Churches of Christ -- Sermons; Sermons, American -- 20th century
In Galatians, chapter 3, speaking of the law God gave to the Jews at
Sinai, 430 years after his covenant with Abraham, Paul says, “Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith. But after that faith is come we are no longer under
a schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:24, 25). I ask you if words could be plainer.
“The law was our schoolmaster ... we are no longer under a
schoolmaster.” Is that sufficient? Do I need to cite other texts, such
as Colossians 2:14-16; Ephesians 2:10-22; Galatians 4:1-31, etc.? No
wonder Paul said in Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto
you, whosoever of you are (he who would be—ARV) justified by the law; ye
are fallen from grace.”
IX
Conclusion
Beloved, you have seen that the commandment to remember the sabbath day
and keep it holy is confined to the law God gave to the Jews through
Moses in the wilderness. It is not named in the history of God’s people
during the 2,500 years prior to that time. _It is peculiar to the law of
Moses._ It is not found at any other place in the Bible. It was not in
force during the patriarchal dispensation. Even during the Mosaic age,
or dispensation, it never applied to the Gentiles. It is not binding
during the Christian dispensation. It has no place in the will of
Christ. The only law in which it is found fulfilled its purpose, was
fulfilled by Christ, and was taken out of the way when he died on the
cross.
The law of Moses could not take away sins; the will of Christ can (Rom.
1:16). I beseech you by the mercies of God to believe the will of
Christ, obey its commandments, and enjoy its promises. The will of
Christ says to believers, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive
the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). The will of Christ says, “And
now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins,
calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
The law of Christ teaches us to worship God in spirit and in truth, by
singing, praying, studying, teaching and by laying by in store and
eating the Lord’s supper on the first day of the week. The law of Christ
teaches us to love God with all our heart, power, soul, mind and
strength; to love our neighbors as ourselves and to do unto others as we
would have them do unto us. The will of Christ promises the faithful a
crown of everlasting life. This is the perfect law of liberty. It is
holy, just and good. It is complete. It is a glorious law. Its glory
outshines that of all other laws as the sun outshines the stars (2 Cor.
3:10). It furnishes the man of God completely unto every good work. It
is the law of life, rather than the law of death. It is the law of
eternal happiness, rather than the law of condemnation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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