Scriptural Thought:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Mat. 5:17, 18

1. The Law of God

In His comments on the sixth and seventh commandments, recorded in Matt. 5: 21-28, Christ demonstrated the spiritual nature of the law, showing that it relates not merely to outward actions, but that it reaches to the thoughts and intents of the heart. See also Heb. 4 : 12. The tenth commandment forbids lust, or all unlawful desire. Rom. 7: 7.

Obedience to this law, therefore, requires not merely an outward compliance, but genuine heart service. This can be rendered only by a regenerated soul.

"Does any man say to me, 'You see, then, instead of the ten commandments, we have received the two commandments, and these are much easier'? I answer that this reading of the law is not in the least easier. Such a remark implies a want of thought and experience. Those two precepts comprehend the ten at their fullest extent, and cannot be regarded as the erasure of a jot or tittle of them. Whatever difficulties surround the ten commands are equally found in the two, which are their sum and substance. If you love God with all your heart, you must keep the first table; and if you love your neighbor as yourself, you must keep the second table."—"The Perpetuity of the Law of God," by C. H. Spurgeon, p. 5.

All His purposes will be fulfilled. His law is linked with His throne, and no power of evil can destroy it. Truth is inspired and guarded by God; and it will triumph over all opposition. {AA 11.3}

The stronger and purer the faith of God's people, and the firmer their determination to obey Him, the more fiercely will Satan strive to stir up against them the rage of those who, while claiming to be righteous, trample upon the law of God. It will require the firmest trust, the most heroic purpose, to hold fast the faith once delivered to the saints. {AA 431.1}

His strict obedience to the law of God they condemned as stubbornness. They were surprised at the knowledge and wisdom He showed in answering the rabbis. They knew that He had not received instruction from the wise men, yet they could not but see that He was an instructor to them. They recognized that His education was of a higher type than their own. {CSA 9.3}

The will of God is the law of heaven. As long as that law was the rule of life, all the family of God were holy and happy. But when the divine law was disobeyed, then envy, jealousy, and strife were introduced, and a part of the inhabitants of heaven fell. As long as God's law is revered in our earthly homes, the family will be happy. {CG 79.4}

2. Perpetuity of the Law

The law; broadly, the writings of Moses; specifically, the ten commandments, or moral law, from which the writings of Moses primarily derived their name. The prophets; that is, the writings of the prophets. Neither of these Christ came to destroy. but rather to fulfil; or meet their design. "The laws of the Jews are commonly divided into moral, ceremonial, and judicial. The moral laws are such as grow out of the nature of things, which cannot, therefore, be changed,— such as the duty of loving God and His creatures. These cannot be abolished, as it can never be made right to hate God, or to hate our fellow men. Of this kind are the ten commandments; and these our Saviour neither abolished nor superseded. The ceremonial laws are such as are appointed to meet certain states of society, or to regulate the religious rites and ceremonies of a people. These can be changed when circumstances are changed, and yet the moral law be untouched."— Dr. Albert Barnes, on Malt. 5: 18.

"Jesus did not come to change the law, but He came to explain it, and that very fact shows that it remains; for there is no need to explain that which is abrogated. . . . By thus explaining the law He confirmed it; He could not have meant to abolish it, or He would not have needed to expound it. . . . That the Master did not come to alter the law is clear, because after having embodied it in His life, He willingly gave Himself up to bear its penalty, though He had never broken it, bearing the penalty for us, even as it is written, `Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us.' . . . If the law had demanded more of us than it ought to have done, would the Lord Jesus have rendered to it the penalty which resulted from its too severe demands?

I am sure He would not. But because the law asked only what it ought to ask, namely, perfect obedience, and exacted of the transgressor only what it ought to exact, namely, death as the penalty for sin,— death under divine wrath,— therefore the Saviour went to the tree, and there bore our sins, and purged them once for all."—" The Perpetuity of the Law of God," by C. H. Spurgeon, pages 4-7.

