How To Understand The Law Of God In The New Covenant
Part 3: Christians Are In The Law Of God Which is No Longer The Old Covenant Law But Is Now The Law Of Christ
1 Corinthians 9:20-21(Children’s Sheet for Sermon Interaction is at bottom. Notes for young children to answer are throughout sermon)
Pastor Kerry Kinchen, Bridgeway Bible Church
Please turn to 1 Corinthians 9:20-21. This is the third part of a four part series on understanding the Law of God in the New Covenant. In previous sermons we explored an important New Covenant revelation. Namely, we are not in the Old Covenant Mosaic Law anymore. We saw that the Ten Commandments engraved on stone is the Old Covenant according to Exodus 34:27-28,
“27 ... Yahweh said ... ‘Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’ 28 ... And he [Moses] wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” Exodus 34:27-28
We saw Deuteronomy 4:13,
“So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.” Deuteronomy 4:13
We also saw that this means that we are not under, and can not be under, the Ten Commandments engraved on stones as we see in 2 Corinthians 3:5-10,
“ 5 ... God 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a New Covenant, not of the letter [of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law] but of the Spirit; for the letter kills [the Old Covenant Mosaic Law kills], but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones [Ten Commandments], came with glory, ... 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. 10 For indeed what had glory, [Old Covenant Ten Commandments engraved on stone] in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.” 2 Corinthians 3:5-10
We also covered the fact that Christ Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirement of the Old Covenant Mosaic Law according to His prophecy in His Old Covenant Sermon On The Mount in Matthew 5:17-18, He said,
“17 Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until [“until” is heos in the Greek. Heos means “before.”] heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” Matthew 5:17-18 (cf. Luke 16:17)
Jesus pointed to all being “accomplished” in establishing the New Covenant about 3 years later on Golgotha. His prophesied accomplishment was revealed in His final words in His Sermon On The Cross in John 19,
“... Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, ‘I am thirsty.’ 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’” John 19:29-30
The Old Covenant Law passed away because all was accomplished in the great finish. The Old Covenant became obsolete according to Hebrews 8:13. The Old Covenant faded away according to 2 Corinthians 3:11. The great “amen” has been pronounced. A New Covenant was initiated at the same time. Now we live in the New and better Covenant which we saw from Hebrews 7:7-8. Christ is preaching a new sermon now. He is preaching it into the hearts of all whom He saves by His Spirit. We also saw that the enmity of the Old Covenant letter that kills, was itself killed on the cross with Christ. It was abolished, Ephesians 2:15
“15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, ... thus establishing peace, 16 and would reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity [of the Mosaic Law]. ... 18 for through Him we [Jews and Gentiles] have our access in one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:15-18
And then the parallel passage of Colossians 2:13-14,
“13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses ... God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us [Old Covenant Mosaic Law and its enmity], which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14
We saw that this was the fulfillment of the other prophetic statements of Jesus in His sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:20
“20 ... unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20
“48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
The perfectly righteous one fulfilled it all for us in His work. It is work’s of righteousness for salvation, but it is all the perfect work of the perfect and righteous God-man Christ Jesus. And His work has not ceased. He works as the covenant-light incarnate according to Isaiah 42:6,
“6 I am Yahweh, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations,” Isaiah 42:6
(cf. Isaiah 49:6-8, Isaiah 55:3-4, Luke 22:20 with 1 Corinthians 11:25, Hebrews 13:20, Luke 2:31, Acts 13:47)
The living “covenant” “light” is still working as He works in the hearts of all whom He saves by His Spirit. We saw the covenant light’s enduring result in which,
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we would become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
The righteousness of God in Him surpasses any righteousness that even the strictest Old Covenant Law keeping Pharisee could accomplish. The righteousness of God in Him is His perfection which is imputed to us in which we are made spotless and without blame in Him. It is His miracle work in which we are made perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. The main sense that we walked away with was that we are no longer in the Old Covenant Mosaic Law,
“For Christ is the end of the [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4
We also saw that there were various purposes for the Old Covenant Mosaic Law. We saw that each purpose must be looked at through the lens of New Testament revelation. We explored reasons why this is so important. One is because to do so is God’s express will. Another is because there are man-made microscopes which compete with the lens God gave us. They seek to dictate our gaze according to their image. They are complex theological “isms” like Messianic Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Dispensationalism, Covenantalism, and Theonomism. We also saw that in respect to the New Covenant people of God, the Old Covenant has been preserved for memory but not for method, for revelation but not regulation, for information but not conformation, and for description but not prescription. We covered those things in the last two sermons. As we continue with this segment of the four part series out of 1 Corinthians 9, let’s read the section now. Starting in verse 19,
