by Ross HaffnerPosted on Posted in Bible, Christian Living, Doctrine, General, Homosexuality — No Comments ↓

In 1812 Napoleon and his troops invaded Russia. Until that point the French army had been nearly unstoppable. Napoleon was so emboldened by his success that he decided to march his troops right into the hardly survivable Russian winter. In the end, the terrible weather conditions proved a major factor in Napoleon’s final defeat.

In the very next decade, Hitler sent Nazi forces to Russia hoping to enlarge the borders of his territory. Though an avid history student, Hitler failed to learn from Napoleon’s mistake. The Nazis were next to struggle in the Russian winter, leading in part to the end of Hitler’s regime. Had he learned from the history before him he might  not have made such a foolish decision.

The history of God’s people and those around them has been recorded in the Bible. The apostle Paul said that these events “were written for our learning” (Romans 15:4). The historical account of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah is recorded for us that we might learn from their mistakes.

Before God destroyed these cities they rested in a beautiful area that was lush and well watered, “as the garden of the Lord” (Genesis 13:10). After their punishment was delivered by fire and brimstone, “the smoke of the country went up as the smoke from a furnace” (Genesis 19:28), and not a soul was left alive (Luke 17:29). The destruction of these cities echoes through the pages of the Bible as a reminder of the wages of sin (Romans 6:23).

What warranted this complete destruction? The Bible tells us that the people were wicked, “sinners before the Lord exceedingly” (Genesis 13:13).  Their sin was very grievous and had saturated the area: not even ten righteous people could be found in both cities combined (Genesis 18:20, 32; 19:24-25). The Bible refers to their specific disobediences as “fornication” and “going after strange flesh” (Jude 7), and today the word is homosexuality (I Corinthians 6:9 [NKJV]).

The Bible is very clear in its doctrine concerning homosexuality and fornication. Fornication is a word that describes various manners of sexual sin in any occurrence outside of marriage, including premarital relations and adultery. Paul tells us we should flee fornication (I Corinthians 6:18). In Romans, he tells us it is a sin worthy of death (Romans 1:29-32). It is one of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19 and is the only reason for a scriptural divorce according to Matthew 19:9. Jude 7 tells us that Sodom and Gomorrah gave themselves over to this terrible sin.

Homosexuality is considered an abomination by God (Leviticus 18:22). No matter what the popular opinion of the day is, God’s word is true and timeless. I Corinthians 6:9 states clearly the “abusers of themselves with mankind,” homosexuals, will not enter heaven. Some argue that people do not choose to act this way, but that it is natural from birth. The Bible speaks otherwise in Romans 1:26-27, referring to homosexuality as unnatural and against the gender roles God outlined in the Garden of Eden. Christ said this: “Have yet not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh’?” (Matthew 19:4, 5). Who would know better than One who was present at the very outset of human existence (John 1:1)?

If we are to avoid spiritual death, as Sodom and Gomorrah failed to avoid physical destruction, we must learn from their history and leave these sins. We can do this by receiving God’s word. Jesus said in Matthew 10:15 that it will be “more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment” than for those who reject the preaching of God’s disciples.

Peter says that Sodom and Gomorrah were reduced to ashes to be an example “unto those that after should live ungodly” (II Peter 2:6). Like Hitler’s last march through Russia, those who do not learn from past mistakes will also fail, and the punishment is eternity apart from God. May we accept the accounts of the Bible as our schoolmaster (Galatians 3:24) and learn these lessons well.

by Ross HaffnerPosted on Posted in Bible, Easter, General, Holiday — No Comments ↓

Cadbury crème eggs, PAAS Easter egg coloring kits, baskets, fake grass, a new Sunday suit or dress, Easter egg hunts, and of course those yellow marshmallow Peeps. Easter has taken on a life of its own. I specifically remember one Easter Sunday I awoke to a horrendous thunderstorm that would cancel any Easter egg hunt. However, my plans had not been ruined. My mother woke up early to hide the eggs all around the house. The true meaning of Easter to that young boy was having enough Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Eggs.

 

The religious world is quick to remind us why there is such a thing as Easter in the first place. Easter is the day, according to most, we are supposed to be remembering Jesus’ death on the cross, and His resurrection which gives us hope of eternal life. I would never criticize someone for taking time to remember the sacrifice of our Lord, but we’ve already been told when to remember His death.

