HAS THE LAW BEEN DONE AWAY WITH?
UK
I recently attended a bible study group lead on this occasion by a non-B. I. Church of England Continuing, Minister. He was taking us through the 3 chapters of Habakkuk. (I have a lot of respect by the way for the Church of England Continuing and admire their attempts to keep to the traditional C. of E. set-up such as the Book of Common Prayer.)
He emphasised the verse in Habakkuk 2:4 –
 “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith”
 The study itself was very good until he got to this verse. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground with these particular attendees but continued to say that the law was done away with by our Lord on the Cross and now we live by faith alone, he ridiculed the idea that we should keep the food laws by not eating the pig etc. Out of politeness no-one said anything, but I think I know what certain people were thinking including myself. None of us at this small group of 5 were really eloquent enough to be able to take him to task on this, maybe we should have but there we are. Later I thought on this and realised I could not let the issue go without an attempt on my part to stand up for the truth.
He like so many Christians, even those who actually study the Bible, because they do not understand how Israel fits into all this, do not understand what Paul was saying when he spoke to the Romans and Galatians. Paul was speaking to Jews those who knew the LAW:
“Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?” Romans 7:1
The Minister quoted:
Romans 1:17 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
I don’t have a problem with this, then he quoted:
Galatians 3:11 “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith”.
Don’t have a problem with this either except our speaker went on to say that this and other passages prove the law is no longer in effect.
Unfortunately if you use the KJV Bible, which I do as my base translation, although I refer to others as in some areas the KJV is hard to understand. So just for clarification I use other translations and concordances. In several verses of the KJV the plain words “law” and “works” are used when in actual fact the word “ritual” or “rituals” is a better translation and makes more sense of the verses concerned.
As in Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law (rituals) there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law (correct) is the knowledge of sin.”
 Of the Law itself: Psalm 19:7 says:
“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”
Psalm 119:98 “Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.”
Psalm 119:127 “Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.”
 Jesus said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy (the law), but to fulfil.” (prophecy) Matthew 5:17.
 Of course Salvation is by Grace alone through faith not the practise of rituals, but the practise of the   law  should continue as Jesus  also said:
“…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37- 40.
 The Commandments Statutes and Judgements remain. Only the Ordinances of the sacrifices and the rituals such as physical circumcision were completed in Christs death, resurrection and ascension. So there is no further need for the Aaronic priesthood, as there are no more sacrifices to be made, and our Lord is the only Priest, our Great High Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:6.
Further examples:
 Romans 3:21 “But now the righteousness of God without the law (rituals)is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;”
Notice here the Law is the witness of what is right or wrong.
Romans 3:27, 28. “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? (rituals) Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds (rituals) of the law.
Paul says: “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Romans 3:31.
 Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, (rituals) he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
 Romans 4:5, 6. But to him that worketh not, (practised no rituals) but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, (rituals)
Then the minister quoted:
 Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Trying to show that we should not go back to the law but live by faith alone without observing the law.
But Paul was talking about going back to the rituals of the law which included circumcision.
Now we have the circumcision of the heart (Romans 2:29. Leviticus 26:41) but the LAW (Commandments, Statutes and Judgements) remains. The trouble with doing away with the law is that we are actually disobeying God and showing that we do not love Him as we claim. Because again as Jesus said: If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14: 15
 And if you are in any doubts about which commandments Jesus was referring to, the following are the references given:
I John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
 I John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
 Jesus ‘ commandments are the same as God’s because Jesus is God the Son, which takes us back to the LAW of the Old Testament.
It is the curse or condemnation of the LAW that has been done away with by our Lord’s Sacrifice. No one is able to keep the whole law because as James said if you break one law you have broken them all:
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
 If we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of our sins and walk no more after them but spend the rest of our lives doing our best to obey Him, this is what is required of us a faithful stewards and children of God, this is how we show our love towards Him by keeping His Laws.
Our sins have been forgiven but we must as Jesus said to the woman taken in adultery “Go and sin no More”. How do we do that? By keeping His Laws.
Today the whole of the LAW including the food laws which are for our health have been thrown out the window by the church and the nation at large and we are now seeing the consequences of this. Only today I have seen an article where a 29 year old man is quoted as saying “all human life is purposeless” and wants all human beings to stop having children so that the human race will become extinct.
 You might think he is just one odd person but apparently there are many out there who think along these lines and the idea is growing. They are called “Anti-Natalists”, and they think like this because we are living in a Godless age now and mankind without God has no purpose and no hope. This is how people are thinking today and part of the blame for that must rest at the doors of the churches as they have not taught the pure Gospel of the Kingdom. Instead they lay golf courses and helter-skelter rides etc; in our cathedrals; honestly what are those people thinking of!
So I say to my Christian brother who gave a very good study apart from his errors on the Law, perhaps a little more study might be in order?
And to the church at large, get back to God and His laws, learn the truth about Israel and who she is today, see God’s plan unfolding and now coming to its glorious climax. Then you will not only have purpose in being, but hope for the future, then you will be giving out the glorious Gospel of the Kingdom in full; and all glory be to God for that.
Amen!
