Not Under the Law, but Under Grace.
By A. THAYER
BRO. SMITH: The position taken by H. L. Hastings in a letter to a Sabbath-keeping friend of mine, together with a multitude of others, who are waiting for the Son of God from heaven, but reject the Third Message, induced me to pen the accompanying lines for publication in the Review, if you think it will subserve the glory of our dear Redeemer, who has "loved us and given himself for us," and the good of our fellow men. Yours waiting for the everlasting kingdom to be set up under the whole heaven. Buckland, Mass., March 9th, 1858. CHRISTIANS "not under Law, but under grace." Rom. vi, 14. Do they then transgress Law, because they "are not under Law, but under grace?" By no means. Rom. vi, 15. He who says, I will sin because I am "not under Law, but under grace," is not a christian; for "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his;" [Rom. viii, 9.] and he was "without sin, though tempted in all points." Many seem to infer that those scriptures which represent christians as freed or justified from Law; also teach that obligation to obey Law, has ceased; that the Law is "dead," "nailed to the cross," "taken out of the way," &c.; than which a more unscriptural and destructive idea could not obtain. "The Law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient," &c. 1 Tim. i, 9. It has no claims upon a righteous man; he is not under Law, and if his righteousness is predicated on his own personal obedience, he is not "under grace." But the case with christians is otherwise. They are righteous men. They have suffered in Him "who loved them, and gave himself for them," all which the Law required. They "have been put to death by the Law, in the body of Christ." Rom. vii, 4. (Macknight's translation.) He has "tasted death for every man." Heb. ii, 9. His blood has atoned for the sins of the whole world. 1 John ii, 2. Having suffered "death," the "wages" and only penalty of the Law, he justifies all who accept salvation, as his free gift, purchased by his death. Their "old man is crucified with him." Rom. vi, 6. They are "buried with him by baptism into death;" [Rom. vi, 2, 3;] and "baptized into his death." Thus they have died in their substitute. "The wages of sin is death." (Nothing more.) "He that is dead is freed (or justified, margin,) from sin." Rom. vi, 7. The "end of the Law" is its penalty, death. Christ has become the "end of the Law for righteousness (or justification) to every one that believeth," by suffering death, the penalty of the Law, and imputing his death to all who accept salvation as offered in his gospel. Now the believer becomes a "righteous man," for whom the Law was not made, and over whom, it has "no dominion." "He is not under Law, but under grace." The Law had dominion over him while he lived; but he is now dead, in the body of154Christ. His old man was crucified with Christ. But if he 'sin because he is not under Law, but under grace,' that very act transfers him from 'grace' to 'Law.' Jesus has neither said nor given indulgence to sin, so that the believer may now sin with impunity; for 'when a righteous man turneth from his righteousness and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done, shall he die.' Eze. xviii, 26. 'The soul that sinneth it shall die.' Verse 4. 'He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.' 1 John ii, 4. Thus we see he is not under grace, but under Law; for all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire, [Rev. xxi, 8.] which is the end of the Law. He that said, 'Thou shalt not kill,' said also, 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,' and 'the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.' Nor has he ever nailed that precept to the cross, so as to secure the transgressor from its penalty, death. 'The law of commandments contained in ordinances,' which Jesus abolished, [Eph. ii, 15.] and the 'hand writing of ordinances that was against us, and contrary to us,' which he 'blotted out,' [Col. ii, 14.] are synonymous with the 'carnal ordinances,' (rites, or ceremonies, margin.) of Heb. ix, 10. 'Ordinances concerning the flesh,' (Macknight's trans.) 'Fleshly ordinances,' (Whiting's trans.) which were imposed on them (only) until the time of reformation. These 'fleshly ordinances,' 'carnal ordinances,' &c., were never intended to be imposed upon us, or gentile believers; nor upon the Jews after the 'time of reformation.' The consultation of the apostles, recorded in Acts xv, related to the same 'law of commandments contained in ordinances,' and 'hand-writing of ordinances that was against us,' and required us to 'abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled,' &c. See verses 1, and 29. The 'rites,' 'ceremonies,' or 'ordinances of the flesh' &c., were typical and imposed during the legal dispensation only, foreshadowing the great antitypical sacrifice, in which, they received their fulfillment; hence they, together with the days in which they were observed, were of no further utility, and are said to be 'abolished,' 'nailed to the cross,' &c. But had the Law written by the finger of God upon tables of stone been 'nailed to the cross,' no sinner could ever have been led to Christ, no Holy Ghost would have been needed to 'convince the world of sin,' 'for by the Law is the knowledge of sin;' and no one would ever have 'known sin, but by the Law.' Rom. vii, 7. What Law? The Law of Ten Commandments, 'written by the finger of God,' as is proved by the connection, 'I had not known lust except the Law had said, Thou shalt not covet.' Hence if the Decalogue was nailed to the cross, Paul could never have seen Christ, 'as one born out of due time;' nay, Jesus would have died in vain, for he came 'not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance,' (for 'the whole need not a physician, but they that are sick,') 'and by the Law is the knowledge of sin.' 