With regard to the original question, I don't think that any of us believe we have the liberty to disobey God. All here are in agreement with this. The question is over what God commands the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, to do after the arrival of the Messiah. My opinion at this time is that, even before the Messiah arrived, God did not require Gentile believers to submit to the law given by Moses, and that after the arrival of the Messiah, all Jews were called to leave Judaism and the law of Moses for Christ. I think the 10 commandments were, in principle, present before Moses, and were adapted by him for the nation of Israel for their dwelling in the land of Canaan, until the advent of the Messiah. Since his coming and fulfilling of the law, the principles of the commandments remain in effect, but the adaptation of them for their application in a "nation-like setting" are no longer necessary. I refer to Luther for a better wording of this position. If anyone has the resource, you will find much thought on this subject in Luther's Works, Volume 47, pp.58-119. With regard to my brothers who view the issue otherwise, my blessings and my fellowship are with them in all sincerity and loyalty. In my partly renewed and mostly depraved mind, this view currently makes more sense to me. I hope those who differ in thier opinions with one another would extend grace, and stand with Paul when he says, "and if in this anyone is inclined to think otherwise, God will reveal that to you also." Below is an excerpt of Luther from this work of his cited above.

From pp.90-94 - "And later when he (Moses) wants to set up a special law and nation apart from all others, as has been commanded to do, he first introduces God himself; he is the universal God of all the nations, who gives the universal Ten Commandments-which prior to this had been implanted at creation in the hearts of all men - to this particular people orally as well. In his day Moses fitted them nicely into his laws in a more orderly and excellent manner than could have been done by anyone else. Circumcision and the law of Moses, however, were not implanted in men's hearts; they were first imposed by Abraham and Moses on their people."

"We and all Gentiles are just as duty-bound as the Jews to keep the first commandment, so that we have no other gods than the only God. But we Gentiles have no use and can have no use for the phrase which modifies this commandment and which applies solely to the Jews, namely, "who brought you out of Egypt, out of the exile," etc., I would be like a sow entering a synagogue, for God never performed such a work for me. God would punish me as a liar; I would be making an imaginary god out of him. Yet I must recite and keep all the other words of the first commandment. I may also say, "You are my God, the God and also the Creator of us all, who, to be sure, led the children of Israel out of Egypt, but not me; however, you did lead me out of my Egypt and my exile." Thus the first commandment remains common to both Jews and Gentiles. It is especially adapted and suited to the Jews with reference to the exodus from Egypt, just as everyone after his own exile can and should name and praise the God of all as his own God and Helper."

"It is as if a prince or the head of a household wished to establish an ordinance for his country or his house because God had rescued him from great need and he wanted to show his gratitude, as perhaps Naaman the Syrian did or might have done (I Kings 5). He also would begin by teaching first about God, how he alone should be worshipped and regarded as the true God, able and willing to deliver from every need all who trust and believe in him, whatever nation it may be,...After that the prince or the head of a household would continue by enunciating the ordinances for his country or his house."

"In this way the prince would not have imposed the ordinances of his country on all other countries which did not experience this help, nor would he have had the authority to do this, even if he at the outset first commanded that they should worship and honor the true God of all countries. That is what Moses also does. When he is supposed to organize his people, who have been delivered from Egypt, he first lets God himself issue his Ten Commandments,which pertain to all of mankind. Subsequently, and still at God's command, he gives the people the particular laws of their country, which do not concern other nations. As Moses' people were obligated to obey these ordinances because God had given him this command, so each country and each household is duty-bound to observe the ordinances of its prince and head of a household. For these also are the commandments of God, who ordained all the governments of the world (Rom.13:1)."

"Similarly, the third commandment concerning the Sabbath, of which the Jews make so much, is per se a commandment that applies to the whole world; but the form in which Moses frames it and adapts it to his people was imposed only on the Jews, just as with regard to the first commandment none but the Jews must believe and confess that the common God of all the world led them out of Egypt. For the true meaning of the third commandment is that we on that day should teach and hear the word of God, thereby sanctifying both the day and ourselves. And in accord with this, ever after to the present day, Moses and the prophets are read and preached on the Sabbath day among the Jews. Whereever God's word is preached it follows naturally that one must necessarily celebrate at the same hour or time and be quiet, and without any other preoccupation only speak and hear what God declares, what he teaches us and tells us."

"Moses' mention of the seventh day, and of how God created the world in six days, which is why they are to do no work - all this is a temporal adaptation with which Moses suits this commandment to his people, especially at that time. We find nothing written about this previously, either by Abraham or at the time of the old fathers. This is a temporary addendum and adaptation intended solely for this people which was brought out of Egypt. Nor was it to endure forever, any more than was the whole law of Moses. But, the sanctifying - that is, the teaching and preaching of God's word, which is the true, genuine, and sole meaning of this commandment - has been from the beginning and pertains to all the world forever. Therefore the seventh day does not concern us Gentiles, nor did it concern the Jews beyond the advent of the Messiah, although by the very nature of things one must, as already said, rest, celebrate, and keep the Sabbath on whatever day or at whatever hour God's word is preached. For God's word cannot be heard or taught when one is preoccupied with something else or when one is not quiet."

"Therefore Isaiah, too, declares in chapter 66, vs.23, that the seventh day, or, as I call it, Moses' adaptation of it, will cease at the time of the Messiah when true sanctification and the word of God will appear richly. He says that there will be one Sabbath after another and one new moon after another, that is, that all will be sheer Sabbath, and there will no longer be any particular seventh day with six days in between. For the sanctifying or the word of God will enjoy full scope daily and abundantly, and every day will be a Sabbath."

"I am well aware of what the Jews say about this and how they interpret this saying of Isaiah...But in brief, no Jew can tell me how it is possible for all flesh to worship before the Lord in Jerusalem every new moon and every Sabbath, as the text translated most accurately and exactly into German according to their understanding, conveys. Some people or flesh live so far from Jerusalem that they could not get there within twenty, thirty, or a hundred Sabbaths, and the Jews themselves have not worshipped in Jerusalem for fifteen hundred years, that is, in twelve times fifteen hundred new moons - I will say nothing of the Sabbaths..."

"Jeremiah comments on the first commandment's qualifying phrase, "who brought you out of the land of Egypt," in chapter 23,verse 5: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land," etc. And he adds immediately: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when men shall no longer say, 'As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but 'As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendents of the house of Israel (note that not the entire house of Israel but the descendents of it are mentioned here) out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own land." (vs.7,8)"

"...Whenever the Jews hold to their teachers, (editors comment - "presumably Jewish exegetes who dealt with the passage before it became a focus of controversy with the Christians"), they are agreed with us that Jeremiah is here speakiing about the time of the Messiah. When this time comes, the prophet states plainly, that part of the first commandment which was given by Moses, where it says, "who brought you out of the land of Egypt," will cease to apply. For the text says that one must no longer swear by the God who brought them up out of Egypt, but by the God who gathered them from all the lands unto the Branch of David. Now, if this phrase in the first commandment does not pertain beyond the time of the Messiah, then Moses' law is not eternal but terminates with the Messiah, and there remains only the law of the Ten Commandments, which was in force prior to Moses from the beginning of the world and also among all the Gentiles: namely, that one must not have more than one God, etc. So far as the Ten Commandments are concerned, there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, for God is the God not only of the Jews but also of the Gentiles, as St. Paul declares (Rom.3:29) and as the aforementioned examples of the kings of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, etc., prove."

Hope this is helpful in your study.

Blessings!

__________________
Charles Plauger
Member/Grace Reformed Church
Oakland, MD