"The moral law contained in the ten commandments, and enforced by the prophets, He did not take away. It was not the design of His coming to revoke any part of this. . . . Every part of this law must remain in force upon all mankind and in all ages, as not depending either on time or place, or any other circumstance liable to change, but on the nature of God, and the nature of man, and their unchangeable relation to each other."— John Wesley, in his "Sermons," Vol. I, No. 25, pages 221, 222.

Those who had accepted the light concerning the mediation of Christ and the perpetuity of the law of God found that these were the truths presented in Revelation 14. The messages of this chapter constitute a threefold warning (see Appendix) which is to prepare the inhabitants of the earth for the Lord's second coming. The announcement, "The hour of His judgment is come," points to the closing work of Christ's ministration for the salvation of men. It heralds a truth which must be proclaimed until the Saviour's intercession shall cease and He shall return to the earth to take His people to Himself. GC 436

But the plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of man. It was not for this alone that Christ came to the earth; it was not merely that the inhabitants of this little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded; but it was to vindicate the character of God before the universe. To this result of His great sacrifice--its influence upon the intelligences of other worlds, as well as upon man--the Saviour looked forward when just before His crucifixion He said: "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Me." John 12:31, 32. The act of Christ in dying for the salvation of man would not only make heaven accessible to men, but before all the universe it would justify God and His Son in their dealing with the rebellion of Satan. It would establish the perpetuity of the law of God and would reveal the nature and the results of sin. {PP 68.2}

3. Why the Law Was Given at Sinai

The law was not spoken at this time exclusively for the benefit of the Hebrews. God honored them by making them the guardians and keepers of His law, but He intended that it should be held by them as a sacred trust for the whole world. The precepts of the decalogue are adapted to all mankind, and they were given for the instruction and government of all. "Ten precepts, brief, comprehensive, and authoritative, cover the duty of man to God and to his fellow men;" and all are based upon the great fundamental principle of love. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." Luke 10: 27. In the ten commandments these principles are carried out in detail, and are made applicable to the condition and circumstances of man.

The law of God, as well as the knowledge of creation, the plat. of redemption, and the experiences of the early patriarchs, had been handed down from father to son until this time, but not in written form. The children of Israel had just come out of Egyptian bondage, where they had lost much of the divine instruction of the past, and had ceased to regard the law of God with that sense of sacredness which was required. Now, amid the awe and grandeur of God's presence on the mount, His law is spoken. And that it might be accurately preserved to future generations, He wrote the ten commandments upon two tables of stone with His own finger.

The law was placed in the ark of the tabernacle in the holy of holies. Above the ark, in which rested the law, the presence of God was manifested in the Shekinah. Thus the Lord would teach Israel the sacredness of those immutable principles which are the foundation of His government. The purpose of making known this law was twofold: First, the law was to govern in the lives of God's people. "Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." James 1:25.

Israel covenanted to be obedient to this law. Second, "by the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. 3:20. It was above the law and on the mercy seat of the ark that the high priest sprinkled the blood of atonement, once in the year. "The wages of sin is death," and the blood of the victim was typical of the blood of Christ, shed in satisfaction of the holy law.

Besides the ten commandment law, the Lord gave to Moses instruction concerning the sanctuary service, which was ceremonial, and certain civil laws regulating the subjects of the nation. These laws were written by Moses in a book, and are called the law of Moses, while the other law was written on tables of stone with the finger of God. (For a further study of these laws, see the chapter entitled, "The Moral and Ceremonial Laws," page 393.),

James, writing years after the Christian era began, places emphasis on the obligation of the Christian to keep the law of ten commandments, not merely one precept, but all, and sets forth this law as the standard by which men will be judged in the great day of God. As Christians, God has committed to us the blessed law in writing, as He did to ancient Israel. This law points out sin to us, that we may confess it and find forgiveness. The decalogue also becomes to us the law of life, and we find the blessings that come to those who live in harmony with its holy precepts.

