One said to me today: "The ten commandments have nothing to do with us now; we are not in the dispensation of the law, but of grace, so that the law is not binding on us; it is all done away with." I do not quite understand this doctrine.
I read that Christ said He did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it-to prove its righteousness. The Bible tells me that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, not the word of God.
The law has no terror for those who have Christ dwelling in their hearts, as He enables them to live the Christ life, and thus keep the law. I should be glad to have your opinion.
I will not give you my opinion, for that is something that nobody has any right to have concerning Scripture; but I will tell you something of what I know, and the ground of my knowledge. We are to know the truth, and not merely to have opinions about it.
You have already stated the truth of the matter very clearly, in the last words of your question, and we may begin with them. Christ said: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17)
To fulfill does not mean to abolish, but to perform. One fulfills an appointment by keeping it. When John the Baptist would forbid Jesus to be baptized, Jesus said: "Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness." (Matthew 3:15)
But Christ did not come to abolish righteousness, nor to relieve men from the necessity of being righteous. We are to be "filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:11)
And all the commandments of God are righteousness. Therefore we are to be filled with the fruits of God's commandments.
Exceeding the Righteousness of the Pharisees
How strange it is, that anybody can read the words of Christ, and profess to be His follower, and yet claim that he is at liberty to disregard all or any one of the ten commandments. Immediately after stating that He came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it, and that not one jot or one tittle could possibly pass from the law, Jesus added: "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:19-20)
What was the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees? It was a most scrupulous adherence to the letter of the law, preciseness in carrying out every detail, so that no one could find the slightest fault with them, so far as outward acts were concerned. But their righteousness was only outward. Theirs was a mere surface religion; they were "like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity." (Matthew 23:27-28)
Now Jesus did not reprove the Pharisees for their scrupulous observance of the letter of the law, and for their outward righteousness; the fault which He found with them was not that they had too much righteousness, but that they did not have enough. To us He says: "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)
To exceed means to have the same amount, and more. So to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, we must have all their regard for the letter of the law, and in addition to having outward righteousness, must have the living spirit of the law in our hearts.
Righteousness is the Keeping of the Law
Righteousness is the doing of the law. "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29)
All God's commandments are righteousness. "My tongue shall speak of your word: for all your commandments are righteousness." (Psalm 119:172) "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." (Romans 7:12)
A blessing pronounced upon those who do His commandments is almost the last thing in the Bible. "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:14)
How then can any professed Christian say that we ought not to keep them?
The "Dispensation" Error
In nothing else do people show their utter failure to comprehend the Gospel, so much as in the use of the word "dispensation." Without the slightest warrant in the Scripture, they have divided up the time from creation to the end of the world into periods which they term "dispensations."
Some have more, and others fewer; but all who have the "dispensation" idea agree that God acts differently in each of them, treating the people in one "dispensation" differently from what He does those in another, and having a different Gospel, a different way of salvation, in each.
Indeed, some, by applying the term "Gospel dispensation" to one period of time, imply that there has been a time since the fall, when there was no Gospel, and, consequently, no salvation. It seems as though the mere statement of the case should be sufficient to show anybody how dishonoring to God is such a position.
Only One Standard in the Judgment
God declares that His way is equal. "Yet you say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? ... Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?" (Ezekiel 18:25,29)
He is God from everlasting to everlasting: "From everlasting to everlasting, You are God." (Psalm 90:2)
And His love is unchangeable and everlasting. "Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and today, and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8)
If God had different standards in different periods of the world,--if the Gospel were not identically the same in every generation, then one Judgment Day would not suffice for the world. He would have to judge the world in sections, and the people of one age would see themselves condemned for doing certain things, while those of another period would be saved for doing the very same things.
Would such a judgment as that vindicate the character of God? Most decidedly not. Even the saved would know that if the others were justly condemned, they were unjustly saved, and the Judgment Day itself would lay the train for such an explosion of anarchy as has never yet been known.
No; God declares that He changes not: "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed." (Malachi 3:6)
And He has but one law and one Gospel, which, like himself, changes not.