“... 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law [Old Covenant Law of Moses], as under the Law [Old Covenant Law of Moses] though not being myself under the Law [Old Covenant Law of Moses], so that I might win those who are under the Law [Old Covenant Law of Moses]; 21 to those who are without Law [Old Covenant Law of Moses], as without Law, though not being without the Law of God [The Law of God which is in operation in the New Covenant] but under the Law of Christ [The Law of the New Covenant is the Law of God Christians are under], so that I might win those [Gentiles] who are without Law [without both the Old Covenant or New Covenant Law of God].” 1 Corinthians 9:19-21
Please prepare your heart to learn along with me in this sermon with the theme;
How To Understand The Law Of God In The New Covenant
Part 3: Christians Are In The Law Of God Which is No Longer The Old Covenant Law But Is Now The Law Of Christ
[prayer]
Since we recognize that we are no longer under the Old Covenant Law of God, we must be careful. I am not saying that we must be careful as if we are going to go on a sin rampage now that we understand what God understands about the Ten Commandments. If you are regenerated by the Spirit, then your conviction will not be to go on a sin rampage. Why? Because you have listened, and are listening by the Spirit, to the word of God He has recorded for us. The reason I say that we must be careful is because of other Christians who do not recognize the New Covenant facts for what they are. It could be that they do not recognize the New Covenant facts because of some complex theological system dictating their thoughts. It may be the bravado that comes with being associated with a Christian group, or affinity to be attached to some historical figures and their views. It could be that they are stubborn, or they are in denial, or they are simply ignorant of the full counsel of God on the matter. It could be any number of those things. The point is that we must be careful because in their ignorance, prejudice, and traditions, they will speciously think that your Scripturally accurate knowledge concerning the fact that we are no longer under the Old Covenant Law of God will somehow lead you to go on some sort of sin-binge. They will believe that you are injecting a license to sin into God’s New Covenant word. Expect this. But you must also be careful about something else too. If you attempt to repeat, quote, or articulate, God’s New Testament revelations on this matter, you should expect to be called certain misnomers. You may be called an “antinomian.” An antinomian is someone who is against the Law of God. You may also be called an a-nomian. An a-nomian is someone who is without the Law of God. Such people are anomos as Paul says in our text under study. Neither one of those statements is remotely true about us biblical Christians from the New Covenant Truth that God has actually revealed in His word, but I am warning you now--you must be ready for those false accusations. This leads to another primary fact to glean from 1 Corinthians 9 in how to understand the Law of God in the New Covenant. It is actually our first principle that we will glean from our text.
/1/
The first principle is that Christians are clearly in the Law of God while in the New Covenant. It was prophesied to come. It is the Law of the New Covenant. It is here, and Christians have it. Notice that Paul says,
“20 ... not being myself under the [Old Covenant] Law, ... 21 to those who are without [Old Covenant] Law, as without [Old Covenant] Law, though not being without the Law of God [The Law of God which is in operation in the New Covenant] but under the Law of Christ [This unique Law of the New Covenant is the Law of God Christians are under] ...” 1 Corinthians 9:20-21
@1 Christians are not under the Old Covenant Law, but are under the Law of __________ of the New Covenant. 1 Corinthians 9:20-21
When Paul says “without Law” he is using the Greek word anomos. Paul is as an a-nomian to Jews and Gentile proselytes to Judaism, but Paul is only a-nomian in respect to a certain Law. That Law that Paul said He is without is the ministry of death in letters engraved on stones (Ten Commandments) 2 Corinthians 3:7--the Old Covenant Law. But then notice that Paul instantly comes back and says that he is not without the Law of God in the New Covenant. The point is that there is a Law of God that exists for us. It is here in the New and Better Covenant. Further, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel prophesied the coming of this Law of God. It was prophesied to come to the New Covenant people of God in that great Messianic prophecy chapter of Isaiah 42. Notice the prophesy concerning the Messiah, especially verse 4,
“1 Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights, I have put My Spirit upon Him; 4 ... And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His Law. [the Law of Christ] ... 6 I am Yahweh, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations,” Isaiah 42:1-6
@2 Isaiah 42:4 prophesied the ___________ of Christ that was to come. Isaiah 42:1-6
When Isaiah gave this prophecy, the Ten Commandments Covenant already existed. The Servant’s Law that the corners of the earth waited expectantly throughout the centuries to receive, is Christ the God-man-servant’s New Covenant Law. It is “the Law of God.” It is here now, and all Christians have it. The writer of Hebrews explains it well in revealing two things from Hebrews 7 through 8. I’m going to read the pertinent sections out of Hebrews, and as I do, I will point out two important things which are;
1) When the New Covenant was instituted and the Old Covenant was made defunct along with its priesthood, there was by necessity, a change of Law. There was a change of Law and a change of priesthood.