4. Penalty for Transgression

Christ the sinless became sin for man. He bore the guilt of transgression, and the hiding of His Father's face, until His heart was broken and His life crushed out. All this sacrifice was made that sinners might be redeemed. In no other way could man be freed from the penalty of sin. And every soul that refuses to become a partaker of the atonement provided at such a cost must bear in his own person the guilt and punishment of transgression…. {DD 16.4}

Adam Restored to His Eden Home.--After his expulsion from Eden Adam's life on earth was filled with sorrow. Every dying leaf, every victim of sacrifice, every blight upon the fair face of nature, every stain upon man's purity, were fresh reminders of his sin. Terrible was the agony of remorse as he beheld iniquity abounding and, in answer to his warnings, met the reproaches cast upon himself as the cause of sin. With patient humility he bore for nearly a thousand years the penalty of transgression. Faithfully did he repent of his sin and trust in the merits of the promised Saviour, and he died in the hope of a resurrection. The Son of God redeemed man's failure and fall; and now, through the work of the atonement, Adam is reinstated in his first dominion. {AH 540.4}

5. The Law of God in the Patriarchal Age

There must, therefore, have been a standard at that time by which the characters of men were weighed. That standard must have defined the difference between right and wrong, and pointed out man's duty. But this is the province of the law of God. Hence the law of God must have existed at that time.

In all these revelations of the divine presence, the glory of God was manifested through Christ. Not alone at the Saviour's advent, but through all the ages after the Fall and the promise of redemption, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Corinthians 5:19). Christ was the foundation and center of the sacrificial system in both the patriarchal and the Jewish age. Since the sin of our first parents, there has been no direct communication between God and man. The Father has given the world into the hands of Christ, that through His mediatorial work He may redeem man and vindicate the authority and holiness of the law of God. All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ. It was the Son of God that gave to our first parents the promise of redemption. It was He who revealed Himself to the patriarchs. . . . It was He who gave the law to Israel. Amid the awful glory of Sinai, Christ declared in the hearing of all the people the ten precepts of His Father's law. It was He who gave to Moses the law engraved upon the tables of stone. . . . {AG 43.3}

6. The Law of God in the New Testament

By the expression "the law" here is meant the five books of Moses; and by "the prophets," the writings of the prophets. Christ did not come to set aside or to destroy either of these, but to fulfil both.

The ceremonialism of types and shadows contained in the books written by Moses He fulfilled by meeting them as their great Antitype. The moral law, the great basic fabric underlying all of Moses' writings, Christ fulfilled by a life of perfect obedience to all its requirements. The prophets He fulfilled in His advent as the Messiah, Prophet, Teacher, and Saviour foretold by them.

The Old Testament sheds light upon the New, and the New upon the Old. Each is a revelation of the glory of God in Christ. Christ as manifested to the patriarchs, as symbolized in the sacrificial service, as portrayed in the law, and as revealed by the prophets is the riches of the Old Testament. Christ in His life, His death, and His resurrection; Christ as He is manifested by the Holy Spirit, is the treasure of the New. Both Old and New present truths that will continually reveal new depths of meaning to the earnest seeker. {CT 462.3}

How blest the children of the Lord,

Who, walking in His sight,

Make all the precepts of His Word

Their study and delight!

What precious wealth shall be their dower,

Which cannot know decay;

Which moth and rust shall ne'er devour,

- Or spoiler take away.

HARRIET AIIBER.

Love the Fulfilling of the Law

The law of God, from its very nature, is unchangeable. It is a revelation of the will and the character of its Author. God is love, and his law is love. Its two great principles are love to God and man. “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” [Romans 13:10.] The character of God is righteousness and truth; such is the nature of his law. Says the psalmist, “Thy law is the truth;” “all thy commandments are righteousness.” [Psalm 119:142, 172.] And the apostle Paul declares, “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” [Romans 7:12.] Such a law, being an expression of the mind and will of God, must be as enduring as its Author. {GC88 466.4}

As those thus united in Christian fellowship offer prayer to God and pledge themselves to deal justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God, great blessing comes to them. If they have wronged others they continue the work of repentance, confession, and restitution, fully set to do good to one another. This is the fulfilling of the law of Christ. {CCh 257.1}

