Moses to Christ

I think Galatians 2:11-20 is difficult to understand; yet, its message is of vital importance to Christians today. Notice that the Apostle Peter was confused about the relationship of the Gospel to the Law of Moses. It appears that he took a stand for faith and grace, and then was influenced by Jews who were insisting that Christians keep all or part of the Law. Confusion over the relationship of the Law of Moses to the Gospel of Christ continues to the present hour.

(2/10/2008) It is my opinion that Christian believers are not clear as to their relationship to the Law of Moses, particularly to the Ten Commandments. There are two expressions of this lack of clarity, two responses.

The first expression, or response, is probably that of the minority of Christians. It is that we are under part of the Law, at least the Ten Commandments; possibly circumcision; possibly the Sabbath; possibly the feast days.

The second expression, or response, is that we are completely free from all law, including the Ten Commandments, except for the so-called “law of love.” This interpretation holds that our salvation is virtually unrelated to our behavior. We are saved by our faith in a sovereign work of God, which we did not earn, which we do not deserve, of which we cannot boast.

Both of these responses are incorrect, according to the second chapter of Galatians.

The first expression may result in lesser damage than is true of the second. The damage caused by an adherence to any part of the law, including the Sabbath day (Saturday), is that it causes us to remove our eyes from Christ in order that we may observe our religious duty. Refraining from working on Saturday in order to gain righteousness prevents us from entering the eternal Sabbath in which Jesus lives, and wants us to live. Also, it clearly is opposed to the teaching of the Apostle Paul.

The second opinion, that we are not under any law, has destroyed the Christian churches in America. This lack of moral law, working together with the philosophy of democracy, is having two results in our country. First, it is making possible the rise of unrealistic behavior, such as that of viewing gender as being an attitude of mind rather than a physical, biologic fact. This departure from nature is being carried to extremes in our public schools, perhaps because of the fear of lawsuits.

The second result of the lack of moral law and the philosophy of democracy working together is the increase of the Muslim religion in the United States, and in England as well. A hundred years ago, the idea that England or America could become Muslim nations would not be regarded seriously, I believe. Yet today this projection is entertained by serious scholars.

A strong emphasis on freedom of speech and of religion is part of the culture of America and England. There may be nothing we can do about this. And it well may result in a takeover of these two countries by energetic proponents of the Muslim faith.

But there is something we can do about the idea that we are under part of the Law of Moses, or under no law at all, except the “law of love.” Using “the law of love” as a basis for our behavior is ineffective, as Christians today struggle again their demon-inflamed temptations to sin.

What is the new covenant counterpart of the old covenant? It is summed up by the Apostle Paul as his own testimony: “I am crucified with Christ. I am not living, it is Christ who is living in me.” This is the same idea Christ expressed when He said it is the Father who is living in Him. This is the eternal Sabbath. This is what it means to live by every Word of God—every present Word of God, not only the words in the Bible.

We have died with Christ on the cross. We have been raised with Christ to the right hand of God. We live by Him as He lives by the Father. Paul states these as facts.

When we begin as a Christian we look to the Apostles to guide us in our moral decisions. We refrain from adultery, lying, and stealing, because of what the Apostles wrote in the New Testament. But our restraint, which we manage with the help of the Holy Spirit, is not the new covenant. Rather, our obedience to the words of the Apostles of Christ bring us into the new covenant.

The new covenant is fulfilled in us when Christ lives in our personality. We keep the moral laws of God because Christ who is being formed in us, and who is dwelling in that which is being formed in us, always keeps the moral laws of God—the laws which are what God is; which always have been in force; which always shall be in force.

We are not to attempt to keep any part of the law of Moses. We are to live by faith in Christ, not by faith about the things of Christ, but a living faith in a living Christ who guides and strengthens us in every detail of our life.

We do not die to Moses so we can do as we please. Doing as we please is the opposite of the eternal Sabbath. Rather, we die to Moses so we can be married to Christ. This is a far, far more comprehensive law than the law of Moses.

The Sabbath-day commandment of the Law of Moses required that we set aside one day of the week for the worship of God. The new-covenant eternal Sabbath results in our worshiping and serving God every second of every day and every night.

The eternal Sabbath is being observed when we are in interaction with the living Jesus at all times and in every area of our life. We feed on His body and blood in the spirit realm as we continue, by His assistance, to resist the temptations of the flesh and spirit. As we feed on His body and blood we begin to live by Christ precisely as He lives by the Father.

Thus there is one rest of God: Christ is resting in God’s Person, not doing His own works. We are rest in Christ’s Person, not doing our own works. Because we are resting in Christ, and Christ is resting in the Father, we actually are resting in the Father’s Person and will.

The goal of our redemption is that we may be formed in Christ’s inner and outer image, and also always abide in perfect rest in the Father’s Person and will. We cannot be at perfect rest in the Father’s Person and will, which is the eternal Sabbath, until we have been formed in Christ’s inner image. This is because every aspect of our personality that is not in the image of God will strive against our resting in God’s Person and will. Have you found this to be true?

So it is onward and upward as we lay aside our adamic personality, seeking at all times to be living by the Life of Christ. There is no other path to lasting love, lasting joy, and lasting peace. sting joy, and lasting peace.