THE LAW OF GOD'S KINGDOM
By R. C. P.
It Has Been Definitely Announced—It Is Infallible and Eternal in Character—Christ Affirmed It Anew When Here—The Standard in the Judgment
THE character of the king indicates the character of the laws of the kingdom. And the character of the laws indicates the character of the subjects. For this reason, in the study of the kingdom of God, a study of its laws is of first importance. God is perfect, holy, and just. A God whose ways and works are perfect (Deut. 32:4; Ps. 18:30), whose character is holy (1 Peter 1:16), and whose throne is founded upon justice (Ps. 89:14), can but enact laws in harmony with His character. We have, therefore, the most conclusive evidence that the laws of the kingdom of God, founded upon the infallible basis of God's character, are infallible. The psalmist emphasizes this view in the statement, "The law of the Lord is perfect"; and an apostle to the Gentiles, in the declaration, "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Rom. 7:12. God is also a spiritual being, and He requires that they who worship Him shall worship Him in spirit and in truth. John 4:24. He must therefore promulgate a spiritual law commanding worship. This He has done. "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." Rom. 7:14. AN INFALLIBLE GOD COULD NOT GIVE A FALLIBLE LAW
In these passages is revealed the axiomatic truth that a perfect, holy, just, and spiritual God has given a law in keeping with His character as the law of His kingdom. For an infallible God to give a fallible law as the great constitution of His kingdom, would be inconsistent. Such an act would impeach His wisdom and justice. The fact that God made angels and men sinlessly perfect in the beginning, before giving them the laws of His kingdom, is evidence that as He created them, He designed them to live. His law must therefore maintain the standard of creation, or the law would be out of character with the workmanship of its Author. For the law to be altered and its standard lowered in order to harmonize with the standard of character of a transgressor would be to nullify the law and dethrone the Lawgiver. His right to govern lies in His unimpeachable wisdom, power, perfection, and justice. If God had been so unwise as to establish a law necessitating immediate alteration in order to meet unforeseen contingencies in the administration of His government, His subjects would have discredited His wisdom and ceased to worship Him as God. But105this Paul says God has not done. The law is still holy, just, and good, although subjects have become carnal, sold under sin. THE LAW ETERNALLY DEMANDS HOLINESS
At the time the law of the kingdom of God was proclaimed from Sinai, the Lord said: "Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine: and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." Ex. 19:5, 6. In the twentieth chapter of Exodus follows the proclamation, by the King, of the law of Ten Commandments as the law of His kingdom. The entrance of sin and the degradation of subjects as the result, has not in the slightest degree lessened the demand of the law of the kingdom of God for perfect holiness. The standard maintained in the law remains unchanged. A God "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning," can no more alter the great constitution of His kingdom than He can change His own character; hence He declares, "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips." Ps. 89:34. The Ten Commandments written with the finger of God on two tables of stone, were the words that had proceeded from His lips in the audience of the people, "and He added no more." Deut. 5:22. The unimpeachable wisdom of God is therefore forever settled in that His infallible law, as originally set forth, demands the same perfection of character since man has become carnal through sin, as it did in the beginning; and the Lawgiver leaves no room for question as to its unchangeable character, in that He declares that He will never alter it. CHRIST PROCLAIMED THE LAW OF THE KINGDOM
When Christ came, His whole mission was the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom. In proclaiming it, He recognized the necessity of proclaiming the law of the kingdom. This He did in the most emphatic announcement, "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke 16:17. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matt. 5:17, 18. This is the Lawgiver announcing in a portion of His kingdom, where rebellion has swept every subject into transgression, that the dominion of the law remains unchanged in every "tittle." In verses twenty-one and twenty-seven He quotes two precepts, that all may know that the law to which He refers as the law of His kingdom is the Ten Commandments; and in verse nineteen He draws His conclusion in terms that not only a jurist, but even a child familiar with the meaning of law, can understand. "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 5:19. He did not set all His disciples to teaching the law abolished. On the contrary, He emphasized its unaltered perpetuity, in the strongest and simplest terms that human language could express. Ignorance of its meaning is therefore inexcusable. NOT ALTERED TO ACCOMMODATE TRANSGRESSORS
James, in like manner, speaks of the same "royal" or kingly law, quoting the same commands used by the Master as the basis for his reasoning (James 2:8, 11), and concludes with the statement, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Verse 10. Here again the infallible wisdom of God is proclaimed in the unqualified announcement that every precept of the "royal" law as originally given remains unaltered. Who can conceive of a perfect law being altered to accommodate transgressors? Such a charge against God would be little less than blasphemy. It would be to declare that He had become intimidated by a rebellion with which He was unable to cope on just grounds, and had yielded right principles of law in order to compromise with transgressors. When one remembers the statement that at His word every one that is proud shall be brought low, such a conclusion is impossible. THE JUDGMENT-DAY STANDARD
James draws another conclusion that leaves any change or abolition of the law absolutely out of the question for eternity: "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." Verse 12. The Judgment settles all cases for eternity. The same law by which all shall be judged, will be the standard by which loyal subjects shall live eternally. Restoration to the kingdom, beyond the Judgment, must be by acquittal in compliance with the same law for the transgression of which subjects were originally expelled as rebels against the government. If this is not the case, then the law is admitted to be imperfect, and the original sentence was unjust. Solomon, whose wisdom is proverbial, writing by inspiration of God, therefore wisely concludes his book of Ecclesiastes with the solemn appeal to all mankind: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Eccl. 12:13, 14. R. C. P.