Scott Bushey
Puritanboard Commissioner
In todays Sun Sentinel:
New, Old Testament believers still must live by God's law
Posted November 6 2004
Q. I heard a minister say that since Jesus had fulfilled the law, we were no longer accountable to Old Testament doctrines such as Sabbath and tithing. I thought the law showed us God's standards to live by, and Jesus gave us grace when we mess them up. Can you clarify? -- L.M., Pompano Beach
A. It is erroneous for believers to presume the law has no bearing in their lives. Jesus said: "Nothing will disappear from the law until heaven and earth are gone. The law will not lose even the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter until all has happened" (Matthew 5:18).
The Bible teaches in both Old and New Testaments that we are justified by faith (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 3:28). For the Old Testament believers their faith was demonstrated in the sacrificial system of the law.
Our faith is demonstrated by a righteousness that exceeds the law (Matthew 5:20).
However, the law is still God's perfect standard of right and wrong and thus the measuring stick of how much we are walking by faith.
The difference is that the Old Testament believer could not keep the law because of the sinfulness of his flesh. In Christ, the New Testament believer is not only freed from the penalty of sin, but given the power of God's Spirit to fulfill the law.
The law still serves the New Testament believer as a gauge to let us know when we are walking after the flesh instead of God's Spirit.
The Rev. Bob Coy is senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale.
~Oh my........
New, Old Testament believers still must live by God's law
Posted November 6 2004
Q. I heard a minister say that since Jesus had fulfilled the law, we were no longer accountable to Old Testament doctrines such as Sabbath and tithing. I thought the law showed us God's standards to live by, and Jesus gave us grace when we mess them up. Can you clarify? -- L.M., Pompano Beach
A. It is erroneous for believers to presume the law has no bearing in their lives. Jesus said: "Nothing will disappear from the law until heaven and earth are gone. The law will not lose even the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter until all has happened" (Matthew 5:18).
The Bible teaches in both Old and New Testaments that we are justified by faith (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 3:28). For the Old Testament believers their faith was demonstrated in the sacrificial system of the law.
Our faith is demonstrated by a righteousness that exceeds the law (Matthew 5:20).
However, the law is still God's perfect standard of right and wrong and thus the measuring stick of how much we are walking by faith.
The difference is that the Old Testament believer could not keep the law because of the sinfulness of his flesh. In Christ, the New Testament believer is not only freed from the penalty of sin, but given the power of God's Spirit to fulfill the law.
The law still serves the New Testament believer as a gauge to let us know when we are walking after the flesh instead of God's Spirit.
The Rev. Bob Coy is senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale.
~Oh my........