What purpose then
does the law serve?
It was added because
of transgressions,
till the Seed should
come to whom
the promise was made;
and it was
appointed through
angels by the
hand of a
mediator. Now a mediator
does not mediate for
one only, but God is one.
Is the law then
against the promises of God?
Certainly not! For if
there had been a law given
which could have
given life, truly righteousness
would have been by
the law. But the Scripture
has confined all
under sin, that the promise
by faith in Jesus
Christ might be given
to those who believe.
Galatians 3:19–22
Abraham
was not under the Law, the Ten Commandments, written, enumerated to give to him
what God commands of His people.
Abraham lived by faith and yet, those yet unwritten commands, the Ten
Commandments were in force. God never
approves that which does not conform to those ten commands. God made man in His image, and by means of
that image, we have within us knowledge of what God commands. We know, even babies know, when we do wrong,
believers or not, we all know right from wrong. How? Because man is made
in the image of God; no other creature is made in God’s image, therefore brutes
of all types live by an innateness that God gives to each creature, but an
animal does not follow the Ten Commandments; they do what they do without
knowledge of good and bad. Man
deteriorated to such a point that God had written for all times so that man,
especially His children, both Jews and those promised under the Covenant by God
to Abraham, what He commands men to do and follow. Moses, under the inspiration of God added the ceremonial laws
that the Israelites were to do, those rites, those various functions, not only
for their protection, against disease, against one another, those laws gave to
the Israelites that the “Seed” promised to Abraham would come, the Messiah, and
those rites pictured the Messiah. The
Jews were not without knowledge of the greater meaning of those rites and
functions. Unfortunately in time men,
especially those religious leaders added much more that what God had
given. The law, those works of the law,
the ceremonial law could not save the Jews, even keeping the Ten Commandments
could not save the Jews, these were laws but were not the way to salvation,
only by keeping those God commanded laws would God bless the Jews. Those laws were to be kept by faith as well
as in a pragmatic manner. Why do them
if they have no greater meaning than just doing a law? But some did just that, they followed the
customs, the rituals, the rites, and did not do so in faith, just so they would
not be considered bad, poor Jews. A
mediator was required and mediators are not one–sided, that is, they examine
both sides of an issue and make a decision as to what is to be done. How, can man be their own mediator, is this
not one–sided? Yes! How could God be the mediator? Is this not one–sided? A mediator was required and mediators are
not one–sided, that is, they examine both sides of an issue and make a decision
as to what is to be done. How, can man
be their own mediator, is this not one–sided? Yes! How could God be the
mediator? Is this not one–sided?
Yes! God, in His omniscience and His
mercy send the mediator, not a man, not an angel who would be one–sided, rather
God sent His Son who would be the mediator for both parties; God, and man. How?
Jesus became a man, this by God, the Father who implanted into Mary His
Wisdom, and Jesus was then both man, and God, not God becoming a man, for God
never changed from being God, but He clothed His wisdom in flesh and that flesh
endured what men endure. No one can say
that God does not have personal knowledge of man. God pointed to the work of Jesus by Moses when it was written: “…his
body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that
day, so that you do not defile the land which the LORD your God is giving you
as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God” (Deuteronomy
21:23). Jesus Christ removed the curse from the law by becoming cursed by
hanging on a tree, the cross, and was buried that day in a new, never used
tomb: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a
curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’”)
Galatians 3:13). Jesus Christ as a
perfect man, not having the original sin that plagues all men by men being the
progeny of Adam, and by Jesus Christ being God, the Son of God, the Wisdom of
God, rose again from the dead: “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy
this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ Then the Jews said, ‘It has
taken forty–six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three
days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body” (John 2:19–21). Notice this fact; Jesus said that He, Himself
would raise His body and this from the dead.
How? Because Jesus Christ is God, the Second Person of the Trinity,
therefore as the creator, as God, He had all power to raise this body, the body
of a man from the dead. Jesus then took this body and presented it to the
Father, who had sent Him and by means of this resurrected body now and forever
is the mediator for all those who believe. As Abraham live by faith, so are we to do the same, for it by
faith that we believe, the faith that God gives to His children, enabling them,
you, and me, to believe that Jesus Christ by His death, resurrection, and
ascension into heaven is our mediator and we are no longer under the curse of
the law. It was nailed to the cross: “…having wiped out the handwriting of
requirements that was against us. And He has taken it out of the way, having
nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14).
It is not
by our works that we are saved from this curse of death. It is by our mediator, Jesus Christ who has
called us, enabled us, and saved us. We
are then by our faith to live according to His will and His will is clearly
outlined for us in the Ten Commandments that are eternal.
Nevertheless we, according to
His
promise, look
For a new heavens and a
New earth
in which
Righteousness dwells.
2Peter 3:13
We Give Praise To God By Our Life
Richard L. Crumb
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