Response:

Though this is not a question, I will give a response. I believe that you are incorrect in your view of the law, although we may be talking semantics here. The book of Galatians is all about believers attempting to keep the law in order to become spiritually mature. Galatians 3:1-3 states that the Galatians, who were already saved, were bewitched and foolish for believing that perfection could come through the keeping of the law. Gal. 2:4 states that there was an attempt to bring believers into the bondage of the law. In Gal 2:14, Paul condemns Peter for making Gentiles live like Jews. Romans 7:4-6 state: " Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." Galatians 3:19-25 states "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 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."

Now, if you believe that the Old Testament has some valuable principles that we can learn from, then I agree. However, the Law does teach the responsibility to keep the Sabbath, which most of us do not do. It commands that people with wayward children should have them stoned (Deut 21:21). It commands a complete sacrifice system, along with a priesthood. None of us are doing those things. Therefore, we are not keeping the law. I have heard it said many times that we are free from the ceremonial law, but not the moral law. Unfortunately, I can't find those distinctions spelled out in the Scriptures. James 2: 10 says "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." In fact, Romans 2: 14 says, "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves." In other words, the law was never written for the Gentiles at all!

As far as Acts 15 is concerned, you are correct that the false teachers were saying that you had to follow the law of Moses in order to be saved. However, in their response, the Apostles never said anything like, "Don't keep the law for salvation, but once you are saved you need to keep the law." They lay out these rules (vs. 29), "That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well." That is the limit of the law that they send out to the churches. I do not believe that you can infer from this that they were telling them to keep the rest of the law. In verse 10 of that chapter, Peter states, speaking of the law, " Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" Again, this is a burden being placed on disciples, not the unsaved.

The New Testament Christian is to walk in the Spirit. If he is dedicated to Christ, the Spirit will lead him in the direction that he ought to go. Galatians 5:18 states, "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law."

The relationship between law and grace is a difficult one, and I can't say that I have all the answers. However, I personally would not use the expression "we need to follow the law."

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