Location:Bethlehem, PA

Type of Speech: 01: Sermon

Speaker: Roy Holladay

Subject: Law

File Name: 87102401

Do we really understand the differences between the Old & New Covenants? What is the difference between us as Christians and the physical Israelites?

HEB. 8:1-2 One of the main differences is the priesthood of which we are under. We have a perfect high priest: Jesus Christ.

HEB. 8:6 states that Christ’s ministry today is called a more excellent ministry compared to the Levitical priesthood. The New Cov. Is called better than the Old Cov. Why? One reason is that we are now promised eternal life.

HEB. 10:9 states that God removed the first covenant to establish the second. But what was so wrong with the first? Was it an imperfect law? Did God give a nation of people an imperfect law to follow?

HEB. 8:7 states that the first law had fault. There was need for a second. Again, why did God give his people a faulty law? He didn’t!

HEB. 8:8-13 is where we can read the rest of the passage in context. We find that the fault was not with the law, but with the people. There was nothing wrong with the Old Cov. The people did not have the nature -- the heart -- to obey God. Vs 10 states that one of the remedies is to write the law of God on the people’s hearts.

We will look at 3 areas dealing with the subject of the covenants.

There was no personal one-on-one relationship. Prayer was more of a formal ritual. Only the priest went into the temple. There was not that Father-son relationship. The average person did not have access to God the way the Christian does today.

EX. 19:16-17,21; 20:18-20 The people here had a "healthy fear" of God. There was no faith involved. They believed what they saw. Moses told the people that God manifested himself to them in this way so that they would have this fear.

EX. 14:31 The Israelites saw the Egyptians wiped out. They feared because of what they saw. Their motivation was external and physical. Also, their form of worship was physical and ritualistic.

They were to write the laws everywhere. On the walls, the doorposts, their clothing, etc.

GAL. 4:21-5:6 tells us that there is no need for outward ritual and reminders when we have the faith which comes from Christ. Now many people use this passage to say they have no need to walk according to the law. This passage is not implying that at all. It is telling us we have no need for the outward reminders. Circumcision is the main point of this passage. In fact, it is the main problem in the entire book of Galatians.

GAL. 5:13-26 proves that this passage is not freeing us to a life without law (lawlessness). It is clear that personal conduct is still very important. It is only these outward rituals that are no longer necessary because we have faith.

HEB. 9:1; 7-15 Offering up a lamb did not do away with sin. The sacrifice of Christ was a more perfect way. It is a new covenant. A better covenant. Now what was the problem with the old? Bulls and goats? I think the problem was not with bulls and goats, but with sin. If people didn’t sin, there would be no need for any type of sacrifice! But people do sin. And through this new process, we are to be given the ability to be free from sin. Vs.14 tells us that Christ’s sacrifice purges us from sin and enables us to serve the living God. How much clearer can it be? We are to live holy and blameless lives. Christ’s perfect sacrifice is always there. Christ is a mediator for us constantly to intervene when we fail. But if the Spirit of the living God resides in us, we are instruments of his will. We should be motivated to follow him blamelessly.

MT. 23:23 The scribes and Pharisees performed the law according to the letter. They did not have the heart to obey God. They missed many points that the Spirit of God would have enlightened them on, such as being merciful.

DEUT. 4:5-8 tells us that God dealt with the nation as a whole. Each individual had the responsibility to follow the law, but God was dealing with them as with a nation.

MAL. 3:8-12 God tells the people of Israel that he blessed or punished them as a nation.

But now for the New Covenant: What is our relationship to God under the New Cov.? When baptized, we become the children of God. We are to develop a Father-son relationship to God. Unlike Israel, we have immediate access to God.

2 COR. 3:14-17 There is a veil that covers the mind of the unconverted. It even covered the minds of those who were under the Old Cov. It covered the minds of all humanity. When we enter the New Cov. -- when we receive the Spirit of God -- the veil is lifted. Our minds our opened. The Israelites did not understand the scriptures. They did not understand the things they did and the rituals they performed. We can understand. When we have God’s Spirit, we can have the mind of God. This is how his laws are written on our hearts; in our minds. We no longer need physical rituals to perform to be in a relationship with God. So we see here the parts of the New Cov that are more excellent. The Spirit of God residing in us. The writing of God’s law on our hearts. The cleansing aspect of the sacrifice of Christ, a more excellent savior then the blood of goats.

Another aspect of the new covenant relationship is that we are no longer in the need of miracles. We do not have to see smoke rising from a mountain to obey and fear God.

1 COR. 14:22; ROM. 10:17 miracles are for unbelievers. Faith is for believers. And faith is the evidence of things not seen.

The law under the New Covenant is still important as well.