'God sent forth his Son to redeem them that were under the Law.' Gal. iv, 4, 5. But if the Law is 'abolished' or 'nailed to the cross,' there are none to redeem; none 'kept under the Law, shut up to the faith which should afterwards be revealed.' Gal. iii, 23. Faith is not 'revealed' until the sinner turns to the Lord; then the blinding 'vail' of unbelief 'is taken away.' Not only has Jesus 'died in vain' if 'righteousness come by the Law,' [Gal. iii, 21.] but also if he nailed the Law to his cross; 'for without the Law sin was dead,' 'there is no transgression,' consequently no transgressor. He came to save sinners; but there were none to be saved!! The scriptural view, however, is too glorious to be looked over with impunity. Jesus came not to 'abolish' 'one jot or tittle of the Law or the prophets.' 'I am not come to subvert the Law, but to ratify.' Matt. v, 17. (Campbell's trans.) 'Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one point will by no means pass away from the Law, till all shall come to pass.' (Whiting's trans.) 'Whosoever, therefore, shall violate, or teach others to violate, were it the least of these commandments, shall be in no esteem in the reign of heaven.' Matt. v, 19. (Campbell's trans.) 'But the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones,' although so 'glorious' 'that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses,' for the reflection of its glory, from his countenance; still, had no glory in this respect, by reason of the excelling glory of the ministration of the Spirit. Hence, not only 'the glory of Moses' countenance,' is said to be 'done away;' but the glory of the legal dispensation is eclipsed by the exceeding glory of the 'Spirit ministration;' as the glory of the stars is eclipsed by the superior glory of the rising sun. 2 Cor. iii, 6-11. The Apostle alludes to the new covenant in the 6th verse, evidently the one promised in Jer. xxxi, 31-34. 'After those days saith the Lord, I will put my Laws in their inward parts, and will write it in their hearts,' &c. Paul shows, [Heb. viii, 10.] that this is fulfilled under the new testament (or covenant) dispensation. 'Nothing' was 'made perfect' by the 'blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of an heifer,' for it was not possible that they 'should take away sins.' Heb. x, 4. But Jesus has, 'put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.' Heb. ix, 26. He has taken 'away the first' will, 'that he may establish the second,' or ratify the Law by putting 'it in the mind, and writing it on the heart.' Heb. x, 9-17. Those who are 'sanctified' by the 'one offering' of Christ, [Heb. x, 14.] instead of transgressing any precept or 'teaching men to do so,' and thus forfeiting all 'esteem in the reign of heaven,' have the principles of the Law written 'in their hearts,' they also 'show the work of the Law written in their hearts;' not by claiming to be 'under grace' and disobeying Law; but 'by doing the things contained in the Law.' Rom. ii, 14, 15. But the Saviour's precept is also written on their hearts. 'When ye have done all that is commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.' Luke xvii, 10. They also feel conscious that 'righteousness does not come by the Law,' that all their obedience is due to Christ, who has bought them by his blood. His love constraining them to obey; nothing is further from their thoughts than the idea of obtaining justification by works. They are not their own; they are 'bought with a price;' love and gratitude constrain obedience. 'This is the love of God that ye keep his Commandments; and they, are not grievous.' And may I not be justified by the foregoing scriptures, and legitimate deductions therefrom, in saying, This is hatred to God that we break his Commandments, and 'seek to be justified by Christ, making Christ the minister of sin?' The argument of the Apostle in Galatians, and elsewhere, is not against obeying any precept of the Decalogue; but against seeking justification by works of Law. Gal. ii, 16, 21; also iii, 10, 11. It was not because they abstained from profanity, theft, adultery, murder, covetousness, idolatry; or because they remembered the Sabbath day to keep it holy; that the Apostle was 'afraid of them, lest he had bestowed upon them labor in vain;' but because they 'observed days, months, times and years,' connected with typical services; thus, virtually, rejecting Christ as the 'one offering,' by which we 'are perfected,' foreshadowed in those services. Buckland, Mass., March 9th, 1858.