2) In the New Covenant, God writes His New Covenant Laws on the minds and hearts of His elect.
As I read, I want us to notice that the writer of Hebrews will explain the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning the New Covenant out of Jeremiah 31:27-34 (which is quoted from Jeremiah 38 of the Septuagint). We read the point in Hebrews 7:11, and on through chapter 8. Hebrews 7:11,
“11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it [on the basis of the Levitical priesthood there was the legislation and application of the Mosaic Law Covenant. So, on the basis of it] the people received the [Old Covenant] Law), what further need was there for another priest [alluding to Christ] to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of Law also.
[Okay, right here is the first big thing that I want us to notice. When the covenant change occurred with the accompanying priesthood, the Law changed. In fact, the Law changed by necessity. Notice that the writer of Hebrews does not say that only something that men call a “sacrificial aspect” of Law changes. He does not say that a category that men want to call a “ceremonial,” or “civil,” or any misnomered moral “aspect” of Law changes. There is no 1/3 change. There is no 2/3 change. There is a complete change of the complete Law. Further, the writer does not say that the whole Law stays the same except for a piece of it. No, rather the whole Law changes according to the way the whole Newer Covenant defines its change. The sacrificial aspects change along with all the rest of it. This is the point. The sacrificial and priestly aspects change precisely because the whole thing changes and is radically different from the Old defunct ministry of death engraved on stones, 2 Corinthians 3:7-9. Contextually, the setting aside of God’s former commandment is the issue, verse 18. But the point is that this is a necessity. The writer of Hebrews has been explaining that Christ the High Priest is according to the priestly order of Melchizedek. And so, in like manner to the fact that it was on the basis of the previous Levitical priesthood that the people received the Old Covenant Law, on the basis of the Mechizedekian priesthood the people received the New Covenant Law from Christ. The writer of Hebrews goes on. As he does, we will get more details concerning this Law change,]
“13 For the one [The Lord Jesus Christ as the Great High Priest] concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe from which no one has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord [Jesus] was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. 15 And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become such not on the basis of a Law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is attested of Him, ‘You [Christ Jesus] are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.’ 18 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the [Mosaic] Law made nothing perfect),
[The former commandment was set aside by God because no aspect of it’s codes of conduct could make anyone perfect whether in the sacrificial codes or the rest of the hundreds of statutes that demanded obedience, including the ten engraved on stone, 2 Corinthians 3:7-9. The writer of Hebrews continues. He is going to identify where that change of Law is according to prophetic fulfillment,]
and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. ... 22 so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. ...” [Going on into 8:6, the writer continues with,] 8:6 But now He [Christ the High Priest] has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says:
[And then the writer of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31:27-34 (Actually it is in Jeremiah 38 of the Septuagint). It is where we see the miraculous placement of that “Law of Christ” which Paul calls “the Law of God” in 1 Corinthians 9:21 into His people’s hearts in salvation. That change of Law placement is described as being written on the hearts of all Christians. Notice the prophetic fulfillment which illuminates the point of the writer of Hebrews. Continuing in verse 8]
‘Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9 not like the [Old] covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my [Old] covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. 10 For this is the [New] covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my Laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts,
@3 God puts His New Covenant Laws into the hearts and ______________ of His people. Hebrews 8:8-10
