A Close Place for No-Lawites.
By B. F. Snook
THE advocates of the abolition of the law of God are as zealous to carry their point as was Paul to persecute the saints, and as were the Jews to put the Lord to death. They study craft, and devise every argument that61they can draw from the unfailing source of their sophistry, to prove that the moral law of ten commandments perished on the cross. We will for the sake of the argument admit their claims, and show, by what follows, the great absurdity and fallacy of their position. 1. As the law of ten commandments is the only law the obligation of which can be generally binding on all men, it follows that from the time of its abolition, there is no law of general obligation to the world. 2. The apostle represents all responsible men as being divided into two classes, and as occupying two positions before God: 1st. The faithful, or people of God. 2d. The unconverted, or those having no hope. The first class is said to occupy a position in which they are not under the law, but under grace. "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace." Rom. vi, 14. To be under the law and under grace, is to be in two states diametrically opposed to each other. To be under grace signifies to be justified by grace. "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Rom. iii, 24. This is further proved by the consideration that all who are said to be under grace, are said to be justified, saved, and pardoned. The teachers of the No-law school very willingly admit that we are under grace, and not under the law, and then draw their inference that the law is not binding, and that we can transgress it without sin. Such, however, was not the conclusion of the apostle Paul. He says, "What then? shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." Rom. vi, 15. From this it is very certain that Paul considered that our obligations to obey the law are none the less because we are under grace. Now as the people of God were not always his people (as Peter says, "Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy," 1 Pet. ii, 10), it follows that they were not always under grace. In their alien or unconverted state they were not under grace, but when they were converted and turned to God, they came under his grace. Hence the question for our no-law friends to settle, is, What were they under before they came under grace? The law was abolished, they say; hence they could not be under that, and therefore were not under anything. Where there is no law there is no sin; and where there is no sin there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation there is no justification, on the grounds of innocence. Therefore all men, before they are converted and pass under grace, are innocent and justified, and in this state are sure of salvation. But the salvation of those under grace is not so certain. They are admonished to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure. 2 Pet. i, 10, 11. If they fail to do this and fall away, they cannot be saved: Heb. vi, 6. Therefore the best way to be saved is to live as far from grace as possible, for the further we live from under grace, the more certain are our chances for salvation. These very great absurdities show the inconsistency of the premises containing them. The apostle tells us what the unconverted were under in his day. Speaking in the year A. D. 60, he said, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith (not did say, as they would have it), it saith to them who are (not were) under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Rom. iii, 19. This is so plain that all the mist that can be thrown around it, never can destroy the force of the truth on this point. The sinner therefore is under the law. And why is he? Because he has sinned against it, and is guilty; and for this reason he is condemned. Hence the opposite ideas of being under grace and under the law. Those who are under grace are not under the law, and those who are under the law are not under grace. Query. But how can the sinner be under the law if it is abolished? He could not be, and as he is under it, it must be binding, and was therefore not abolished. The mission of Christ into this world was of a far higher character and object than to abolish or kill his Father's law. He gave us an example of obedience to its claims, and we are admonished to follow him. 1 Pet. ii, 21, 22. He died for us, not to degrade his Father's moral government, but to redeem us from the curse of the law. Gal. iv, 5. He arose from the dead, and ascended up on high, and showed his great regard for the law to which he yielded perfect obedience during his life here. He said, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. xxii, 14. May the Lord help us to live so that at last we may share in the everlasting benediction of this promise. B. F. SNOOK.