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6. {FLB 109.1}

Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, and "God is love." 1 John 4:16. It is conformity to the law of God, for "all thy commandments are righteousness" (Psalm 119:172), and "love is the fulfilling of the law" (Romans 13:10). Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him. {FLB 109.2}

" If the love of God is shed abroad in your heart," says Mr. Moody, " you will be able to fulfil the law." Paul reduces the commandments to one: " Thou shalt love," and says that " love is the fulfilling of the law." This truth may be demonstrated thus:-

1. Love to God will admit no other god.

2. Love will not debase the object it adores.

3. Love to God will never dishonor His name.

4. Love to God will reverence His day.

5. Love to parents will honor them.

6. Hate, not love, is a murderer.

7. Lust, not love, commits adultery. '

8. Love will give, but never steal.

9. Love will not slander nor lie.

10. Love's eye is not covetous.

Principles Underlying the Ten Commandments

If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12. {RC 73.1}

The conditions of eternal life, under grace, are just what they were in Eden--perfect righteousness, harmony with God, perfect conformity to the principles of His law. The standard of character presented in the Old Testament is the same that is presented in the New Testament. This standard is not one to which we cannot attain. In every command or injunction that God gives there is a promise, the most positive, underlying the command. God has made provision that we may become like unto Him, and He will accomplish this for all who do not interpose a perverse will and thus frustrate His grace. {RC 73.2}

1. Faith and loyalty. Heb. 11:6; Matt. 4:8-10.

2. Worship. Jer. 10: 10-12; Ps. 115:3-8; Rev. 14:6,7.

3. Reverence. Ps. 111 : 9 ; 89 : 7; Heb. 12 : 28; 2 Tim. 2:19.

4. Holiness, or sanctification, and consecration. 1 Peter 1:15, 16; Heb. 12:14; Ex. 31:13; Eze. 20:12; 1 Cor. 1 : 30; Prov. 3 : 6.

5. Obedience, or respect for authority. Eph. 6:1-3; Col. 3:20; 2 Kings 2:23, 24.

6. Love. Lev. 19:17; 1 John 3:15; Matt. 5:21-26, 43-48.

7. Purity., Matt. 5: 8; Eph. 5 :3, 4; Col. 3 :5, 6; 1 Tim. 5: 22; 1 Peter 2:11.

8. Honesty. Rom. 12:17; Eph. 4:28; 2 Thess. 3 : 10-12.

9. Truthfulness. Eph. 4:25; Col. 3 : 9; Prov. 6:16-19; 12:19; Rev. 21:27; 22:15.

10. Contentment and unselfishness. Eph. 5: 5; Col. 3:5; 1 Tim. 6:6-11; Heb. 13:5.

7. The Moral and Ceremonial Laws

The law which is here called "the law of liberty," is the law which says, "Do not commit adultery" and "Do not kill," for these commandments had just been quoted in the verse immediately preceding.

In verse 8, this same law is styled "the royal law;" that is, the kingly law. This is the law by which men are to be judged.

There are some who do not understand the plan of redemption, but make the death of Christ an argument to prove that the law of God is abolished. Men who claim to be teachers of the people blind the eyes of the ignorant by blending the moral law with the ceremonial, and using the texts which speak of the ceremonial law to prove that the moral law has been abolished. This is a perversion of the Scriptures. There are two distinct laws brought to view. One is the law of types and shadows, which reached to the time of Christ, and ceased when type met antitype in his death. The other is the law of Jehovah, and is as abiding and changeless as his eternal throne. After the crucifixion, it was a denial of Christ for the Jews to continue to offer the burnt offerings and sacrifices which were typical of his death. It was saying to the world that they looked for a Redeemer to come, and had no faith in Him who had given his life for the sins of the world. Hence the ceremonial law ceased to be of force at the death of Christ. {ST, July 29, 1886 par. 4}

THE TWO LAWS CONTRASTED

THE MORAL LAW

Is called the "royal law." James 2: 8.

Was spoken by God. Deut. 4 : 12, 13.

Was written by God on tables of stone. Ex. 24: 12.