[Right here is where God prophesied through Jeremiah concerning His New Covenant Law that was to come for His New Covenant people in what was the change of Law in the change of covenants. The writer of Hebrews is quoting the Greek Septuagint in indicating that the Laws plural are written on both the heart and the mind. Loving God and loving other Christians, gets on the hearts of all Christians in respect to what was just said in Hebrews 7:11-12. In other words, the writer of Hebrews is explaining that perfection is through the Melchizedek priesthood (for on the basis of it, through the work of Christ, the people receive the New Covenant Laws on their hearts and minds). It is important to recognize that this was a prophetic utterance from Jeremiah that was ultimately fulfilled and is being fulfilled in each Christian. In Jeremiah’s prophetic insight, God says that the Laws He puts in His New Covenant people’s minds and hearts, is not like the Old Mosaic Law Covenant that He made with the Israelites on the day when He took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. This is made apparent in the fact that God is not writing over 600 Law statutes on our hearts from the defunct Old Covenant. God is not re-writing only 10 commands from the “ministry of death” of the Old Covenant engraved on stone onto New Covenant hearts and minds either. That defunct Law code, with its Friday to Saturday evening Sabbath, and all the other 9, is not what He writes on our hearts by the Spirit. But Christ is, and Christ is our everlasting Sabbath rest, Hebrews 4:9-10, Matthew 11:28. The point is that this is how Paul can be without the Old Covenant Law, but not without the Law of God. The Law of God, in its current form, was written on Paul’s heart--not on stone tablets. It is also written on the hearts of all Christians. Notice how the quote continues in the flow in 8:10]
... and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. 13 When He said, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” Hebrews 7-8
The writer of Hebrews is expressing that all who are in the New Covenant will know the Lord, having received Him by grace through faith. Through the New Covenant blood of Christ Jesus, God is merciful toward the iniquities of Christians. He remembers our sins no more. The same prophecy passage of Jeremiah 31:27-34 which is Jeremiah 38 of the Septuagint is also quoted over in Hebrews 10,
“15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16 ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my Laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,’ 17 then He adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their Lawless deeds no more.’” Hebrews 10:15-17
It is vital that we recognize the New Testament revelation that explains to us that when the New Covenant was instituted and the Old was made defunct, there was by necessity, a change of Law. It is vital that we recognize the prophetic fulfillment in the New Covenant, in which God writes His New Covenant Laws on the minds and hearts of His elect in Christ. With the Jeremiah quotes in mind out of Hebrews, I want us to consider two other Old Testament prophecies that parallel the one out of Jeremiah. They are Ezekiel 36, and Ezekiel 11:19. Ezekiel 36 which reflects Ezekiel 11:19 explains the coming New Covenant Law of God this way:
“25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28 You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; ... 33 'Thus says the Lord God, ‘On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, ...” Ezekiel 36:25-33
Though Ezekiel 36 is not fully quoted anywhere in the New Testament, its fulfillment is all over the New Testament. This is why Paul echoes the prophecy of Ezekiel shortly before he says that the Ten Commandments faded away in 2 Corinthians 3:7 and 2 Corinthians 3:11. We see Ezekiel’s reverberation in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22,
“21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
The point is that the prophecies have been fulfilled. God puts His Spirit within us. He puts His New Covenant Law in us. He causes us to walk in His New Covenant Law statutes. Through His Spirit, we are careful to observe His ordinances. Like Paul, we also are not under the Old Covenant Law. We, like Paul, are outside the Old Covenant Law, and yet, like Paul, we are not without the Law of God, 1 Corinthians 9:20-21. This realization means many important things for us. One important thing that it means is that we Christians who recognize God’s truth on this matter from His word, are not antinomians. We are not against God’s Law because we can not possibly be. We are living fulfillments of prophecy. He has put His Laws on our hearts. He has written them on our minds. He has put His Spirit within us. He causes us to walk in His statutes. He causes us to be careful to observe His ordinances. They are taught to us by God. It is as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians,
“9 Now as to the affection of the brothers [philedelphia], you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love [agape] one another;” 1 Thessalonians 4:9
There was no need to write what has already been written by God on the hearts of Thessalonian Christians. So, the point is that though we are a-nomians like Paul in respect to that ministry of condemnation of 2 Corinthians 3:9, we are also like Paul, in that we are not a-nomians in respect to the true Law of God which is the ministry of righteousness of 2 Corinthians 3:9. What all this means is that not only is God’s Law in you if you are a Christian, but you are in God’s New Covenant Law as the jurisdictional sphere of your existence. Therefore we can not possibly be antinomians, nor a-nomians. Rather we are supernomians which comes from the latin word super which means the higher or greater, connected to the Greek word nomos which is Law. The supernomos is the great and high Law which leads to the next point to glean from our text.
