What Is the Role of the Law in a Christian's Life?
I had a few new students (and parents) in class today, so I did a fair amount of review to begin the class. If you missed the previous blog post, “What is ‘The Law’?,” I recommend you go read that first.
I’ll say again here, though, that since my target audience is 7th-9th graders (with a few upperclassmen and adults who attend, no doubt, because they find me amusing), and since I only have about 35 minutes of class time, my treatment of this topic can only be introductory in nature—I simply don’t have the time (or an audience with the sufficient attention span) for an exhaustive examination on the topic. There have been entire books written and week-long seminars given (such as one by Greg Bahnsen that I listened to not long ago), if you care to dive deeper.
As usual, I did quite a bit of review at the top of the class, during which I included a bit of insight on loan from my son:
If you hold to the moral, civil, and ceremonial law, you’re either a Jew or a follower of the Hebrew Roots Movement.
Outside of those groups, there don’t seem to be many professing Christians who would claim that we must follow the ceremonial laws.
Throughout church history, the fairly consistent testimony is that the moral laws are binding on Christians.
Christians who believe that we are bound to civil (also know as “judicial”) law as well as the moral law are called theonomists.
The Proper Use of the Law
The Holy Spirit, rather helpfully I might add, tells us what the proper use of the law is in the Christian’s life. We can get a pretty good picture of what this looks like in the following key passages:
But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and godless, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for sexually immoral persons, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted. — 1 Timothy 1:8–11
What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! Rather, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law. For I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” — Romans 7:7
But before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, being shut up for the coming faith to be revealed. Therefore, the Law has become our tutor unto Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. — Galatians 3:23–25
So, what’s Paul saying in these three epistles? The Law of God was given to us as a tutor—a παιδαγωγὸς (paidagōgos)—which has a very interesting meaning: “properly, a legally appointed overseer, authorized to train (bring) up a child by administering discipline, chastisement, and instruction, i.e. doing what was necessary to promote development.”
The proper use of the Law is, therefore:
to expose the utter sinfulness of sin,
to show the sinner that he has no hope in and of himself, and
to lead or guide him to godly repentance at the foot of the cross of Christ—the only one who can atone for the sinner’s sins.
Ray Comfort is a master at using the moral law of God to point sinners to Christ. Take a few minutes to watch the video here to see how he does it.
As Christians, we acknowledge that the moral Law is good (1 Timothy 1:8)—because it is a reflection of the nature and character of God—but we are at the same time not to think that we can live life any ol’ way we please without regard to who we are in Christ (Romans 6). When we are drawn by the Father to the Son in faith (John 6:44), when He grants us repentance unto eternal life (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25), and we are born again of the spirit (John 3), we are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and as such, we will naturally produce fruit that evidences that changed nature (Matthew 3:8; James 3:12). This is not to say that we’re sinless after being regenerated—we’re still in the process of sanctification (as others have said “It’s about becoming what [we] are”)—but the desire is there to do those things which please God. Our focus, then, should not be on adhering to this law or that, but rather our focus should be on submitting to the control of the Holy Spirit so that we can be conformed to the image of Christ, just as God has predestined us (Romans 8:29).
Understanding the Law
So, what are we to do with the civil/judicial and ceremonial aspects of God’s law when it seems so foreign to us today?
I think the key thing to keep in mind is that the Bible is all about God’s redemptive plan for mankind which finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ; therefore, everything in the Old Testament, in one way or another, points to Jesus Christ. When we look at the sacrificial system of Judaism, it demonstrates in bloody detail the sinfulness of sin, and that without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness (Genesis 3:21, cf. Hebrews 9:22).
When we see the precise instructions for worship, we can see that man is not afforded the luxury of coming to God in a way that seems right to him (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25), for there is and always has been but one way to be saved (John 14:6). This is typified for us, among other places, in Noah’s ark, which had one door (Genesis 6:16, cf. John 10:9), into which only those who are chosen will enter (Genesis 6:20, cf. John 6:37, 44, 65), and over which God is completely sovereign (Genesis 7:16, cf. Romans 11:25).
Applying the Law
Even the dietary laws have implications for us today. Let’s take a quick look at one such passage:
Whatever divides a hoof, thus making split hoofs, and chews the cud, among the animals, that you may eat. Nevertheless, you shall not eat of these, among those which chew the cud or among those which divide the hoof: the camel, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you. Likewise, the shaphan, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you; the rabbit also, for though it chews cud, it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you; and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud; it is unclean to you. — Leviticus 11:3–7
In a nutshell, if an animal has a split off and chews the cud, then it’s kosher…otherwise, not. What are we to do with this? Well, think about it…what are hooves for? Walking. What does God’s word have to say about walking?
My son, do not walk in the way with them. Withhold your feet from their pathway, — Proverbs 1:15
“I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers and do not keep their judgments and do not defile yourselves with their idols. — Ezekiel 20:18
Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean, And I will welcome you. — 2 Corinthians 6:17
And what’s this business about chewing the cud? Well, animals that chew the cud are called ruminants—they bite off some grass or other vegetation, chew, and swallow it. Some time later, they barf it back up and chew on it again. Cows spend almost half their day chewing on pre-ingested food. Gross, right? Why in the world would God create an animal that eats its own barf several times a day? Maybe God did this an object lesson for us:
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night… — Joshua 1:8
But his delight is in the law of Yahweh, And in His law he meditates day and night. — Psalm 1:2
When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, — Psalm 63:6
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all You have done; I muse on the work of Your hands. — Psalm 143:5
God wants us to ruminate on His Word…to take it in, think on it, and bring it back up and think on it again and again throughout the day.
So, why must an animal have a split hoof and chew the cud? Because God wants us not only to be separated from the world (1 Peter 1:16), but also to be immersed in His Word—to take it in and dwell on it all day long (Deuteronomy 6:4,5). It’s not enough to be separated from the World and not dwell on Him. If we are separated from the world, but we do not meditate on His Word, then we leave ourselves open to Satan’s attacks (Matthew 11:43–45). Likewise, if we meditate on the Word, but do not walk in a way that is in keeping with what we read, then we have also gained nothing (Luke 6:47,48) we delude ourselves (James 1:23–27), and to add insult to injury, we dishonor Christ with the way we live (Romans 2:24; 1 Corinthians 5; cf. Ephesians 4:1,2; Colossians 1:10).
Homework
The third word of the entire Bible is "beginning," which isn't talked about enough, I think. So, let's see how much we can wring from this simple little word. Your assignment is three-fold:
What is a "beginning"?
What began "in the beginning"?
What was there before the beginning?