The Law Was Not Abolished

Theology and Law • Nomism considers the Holy Spirit insufficient and advances the need for a strict adherence to law. This approach includes Judaism, Arminianism, Pelagianism, and Rationalism. • Antinomianism considers the Law unnecessary for man's conduct and relies mystically on the Spirit. This approach includes Mystics and some Dispensationalists. (deeds of the Nicolaitans ) • Reformationism conclude the Law and the Spirit work together to convert the ungodly and to sanctify the believer. Three uses of the Law

And civil law cannot be separated from Biblical law, for the Biblical doctrine of law includes all law, civil, ecclesiastical, societal, familial, and all other forms of law. The social order which despises God's law places itself on death row: it is marked for judgment. The Law Defined 1. The Law is summarized in the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17).

1. Usus politicus or civilis: The Law serves a purpose of restraining sin and promoting righteousness.

2. Usus pedagogicus: The Law serves to bring sinful man under conviction of sin making him conscious of his inability to meet the demands of the law. 3. Usus didacticus (3rd use of the Law: tertius usus legis): The Law is the believer's a rule of conduct in order to make men holy.

2. There are 613 commands in the Torah. They can be reduced to 10 and even to three virtues.

Micah 6:8: "He hath shewed thee, 0 man, what is good; and what doth the LORD requires of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" During a day when men were cutting off fingers and testicles to gods, Micah's revelation was dynamic. No god ever required so little from man as YHWH! 3. The Law is summarized by three main virtues in the NT (Matthew 23:23): "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." [Matthew 23:23, Bible]

Three Types of Laws in the Torah

• Moral Laws: Laws that directly reflect the character of God (Most of the 10 Commandments).

• Civil Laws: Laws that governed polity in Israel (Laws on capital punishment)

• Cultic Laws: Laws that were designed to make Israel distinct from her neighbors till Christ was born (Dietary laws).

The Law And The New Testament Believer

The three main virtues that are the product of the law therefore are:

1. God's character as expressed objectively in the Law gives us the basis for saying there are absolutes. If there was no God, then there would be no ultimate right or wrong (Ps. 119:142). 2. The objective law defines and exposes sin in a fallen world. Without the Law sin is undefined, and depravity becomes "normal" behavior. The Law also exposes the sin in man and the truth of man's bondage in sin and his ultimate responsibility to God (Gal. 3:19, 22; Rom. 7:9-14; 2:5,6).

• Faithfulness to God • Justice toward men • Mercy toward man

4. The Law is summarized in two virtues as revealed by Jesus (Mt. 22:34-40):

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself [Matthew 22:34-36, Bible]

Mat 6:10 Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.