p. 171 | Are We Under the Law? by Eliza A. Baker

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 2, 1865

Are We Under the Law?

By Eliza A. Baker

[THE following article was sent to the World's Crisis, shortly after the publication of the article to which it alludes, but was declined. The reader can examine it, in the light of God's word, and judge whether or not, according to that standard, there is anything objectionable in the position taken.—Ed.]

In the Crisis of Oct. 25th, is an article under the above head, in which the writer tried to prove, that God's holy law, written and engraven on stone, is abolished; and I wish briefly to notice a few thoughts that occurred to my mind, while reading that article in connection with several passages of scripture, not for controversy, but for the truth's sake, as the Crisis is said to be devoted to the exposition of all Bible truth.

It is evident that the believer who is justified by faith in Christ is not under the law; and so long as he keeps the law and exercises faith in Christ, it can have no demand against him; consequently Paul could say truly, when addressing his Roman brethren, "Ye are not under the law, but under grace."

If the governor of this State should pardon a criminal who had been convicted of murder and sentenced to prison for life, would he by granting the man his liberty abolish the law respecting murder? Certainly not.

The law remains unchanged, and should he commit the same crime the second time, he would find he was under the penalty of the law. But when he was pardoned, he was not under the law but under grace or favor. So it is with the Christian, whose sins have been pardoned. He has become dead to the law by the body of Christ.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, &c., against such there is no law." Does this prove the law abolished? If so then there are no sinners. "For where no law is there is no transgression." Rom. iv, 15. "For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no law." Rom. v, 13. "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead, (margin, being dead to that) wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." Rom. vii, 6.

The writer of the article referred to, said she could see no difference whether the law was dead, or a person dead to the law; but I can see a vast difference. If the law is dead it can have no demand against any one, but a person by becoming dead to the law simply becomes free himself from the law through obedience and faith. Yet the law will hold a claim on others who transgress it.

The law that many are trying to do away, was evidently Paul's rule of right. "What shall we say then," says he, "is the law sin? God forbid. Nay I had not known sin except the law had said thou shalt not covet." Rom. vii, 7. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid, yea we establish the law." Rom. iii, 31. He adds also, "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Why should the great apostle to the Gentiles lay such stress upon a law that was done away years before? Paul did not believe the moral law abolished, if he had he would have taught it plainly; for he says that he did not shun to declare the whole counsel of God. Consequently the abolition of the law is not a part of God's counsel.

The writer after trying in vain to prove the law no longer binding, quotes Paul's language in reference to his wretched condition, when convicted of sin by the law. How could the law convict him of sin when it was abolished at the crucifixion?

Says Jesus, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets, I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill; 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."

There was a law which was added on account of transgression till the seed should come, to whom the promise was made. When the seed came, this added law was no longer necessary; consequently it was blotted out. But the moral law could not have been blotted out as it was engraven by the finger of God in stone. Christ fulfilled it by rendering perfect obedience to its righteous mandates, therefore "he magnified it and made it honorable." "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." "If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself ye do well."

My object is to get the truth; for we are to be purified by obeying the truth through the Spirit. ELIZA A. BAKER. Cornville, Maine.