Was written "with the finger of God." Ex. 31: 18.

Was placed in the ark. Ex. 40:20; 1 Kings 8: 9; Heb. 9: 4.

Is "perfect." Ps. 19:7.

Is to "stand fast forever and ever." Ps. 111 : 7, 8.

Was not destroyed by Christ. Matt. 5: 17.

Was to be magnified by Christ. Isa. 42:21.

Gives knowledge of sin. Rom. 3:20; 7: 7.

THE CEREMONIAL LAW

Is called "the law . . . contained in ordinances." Eph. 2 : 15.

Was spoken by Moses. Lev. 1:1-3.

Was "the handwriting of ordinances." Col. 2: 14.

Was written by Moses in a book. 2 Chron. 35: 12.

Was placed in the side of the ark. Deut. 31: 24-26.

"Made nothing perfect." Heb. 7: 19.

Was nailed to the cross. Col. 2: 14.

Was abolished by Christ. Eph. 2: 15.

Was taken out of the way by Christ. Col. 2:14.

Was instituted in consequence of sin. Leviticus 3-7.

8. The Two Covenants

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Genesis 17:7. {FLB 77.1}

As the Bible presents two laws, one changeless and eternal, the other provisional and temporary, so there are two covenants. The covenant of grace was first made with man in Eden, when after the Fall, there was given a divine promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. To all men this covenant offered pardon, and the assisting grace of God for future obedience through faith in Christ. It also promised them eternal life on condition of fidelity to God's law. Thus the patriarchs received the hope of salvation. {FLB 77.2}

Both the old covenant and the new covenant are based upon the ten commandments. In proposing a covenant with Israel, God said: "If ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant." Ex. 19:5. (See Ex. 24:8.) Obedience to the ten commandments was the condition under the old covenant upon which God made certain promises to the people. Obedience to the same ten precepts is likewise the basis of the new covenant, for the Lord declares: "This is the covenant that I will make . . . after those days, saith the Lord: I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people." Heb. 8:10. Under the gospel the new covenant can be entered into only when there is a knowledge of God's law, and heartfelt obedience thereto.

We here have the complete account of the making of the first or old covenant. God promised to make them His peculiar people on condition that they would keep His commandments. Three times they promised to obey. The agreement was then ratified, or sealed, with blood.

The great object and secret of the old covenant is revealed here. The people did not realize the weakness and sinfulness of their own hearts, or their need of divine grace and help to keep the law; and so, in their ignorance, they readily pledged obedience to it. But almost immediately they began to commit idolatry, and thus to break the law of God, or the very conditions laid down as their part of the covenant. In themselves the conditions were good; but in their own strength the people were unable to fulfil them. The great object of the old covenant therefore was to teach the people their weakness, and their inability to keep the law without the help of God. Like the law itself, over which the old covenant was made, this covenant was designed to shut them up to the provisions of the new or everlasting covenant, and lead them to Christ. And the lesson which Israel as a nation had to learn in this, each individual now must learn before he can be saved. There is no salvation for any one while trusting in self. Unaided, no one can keep the law. Only in Christ is there either remission of sins or power to keep from sinning. The breaking of the tables of the law signified that the terms of the covenant had been broken; the renewing of the tables (Ex. 34:1, 28), God's patience and long-suffering with His people.

The same ten commandments which God wrote on tables of stone He also writes in the heart. He says in Ezekiel 36:27: "I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.' Jesus expressed the same thought when He said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." This is the essence of the gospel. It is God's new covenant with spiritual Israel, and it embraces both forgiveness of sins, and obedience to every one of God's ten precepts through the power of the Holy Spirit in the heart.

