commandments (John 15: 10); because as those commandments expressed the will of God, and as the Saviour's will was in perfect concord with God's will, He could have no other inclination of heart but to follow the direction of God's expressed will. On a certain occasion, when answering a question as to the time when God's kingdom would be manifest to the world, the Saviour said that the kingdom sought was not an outward affair, but an inward reality, that is, a thing of the heart. Luke 17: 20, 21. The people to whom this explanation was made, evidently had looked for the coming of a visible king to sit on David's throne, who would rule his subjects like all earthly kings. This seems to have been the extent of their religious teaching regarding the Messiah's anticipated reign. The mystery of an inward prompting or control of heart impulses was not outlined in their religious curriculum. This was reserved for those who accepted Christ as the Son and Heir of the eternal God. Mark 4: 11; Rom. 8: 17. The Law a More Vital Issue
This ignorance of the people was not due to any lack on God's part. In harmony with His well-established custom, He had sent them word that the time would come when He would make His law a more vital issue to His people, by putting it in their inward parts, and writing it in their hearts. He would then, He declared, be their God, and make them His people. Jer. 31: 33. How much better this than having the law simply engraved in stone, where it was to them, through the weakness of their flesh (Rom. 8: 3), but a dull, passive instrument! The Jews did not comprehend this; hence the teaching of the Lord Jesus, that the kingdom of God, the power to control their life impulses, was to be within them. Up to the time of John the Baptist, the law and prophets had been preached, without attaching to them their inherent significance. But when Christ appeared as Messiah, He preached these as the essence of the kingdom of God to rule the life conduct of God's loyal subjects; for said He, "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle [a horn, or small discriminating point, on Hebrew letters] of the law to fail." Luke 16: 17. The design of God's law was never for any other purpose than to point the way of loyalty to the kingdom of God. When received into the heart, its intended abode, it converts the soul from disloyalty to true allegiance to the government of Heaven. Ps. 19: 7. In Christ's earth life, He walked in perfect accord with God's law, thus revealing to an apostate people just how its commandments should be kept. In other words, Christ was a living exemplification of the righteousness of the law. He therefore presented to the world the law's design, in His own life, and so became the end, or design, of the law for righteousness to every one9who believes in His work for man. Rom. 10: 4. Christ's Delight in the Law
As surety for those who enter into new covenant relation with God, Christ first came to earth in the flesh, and lived the law in man's behalf, as a true example and "fore-runner" for redeemed sinners. He delighted to do this in behalf of fallen man, because the law was "in His heart." Ps. 40: 8; Heb. 10: 7, 10. His ministry is counted a "more excellent" one than that of the Levitical priests (Heb. 8: 6), for the reason that His administration was to be in behalf of the new covenant, which requires its adherents to have the law written in their hearts. Thus God says: "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; . . . I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people." Verse 10. This, in fact, is the only ordained way by which aliens from God may become acquainted with their Redeemer. Verse 11. The mysterious attribute of God's life that gives forth a knowledge of Him, dwells in His royal law, and that through His own appointment. True, he who has not Christ within does not have life (1 John 5: 12); but Christ carries life to the believer, because He is one with God, by having the law of God in His heart. So by properly receiving the Saviour of men, one takes Him into the heart, with the kingly law (James 2: 8) which He carries in His own heart of love. Then to discard the claims of God's law is to reject the new covenant; and to throw this aside is to ignore the work of Christ in behalf of men. It is far better to acknowledge the spirituality of the law, and one's own personal carnality (Rom. 7: 14); for then there is hope of better days. But it is surely a fatal step to deny the claims of God's law upon men.