 

Luke 22:19 records the words of our Lord at the Last Supper when he, “…took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me” (emph. added) Luke gives us further information in his second writing, the book of Acts. He writes in Acts 20:7, “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow.” The Bible student can quickly point out that we are to be remembering the Lord’s death every first day of the week.

 

Certainly it behooves us to remember Christ’s sacrifice anytime. This is not to say we can partake of the Lord’s Supper whenever we want. We have been commanded in the New Testament to partake on each Sunday. So what about celebrating Easter?

 

The word Easter does not appear in our Bible text. Those who read from the KJV might notice Acts12:4. The word here is Passover, not Easter. It was translated incorrectly because of the influence of the culture in the 17th century. Notice what Willie Hamblen writes about Easter in his article, “Do You Believe in Easter”: “Several hundred years after the death of Jesus and the Apostles, men decided to pick one special day of the year and to call it “Easter”. Since the Jews had the Passover and the pagan world was celebrating spring in worshipping the goddess Estarte at this time of year, it was decided that it would be a good thing for the church also to have something special to celebrate, thus the choice. There were then great debates as to which day should be selected.  Agreement was never accomplished and today the Greek branch of Catholicism celebrates one day and the Roman church celebrates another. Culture dictated the selection of the Roman choice of dates, as it does in many church circles today.”

 

There is nothing wrong with all of the family times, good eating, and games that go along with Easter. I encourage such wonderful times of fellowship and recreation as they build strong ties in the family, as well as the family of God. But let us remember that Easter is not a religious holiday that we have been commanded to keep. Christ commanded that we come together as Christians to remember His death every week! Let us take the good this holiday has to offer and choose to remember the death, burial and resurrection every Sunday, not just every Easter. But let us also separate in our minds what is the death of the Christ, and what is Easter.

by Ross HaffnerPosted on Posted in Baptism, Bible, Faith, Grace, Salvation — No Comments ↓

Salvation. Nearly every “Christian” organization is seeking it, and that is where the agreement seems to stop. The popular view of the day holds that we are saved by God’s grace alone. Any attempts to discuss the need for baptism or faithful Christian living is met with a unified, resounding accusation, “You believe that you earn your salvation!”

 

When we are honest with ourselves and the scriptures we can plainly see the hypocritical nature of this modern theology. Most do not truly believe that grace alone saves. Many teach that you receive God’s grace when you answer His call to be a Christian and accept Jesus as your personal Savior by your faith. So while these loudly proclaim “Grace alone!” they really teach that grace acts with faith and acceptance.

 

If one truly teaches a “grace only” doctrine they have become universalists. A universalist is one who believes that everyone will be saved no matter what they have done in their lives. God desires that all would be saved (I Timothy 2:4). Therefore if grace is the only factor, no one would be lost. But the problem with this doctrine is it contradicts other portions of scripture (Revelation 21:8). There are not many “grace only” advocates who would claim universalism, but that is exactly what their doctrine implies.

 

Those unwilling to teach that all will be saved turn to the necessity of faith. No longer can they say “Grace alone!” They admit the necessity of a response from the individual to receive the grace of his Lord. So the new cry becomes, “Grace alone is necessary for the believer to be saved when he accepts Jesus as his Savior!” If grace is not the only factor in the salvation of man, what other things must be included?The scripture supports the necessity of faith (belief) for salvation but is that the only additional element required?

 

Faith is impossible to leave out. Hebrews 11:6 teaches that we can not please God without faith. Galatians 2:16 teaches that we are justified by it. Repentance also is a key component to salvation. God commands all to repent (Acts 17:30). Without repentance, our candlestick will be removed (Revelation 2:5). Truly confession is necessary to be saved (Romans 10:9). In each account of salvation in the book of Acts baptism is present. The first gospel sermon delivered on the day of Pentecost includes baptism (Acts 2). The eunuch was baptized (Acts 8). Saul of Tarsus was baptized (Acts 9). Cornelius and his household were baptized (Acts 10). The list continues, but consider the strong statement Jesus made, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). What of Peter’s stance, “baptism doth also now save us” (I Peter 3:21).

