I wrote a brief meditation on the book and sent it to a small group of friends. One person was deeply upset about the material and what I wrote. I would like to submit this exchange and see if we can get a discussion going about the book.
Enmity of the Law
An email exchange between YB and the (Bible Study group list) and myself,
David Ross
Brothers, here is a short meditation on a book that I am just about finished with. It is called: Christ is All: No Sanctification by the Law, by David H.J. Gay.The book is far too long for me to share at length any of the contents. Please bare with me as I have never gone this far in sending something like this to the people on this list. Hopefully, you will think about what is said and maybe, look into it yourself.
Ephesians 2:14-16 “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.”
This Scripture is plainly saying that the law is 'enmity', or hostile to the believer. The two groups of people in the verse are the Jews and the gentiles. In the layout of the temple there was a space for everybody, including the gentile believers. There was a dividing wall or barrier between them. This dividing line is the law. Christ abolished that law through the sacrifice of his body to assuage the wrath of God against sin and uncleanness in both Jew and gentile. There is now peace between the believing Jew and the believing gentile. This peace is from Christ and is imparted to all who believe on his name. John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” Also look at the passage where Jesus imparts peace to the disciples. John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
Jesus Christ abolished the 'law' in His flesh, that is the commandments contained in the ordinances. The two covenants are at odds with one another. The former testament was one of works to justify oneself in the sight of God. This clearly did not work. The law is insufficient for justification, let alone sanctification. A new covenant had to come to take the place of the old because the new is far superior. Hebrews 8:13 “When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” I am convinced that the law has no place in the life of the believer. Instead, we are to follow the 'law' of Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:21 “to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.” You see, the gentiles never had the law and according to Paul, they are not to have any of it. I want to point out that all of you are gentiles and therefore are not under the Mosaic 'law', but rather, the 'law' of Christ. Why would there be a need for a new covenant, if the old was sufficient to work salvation and the forgiveness of sins. (Grace) Grace is largely absent from the old testament. You see it in the lives of those whom the Lord chose to reveal himself to back then. Certainly, I will not list them all, but they are there nonetheless.
My point, however brief, is to point out that we are not under any part or the 'law, ordinances, ceremonial law' or any of that. Galatians 2:21 "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."
OK! This brief meditation is a result of a book that I am almost finished with called: Christ is All: No Sanctification by the Law. The book is 574 pages long and is loaded with Scriptures to back up his claim that the Christian is no longer under the Mosaic law, but, instead is under the 'law' of Christ. This is just my reflection on what I learned by the book and the Scriptures that went along with it.
David Ross
<)))><
9/22/2014
Re: YB 9/22/2014
Hi David: I think Jesus abolished only the ceremonial law, not the moral law (natural law) which cannot be abolished, e. g., the Mosaic ten commandments. Please look at Matthew 5:17- 5:19,
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
Mat 5:18 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.
Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. KJV
YB.
9/23/2014
RE: YB
Hello YB, Did you read the Scriptures or even the article? Let me start with the Scripture that you provided. Matt 5:18 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. Jesus came to fulfill the Law according to the Ephesians quote at the top of the article. Look at the time that Jesus was on the cross and when the time came, He cried out; “It is finished.” John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” Jesus fulfilled the whole of God’s requirement of the ‘law’. We are no longer under the ‘law’, but rather, we are under grace. There is a large difference between the old covenant and the new one. Look at this verse in the gospel of John 1:17 “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.” How can you want to be under the ‘law’ of Moses when Jesus has set you free? Are you a gentile believer? Why did Paul spend so much time telling the gentile Christians in the first century that they should avoid and even reject those people who were trying to get them to be under the ‘law’. Those false teachers were rampant in those days, as they are today.
Just a few words in my own defense.
RE: YB 9/23/2014
Hi David: If what you believe is true, why do we need to obey the ten commandments which are part of the Mosaic Law? For that matter why even include the Old Testament in the Canon? Again, please read Matt 5:17 and 5:19 also.
Jesus was angry at the cunning Pharisees ( a brood of vipers) for twisting the Law to include thousands of rites and rituals. It is true there was no grace in the economy of the Old Testament. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). When we accept Jesus Christ through faith as our Lord and Savior, it becomes second nature to us to follow the moral law which is inherent in the Mosaic Law, which although it by itself cannot save us. I believe we are much closer in our understanding than you think.
Anyway, we cannot discuss these things through emails. If there is misunderstanding in the correct interpretation of the Bible, we can sit with others with better knowledge of the Bible so we can all benefit. YB.
RE: Back to YB
9/23/2014
It was only meant as a meditation on a book that I read. The Scripture teaches that we are to stay away from arguing over points of the ‘law’; see 1 Timothy 6:4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,”
I will leave it at that.
David Ross
<)))><There is no death of sin without the death of Christ.John Owen
9/27/2014
The following text is further thoughts from the 16th chapter of the book.
Watts, Isaac, 1674-1748
The law by Moses came,
But peace, and truth, and love
Were brought by Christ (a nobler name),
Descending from above.
'Midst the house of God
Their different works were done;
Moses a faithful servant stood,
But Christ a faithful Son.
Then to his new commands
Be strict obedience paid;
O’er all his Father’s house he stands
The Sovereign and the head.
This hymn goes way back to the 18th century and shows how even this hymn writer knew the difference between the law of Moses v. the law of Christ.
Scriptures testifying of the 'law' of Christ and not the 'law' of Moses.
Galatians 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Romans 13:8-10 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "You shall love your neighbor" Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Love is the driving force for godliness.
Coming at it from the other direction, when a believer sins, he does not go back into his former state, he does not go back under the spirit of bondage and of fear, ‘under the law’. Why not? Because it is not law that he has sinned against, but love. The thought of this, of course, wounds him far more.
Hebrews 10:28-29
‘Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?’
