Christian Sans Christ

PART 1

INTERPENETRATION

1

Interpenetration of the New Covenant Into The Old Covenant

God made heaven and earth. He also made the entire creation on earth before He made man. When He made man, the original plan was to make him ruler over everything, living and nonliving. But man joined hands with Satan and tried to defeat God. However, the covenants between God and man remained. Then God also made covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and another promise of a new covenant which materialized through Jesus Christ. The Israelites failed to live according to the standards of God Almighty. But Jesus showed them how to obey the commandments implicitly. The commandments or law of Moses was fulfilled in Jesus and the significant part of it is that He superceded some of them in such a way that the believers of the entire world would be able to obey the commandments willfully and rejoice in its fulfillment.

According to Thomas Aquinas¹, Moral precepts are permanent, having been held even before the law was given, since they are part of the law of nature. The judicial precepts were of coarse law of Moses but they were only temporary and the other laws are forms of worship and rituals and were concerning cleanliness. Divine worship was only foreshadowing Christ. Now observing them would be declaring that Christ has not come for Christians’ mortal sin. Ceremonial and judicial precepts do not apply now but Ten Commandments apply. Most of the denominations observe Sunday as the Lord’s Day instead of observing the Sabbath day. The distinction between law and gospel is that law demands obedience to God’s will, while gospel is the promise of forgiveness of sins is made possible in the person and work of Jesus Christ. In any case, civil laws as well as moral laws should be applied in today’s society. Some of the Christian denominations maintain that some of the commands changed but not the content or meaning of the commands. The law is described in various places as everlasting and none of them can be terminated or expired, but Jesus could fulfill it. But certain other churches preach about easy beliefs, cheap discipleship, sloppy agape and greasy grace. These are not for the glory of God.

We have seen that there are a large number of covenants, and the Ten Commandments is one of them. This was given through Moses but what does it mean to us today?

1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:2, 3). Can this command be set aside or abolished today? No. It remains forever.

2. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I am the Lord your God, am a jealous God (Exodus 20:4, 5). Can it be set aside or abolished today? No. It remains forever. God has no visible form. Any idol intended to resemble Him would be a sinful representation of God.

3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God (Exodus 20:7).

Profaning God’s name is forbidden even for swearing falsely by it.

Can it be set aside or abolished. No, it remains forever.

These three commandments are part of a Royal Treaty between God, our King and His people. As His subjects, allegiance and obedience to Him out of gratitude of the released slave, for His mercies, reverence to His sovereignity and trust in His continuing care, we must keep the law. This set of the law explains the relationship between God and His people in absolute surrender. He is our merciful King and we are His obedient subjects. He is our gracious Master and we are His obedient slaves. He is our revered Father, and we are His obedient sons. He is our glorious God, we must approach Him in awe. He is our all in all in heaven and earth; let us love Him.

4. Remember the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8). This part of the law should be viewed as applicable to the Jews. Our Lord deals with the Sabbath in a different way. Or haven’t you read in the Lawthat on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day andyet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here.If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, notsacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Sonof Man is Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:3–8). As regards Christians, on the day of Pentecost the believers assembled and since then the day of the resurrection of our Lord was kept as a Holy Day as the Lord’s Day and that is Sunday. Later on, almost all divisions of the church accepted it as the Lord’s Day and celebrated instead of the Sabbath day. For Christians Sunday is the Sabbath.

Let us also consider the applicability of Sabbath according to the new covenant taught by Jesus: He healed the sick on Sabbath day. He also told one person to carry his bed to his home. Was this to show the people that He is breaking the law of Moses? He did not rebuke His disciples, when they harvested grain on the Sabbath day and ate it. Was He disregarding the law of Moses? No. Here comes the applicability of the new covenant. According to the observance of the Jewish Sabbath, one day in seven days is set aside to go to the temple and pray and worship and give offering at the temple of God. Jesus taught entirely different way; for Him all the seven days belong to God; for Him not few minutes per day but the entire day for Him 24/7 belong to God; for Him one-tenth given as tithe is not enough but cent percent. If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23). Obey that command implicitly. Disobedient people interpret the Bible, for their peril; let the Holy Spirit do that work for us.

