Gary Demar: Legalism, the Mosaic Law, and the New Testament
“American Vision’s offering of E.C. Wines’ Commentaries on the Laws of the Ancient Hebrews brought many interesting responses. Some of them were troubling. One emailer asked, “Do you want legalism? I sure don’t!” Keeping God’s law is not legalism. Another emailer wrote, “Under the New Covenant, love the Lord God with all thy heart, mind, soul and strength. Love thy neighbor as thy self, encompasses all the law. We are not bound by Mosaic law! [Matt. 22:36–40].” I pointed out that in response to the question by the Pharisees about which is the Greatest Commandment, Jesus quoted the Mosaic law, in particular Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 6:5. Jesus went on to say that “on these two commandments depend the whole Law and Prophets” (Matt. 22:40). Jesus did not say that because of these two laws the law passes away.
Of course, we learn later in the NT that laws related to the redemptive work of Jesus are completed. There is no longer any need for animal sacrifices, earthly priesthood, a stone temple, or circumcision. Jesus is our lamb, priest, and temple. Circumcision is no longer needed because the final seed (Jesus) was born. Circumcision is a blood rite, cleansing the seed. All things related to blood are fulfilled in Jesus. But there is no NT indication that the moral application of the OT law has passed away. Paul makes reference to the OT law when he wants to define love. “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law” (Rom. 13:8). How do you know when you love your neighbor? How do you know when you love Jesus? “If you love me,” Jesus said, “you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Paul defines love toward a neighbor in the same way:
For this, “You shall not commit adultery , You shall not murder , You shall not steal , You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:9–10).
Loving your neighbor as yourself is a summary of the law. A summary does not nullify what it summarizes. Love isn’t a substitute for the law; love is defined by the law. Love is not a feeling; it’s an act. Love is what people do.
Jesus had His most vocal disputes with the Pharisees. This has led many Christians to believe that Jesus was opposed to the law, that He had come to nullify the law, because the Pharisees were all about keeping the law. The Pharisees, contrary to popular opinion, did not keep God’s law. They were not “the best people of their day.”[1] The best people were men like Simeon (Luke 2:25), Zacharias (Luke 1:6), and Joseph (Matt. 1:19), and women like Anna (Luke 2:36), Mary (Luke 1:46–56), and Elizabeth (Luke 1:6). Elizabeth and Zacharias “were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord” (Luke 1:6). The commandments of God were neglected by the Pharisees (Mark 7:8). They “nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep [their] tradition” (Mark 7:9). Jesus told the Pharisees that they had the devil as their father (John 8:44), not because they kept God’s law, but because they substituted it for a set of man-made traditions. James B. Jordan sets the record straight about the Pharisees:
We are used to thinking of the scribes and Pharisees as meticulous men who carefully observed the jots and tittles [of God’s law]. This is not the portrait found in the Gospels. The scribes and Pharisees that Jesus encountered were grossly, obviously, and flagrantly breaking the Mosaic law, while keeping all kinds of man-made traditions. Jesus’ condemnation of them in Matthew 23 certainly makes this clear, as does a famous story in John 8. There we read that the scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman taken “in the very act” of adultery (John 8:1–11). How did they know where to find her? Where was the man who was caught with her? Apparently he was one of their cronies. Also, when Jesus asked for anyone “without sin” (that is, not guilty of the same crime) to cast the first stone, they all went away, because they were all adulterers.[2]
When the “scribes and the Pharisees . . . seated themselves in the chair of Moses,” that is, when the law was properly taught and applied, the people were to do all that they told them (Matt. 23:2–3a). At the same time, Jesus admonished the people “not to do according to their deeds” (v. 3b) which were contrary to the law (read all of Matt. 23).
Does keeping the law save us? Did it save the Israelites in the OT? James tells us that “for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10). One sin, one transgression of the law, is enough to condemn us to eternal judgment. Only Jesus kept the law perfectly. God “made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus “redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). Salvation is by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8–10). In this sense, we are not under law but under grace (Rom. 6:14).
But does salvation by grace through faith mean that Christians are free to live any way they please since they are “redeemed from the curse of the law”? Paul asks it this way: “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law” (Rom. 3:21). In another place Paul tells us that “the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully” (1 Tim. 1:8).
No one ever was or ever will be saved by keeping the law. This is the Bible’s point when Romans 6:14 says that the Christian is not under the law. This is far different from saying that the Christian is not obligated to obey the law as a standard of righteousness. In the very next verse, Paul states, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!” (6:15).
Sin is defined as “lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Obviously some law is still in force or there would be no sin, and if there is no sin then we do not need an Advocate with the Father. In addition, “if we confess our sins [‘lawlessness’]; He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [lawlessness] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
While there are many questions about which OT laws still apply under the NT, there is no debate that keeping God’s law is an important part of the Christian life.”
[2] James B. Jordan, Through New Eyes: Developing a Biblical View of the World (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, 1988), 267.