 

I do not earn my salvation when I have faith, nor when I repent and confess. Certainly there is nothing about baptism that says, “I have earned God’s grace.” These elements are simply the means through which we “call on the name of the Lord” (Acts 2:21).

by Ross HaffnerPosted on Posted in Bible, General, Hermeneutics, Worship — No Comments ↓

When we in sorrow consider the unfaithfulness of many congregations we clearly see the problem. A lack of understanding or love for God’s law is at the heart of the issue when congregations allow unauthorized practices and doctrines to prevail (Psalm 119:113). We are to lovingly admonish these unfaithful brethren to repent of this wickedness (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15).

 

When we do, often we turn to Revelation 22:18-19 where John writes in part, “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life.” The principle taught is applicable to the entirety of holy writ. As Paul wrote, we must do only that which is authorized by scripture in the name of Jesus without adding our own doctrines (Colossians 3:17). While this argument does well in defeating the progressive ideas of our day, we desire to apply this scriptural principle in all areas of faith. Some would look to the use of multiple cups during the Lord’s supper as a digression from Christ’s authority in instituting the meal with one cup. When using multiple cups are we being inconsistent with the word of God?

 

Let us consider the cup Jesus used. When Jesus, and later Paul, described the cup that the disciples were to take He called attention to the symbolism present. The cup represents the blood of the New Testament (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25). Those who bind the use of one cup teach that the fruit of the vine represents the blood but that the literal cup (container) is part of the New Testament doctrine of worship. Is this what Jesus intended? Notice carefully that Matthew recorded, “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it” (Matthew 26:27). In Luke’s account Jesus told the disciples to “divide it” among themselves (Luke 22:17). Obviously Jesus was using metonymy. He used the word cup to represent the contents of the cup. Otherwise He was telling the disciples to take the literal container and divide it up and drink it. Which is more likely?

 

If we look to Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians 11:27 he tells us to drink the cup of the Lord. Some use the argument that if Paul says there is one cup of the Lord then we should apply that the same way that we apply what we read in Matthew 16:18 where Jesus said He would build His church (singular). Paul said one cup and Jesus said one church by using the singular case so if we believe in one church then we must believe in using one cup. This is a misapplication of the doctrine of the one cup. Truly there is only one cup of the Lord. By that Paul refers to the symbol of the contents of the cup (using metonymy) teaching that if we are to be faithful Christians we must all partake of the fruit of the vine on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). There is one authorized bread and one authorized cup. If we change the items to hamburgers and soda we are worshipping outside of the doctrine of Christ.

 

As with any doctrine we must examine the consequences of the doctrine to test it. If Jesus and Paul were referring to and teaching that we must use one literal cup then that means we all Christians everywhere must use the same cup. No matter what continent, country, time zone, or city we must all gather in one place and divide one cup among all present if “this cup” means one literal cup. Also, if Jesus is referring to the literal cup He held then we must find the actual cup He had in His hand and all drink from that.

 

It soon becomes clear from examining the evidence that we are authorized to divide the fruit of the vine. To bind the use of one cup is to ignore the clear meaning of scripture and add doctrine to the scripture which is not authorized. Let us seek to speak “as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11).

by Ross HaffnerPosted on Posted in Bible, Christian Living, Salvation — No Comments ↓

An ordinary young woman who was soon to be married had her world turned upside down. It was from the moment that the angel of the Lord appeared to Mary that she knew her life was going to be different. From that time strange things began to happen. She found that she was with child though she had not yet married Joseph nor “known” any man. She visited Elisabeth her cousin and upon her greeting Elisabeth’s child leaped in her womb. When Mary’s child was born, many visitors came to worship Him. First, some shepherds followed a star to the manger in Bethlehem. Then, a few months later, some wise men brought three gifts for the child.

Surrounding her baby boy people would prophesy, worship, and joyfully announce His coming. In Luke 2:19 the physician records that Mary, “kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” She realized that she had an extraordinary child.

Jesus has from the beginning taken the ordinary and made it special. As an adult Jesus took ordinary men and made them apostles. Most of these men were merely fishermen. While fishing today is seen as mostly recreational, for these men it was a difficult and dirty job. Matthew was a tax collector, part of a group of people seen by the Jews as traitors in that day, but became a great apostle and preacher. These men became extraordinary because of Jesus’ influence.