/2/
It has to do with identifying the Law of God that Paul says we have in our New Covenant existence. The Law of God jurisdiction that Paul indicates that Christians are in is “the Law of Christ.” Notice again the words of Paul in our chapter under study,
“20 ... not being myself under the [Old Covenant] Law, ... 21 to those who are without [Old Covenant] Law, as without [Old Covenant] Law, though not being without the Law of God but under the Law of Christ [which is written by God on your heart].”
@4 The New Covenant Law of God is the Law of _______________. 1 Corinthians 9:20-21
The Law of Christ is the Law of the New Covenant. We see Paul refering to in the exact same terms in Galatians 6:2,
“2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the Law of Christ [which is written by God on your heart].” Galatians 6:2
As we analyze Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 9:20-21, I think it is necessary to point out that the New American Standard words this as if Paul is not “under” the Old Covenant Law, and yet is “under” the Law of Christ. In each of those places, the word “under” is translated from a different Greek word. The Greek word in the preposition of not being under the Mosaic Law is hupo which really does mean “under.” It is hupo nomos, under Law. Paul says that he is not under the Mosaic Law. But in the next verse, the Greek word that is translated as “under the Law” of Christ, is one word, ennomos. Ennomos is a compound word that is literally "inlaw," or in-lawed. Paul purposely does this as he makes a play on words in the Greek when he says that he is not without Law of God (me on anamos theos) but within Law of Christ (ennomos Christou). To get a robust meaning of what Paul is saying we need to take a look at the only other place that ennomos is used in the New Testament. It is in Acts 19:39. We read there,
"39 But if you want anything beyond this [unLawful riot in Ephesus], it shall be settled in [en] the Lawful [ennomos] assembly." Acts 19:39
Acts 19:39 is talking about a Lawfully designated court assembly that is according to the jurisdiction of the Roman Law. What Paul is doing by using ennomos in his point is signifying a jurisdictional term of being “in” or “under” the jurisdiction of the Law of Christ. Now the question remains to be answered;
What exactly is the Law of Christ?
/3/
The answer is the next point. Essentially the Law of Christ is definable with specific statutes as commands. Amazingly the summation of the Law of Christ can be articulated in one word; “love.” The incarnation of this one word has been summed by Redemptive Historical theologians as alluding to one name, “Jesus.” Jesus is the God-man, and we remember what John wrote concerning God being love in connection to His love Law in 1 John 4:7-8, 16, 19-21,
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ... 16 ... God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ... 19 We love, because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” 1 John 4:7-8, 16, 19-21
John is telling us that God is love. Notice “this” New Covenant commandment that John explains in verse 21. It is that the one who loves God should also manifest love for his Christian brother. This is what it means for you to be in the Law of Christ with the Law of Christ in you. It is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 41:1-4 in which the world of the Old Covenant awaited expectantly for the Messiah and His Law. It is the description of God putting His Laws into His New Covenant people’s minds, and writing them on their hearts out of Jeremiah 31:27-34. It is the description of God putting His Spirit within His New Covenant people and causing them to walk in His statutes, and assuring them that they will be careful to observe His ordinances in Ezekiel 36:25-33. Christ is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and God is love in a very important sense in respect to what all this means--especially in respect to the fact that
“... God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:5
God’s statutes and ordinances are the commandments of Christ’s Law of love that he causes us to walk in by His Spirit. Now think about this;
Whenever you express those commandments to others, what are you doing?
You are fulfilling the Law out of your heart and into your actions. You are manifesting Christ. You are manifesting the Light. You are manifesting the Covenant.
