WHY AND WHAT WAS ADDED
by Sam N. Jones
May 6, 2000
Consider how we live today and why we have so many laws on the books in virtually any nation on the earth. What is the purpose of these laws, whatever they may be directed to? What is the purpose of various laws in our societies today!
In the United States today, if no one ever sold food that was unsanitary or unfit in any way, would there be a FDA in place? No. There would be no need for such. If no one ever made improper lane changes, drove to fast to be safe, failed to proceed carefully at crossroads or traffic lights ------- would there be any need for traffic cops OR penalties to enforce proper behavior? Choose any law you like ........ why are they on the books? Because of transgressions! (Or if you prefer, because of improper interaction with others).
If every builder was sure to build quality buildings, would we have building inspectors, permits, etc? How did these government inspections get started, (added)? BECAUSE THERE WERE TRANSGRESSIONS! If failure to do things properly did not exist, then there would be no need for these laws ...... they would never even have been thought up and placed "on the books"!
If honesty prevailed, IF goodness prevailed, IF love for one’s neighbor were truly in place, then there would be no need for laws to guarantee one another’s rights. But in today’s world, if one actually does things right from the heart, he may well still have to be careful to get all permits, submit to inspection, etc. But if from the heart one fulfills the right, then what need is there of law and penalties? Laws are in place, on the books, to direct us into proper behavior! Laws are there to enforce adherence to that proper behavior, and the power of the law is the penalties that are applied --- ALL THE WAY TO DEATH --- (in some cases), to curb the violations of these laws. Without "laws", as such, there is still right and wrong ....... based on Gods way of life.
Rom 13:9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Rom 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Law is necessary in all areas of physical life to guide our conduct, AND to enforce that conduct. But NO LAW can force obedience, only punish disobedience! Yet the laws are good for society. Without law, there would be total confusion and anarchy, with each person making up their own system of behavioral beliefs. But just how are we to live spiritually today? Just what was "added" to Israel because of transgressions?
GALATIANS 3:19
Gal 3:19 (KJV) Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Just what is it that is being described here? Just what is meant by "law" in this passage? Gal.3:17 says that this "law which came 430 years later cannot make the promise of no effect. Does this law include the 10 commandments?
It has ALWAYS been wrong to break violate the Sabbath, (Gen 2:2 / Mark 2:27-28). It has ALWAYS been wrong to murder, to have any false gods, etc. But man was bound to sin and God warned him about it:
Gen 2:17 (KJV) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
This must have been speaking of eternal death because "it has been appointed to all men once to die", (Heb. 9:27). Paul clearly shows that sin was in the world before the law!
Rom 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Notice that Cain’s offering was not accepted .......... he did wrong ....... sin was "lying at the door". Cain murdered his own brother, yet THE LAW had not yet been given. Sin was still in the world, but there seems to have been provision at that time for enforcement of or penalties for the physical transgressions committed . Cain did not pay for his murderous act with his life, but was sent away with a mark on him. Where can you find anything like that in "the law of Moses"? We all know, that as the world developed, violence, sin, and transgressions of the right way of life became so bad that God had to destroy the entire population of the earth except for a token few people and animals that He saved to repopulate the earth after the flood!
After the flood mankind quickly reverted back to evil, violence, and paganism. Man was once again headed in the same direction as before the flood. But God saw fit to call out Abram and set him apart as righteous because of his belief. God raised up a nation from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob called "Israel", to which He gave His law. This was to be a holy, special nation -------- an example to the other nations. In the past we have thought that the "law" was added because the Israelites were sinning ....... that the sacrifices were added because of their failure to keep the 10 commandments. But then we run into the problem of explaining exactly what was added --- the 10 commandments, or sacrifices, or the law of Moses", (as opposed to the law of God), and we get confused as to what "law" is which, and what must be observed today.
"BECAUSE OF TRANSGRESSIONS"
The Law, physically and specifically was given to the nation of Israel to ensure the continuation of the human race. Man had proven over and over that he would not spiritually trust and obey God, and continually sinned or transgressed the right way of life. God gave the law "written in stone" --- 2 Cor 3:7 (KJV) But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: --- in order to preserve the physical existence of mankind! ALL of mankind were transgressors and sinners, so God raised up a people to be HIS people and live a righteous physical life, so there would be no need to destroy all mankind again. (But it still did not remove the eternal death sentence pronounced in Gen. 2:2)!
This was a system of laws, blessings, and penalties spell out physically for the people of Israel. The law was not given to anyone else. Did other nations sin? Yes! Were they, (strangers or aliens), welcomed as God’s people if they too kept God’s laws? Yes! There are numerous admonitions to this in the law. But the law was given to God’s chosen people as a nation. Wasn’t the "law" then added for good? OF COURSE IT WAS!
