Col 1:26 states the “mystery that has been kept hidden” referring to God’s plan of redemption. This plan replaces God’s perfect law of the Ten Commandments with the sacrifice of Jesus.
Are we led by spirit or a written code of law? Christians who belong to Christ are led by the spirit we receive when we accept Jesus as our Savior.
Spirit did not dwell in men in the Old Testament. It fell on men. It came and went as men and women of the Bible needed it. God supplied when there was a need for strength through Him. Today, we receive the Holy Spirit to dwell IN us when we accept Jesus as our Savior. Once given and received, He does not leave.
The Arc: God commanded a piece of manna, Aaron’s rod and the Ten Commandments to be placed inside the arc. They are signs of the rebellion of the Israellites. The people broke the first commandment even before Moses came down from Mt. Sinai. The arc is made of wood covered with gold. Wood is a symbol of man. The cover, the Mercy Seat, is solid gold, representing diety. The Mercy Seat is where sacrifices were made - replaced by the sacrifice of Jesus - diety. The lid, Jesus/grace, covers the law inside; the Ten Commandments.
What about Sabbath? Jesus broke Sabbath time and again - one of the Ten Commandments. He was confronted by the Pharisees about breaking the Sabbath. Jesus said if you break one law, you are guilty of breaking all. Christ showed us, by example, that the commandments were erased, when He came to fulfill the law, by taking all our guilt and shame, on Himself and nailed our sins, under the law, to the cross.
Early church did not keep Sabbath. We do not keep the Sabbath today. The Sabbath is Saturday - ask any Jew. Christians keep Sunday. Sunday was the day Christ rose from death to new life.
If Pharisees were so good at keeping the law, why didn’t Christ get along with them?
For the Jews who rejected Jesus as their Messiah, animal sacrifices done in obedience to the Old Testament covenant were stopped in A.D. 70, at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the armies of Rome. Jesus warned of this in the Gospels.
The ten commandments are done away with - Mt 5:17 Jesus fulfilled the law (10 Commandments) and the prophets. The law is God’s perfect law. Man is carnal and cannot keep a perfect law - that is why Jesus had to fulfill it and prophecy. Prophecy cannot be done away with. It is the will of God. Jesus fulfilled the prophets by fulfilling the law. He did it for us. Once and for all.
Christ teaching: Mt 5:18 & 19 In verse 18, Jesus explains that He has not yet fulfilled the law because He has not yet died for us. Christ tells us anyone who sets aside even the least of the laws and teaches it will be called least in heaven.
He goes on to give an example by explaining murder, adultery and a couple other issues like divorce and oaths. He begins his explanation by stating the law and then corrects it by saying, “But I tell you”. Here He is explaining that to even think the wrong is the same as doing the wrong. What human being (other than Himself) can keep such law? No one. He knows that. That is why He was sent - the perfect man to take the perfect law.
To be continued . . . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment