In Paul's day the question of whether or not to keep Moses' Law was a valid question, and it was crucial that it be answered - but in our day the very question itself is really null and void.
In Paul's day it was still logistically possible for someone to keep the Law if he wished to - but in our day it's a logistic impossibility even if you wish to.
I don't mean it's merely a MORAL impossibility today: it was already a moral impossibility even while the Law still stood. I mean, it's just plain impossible even if you had perfect moral strength - because THE INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRED FOR KEEPING THE LAW DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE.
In Paul's day they still had the obligatory altar, Temple and Levitical priesthood in Jerusalem - today they don't exist.
Even if a replica temple gets rebuilt in Jerusalem in future and a priesthood instituted, it still won't be possible to keep the Law - because the Law required genealogies showing descent from Levi, in order to legitimise the priests - but such genealogies don't exist anymore. It's impossible to have a legitimate Levitical priesthood today!
Paul explained why it was no longer necessary to keep the Law, on COVENANTAL grounds - but in our day it's also self-evident that keeping the Law is not even a possibility, on mere grounds that the Law's own requirements are no longer a PRACTICAL feasibility.
Selective observance of the Law was never something allowed by the Law. The Law had to be kept completely as written, exactly as written, and only in the place that was written - or else a person was guilty of the Law. If a person was negligent of one point of the Law - even the least point of the Law - a mere jot or tittle - he was deemed by the Law to have been guilty of the whole Law.
Any version of observing the works of the Law today necessarily involves adding, changing or omitting more than just a mere jot or tittle of the Law! It involves attempting to observe the Law in ways and places which the Law itself never commanded, ways which the Law, if it was still in force today, would condemn. Therefore modern Judaism of whatever form can't really be called keeping the Law at all.
So, while Paul explained that the Old Covenant, which had already been made obsolete in his day, was ready to vanish away - today we can say not only that the Law is obsolete, but that it has also already long ago vanished away.
What we have instead of the Law is of something of more excellent glory!
No longer slaves, but sons. Joint-heirs with Christ.
Brought FREELY to glory - brought to GOD - for all eternity, through the blood of His Son - the BLOOD of the New Covenant.
Walking in the life which God predestined for us before the Law was ever given, before the world even began.
The hand of the Lord - the Holy Spirit - came upon us and made us into Christ's own image - it was His own doing, not our own effort under the Law.
"For CHRIST also hath ONCE suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might BRING US TO GOD..." (I Peter 3:18)
God has borne witness of all these things both with signs and wonders, and with different miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will. He is with you. Perhaps in your home-meeting tonight! Ask and receive from His hand!
And prosperity. Receive it.
Forgiveness. If you've troubled anyone, be reconciled.
In Paul's day it was still logistically possible for someone to keep the Law if he wished to - but in our day it's a logistic impossibility even if you wish to.
I don't mean it's merely a MORAL impossibility today: it was already a moral impossibility even while the Law still stood. I mean, it's just plain impossible even if you had perfect moral strength - because THE INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRED FOR KEEPING THE LAW DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE.
In Paul's day they still had the obligatory altar, Temple and Levitical priesthood in Jerusalem - today they don't exist.
Even if a replica temple gets rebuilt in Jerusalem in future and a priesthood instituted, it still won't be possible to keep the Law - because the Law required genealogies showing descent from Levi, in order to legitimise the priests - but such genealogies don't exist anymore. It's impossible to have a legitimate Levitical priesthood today!
Paul explained why it was no longer necessary to keep the Law, on COVENANTAL grounds - but in our day it's also self-evident that keeping the Law is not even a possibility, on mere grounds that the Law's own requirements are no longer a PRACTICAL feasibility.
Selective observance of the Law was never something allowed by the Law. The Law had to be kept completely as written, exactly as written, and only in the place that was written - or else a person was guilty of the Law. If a person was negligent of one point of the Law - even the least point of the Law - a mere jot or tittle - he was deemed by the Law to have been guilty of the whole Law.
Any version of observing the works of the Law today necessarily involves adding, changing or omitting more than just a mere jot or tittle of the Law! It involves attempting to observe the Law in ways and places which the Law itself never commanded, ways which the Law, if it was still in force today, would condemn. Therefore modern Judaism of whatever form can't really be called keeping the Law at all.
So, while Paul explained that the Old Covenant, which had already been made obsolete in his day, was ready to vanish away - today we can say not only that the Law is obsolete, but that it has also already long ago vanished away.
What we have instead of the Law is of something of more excellent glory!
No longer slaves, but sons. Joint-heirs with Christ.
Brought FREELY to glory - brought to GOD - for all eternity, through the blood of His Son - the BLOOD of the New Covenant.
Walking in the life which God predestined for us before the Law was ever given, before the world even began.
The hand of the Lord - the Holy Spirit - came upon us and made us into Christ's own image - it was His own doing, not our own effort under the Law.
"For CHRIST also hath ONCE suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might BRING US TO GOD..." (I Peter 3:18)
God has borne witness of all these things both with signs and wonders, and with different miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will. He is with you. Perhaps in your home-meeting tonight! Ask and receive from His hand!
And prosperity. Receive it.
Forgiveness. If you've troubled anyone, be reconciled.
You are His garden. He waters and tends you.
Hope in JESUS!
Hope in JESUS!
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