Response:

The expression "walk in the law" is an Old Testament expression, and does not appear in the New Testament. The closest we get to that is Acts 21:24, where Paul is challenged to show his "Jewishness" to a group of Jewish believers who were questioning his loyalty as a Jew to the Old Testament laws and customs. Paul was trying to bring peace to the Jerusalem church, which misunderstood his teachings to the GENTILES that they should not put themselves under JEWISH law in order to be saved. He was obviously not saying that you had to obey the law in order to be saved. However, he was also not saying what they accused him of in verse 21: "thou teachest all the Jews...to forsake Moses, saying they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after their customs". If the Jewish believers wanted to keep some of their own customs, as long as they did not violate the principle of salvation by grace, that was fine with Paul (Rom 14:1 - 15:7).

"Walk in the law" first appears in Exodus 16:4, where God is providing manna for the people, and He wants to see whether or not they will obey His commandment concerning its gathering. The expression also occurs in Psalm 78:10, where God condemns the people of Ephraim because they did not walk in God's law. Psalm 119, the great chapter on the Word of God, begins "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord." II Chronicles 6:16 reminds Israel to walk in the law. Jeremiah 32:23 speaks of how the Israelites refused to walk in the law, as does Jeremiah 44:10,23.

The answer to your question depends on what is meant by "walking in the law". If it means that we are to keep the law of Moses, then that is incorrect, because we are "not under the law, but under grace (Rom 6:14). If it means that salvation comes from the law, then that is incorrect, because the Bible teaches that "by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight" (Rom 3:20). However, we know that the expression "walk in the law" does not necessarily refer to the law of Moses, for its first usage in Exodus 16 predates the Mosaic law by four chapters. Therefore, if the expression is used to mean that we ought to obey the teachings of the Bible, then that is a correct statement.

It should be noted, however, that this phrase could cause many questions in the minds of the hearers. The New Testament tells us to "walk in the Spirit". It never tells us to walk in the law. Romans 8:1 tells us not to walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Verses 2-3 seem to equate walking in the flesh with the attempt to gain salvation through law-keeping. Again, verse 4 states, "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Galatians 5:16 tells us to "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh". Verse 18 then states, "But if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law." Then Paul lists out 17 sins of the flesh that should not be in the life of a believer. He follows this with the 9 fruits of the Spirit. He states that when we got saved we crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts, and then concludes the discussion by stating that "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." As believers, we are to function under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, Who will never lead us contrary to the Word of God.

By Dr Mark Montgomery Ambassador Baptist Church 1926 Babcock Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15209 (412)477-3210