No one should allow himself to be confused by the terms first covenant and second covenant. While the covenant made at Sinai is called the first covenant, it is by no means the first covenant that God ever made with man. Long before this He made a covenant with Abraham; He also made a covenant with Noah, and with Adam. Neither must it be supposed that the first or old covenant existed for a time as the only covenant with mankind, and that this must serve its purpose and pass away before any one could share in the promised blessings of the second or new covenant. Had this been the case, then during that time there would have been no pardon for any one. What is called the new or second covenant virtually existed before the covenant made at Sinai; for the covenant with Abraham was confirmed in Christ (Gal. 3: 17), and it is only through Christ that there is any value to the new or second covenant. There is no blessing that can be gained by virtue of the new covenant that was not promised to Abraham. And we, with whom the new covenant is made, can share the inheritance which it promises only by being children of Abraham, and sharing in his blessing. Gal. 3: 7, 9. And since no one can have anything except as a child of Abraham, it follows that there is nothing in what is called the new or second covenant that was not in the covenant made with Abraham. The second covenant existed in every essential feature, except its ratification, long before the first, even from the days of Adam. It is called second because its ratification occurred after the covenant made and ratified at Sinai.

Under this covenant, the people promised to keep all the commandments of God in order to be His peculiar people, and this without help from anyone. This was virtually a promise to make themselves righteous. But Christ says, "Without Me, ye can do nothing." John 15: 5. And •the prophet Isaiah says, "All our righteousness's are as filthy rags." Isa. 64: 6. The only perfect righteousness is God's righteousness, and this can be obtained only through faith in Christ. Rom. 3:20-26. The only righteousness that will ensure an entrance into the kingdom of God is "the righteousness which is of God by faith." Phil. 3: 9. Of those who inherit the kingdom of God, the Lord says, "Their righteousness is of Me" (Isa. 54: 17); and the prophet Jeremiah says of Christ, "This is His name whereby He shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness." Jer. 23:6.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TWO COVENANTS

1. Both are called covenants.

2. Both were ratified with blood.

3. Both were made concerning the law of God.

4. Both were made with the people of God.

5. Both were established upon promises.

DISSIMILARITIES BETWEEN 'THE TWO COVENANTS

OLD COVENANT

Called the old covenant.

Called the first covenant.

A temporary compact.

Dedicated with the blood of animals.

Was faulty.

Was established upon the promises of the people.

Had no mediator.

Had no provision for the forgiveness of sins.

Under this, the law was written on tables of stone.

NEW COVENANT

Called the new covenant.

Called , the second covenant.

An everlasting covenant.

Ratified with the blood of Christ.

Is a better covenant.

Is established upon the promises of God.

Has a mediator.

Provides for the forgiveness of sins.

Under this, the law is written in the heart.

9. What Was Abolished by Christ

Observe that the things concerning which we are to suffer no man to judge us "are a shadow of things to come." The weekly Sabbath was given to the human race in Eden, not as a shadow of something to come, but as God's memorial of His creative work. (For the shadowy sabbaths of the Jews, see Lev. 23:4-44.)

The first here refers to the typical offerings. These were taken away that the second, the all-sufficient offering, the blood of Christ, might stand forth as the true, the only sacrifice that could take away sin. To have continued the offering of animals after the cross would have been a denial that the Lamb of God, whom the offerings prefigured, had come.

The worship of the Jews centered in the typical system, or ritual service, of the temple, "at Jerusalem," while the Samaritans had instituted a rival service "in this mountain," Mt. Gerizim. In His statement to the woman of Samaria, Jesus therefore indicated that the time was at hand when the whole typical system would be done away.

The question before the council at Jerusalem was concerning the ceremonial law. Early Christian believers among both Gentiles and Jews were keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, and in other matters observing the ten commandments, for the apostle James says pointedly, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10. Prohibitions against murder, theft, and Sabbath breaking were settled in the minds of the early believers, but the question of Jewish ceremonialism arose. Waiving the ceremonial rite of circumcision, the apostles decided that since the eating of blood and things strangled vitally affected the health, thus touching a moral principle, the Gentile believers ought to abstain from these things. Likewise, the first, second, and seventh commandments of the moral law are supported by the injunction against fornication and the use of meats offered to idols.

