THE LONG AWAITED LAW OF CHRIST

And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.'  For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  

Isaiah 2:3

God had promised He would send His Messiah, Jesus, to teach us His LAWS in order that we might walk in His pathways.  Likewise, God promised the Law would come from Jerusalem from His Son, Jesus, to be taught in our hearts, the glory of God which is His righteousness, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."  John 1:14.  This is what the Scriptures say,  “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, a people in whose heart is My law; do not fear the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings." Isaiah 51:7.  This Law of God planted in the hearts of those who would listen was to be the Law of God's Words.  This Law was to teach us the righteousness of God through Christ to everyone who believes, "but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law."  Romans 9:31; "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."   Rom. 10:4.

This Law was to be the Law of His Son, Christ, which was of faith, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;  whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;  for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.  Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law."  Romans 3:23-32.  This Law of Christ was to be good, holy and righteous, "So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good...."  Romans 7:10-19.

The Law of God, the Law of Christ concerned the inner man, the law of the mind "For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man."  Romans 7:22.  The Law of Christ was to be the Law of God within our mind vs. the law of sin, the law of flesh, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."  Romans 7:25.  The Law of Christ was to be the law of the Spirit to set us free from the slavery of sin, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit"  Romans 8:2-4.

This Law of Christ was to bear fruit pleasing to God, "Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."  Romans 8:7-8.  The Law of Christ was to be the law of practicing love and not of practicing evil, "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."  Romans 13:10.   This Law of Christ was to be the salvation of all men.  The Law of Moses directed the thinking of men to Christ, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."  Romans 10:4.  "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."  Romans 1:16.

It is through the Law of Christ that we are able to receive the promise of  our inheritance, our hope of heaven.  This Law of Christ was given because of our sins.  The Law of Moses was ordained by angels through a mediator until the promised seed should come, Christ our seed.   "Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made."  Gal. 3:19.  The Law of Christ, who is the "promised seed," was to give us life.  The Law of Moses served as the guardian of God's promises that Jesus Christ would fulfill, but the Law of Moses could not make anyone righteous without the blood of Christ. "Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law."  Galatians 3:21 ESV.

This Law of Christ was to be given to judge the unrighteous, the lawless, "But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and [g]immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers."
I Timothy 1:8-11.

The Law of Christ was to be the law of liberty that would judge the hearts of men, "But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."  James 1:25.   "For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.  So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty."  James 2:11-12.  "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12 ESV.

The Law of Christ was to be the royal law and would have to be observed in order to be blameless, "If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing well.  But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all."  James 2:8-10.  We cannot neglect all of the LAWS of Jesus Christ and still claim to be blameless.

But we must OBEY IT with humility, "Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.  I Peter 5:6.   He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  Micah 6:8.  The Law of Christ was to be the law of kindness and justice.  The Law of Christ was to be the law of righteous judgment toward our neighbor, "Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?"  James 4:10-12.

The Law of Christ provided the only way that man could have access to the blood which takes away the guilt of sin to those who OBEY IT, "And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.  Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.  You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him."  I John 3:1-6.   "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."   1 John 1:6-9.   Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brethren, what shall we do?'  Peter said to them, 'Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."  Acts 2:37-38.

But we must  TREASURE THE LAW OF CHRIST if we indeed are His children who practice His righteousness and are HOLY like HE IS, "Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous."  I John 3:7.  "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”   I Peter 1:13-17.

The Law of Christ is the Law of God's commandments, testimonies, reverence(fear), statutes, precepts and judgements, "Because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”   Gen. 26:5.  "The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.  The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.  The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.  They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.  Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward."  Psalm 19:7-11. The PERFECT LAW of Christ is able to restore the soul to wisdom and purity.

Although the word LAW does not appear in John 12:48, the words of Jesus Christ that will judge us on the last day could as easily be called the Law of Christ, "The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day." 

CONCLUSION:

The Law of Christ, the Law of God is the Law that was to be planted in our minds, hearts and souls in order to be His children, His own special people, being called out of darkness into His Son's kingdom of light, purified for good deeds, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord:  I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts.   And I will be their God, And they shall be My people."  Hebrews 8:10.   "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."  I Peter 2:9-10.  "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."  Titus 2:11-14.

Finally, the Law of Christ, the Law of God was to be the covenant between our God and those who would LISTEN AND OBEY IT.  He would write the Law in our hearts and erase our lawless deeds and make us into new creatures of righteousness, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord:  I will put My laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them,” He then says,  “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”  Hebrews 10:16-17.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."  2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV. 

Thanks be to our Father in Heaven for sending us His Son, our Messiah, to teach us His Father's paths, His LAWS, in our hearts in order that we might have abundant life and the hope of eternity in heaven with HIM and His Son.  Thanks be to our Father for His PERFECT LAW that is able to restore the souls of men transferring them from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His Son Jesus, "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son."  Colossians 1:13.  Thanks be to God for His Law, the Law of Christ which makes us wise through the simplicity and purity of His Gospel.  2 Corinthians 11:3.  Thanks be to God for Christ's Law because it is righteous altogether, enlightening the eyes of our heart with understanding and His righteousness, giving us a clean conscience and pure heart.  "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"   Hebrews 9:14. 

May our God help us to meditate and delight in His LAW, the LAW of Christ, with OBEDIENCE so that we may be acceptable in His sight and never be put to shame.



Luci