Another question naturally arises which demands a supernatural answer;
If the Law of God as the Law of Christ as Christ’s Law of love of His Messianic Kingdom has more than one statute, then what are those statutes?
It is very easy for any Christian to understand this;
They are to love God and to love His people.
Both of these commands were also found in the Old Covenant Mosaic Law. When they were in the Old Covenant for obedience they demonstrated the true thread of what God has desired from the beginning. Now they are there for revelation in demonstrating the true thread of what God has always desired. It is even what God desired from Adam and Eve. They did the opposite of both of those in the garden. They both expressed hatred for God, and hatred for one another in their sin. Being in the Old Covenant Mosaic Law, those commands also operated prophetically in pointing to the Law of the Messianic Kingdom. We find them preserved for memory, revelation, information, and record in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18,
“5 You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5
“18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself;” Leviticus 19:18
These two statutes were pointed out by Jesus in His pre-cross Old Covenant ministry as the central core of God’s Old Covenant Law. In doing so, Jesus was prophetically teaching an aspect of His High Law of His Messianic Kingdom in His pre-cross ministry while concurrently pointing to it as reflecting in a certain sense, the Law of Christ of the New Covenant to come in His accomplishment on the cross and in resurrection. Notice the details in Matthew 22:35-40,
“35 One of them, a Lawyer [concerning the Old Covenant Mosaic Law], asked Him [Jesus] a question, testing Him, 36 ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the [Mosaic] Law?’ 37And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:35-40
The whole Law and the Prophets depended upon those two commandments because they were the highest of which everything else followed. They were the spiritual essence of the High Law of Christ which was prophesied to come when the Old Covenant was fulfilled and abolished. In Romans 13, Paul explained elements of this higher Law principle that all the Old Covenant Law statutes also had to depend upon as a matter of God’s design necessity. Paul urged first generation Christians to manifest the Law of Christ of the Spirit. In doing so, he used an analogy by pointing back to the Old Covenant Law for His metaphoric point. He did this for those Christian Jews and proselytes in Rome of the first century who were familiar with the Old Covenant Law when he said,
“8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law.
[This is simply a point of fact, and it is based upon Jesus’ revelation given to the lawyer in Matthew 22:35-40. He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled what Jesus said the Old Covenant depended upon in Matthew 22:40. And as “the Law of God” in the replacement covenant, its continuous existence is recognized as the Law of Christ. The analogous point then, for New Covenant saints, is that as we love one another in our actions, we are fulfilling the Law of Christ. Paul continues to give his analogy]
9 For this, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment [in the defunct Old Covenant Law of Moses], it is summed up in this saying, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the [Mosaic] Law. [meaning, in God’s intended design of the Older Covenant in which it depended upon loving God and loving others, love fulfilled its outworking in any commandment. By implication, love is now the fulfillment of the New Covenant Law of Christ for New Covenant people who have crossed over from the Old Covenant to the New which is the very first generation audience that Paul was reaching with this metaphoric illustration]” Romans 13:8-10
Paul’s analogy is crisp for His New Covenant point. Love is the ultimate fulfillment of the Law of God as it exists as the Law of Christ. And Paul’s clarification is easy to understand,
“10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor;” Romans 13:10
Paul explained the same kind of thing to the Galatians. Once again, he used the Old Covenant as an analogy of how great the love-Law is. But Paul’s point was to connect it to the New Covenant ministry of walking by the Spirit in manifesting the fruits of the Spirit. To get his point across Paul said,
“13 ... do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
[The one word in that statement is “love”]
... 16 I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the [Old Covenant Mosaic] Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, [which is the essence and outworking of the Law of Christ] ...” Galatians 5:13-22
@5 Christian love is a fruit of the _________________. Galatians 5:22
Then Paul goes on in a few more verses to explain that the Law of Christ as love is manifested in a certain way. Notice that the manifested way is to bear one another’s burdens,
“1 Brothers, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the Law of Christ.” Galatians 6:1-2
All of these things are descriptive of the great Law of Love which is the Law of Christ in His New Covenant Kingdom. James, the brother of Jesus, has his own particular language concerning the Law of Christ too,
“1:25 But one who looks intently at the perfect Law, the Law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. ...
