Frred from the law? Thank God, yes!

gideons300 · #1 10th March 2012, 04:14 PM

I wrote this reply to a question on the sabbath but it is such an important subject that I wanted to share it here. I apologize for its length, but if you dare to read it, may God bless you from it.

The truth is, the sabbath is part of the old covenant and is not in force today for believers. Thank God,

Now before you pick up stones or start plucking chickens and boiling tar, let us remember the story of what happened immediately after the 10 commandments were given. An Israelite was found gathering firewood for his family to cook and that is was a clear transgression of the law. He was brought before Moses and they asked him what the penalty was. Moses did not know! God had not talked of what to do if they were broken. He had just gotten the commandments! So he prayed and asked God. We will not like the answer, I promise. God told them to take the man outside the camp and stone him to death. He was the first casualty of the law.

It all changed once Jesus led a perfect life, fulfilling the demands of the law.died At his death, the new covenant replaced the old. There was no more tithing. Free will offerings..... whatever you can give cheerfully. There was no more Sabbath. Every day is holy unto the Lord. Now, some do worship specifically on one day above another. Some worship on Saturdays and others on Sundays. I grew up overseas and our day of worship was on a Friday. The key is the attitude of the heart. Paul said some esteem one day above another, others each day the same. Paul said each was to follow theleadingof the spirit in their consciences. That is how God works. Praise God! We are free!

One of the major errors of the modern church is an incomplete understanding of the old and new covenants and it has made the walks of many a minefield of rules, guilt and condemnation and robbed them of joy. Do we not see? We are freed from the schoolmaster once we come to Jesus. All things are lawul, Paul says. ALL. But all things are not expedient nor bring glory to Jesus and therein lies the safety mechanism for legalists who think people will then go do all sorts of evil if there are no "rules".

Many good brothers and sisters still try to reverance the law but we do not understand what it demands. Yes, DEMANDS.

1) It demands absolute 100% obedience under penalty of death. The soul that sinneth, it shall die.

2) In addition, if one is found guilty of one transgression, the law declares him guilty of breaking EVERY commandment.

Do we really want that? We should be falling on our faces in total thankfulness that we are no longer under written ordinances that try to work goodness into us by washing the outside of the cup. It simply does not work. God has a better covenant and it is the indwelling Holy Spirit making goodness grow in us to the point that our outside is clean as well.

Listen. The law was NOT given to show us how to be good Christians! It was instead given to man to show him he CANNOT be good, that God's holiness demands purity with NO sin to enter His presence.

The Pharisees were diligent keepers of the law and tithed down to the herbs grown in their gardens. How proud they were that they were following all the rules. Jesus was not impressed. He told them:

"You have heard it said, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery', but I say unto you, that if you even look upon a woman with lust in your hearts, you have aready commited adultery with her."

Ouch.

How proud our old fleshly natures! How we think we have it in us, if we are diligent enough, have enough self control, hold our mouths just right, that we can by following external rules be pleasing to God and wrestly our bodies into submission. Bull puckey!. We cannot. We forget that self-control is a fruit of the spirit, of having Jesus abide in our hearts by FAITH alone. He is the one who has promised to CAUSE US to walk in obedience. He must build the house. Not Him and us. Him alone. We are asked only to admit, submit and believe the glorious good news of the gospel, the true gospel.

The only thing that pleases Him is faith coming from a heart humbled by the law, where we cry out "God, have mercy on me, for I am a sinful man." And praise God, He does give mercy by offering us a new nature that satan has no hooks in.

So why are so few walking this way if this is true?

For it did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

I hope there are weary hearts here that are reading these words and they are like water on parched lips, worn out souls. How we must learn.... the law kills. It offers no life, no power (and no joy). Once and for all we need to understand that.

Thank God, Christ is the end of the external written commandments of the law to everyone that believeth..... sabbath included.

There is a law, but it is not written commandments. It is called the law of the spirit of life and the Holy Spirit is the one who writes what he wants for us on our hearts and in our consciences.

I pray this helps. if thereare any sincere questions, I pray I can expound the truths of the new covenant to you. It will turn your spiritual walk upside down.

Many blessings,

Gideon