The charge against Stephen and Paul was not based upon any violation of the moral law, but upon their teaching concerning the ceremonial law; and Paul's admission that he was guilty of what they called heresy meant simply that he differed from them as to the obligation to observe any longer the ceremonial law, which was imposed upon them "until the time of reformation." The simple fact that such charges were preferred against these able exponents and teachers of the gospel shows that in their view the ceremonial law had been abolished by the death of Christ.

In the ceremonial law, there was "a shadow of good things to come," a type of the mediatorial work of Christ, our great High Priest. The moral law makes known sin, places the sinner under condemnation and forces him to Christ for pardon and cleansing. The ceremonial law was abolished by the work of Christ, but the moral law was established by both His life and death.

There is enmity against the commandments of God in the hearts of those who claim sanctification and refuse to acknowledge the binding obligation of the law. Hatred arises in their hearts as soon as the law is mentioned. They profess to believe that the law is abolished. But if the law is abolished, what is the standard by which we shall be judged before the judgment seat of Christ? This work of belittling the law is the work of the great deceiver. If Satan can persuade men that the God of the universe has no law by which he governs them, then he can set up a standard of his own, and turn men into the path of transgression and destruction. {ST, February 10, 1888 par. 5}

10. The Law and the Gospel

The law reveals the perfection of character required, and so gives a knowledge of sin; but it is powerless to confer the character demanded. In the gospel, the law, first written in the heart of Christ, becomes "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus," and is thus transferred to the heart of the believer, in whose heart Christ dwells by faith. Thus the new covenant promise is fulfilled that the law shall be written in the heart. This is the genuine experience of righteousness by faith,— a righteousness which is witnessed by the law, and revealed in the life in harmony with the law. The gospel is thus seen to be the provision for restoring the law to its place in the heart and life of the one who believes on Christ, and accepts His mediatorial work. Such faith, instead of making void the law, establishes it in the heart of the believer. The gospel is not against the law, therefore, but upholds, maintains, and presents the law to us in Christ.

It is sometimes claimed that Christ changed, abolished, or took away the law, and put the gospel in its place; but this shows a misapprehension of the real work of Christ. The individual believer is changed by beholding the glory revealed in the gospel (2 Cor. 4 : 4; John 1: 14); death has been abolished through the death of Christ, and sin has been taken away by the great Sin-bearer; but the law of God still remains unchanged as the very foundation of His throne.

Christ not only gave a spiritual interpretation to the law, and Himself observed it according to that interpretation, but He showed the holiness and the immutable nature of the law by dying on the cross to pay the penalty of its transgression. In this way, above all, He magnified the law, and showed its far-reaching, immutable, and imperishable nature.

Even in the days of Abraham the same gospel of righteousness by faith was preached as now, while the law made known sin, and witnessed to the righteousness obtained through faith, just as it has done since the cross. From this it is evident that the relation between the law and the gospel has always been the same.

Love the Fulfilling of the Law

The law of God, from its very nature, is unchangeable. It is a revelation of the will and the character of its Author. God is love, and his law is love. Its two great principles are love to God and man. “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” [Romans 13:10.] The character of God is righteousness and truth; such is the nature of his law. Says the psalmist, “Thy law is the truth;” “all thy commandments are righteousness.” [Psalm 119:142, 172.] And the apostle Paul declares, “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” [Romans 7:12.] Such a law, being an expression of the mind and will of God, must be as enduring as its Author. {GC88 466.4}

" If the love of God is shed abroad in your heart," says Mr. Moody, " you will be able to fulfil the law." Paul reduces the commandments to one: " Thou shalt love," and says that " love is the fulfilling of the law." This truth may be demonstrated thus:-

1. Love to God will admit no other god.

2. Love will not debase the object it adores.

3. Love to God will never dishonor His name.

4. Love to God will reverence His day.

5. Love to parents will honor them.

6. Hate, not love, is a murderer.

7. Lust, not love, commits adultery. '

8. Love will give, but never steal.

9. Love will not slander nor lie.

10. Love's eye is not covetous.

Principles Underlying the Ten Commandments

The conditions of eternal life, under grace, are just what they were in Eden--perfect righteousness, harmony with God, perfect conformity to the principles of His law. The standard of character presented in the Old Testament is the same that is presented in the New Testament. This standard is not one to which we cannot attain. In every command or injunction that God gives there is a promise, the most positive, underlying the command. God has made provision that we may become like unto Him, and He will accomplish this for all who do not interpose a perverse will and thus frustrate His grace. {MB 76.2}