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
I absolutely believe in gospel sanctification. So the the Apostle Paul. Read Galatians 2:11-14. That is all from me. It has been real.
Randy
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A. Thanks for your honesty B. Like I said: 1Timothy 1:7
> —–Original Message—– >
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Paul,
your comment above mentioned you are looking at Romans 2 and Galatians. I don’t know your views fully, but felt the urge to express things I’m not hearing on the radio waves around here. Two things:
First, Romans 2:14-16 quote:
“Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them. This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.”
Who are these Gentiles in the passage above? Some say, natural men, everybody knows murder is wrong. On the contrary, law “WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS” means they are born again, by the Spirit, believers. Presumably people Paul has evangelized. Of unbelievers, Paul says earlier that God made it plain but “their foolish hearts were darkened (Rom 1:21).” Natural man does not have the law WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS of stone. New Covenant believers are charactorized by these quotes:
2 Corinthians 3:3
“You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, WRITTEN not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on TABLETS OF HUMAN HEARTS.”
and this:
Heb 8:10 (Jer 31)
“This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
It appears these Gentiles who obey will condemn (with Christ, saints will judge the world 1Cor. 6:2) the disobedient Jews of Romans 2:27 quote:
“The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.”
Second thing, about Galatians:
Radio hosts around here view Galatians as the Gospel of Grace verses a False Gospel of Works. They say, “If you try to get to heaven by obeying God’s Law you won’t be saved. Faith Alone; it’s by Grace not by Works! Faith renders works unnecessary for acceptance by God!”
On the contrary, Galatians is about pursuing a Mosaic Covenant (added 430 yrs. after the Abrahamic Covenant) that could not “impart life (Gal. 3:21).” No Spirit, then no life; only the Spirit gives life so we can obey. That Mosaic Law is not based on faith, a spiritual gift. However, through the Abrahamic Covenant, we do, like Abraham, get the Spirit and are considered his promised children plus – Sonship adoption (Gal. 3:14). The Law is good if one uses it properly, it is holy, righteous, and good (Rom 7:12). But the problem is, “We know the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slve to sin (Rom 7:14).” The natural man cannot obey. Again, the Apostle’s Paul’s statements of facts:
Romans 8:6-7
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.”
and
1 Corinthians 2:14
“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”
So, “Preserve my life according to your Law (Psalm 119:156).” We cannot neglect, as unnecessary, the will of God as the means our preservation! It’s “by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of th body (Rom 8:13).” Natural men without the Spirit do not belong to Christ. We do belong, and are kept by Him. “Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will NOT BE FINALLY CONDEMNED with the world (1 Cor.11:32).” “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them (1 John 5:18).”
I hope I’m not insulting your intelligence, I believe you know most of this. Maybe some of these notes may prove helpful.
Arkansas Bill
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Since your posts continued to come to my e mail box after I left, I noticed some of you opted to discuss what your perceived to be my position while I wasn’t there to answer the arguments or objections. You kinda remind me of little boys who throw rocks and then run and hide behind their mama’s skirts. If any of you should decide to “grow a set” and would like to engage in meaningful discussion concerning some of these issues, I am always anxious to entertain your comments at http://www.new-covenant-theology.org. There will be certain rules you will have to follow.
1 You must be respectful. If you don’t tell me I have an unregenerate heart and that I am a wicked false teacher, I won’t tell you you’re ugly and your mother wears combat boots.
2. You can’t tell me what I believe. I will tell you what I believe and then you may react to that, not to what you think I might believe.
3. Each person must define the other person’s position to that person’s satisfaction before he may object to it or comment on it.
4. If you want to allege that a person believes a certain doctrine, you must produce complete and somewhat extensive citations from that person’s writings to demonstrate your claims.
5. If you don’t follow the rules, you will be asked to leave and not come back.
The bottom line is I think it is just a huge shame that ignorance isn’t painful.
If you would like to correspond with me personally before [or after] visiting the site, you may email me at rseiver1@hotmail.com.
I hope to chat with you soon.
Randy
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Randy,
Plucked this out of Spam because you put a link in it. Stop whining and make yourself useful–I would like your feedback on the Horton quote from Christless Chrsitianity. Latest post.
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I have tried to find a clear definition of “Sonship Theology” and “Gospel Sanctification” and have not been able to find anything definitive. Can you give me a detailed definition of both so I can decide whether I believe it or not? Thanks
Randy
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Randy,
Whether New Calvinism, NCT, Sonship, Or GS, which are all the same thing, it’s basically SANCTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE, or SANCTIFICATION BY JUSTIFICATION–WITH JUSTIFICATION NOT BEING THE FOUNDATION THAT SAINTS BUILD ON, BUT THE SINGLE FOCUS OF CONTEMPLATION THAT LEADS “MERE NATURAL FLOW’ OF SPIRITUAL FRUIT. Sonship came from NCT and GS came from Sonship and the movement is now known as New Calvinism.
> —–Original Message—– >
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