In the Christian age, Jesus has taken the sinner and made him a saint. Jesus’ primary purpose in coming was to “seek and save that which was lost” (Luke  19:10). The sinner was without hope to ever reach a holy God (Isaiah 59:1-2) but Jesus’ sacrifice took away the sins of the world for all who would believe and obey Him.

Jesus has taken the ordinary need to call out for help and given us prayer. Everyone, at one time or another, needs to cry out for help. It might be as simple as car trouble stranding you on the highway or as difficult as recurrent money problems. Because of His mediation we have a God who not only hears our prayers, but stops to listen and acts upon our supplications (James 5:16). Jesus has taken our need for help and given us an avenue to the Father.

Another need that we have common is acceptance. All of us need to be loved, appreciated, and to feel a common bond of brotherhood. Jesus has taken this need and given us fellowship. Because we enjoy fellowship so much, sometimes we forget that it is a commandment. Hebrews 10:24-25 instructs us to spend time together. Christ gives us fellowship in Him to fulfill our need for acceptance.

Jesus also took ordinary food items such as grape juice and unleavened bread and gave us communion with Him and one another in His death. Can you think of any food or drink that is more common and easy to attain anywhere in the world? Yet they become so special when they remind us of His sacrifice each Lord’s day.

In His ministry Jesus took simple stories and made them great life lessons for generations to come. His tales were not long and complicated like Homer’s Iliad or The Odyssey. Instead he spoke to the crowd, “A sower went out to sow.” His simple stories are so extraordinary in the scope of their application to us.

What has Jesus done to you? Have you allowed Him to take an ordinary man or woman and create something special? You might be surprised at the results of His work.

by Ross HaffnerPosted on Posted in Bible, General, Hermeneutics — No Comments ↓

Jehovah is and always has been a reasonable God (Isaiah 1:18). He is looking for those who

understand so He wrote the Bible so that it is not too difficult to understand (Psalm 14:3; II

Timothy 3:16-17). “God is not the author of confusion” so He made the scriptures plain (2

Corinthians 14:33; Habakkuk 2:2). God did not leave any Bible verse up for interpretation. He

had a message to deliver so that all could understand His will and He succeeded in doing so.

When discussing controversial topics from the Bible many lean on the crutch of modern day

philosophy citing, “that’s just your interpretation.” Every idea and concept, whether from God or

man, is open for examination. If that concept is found to be true based on the evidence by using

the principles of reason (logic), it is worthy of belief. One way we can examine ideas is by

following it to its logical end and see if the conclusions are true.

 

If the Bible is open to any interpretation then Jesus lied. Matthew 7:21-23 teaches clearly that

there are some people who will 1) claim Jesus as Lord and 2) do many wonderful works, but will

not be saved. This implies that there are incorrect ways to follow the word of God. Jesus did not

lie (1 Peter 2:22). This means that we cannot interpret the Bible any way we like without running

the risk of being incorrect and losing our soul.

 

If the Bible is open to any interpretation then Jesus is not perfect. John 17:20-23 records a

portion of Jesus’ prayer to the Father. He expressed His desire that all of His disciples

(Christians) be united. When we allow the Bible to define its own terms, we see that unity

means that there is one faith and one baptism (Ephesians 4:3-6). But the religious world says

there are many baptisms (sprinkling, pouring, immersion) and many faiths (belief systems). This

is what happens when anyone can interpret the Bible any way they want. It results in a lack of

unity in spite of Jesus’ prayer. If Jesus allows everyone to have their own interpretation, He

contradicted Himself and is therefore imperfect. Of course Jesus is perfect and sinless making

him an appropriate sacrifice for the sins of the world (Hebrews 5:9).

 

If the Bible is open to any interpretation then every interpretation is acceptable. History records how some have interpreted the Bible erroneously with devastating consequences. Hitler

famously wrote in Mein Kampf, “Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the

will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of

the Lord.” If we believe that any interpretation is as good as another, who can say Hitler was

wrong? Clearly he believed “cunningly devised fables” instead of looking for God’s message as

intended in the scripture (2 Peter 1:16).