1. Faith and loyalty. Heb. 11:6; Matt. 4:8-10.

2. Worship. Jer. 10: 10-12; Ps. 115:3-8; Rev. 14:6,7.

3. Reverence. Ps. 111 : 9 ; 89 : 7; Heb. 12 : 28; 2 Tim. 2:19.

4. Holiness, or sanctification, and consecration. 1 Peter 1:15, 16; Heb. 12:14; Ex. 31:13; Eze. 20:12; 1 Cor. 1 : 30; Prov. 3 : 6.

5. Obedience, or respect for authority. Eph. 6:1-3; Col. 3:20; 2 Kings 2:23, 24.

6. Love. Lev. 19:17; 1 John 3:15; Matt. 5:21-26, 43-48.

7. Purity., Matt. 5: 8; Eph. 5 :3, 4; Col. 3 :5, 6; 1 Tim. 5: 22; 1 Peter 2:11.

8. Honesty. Rom. 12:17; Eph. 4:28; 2 Thess. 3 : 10-12.

9. Truthfulness. Eph. 4:25; Col. 3 : 9; Prov. 6:16-19; 12:19; Rev. 21:27; 22:15.

10. Contentment and unselfishness. Eph. 5: 5; Col. 3:5; 1 Tim. 6:6-11; Heb. 13:5.

Name: ________________________________ Date: ________________

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The Law of God {BRH pp. 369-414}

1. Where are the ten commandments recorded? Ex. 20:2-17

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2. What did Christ state as a condition of entering into life? Matt. 19: 17.

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3. Can man of himself, unaided by Christ, keep the law? John 15: 5; Rom. 7: 14-19

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4. What is the nature of God's law? Rom. 7: 14.

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5. What is revealed in God's law? Rom. 2: 18.

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6. When Christ came to this earth, what was His attitude toward God's will, or law? Ps. 40:7, 8. Sec Heb. 10:5, 7.

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7. Who did He say would enter the kingdom of heaven? Matt. 7: 21.

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8. For what did Christ reprove the Pharisees? Matt. 15:3.

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9. What is sin declared to be? 1 John 3: 4.

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10. What will be the standard in the judgment? James 2: 12.

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11. What is the essential principle of the law of God? " Rom. 13: 10.
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12. What is said of one who professes to know the Lord, but does not keep His commandments? 1 John 2: 4.

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13. What promise is made to the willing and obedient? Isa. 1:19
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14. How does God regard those who walk in His law? Ps. 119:1,
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15. How enduring are His commandments? Ps. 111: 7, 8.
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16. Did Christ come to abolish or to destroy the law, Matt. 5: 17
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17. How did Christ treat His Father's commandments? John 15: 10.

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18. What, more than all else, proves the perpetuity and immutability of the law of God? John 3: 16; 1 Cor. 15: 3.
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19. What relation does a justified person sustain to the law? Rom. 2: 1
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20. By what may we know that we have passed from death unto life? 1 John 3:14.
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21. How are those described who will be prepared for the coming of Christ? Rev. 14: 12.
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22. How does Nehemiah describe the giving of the law at Sinai? Neh. 9: 13, 14.
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23. Before the giving of the law at Sinai, what. Did Moses say when Jethro asked him about his judging the people? Ex. 18: 16.
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24. What explanation did Moses give the rulers of Israel concerning the withholding of the manna on the seventh day in the wilderness of Sin, before they reached Sinai? Ex. 16: 23-26
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25. Upon coming near the camp, where the golden calf was being worshiped, how did Moses show that the children of Israel had broken their covenant with God? Ex. 32:19
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Prepared by:

Education Department

GADSDA, Visayan Division, Philippines

Zone 6, Sitio Lonoy, Kananga, Leyte