ROM. 2:17-28 is a beautiful passage that shows that God wants the new cov. Christian to follow -- in conduct -- the requirements of God’s laws. The outward manifestation of circumcision is no longer necessary. But following the commandments are necessary. In terms of individual conduct, God always expects his people to be law abiding. You will never find a passage in the New Testament that shows a Christian breaking any of God’s commandments. Nor will you find any instructions by the apostles to do so. You will find passages that tell us we no longer have to perform outward rituals such as circumcision, sacrifice, etc.

Christians must keep God’s law so well, they aren’t even to think of sin. Now how is it possible to reject sin from our minds?

HEB. 8:10 God’s Spirit does this. God’s laws are written on our hearts and not just on tables of stone. As a result, the filth is removed from our hearts. Sin is removed from our minds.

MT. 5:20 makes a sobering statement. Our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees. Since they were already performing the law perfectly to the letter, what is left to improve on. The mind. We are to think in terms of the purpose and intent of the laws.

The New Covenant Christian is still compelled to follow God’s commandments, in conduct and in thought. Of ourselves, this is impossible. But a main factor of the New covenant is that God places his Spirit within us. He writes his laws on our minds. Christ lives in us, not for us. We will do the will of God and Christ when we allow Christ to exercise his will in our minds.

According to Life Application Bible.

What is the law?

Part of the Jewsh law included those laws found in the OT. When Paul says that non-Jews (Gentiles) are no longer bound by these laws, he is not saying that the OT laws do not apply to us today. he is saying certain types of laws may not apply to us. In the OT there were 3 categories of laws.

3 types of law
1. Ceremonial law - This kind of law relates specifically to Israel's worship (see, for example, Leviticus 1:1-13). Its primary purpose was to point forward to Jesus Christ. Therefore, these laws were no longer necessary after Jesus' death and resurrection. While we are no longer bound by ceremonial laws, the principles behind them-to worship and love a holy God-still apply. The Jewish Christians often accused the Gentile Christians of violating ceremonial law.
2. Civil law - This type of law dictated Israel's daily living (see Deut 24:10, 11, for example). Because moderen society and culture are so radically different, some of these guidelines cannot be followed specifically. But the principles behind the commands should guide our conduct. At times, Paul asked Gentile Christians to follow some of these laws, not because they had to, but in order to promote unity.
3. Moral law - This sort of law is the direct command of God-for example, the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). It requires strict obedience. It reveals the nature and will of God, and it still applies to us today. We are to obey this moral law not to obtain salvation, but to live in ways pleasing to God.

Gal 3:19 what is the purpose of the law? It was added b/c of transgression. There already was a law. there had to be a law to have transgression. no law=no transgression. God added more law until Jesus, the seed, should come. You are unclean, you have transgressed. And God added law to point them toward Christ. To teach them a lesson. They needed a sacrifice.

Rom 4:15 were there is no law, there is no transgression. So there was a law to begin with.

1 John 3:4 Sin is the transgression of the law.

Jer 7:22-24 what law wasn't there before. Burnt offerings and sacrifices. They didn't start off with burnt offereings and sacrifices. Passover was different. For burnt offererings for sin and transgressions, God always said, "bring hither your burnt offerings and sacrifices", but for passover, He says, "bring MY sacrifice of the passover". That lamb doesn't belong to you because it represents MY sacrifice. Burnt offerings and sacrifice were for people to give for their sin.

Duet 23:10-14 Law of releiving themselves and being unclean. The difference is they lived in a camp. If they just leave their dung in the floor so everyone will see it, that would not be love of fellow man. We do not live in camps today. This would probably overall be a civil law.

Num 10:10 blowing of trumpets. The sons of Aaron the priest shall blow the trumpets. The priests responsibility to blow the trumpets. You have to ask yourself, who is this written to? This was written to the priests.

Deut 4:5-8 I have taught you statutes and judgements. Not just for themselves, but they were to be an example for all the world. God told them if they obeyed Him, he would bless them and make you greater than all nations. The whole world would see it. The problem was Israel didn't obey and they weren't blessed. They were to be the example nation that God would take slaves and make great nations. This has to do with the tassles. Deut 28:1-4 If you obey, God will set you on high above all nations. Deut 15:11 "Poor will never cease from land." Deut 6: "O' that there be such a heart in them." God knew that they would not obey. This is a national promise. Num 15:38-41 Make tassles to remind them of God's laws. He promised them if they obeyed, He would bless them. What good is a tassle? How does it remind them of God's laws. At that time, the tassle and hem was the most ornate part of mens garment. Now it's the tie. And blue was significant - a special color. Tassles were commonly worn in dress garments. tassles and fancy hems were worn by those that were dressed up. It's possible that God wanted you to wear your best and rememeber "I have been blessed by God". Now we don't wear tassles and blue is not significant, so tassles don't mean anything to us. It was a lesson for them at the time.

Matt 5:17-22 "Think not I have come to destroy the law. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill." civil, ceremonial and moral help us learn, but we need to discern if it's civil, ceremonial or moral. Just like the tassles, sometimes it's hard to discern, but the lesson is still there.