 

If the Bible is open to any interpretation then there are some commands in scripture that cannot be obeyed. For example John 7:24 teaches us that there is some level of judging that we are to

perform. Of course that judgment must be “righteous judgment” which means without any

partiality or bias but relying on the scripture for what is required. Also 1 John 4:1 commands that

we examine teachings to make sure they are false doctrines from false teachers. At the heart of

the concept, “everyone has their own interpretation,” is the mandate that I must not judge any

action or teaching. But God clearly wants me to discern actions and teachings in these verses!

We must conclude that the Bible is not up to my interpretation nor yours. It is obligatory that

each of us lay aside our preconceived notions before we examine the scriptures so that we can

clearly see what God intended for us to grasp from the beginning. Only then will we be united as

God desires.

For part 1 click here.

by Ross HaffnerPosted on Posted in Bible, General, Hermeneutics — No Comments ↓

God’s word is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16), but many difficulties can occur when trying to understand theBible with preconceived notions or our own personal beliefs in mind. When attempting to discuss a Bible matter with someone you may have heard them say, “That verse means something completely different to me than it does to you,” or, “Well that’s just your one interpretation among many.” This begs the question: are passages of scripture open to an individual’s interpretation?

The concept that any interpretation will do is foreign to the Bible. Peter makes that clear in his second letter. Let’s examine verses 16-21. 2 Peter 1:16 notes that we have options when it comes to what we believe concerning truth. Peter says that the teaching given to the saints was not based in “cunningly devised fables” but on the truth of what was witnessed concerning Christ. What was witnessed?

Verse 17-18 tells us that Peter is specifically thinking back to the moment when Jesus was transfigured as recorded in Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9. The importance of that occasion was God speaking to Peter, James, and John telling them that Jesus was to be the spiritual and doctrinal authority rather than the law of Moses. Obviously God has a message for man that he sent in the form of His Son. 2 Peter 1:19-21 teaches that this message was delivered from God, through holy men. The key to this study stands out in verse 20 where Peter writes, “No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” Being sure to remain true to the context, this means that the teaching received in the Bible was from God and not man. But the principle is given in these six verses that instead of heeding man’s ideas of what truth is, we should seek God’s message in every word of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Our God put much work and effort, including the sacrifice of His Son, into making sure we had the entirety of His word readily available. He had an important message that we needed. When considering God’s effort and sacrifice, is it reasonable to assume that He views His law as open to any interpretation?

When parents have an extremely important message for their children, they speak differently to them. You might see a mother kneel down to eye level with her boy, gently hold his shoulders, and explain how important the following message is before telling her son that he is not to run out into the street when playing. Why does she expend so much effort in delivering this message? Because if the boy interprets the message differently than she intended, the results could be tragic.

If you strongly believe that any interpretation is as good as another, ask yourself why you believe that. Sometimes an idea is widely believed simply because a lot of people are shouting it from whatever medium they can find. Ideas must be tested and supported by evidence. Is this concept believable when applied to all areas of life? Ask yourself what would happen if the “DO NOT TOUCH” sign in front of any sculpted or painted masterpiece was ignored. Would the museum’s security leave you alone because that sign was up to your own interpretation? When speed limit signs dictate a maximum and minimum speed on the highway you can’t avoid the citation when pulled over by saying, “Sorry officer, but I just have a very different interpretation of 70 MPH than you do.”

God never intended for us to interpret the Bible any way we want. He has one message that is the most important ever delivered. It’s a matter of spiritual life and spiritual death. May we ever be honest with ourselves and the scripture.

For part 2 click here.

by Ross HaffnerPosted on Posted in Christian Living, General, Salvation — No Comments ↓

Have you ever seen a child trying to cover up something they’ve done wrong with a lie? Perhaps they took a chocolate chip cookie that they knew was supposed to wait until after dinner. With chocolate smeared all over their hands and face they will still tell their mother they didn’t eat the cookie to try and avoid punishment.

We must appear like little children to God when we attempt to fool Him and those around us into thinking we are faithful Christians. Believing we can fool God in this way is really self deception. Psalm 139:3 says, “Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.” In other words, God knows everything that we do. He is omnipresent and omniscient, so we should know that we cannot fool God into believing we are being faithful to Him when sin still rules our lives.