[James calls it the perfect Law. He calls it the Law of liberty. James goes on in 2:8 and says,]
2:8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal Law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. ...
[He calls it the royal Law in respect to the King, and then quotes the statute--love. Then James goes on,]
2:12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the Law of liberty. ... 4:11 Do not speak against [ESV--evil against] one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the [royal] Law [of liberty] and judges the [royal] Law [of liberty]; but if you judge the [royal] Law [of liberty], you are not a doer of the [royal] Law [of liberty] but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?” James 1:25, 2:8, 12, 4:11-12
That was James. John used unique language too. John explained the Law of Christ as His commandment, and yet John also referred to it as His commandments (plural) as His commandment (singular). Notice in 1 John 2:3-6, John wrote,
“3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;”
[The commandments that John is talking about are what make up the Law of Christ. Notice that John refers to the commandments plural. It can be confusing, but we need to stay with John’s unique wording. John is saying that the Law of Christ as a commandment contains more than one commandment. To see what John means, let’s continue reading,]
5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides [remains, continues] in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.” 1 John 2:3-7
We notice that John switches from talking about the commandments plural. Now he refers to the same thing as “a” commandment and “the” commandment as a unit. John also gives a clue concerning its origin from Christ. John is saying that it is not a new one that he suddenly decided to teach. The Asian churches had already heard it from the beginning in initial evangelism and discipleship. John is elaborating on it as the truth that is in all real Christians in 2:4. It is the word that Christians must keep and practice in 2:5 which is evidence that the love of God has been perfected in 2:6, which is the instruction for all Christians for living the way Christ lived in His walk of verse 6. Notice how John goes on and explains the origination of this new, yet old commandment,
"8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. 9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, ..." 1 John 2:8-11
This commandment concerning love is new in one sense, but it is also old in another sense. It is old in the sense that the Christians had heard it already since the beginning of their evangelization and discipleship, but it is even older than that in another respect. To understand this, we must recognize that John is a preacher as he wrote 1 John. He is also a theologian, and he is also a historian. As such, this same John recorded the very moment of the giving of the new commandment in John's gospel. That is what he is referring to later here in his 1 John epistle. He was there with Jesus when the New Commandment was given. We are going to read about it and as we do, I want us to notice that the commandment is not, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” which is found quoted in Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, and in James and so forth. Jesus puts a new twist into His new commandment that makes himself the new standard. Notice what John recorded as he points back to that New and greater commandment where Jesus said,
"34 A new ...” John 13:34
[This is where John, the preaching theological historian first recorded Jesus calling His commandment “new.” It is vital that we do not miss this. Now let’s read on. Jesus said,]
“34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, [Now notice the important nuance of difference that Jesus says next] even as I have loved you, that you also love one another [Right there is the big difference in Christ’s new commandment. He goes on,]. 35 By this [new commandment] all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35
Wow.
@6 The _____ Commandment of Christ which John refers to in John 13:34, and 1 John 2:7-8 is to love one another as Christ loves us.
The “new commandment” is exclusively the Law of Christ that He gave to the pre-cross disciples shortly before He was crucified. Then through the sacrifice, resurrection, and the ministry of the Spirit, He writes it on the hearts of the elect in regeneration--
Love your brothers and sisters the way Christ has loved you.
