THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD NOT ABOLISHED.
By J. B. Frisbie
THE carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be. Rom. viii, 7. For we know that the law is spiritual. Rom. vii, 14. That we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Rom. vii, 6. The carnal mind may keep the letter of the law, but it requires a spiritual mind to serve in the spirit. Any man may keep the letter without keeping the spirit; but no man can keep the spirit of the law without keeping the letter. "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." 2 Cor. iii, 6. God himself cannot change or abolish any moral or spiritual law ever given by him. The ten commandments include every moral precept of God and nature. Because the law of God and nature are one. For the Lord he is the God of nature. With this agrees the Apostle's reasoning, [Rom. ii, 12.] For as many as have sinned without (the written) law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the (written) law shall be judged by the law, (written,) verse 14. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law (written in tables of stone) do by nature the things contained in the law, they are a law unto themselves: [verse 15:] which shew the work of the law written on their hearts (by nature or reason) their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another; [verse 16:] in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Verse 21. Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Verse 22. Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? This shows what law Paul was writing about. Chap. iii, 9. For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin. Verse 19. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (By this law of ten commandments shall God judge the world. verse 6.) Verse 20. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. Verse 23. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Verse 31. Do we then make void the law through faith, God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Then the law of nature, which is the law of God—the ten commandments, is not abolished but established. By this law could God punish Cain; [Gen. iv, 13;] and bring the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and destroy the Sodomites for their unlawful deeds. 2 Pet. ii, 6-8. Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. Gen. xxvi, 5.46 It is very evident that all of God's law was in existence as taught by nature, long before they were written on mount Sinai by the finger of God on the two tables of stone. These laws are like their Author unchangeable. They are never called the law of Moses, or of the Jews, but "The law of God." The Lord God gave the commandments. Ex. xx, 6. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. 1 John v, 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous. Not a yoke of bondage. These commandments are ten in number. Deut. v, 22. 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. xii, 32. What thing soever I commanded you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. Ps. lxxxix, 34. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Chap. cxi, 7, 8. All his commandments are sure, they stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. Ps. cxix, 132, 151; Isa. li, 5, 6. Matt. v, 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, &c. Mal. iii, 6. For I am the Lord, I change not. James i, 17. Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Heb. vi, 18. It was impossible for God to lie. By this we see that God's law is like himself unchangeable and unalterable during all time. Ps. xix, 7. The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. Rom. vii, 12. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Eccl. xii, 13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Rev. xiv, 12. Here are they that keep the commandments of God.—Blessed are they that do his commandments. Can that which is perfect, holy, just and good which constitutes the duty of man which is to be preached just before the coming of Christ, to the doing of which a blessing is promised, be done away under any consideration? Certainly not. Eph. vi, 2. Honor thy father and mother which is the first commandment with promise. Not if abolished. James ii, 10. For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all. Verse 11. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. This was written in the A. D. 60. There cannot be any mistake as to what law is referred to, inasmuch as two of the ten commands are referred to. Some think we are under law to Christ. Deut. vi, 5. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Lev. xix, 18. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. John xiii, 34. A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another. 1 John iii, 11, 12. For this is the commandment (margin) that ye heard from the beginning, that ye should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one and slew his brother. This commandment then it appears was in being in the days of Cain and Abel in the beginning. It is said that the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John i, 17. Now if Moses gave a law and Christ gave a law and the apostles gave a law, then there must have been many law-givers, in contradiction to the plain declaration that there is but one Law-giver. Therefore we believe that there is but one Law-giver, and that is God. Whether we receive that law through Moses, Christ or the Apostles the substance of them all is contained in the ten commandments. Some suppose because all the ten commandments are not given a second time in the New Testament, that they are under no obligation to keep them that are left out. If this be truth, such may break the first, second, third, fourth and tenth; for just one half of the ten commandments are never quoted at full length in the New Testament. When we tell them this they say, the nine are referred to, leaving out the Sabbath. But unless I am very much mistaken, the Sabbath is mentioned many more times in the New Testament than any other one of the ten. But this is not the grand mistake. I think that such do not understand that God has never promised to give but one new edition of his law, and that was not to be re-written in the New Testament but on the hearts of the true spiritual Israel. Jer. xxxi, 33, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; Heb. viii, 10, 16. After Jesus entered upon his ministry in the heavenly Sanctuary, then the ministry of the new covenant began. It is generally admitted by all denominations that the ten commandments are binding. 1 John ii, 4. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Rev. xxi, 8, All liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death. The ten commandments are referred to by the New Testament writers as a whole again and again. That man that dare tread down any one of God's commandments after he has received the light or had opportunity to receive it, will be condemned as a sinner in the day of judgment; for the law knows no mercy; for mercy is to be found only in Christ through his death, mediation and blood. In what sense is Christ the end of the moral law? Rom. x, 4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 1 Tim. i, 9. Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient. Rom. vi, 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under (the condemnation of) the law, but under grace. Verse 15. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Rom. vii, 6. But now we are delivered from the law, being dead to that (margin) wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Verse 7. Nay I had not known sin, but by the law . . . thou shalt not covet. An old dead law could not give the knowledge of sin to any one. Gal. ii, 19. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. Verse 20. By faith. Gal. v, 19. But if ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under (the condemnation of) the law. Rom. viii, 22. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. By this testimony we learn that the law of God will not condemn those who keep it in the Spirit and have been justified by the death of Christ. Such are not under the law but under grace, as long as they do not transgress it. Some have supposed that 2 Cor. iii, taught the abolition of the ten commands. But it will require but a moment's attention to satisfy any honest mind that no such thing was intended by the apostle. Verse 7. But if the ministration of death written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away. Verse 9. For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, &c. If any one can discern between a law and its ministration, he will not be at a loss to know that it was the ministration of condemnation to temporal death, which was done away and not the law itself. Heb. ii, 2. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression of disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation. Rom. xii, 19. Vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord. Rom. viii, 6, 13. The ministration of the law by Moses would only reach the outer letter of the law manifested by outer acts to be seen by them who had to judge in the matter; when at the same time they might break the spirit of the law of which they could not judge. God has ever held the final punishment in his own hand.