Galatians 6:7-9 teaches the law of sowing and reaping. Paul writes, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” To attempt to fool God is to declare that we don’t believe we will reap what we sow. This scripture does not leave wiggle room. Sinful behavior brings about destruction; spiritual, righteous behavior is rewarded with eternal life. Paul implores the Galatians to continue in their well doing because the reward is worth it.

Certainly the destiny for the one who continues to “sow to his flesh” is one that is not to be envied. Concerning the punishment for the wicked, Jesus says three times in Mark 9 it is a place “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” He wanted to emphasize the nature of hell. It is a place with no hope and everlasting punishment. With that in mind, resisting the desires of the flesh shouldn’t be as difficult.

Many don’t want to admit that they have to do something to live the Christian life. They act as if any talk concerning works eliminates the need for grace. Without God’s grace, man would have no hope of avoiding the fires of hell. However, it cannot be denied that the concept of sowing found in Galatians 6 requires action on our part. Some will be saved, many will be lost, and the works that are done will distinguish between the two. Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Later Paul wrote, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (II Corinthians 5:10).

We can continue pretending we are faithful before God in attempt to sneak into Heaven, but that will only bring about eternal damnation. Our only legitimate option is to do the will of the Father and reap life everlasting. What choice will you make?

by Ross HaffnerPosted on Posted in General, Old Testament — No Comments ↓

“All I do is follow the ten commandments” seems to be a popular thought when it comes to the world’s view of faithful Christian living. Certainly these commandments are righteous because they came from God (Exodus 20:1-2). But many are surprised to find that the Bible teaches we are no longer under this law. Can one get to heaven simply by following the Ten Commandments?

 

The Ten Commandments were given to the Jews only. When God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai he was giving the law for Moses and Israel to keep (Exodus 34:27-28). This law was never given to the Gentiles. In fact, the commandments created separation between the Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:13-16). When Christ came, he removed this wall of partition that we might all be one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:27-29).

 

The Ten Commandments are just a small part of the Law of Moses which is given throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Bible teaches concerning law that when we break the law in one part we break the entire law (James 2:10). If we keep the Ten Commandments perfectly, but ignore the laws about animal sacrifices or traveling annually to Jerusalem for the Passover, we violate the entire law.

 

The Ten Commandments were a temporary law. Galatians 3:14-25 teaches that the law was only for the purposes of exposing sin and bringing us to Christ. Notice Paul writes, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Galatians 3:24-25). The law of Moses was never meant to last forever.

 

Following both the Ten Commandments and the law of Christ is spiritual adultery. Romans 7:1-4 talks about living under a law and uses the illustration of marriage. If you are married to two people at once you are an adulterer, but if your spouse passes away you are free to marry another. Likewise, Romans 7:4 teaches, “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

 

The Ten Commandments have been abolished. Romans 7:6 teaches that we are “delivered from the law.” Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-18 that he came to fulfill the law. Finally Paul concludes that the law was nailed to the cross and is no longer against us (Colossians 2:14-17). The Ten Commandments no longer apply to the Jews or the Gentiles. All men are under the law of Christ today.

 

If the Ten Commandments are abolished, does that mean we can kill, steal, covet, or take the Lord’s name in vain? Obviously not, because the new covenant either implicitly or explicitly teaches that we must not kill, steal, covet, or take the Lord’s name in vain. Consider the laws of other countries. Most civil governments have passed laws that forbid murder. When you, as an American, choose not to murder, are you following the law of France? No; you are not under the law of France, you are under the law of the United States of America. Just because the law of France forbids murder does not mean we are under that law. We avoid the sins listed in the Ten Commandments because we are under the law of Christ. We do not follow the law of Moses.

 

If the Ten Commandments are abolished, does that mean the Old Testament is useless? The Bible teaches that we are to learn from the examples in the Old Testament (Romans 15:4). So say Paul, Peter, Jude, and others as they wrote to the first century Christians, many of whom were struggling with the change from the old to the new law. The Ten Commandments cannot get us to heaven today. There is only one way to reach the Father, Jesus Christ (John 14:6) and He brought His own law.

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