The law spelled out carefully the way of goodness and no heart-ache ---- from health, to cooperation-operation with others, to proper family functions, and righteous judgment. It spelled out even specifically, how to get along with, (love), one’s neighbor. David said God’s words were a "light unto his paths", (Ps. 119:105). The Psalms are full of praise for the laws of God. In Psalms 119:98 David said that God’s commandments had made him "wiser than his enemies", and in vs. 97 "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. But these commandments, laws, and words could not bring him salvation! Here is what Paul says about the law:
Rom 7:12 (KJV) Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Mr. Herbert Armstrong thundered out so many times that "You CANNOT earn you salvation ....... IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD!"
Yet the Law is a wonderful guide and righteous. Just look at what has happened to the lives of so many WCGers who stopped using God’s Laws as a guide for their lives, claiming the "freedom" of grace. Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Look at the divorce, shattered families, Sabbath breaking, turning in many cases, into pure "paganism" and losing sight of the very real purpose of the existence of man and the plan God has for us!
In the past we focused so strongly on that righteous law that we came dangerously close to worshipping that law instead of worshipping the Lawgiver, our Savior, and our Father! Look at Judaism, and how they, in their zeal, have added to the righteous law, making a virtual idol of it, seeking to perfect their flesh through the law to gain their salvation. Again ....... salvation is a GIFT. God Almighty is to be praised for His mercy, love, and generosity toward us.
The law, for us, is to spell out what sin is ....... to show us where we come up short ...... to show us how GREAT God is! Note the comparison of the Adam and Christ:
Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Should we sin then that grace may abound? Of course not! (Rom.6:1-2)
The Law was added, "in stones", to light the path of God’s chosen physical people. It was added to direct, guide, and teach people about God’s righteous way of life UNTIL THE SEED SHOULD COME, who would put his laws, His way of life, His very nature in us by the power of the Holy Spirit! (Gal. 3:19)
The Law ...... the WHOLE Law, was added as a direct physical means to guide the feet of the nation of Israel. Great blessings come from obeying that right way of life. Automatic blessings such as good health and safety, but also special physical blessings promised by God to the nation. The Law was added in a "codified" form with sacrifices and penalties all the way to physical death to enforce the observance of that proper, Godly way of life. Sacrifices were included to point out how damaging, expensive, and sure are the consequences of sin. But they could not ---- nor can we ---- be saved through the keeping of The Law or any law! (Gal.2:21 and Gal.3:21)
NEW WINE IN OLD WINESKINS?
Mat 9:17 (NRSV) Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."
With us today, God is not putting "new wine into old wineskins", because as the firstfruits we are a new creation. We cannot be saved by the law, nor was it designed for that purpose. There is now an "inner man" that is in agreement with God! (Eph 3:16) we are no longer under the Law, but fulfill all the Law through faith and the imputed righteousness of Christ! As Paul pointed out, with our minds we agree with God, but sin still lives in our natural body, but that sin is not imputed to the called and chosen saints of God. For that inner man has no sin, but is in agreement with God. we are not under the law for salvation, but under faith.
Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Read those scriptures carefully. They show clearly how we are saved. You see we cannot rely on the law for justification as shown here:
Rom 5:13 (KJV) (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
THERE IS NO LAW IN REGARD TO OUR SALVATION, BUT RATHER FAITH!
That is why there is no sin imputed here ........ the Law does not decide our salvation! Remember, God is not creating something new in "old wineskins". Therefore we should be able to feel for, pray for, be patient with, and forgive one another.
Is it all right then if we live in sin and law-breaking? No, of course not. Rom 6:2 (KJV) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? We put that old body to death at baptism, and we even now live a new life in Christ Jesus. We don’t need the law as a schoolmaster because we are a new creation with a "heart of flesh" that seeks and is responsive to God’s nature, commands, words, teachings and life. Rom. 8:7 shows the carnal mind is enmity against God’s laws, but our inner man is NOT carnal but is in agreement with God, so therefore we WILL be subject to God’s way. With Christ in us we too can fulfill the law of God without having it as a tutor as did Israel, (the old covenant and the old "wineskin").
The Law was added to help guide a physical nation out of all the transgressions that the whole world was gripped in. To guide and direct until at last salvation is offered, the father of sin is put away, and God’s way of love is taught and practiced. We are the firstfruits of this wonderful plan and first recipients of this wonderful GIFT! Praise, Honor, Glory, Thanks, and Love to the most gracious, true, loving God who has performed this most wonderful of all things!
*THE LAW*