5. Honour your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12). Prize highly, care for, show respect and obey them. Jesus emphasized this point in (Matthew 19:19). Can it be set aside or abolished? No it remains forever.

6. You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13). This, in Hebrew, refers to premeditated and deliberate act. Here let us see how Jesus interprets the law: You have heard that it was said to the peoplelong ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subjectto judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with hisbrother will be subject to judgment (Matthew 5:21, 22). The contrast that Jesus sets up is not between the OT and His teaching (He has just established the validity of the OT law) rather, it is between externalistic interpretation of the rabbinic tradition on the one hand, and Jesus’ true interpretation of the law on the other. Jesus greatly emphasized and established the law. Can it be set aside or abolished?

7. You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14). This is a sin against God as well as the marriage partner. Jesus says, Youhave heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But Itell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has alreadycommitted adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27, 28). There is greater emphasis of the law and its establishment by Jesus! Can it be set aside or abolished?

8. You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15). After reading this commandment in Torah, they robed both God and man left and right. Jesus is establishing this law by teaching them with a wide range: if your eye causes you to steal, gouge it out and throw it away! Now stealing became filthy and a great insult to his personality. Can it be set aside or abolished?

9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbour (Exodus 20:16). Jesus established the law in a better way saying love your neighbor as yourself. You cannot give false testimony against yourself! Can it be set aside or abolished?

10. You shall not covet (Exodus 20:17). We shall not desire something with evil motivation. But how Jesus established this law also, by saying love your neighbor as yourself? For out ofthe heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality,theft, false testimony, slander (Matthew 15:19). Can this law be set aside or abolished?

From the foregoing, we have seen that Jesus has neither set aside nor abolished any of the Ten Commandments. On the contrary, he said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.

I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17–20).

Many declare that they need not keep the law as Jesus has fulfilled it. Fulfill is to make full, to fill to the full (Vine’s complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words Fill). Jesus kept the commandments in all respects for us and completely filled their meaning. He showed their spiritual intent, explaining that anger equates with murder. Regarding divorce: But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery (Matthew 5:32). He also emphasizes the point of loving the enemy: You have heard that it was said love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. Jesus expects much more from us, not just our lip service. He demands that we do as the Father has commanded. Jesus said, Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21). But if you want to enter life, obey the commandments" (Matthew 19:17). Obeying the commandments of God is a prerequisite for receiving the gift of eternal life. Often we see two sets of people:

1. People who delight in the law like King David. They say, The law of the Lord is perfect (Psalm 19:7). The law of his God is in his heart (Psalm 37:31). Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8). But I delight in your law (Psalm 119:70). I stand in awe of your law (Psalm 119:120). For your righteous law (119:164). And may your law sustain me (119:175). I will always obey your law, for ever and ever (Psalm 119:44).

2. The other set of people always considered the law as a burden. It was always a curse for them. It was called the law of death. They disliked the law because it always curtailed their sinful ways. Therefore they say Jesus came to abolish the law and set it aside. This is not true. They say so because they are Christians sans Christ.

But Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6).

a. We are given eternal inheritance.

b. Our mediator paid the ransom to give us freedom from sin.

c. We are sprinkled with the blood of Christ.

d. Always he sits on the right side of the Father to intercede for us.

e. The new covenant is the fulfilment of the prophecy.

The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the Lord. Jeremiah 31:31–32

Let us see what God meant by this prophecy. First of all he declares that I loved you as a husband loves his wife. Second he laments that you betrayed Him as a harlot betraying her husband by breaking the law of covenant. Infidelity of the wife is remembered with indignation and pain. He suffered the pain until the Messianic era. This he says about our forefathers. Now about us: This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put the law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more (Jeremiah 31:33–34).

As regards the old covenant, neither have you remembered Moses nor the stone tablets nor does its glory exists. Since the stone is neglected, I will write on their hearts. Earlier, Levite priests were required to search and find out the meaning of the law. No longer you shall say, know the Lord because all will know God. All are expected to be the disciples of Jesus and they are called Christians. If they behave otherwise they are Christians sans Christ.

2

The Law of Christ

The new covenant is the law of Christ. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). Jesus was absolutely a selfless person. He expects his followers to be absolutely selfless.