John went on to make Christ’s commandment the foundation of all his epistles. So years later, when writing to the Asian churches, this is the old commandment that is new. It is old in the sense that it was given many decades beforehand by Jesus before He was crucified while He was living under His Old Covenant. Jesus gave it prophetically just before being crucified. On the other hand, it is the new commandment in the sense that Jesus referred to it as the new commandment when He gave it to His students as the Law of Christ which would continue into the New Covenant days later and beyond. We know that this love-commandment of Christ is the exact commandment that John is talking about because John tells us so. It is in the other place that John explains what the commandment is. We see John referring to both it, and Jesus giving it in 1 John 3:23 as the one commandment with two commandment statutes in it,
"This is His commandment, that
{a.} we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, [which is to love God]
and
{b.} love one another, just as He [Christ] commanded us." 1 John 3:23
It is not just simply love one another. It is to love one another as Christ personally commanded it. John gives the second part again in 2 John 5,
"5 ... not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another." 2 John 5:5
They have had it from the beginning because Jesus established it as part of His final words before establishing the New Covenant. Further, they had if from the beginning because it continued on to be part of basic discipleship foundations that John, James, Paul and the other apostles laid. Now think about the amazingly high standard again;
“34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” John 13:34
When Christ gave this new commandment while teaching in the Old Covenant, it was not humanly possible for anyone to fulfill this Law except for Christ Himself. In fact, Christ went on that night (hours later), and the next day, to fulfill that commandment in laying down His life for others in the greatest outward expression of the fulfillment of the Law of Christ ever. Notice what Jesus said just moments later after stating His new commandment;
“9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
[Then immediately Jesus restates the ultimate standard again in extraordinary terms. Here it comes,]
"12 This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
[Notice that it is the exact same new commandment that Jesus gave two chapters earlier at John 13:34. And now Jesus expounds, and again, He uses Himself as the example]
13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you." John 15:9-14
In the same way that no one other than Christ could have the righteousness that surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus said was necessary to enter the Kingdom of God in Matthew 5:20, and in the same way that no one other than Christ Jesus could be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect that Jesus taught that people must be in Matthew 5:48, only Christ could completely fulfill this Law perfectly, and He did--and He does fulfill it perfectly in us. So, whenever you and I manifest the Law of Christ out of our hearts, in this same way in which He commanded, then we are simply fulfilling what Christ fulfills for us, in us, out of us, by His Spirit. We are manifesting Christ out of our hearts. This is the beauty of recognizing what it means to not be under the Old Covenant Law of Moses, though not being without the Law of God, but under the Law of Christ.
Let’s briefly recap; We remember that all of us Christians are in the Law of God. It is not the Old Covenant Mosaic Law engraved on stones. It is much higher with a higher standard of righteousness. It the Law of God jurisdiction called the Law of Christ. It is engraved on New Covenant Hearts. It is definable. It has definable statutes and commands. It is to love God. It is to
“love one another, even as I [Christ] have loved you” John 13:34
Through it, by the Spirit, we avoid certain things,
“10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor;” Romans 13:10
Through it, by the Spirit, we do certain things,
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the Law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
“5 ... the goal of our instruction is love ...” 1 Timothy 1:5
Practically what this means is that we preach the gospel because we love God. We teach God’s precepts for faith, and living, from the preserved canon of Scripture because we love God. We seek to obey God because we love Him. When it comes to God’s people, whenever you hold a grudge against a brother or sister in Christ, you need to forgive and you need to love one another, even as Christ has loved you, and does love you. Whenever you want to be immoral with someone against the teaching truths found through the lens of the New Testament, you need to seek to love God, and love one another, even as Christ has loved you, and does love you which means to abstain from the immorality. To be immoral is to do wrong to your neighbor. If you want to gossip about someone, you need to do no wrong to a neighbor. Instead you need to love that person as Christ loves them and you both. This is a higher standard of Law than any 613 finite statutes of a covenant that God intentionally made to have fault, Hebrews 8:7. The Christian life is the life of Christ. It is the life of the indwelling Spirit. It is a life meant to live under the jurisdiction of supernomianism. My encouragement to all of us is to make it our ambition to live out our Christian lives by the Spirit in accordance with the word. Do it in such a way as to fulfill the great Law of Christ each and every day. Whenever someone experiences you, they should be experiencing the love of Christ. Whenever someone thinks of you, they should be thinking of someone who is loving. This glorifies God, and this is what it is all about.
Next week the final segment in this series (number 4 of 4) will deal with difficult law and command passages in the New Testament.
@1 Christians are not under the Old Covenant Law, but are under the Law of __________ of the New Covenant. 1 Corinthians 9:20-21
@2 Isaiah 42:4 prophesied the ___________ of Christ that was to come.
@3 God puts His New Covenant Laws into the hearts and ______________ of His people. Hebrews 8:8-10
@4 The New Covenant Law of God is the Law of _______________. 1 Corinthians 9:20-21
@5 Christian love is a fruit of the _________________. Galatians 5:22
@6 The _____ Commandment of Christ which John refers to in John 13:34, and 1 John 2:7-8 is to love one another as Christ loves us.