The True Dispensation of the Law
It is true that we are not now in the dispensation of the law, and it is well for mankind that this is the case. That is to say, judgment has not begun. When the dispensation of the law comes, it will mean death to all who disobey it; because: "The law works wrath." (Romans 4:15)
And the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience." (Ephesians 5:6)
Yet even when the law with its thunders of wrath is visited upon those who hate God, His mercy continues upon those who love Him and keep His commandments. "And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:6)
There have been times of special judgments ever since the fall, times when the law was dispensed to the rebellious; but God's mercy endured, nevertheless, and grace at the same time saved all who were willing to acknowledge and accept God's sovereignty.
But the Bible gives not the slightest warrant for anybody to suppose that at one period of time men were saved by the law, and at another by grace.
And yet in another sense we may say that this is the time of the dispensation of the law of God, even as has been the case from the beginning. First, let us recall the fact that the commandments of God are righteousness. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." (Psalm 19:7-9) "Your testimonies that You have commanded are righteous and very faithful. ... My tongue shall speak of your word: for all your commandments are righteousness." (Psalm 119:138,172)
We see it also from the following: "All unrighteousness, is sin." (1 John 5:17) "Sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)
Therefore all unrighteousness is the transgression of the law. But unrighteousness is just the opposite of righteousness; and transgression of the law is directly opposed to obedience to the law. Therefore, all righteousness is conformity to the law of God. Nothing can be plainer than this conclusion.
Now read: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power ofGod unto salvation to everyone that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17)
This is equivalent to saying that obedience to the law is revealed in the Gospel. The Gospel puts the law into the heart of every believer, so that its righteousness is revealed in his life. This is the same as what we read in Romans 8, that Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh, condemning sin in the flesh, "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:4)
Christ did not die to absolve man from allegiance to the law of God, but to enable them to keep it. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law." (Romans 3:31)
The Law and the Gospel Inseparable
"You shall call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:21)
But, "Sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)
Therefore the name Jesus stands for salvation from transgression of the law, or, in other words, it ensures obedience to the law to all who accept it in truth. "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin," (1 John 1:7) or from all transgressions of the law. Do you not see how impossible it is to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ without accepting the law of God?
Under Grace
"But we are under grace," your friend says.
Thank the Lord for that; but bid him beware lest he receive the grace of God in vain. (2 Corinthians 6:1) What does the grace of God do? It brings salvation. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men." (Titus 2:11)
And from what are we to be saved? From sin, which is transgression of the law. "Shall we continue in sin, [in transgression of the law] that gracemay abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2)
God's grace is extended to us, in order that we may be saved from our lawlessness; and it is emphasized by the fact that it is given to us although we have rebelled against His law. His mercy spares us in spite of our sins, in order that we may become doers of the law; and it is the office of the very grace that spares us, to put the law into us, so that we can do it.
Not Saved by Works, But for Works
Still, your friend will exclaim, "But we are not saved by works!"
Of course not; and nobody knows this so well as he who understands the law of God. It is only those who are ignorant of God's righteousness, who go about to establish their own righteousness: "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." (Romans 10:3)
No; we are not saved by works, but we are saved in order that we may work. "By grace have you been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, that no man should glory. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10,RV)
The Throne of Grace and Law
God sits upon a throne of grace, and we are exhorted to come boldly to it, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
Yet from that same throne come the thunders and lightnings of Sinai, "And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices." (Revelation 4:5) because righteousness--the law--is the foundation of it. The law works wrath to all transgressors of it; but it is "in the hand of a Mediator [Christ Jesus]." (Galatians 3:19)
And if we accept it at His hand it will work righteousness in us, and "we shall be saved from wrath through Him." (Romans 5:9)
Remember that there were thunders and lightnings at Calvary, for there the wrath of the law was wrought upon the head and heart of Christ; but He was made a curse in order that the blessing might come to us. The blood flowing from the throne of God, in the midst of which is the slain Lamb "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain." (Revelation 5:6)--brings to us the righteousness of the law that is within His heart. This is a most gracious dispensation of law.
Let all beware of rejecting the law, for in so doing they reject Christ himself. The law is binding upon us, but its bonds are those of love; "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3)
The bonds of the law do not chafe those who love the Lord: to all such it is one easy and delightful yoke, linking them to their Master and Saviour.--Present Truth, February 14, 1901.