The Law of God

Psalm 111:7,8

The works of His hands are verity and justice; all His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.

God’s commandments are heaven’s eternal code of conduct which stands fast forever.

Romans 3:20

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

God’s law leads us to see our guilt and drives us to Jesus.

Psalm 19:7

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

God’s law is an agency leading us to conversion.

Psalm 19:11

Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.

In keeping His commandments, there is a great reward.

Romans 6:14

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

We are not “under the law” as a means of salvation. Salvation comes totally and always by grace (Ephesians 2:8).

Romans 6:15

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

Although we are not under the law, this does not give us liberty to break God’s law.

1 John 3:4

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness [the transgression of the law].

Sin is defined as breaking God’s law.

Isaiah 59:1,2

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

Sin, or breaking God’s law, leads to separation from God and eternal death (Romans 6:23).

Romans 3:28-31

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

When we are saved by faith, we desire to keep God’s law (Hebrews 10:7, John 8:29).

John 14:15

If you love Me, keep My commandments.

Love always leads to obedience. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”

1 John 2:4,5

He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

He who does not keep God’s commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him.

Hebrews 8:10

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 in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

In the new covenant, Jesus writes His law in our hearts.

Psalm 40:8

I delight to do Your will, o my God, and Your law is within my heart.

He places within our hearts the desire to do His will.

Revelation 14:12

Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

God’s last-day people keep His commandments through faith.

Revelation 12:17

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

His remnant, like the faithful through the ages, keep His law.

Commonly-asked questions regarding the Law of God

Didn’t Jesus come to do away with the ten commandments and establish a new commandment of love? What about Matthew 22:37-40, “Love God with all your heart and your neighbors as yourself?” Isn’t love to God and our neighbors all Jesus requires? These are the new commandments.

It may surprise you to discover that Jesus was summarizing the law as given in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 6:5 declares, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.” Leviticus 19:18 adds, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The God of the Old Testament was a God of everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). In Matthew 22:40, Jesus declared, “On these two commands (love to God and fellow man) hang all the laws and the prophets.” The first four commandments reveal how human beings tangibly demonstrate their love to their God. The last six commandments show how they demonstrate their love to their fellow man. “Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it” (Matthew 5:17). He revealed how to lovingly keep the law. He came to magnify the meaning of the law (Isaiah 42:21). Jesus reveals how love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10). He adds, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

Does Paul teach that Christians save by faith do not have to keep the law?

Paul teaches that Christians are saved not by faith, but by grace through faith. Faith is the hand that takes the salvation freely offered by Jesus. Faith does not lead to disobedience but to obedience. Paul states in no uncertain terms, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid!” (Romans 3:31). Romans 6:1,14,15 adds, “Shall we sin (break the law) so grace may abound? God forbid!”.

Is it true that in the Old Testament people were saved by keeping the law while in the New Testament, salvation is by grace?

In both the Old and New Testaments, salvation is by grace through faith. God does not have two methods of salvation. Titus 2:11 affirms, “For the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men.” In the Old Testament men and women were saved by the Christ that was to come. Each lamb sacrificed pointed forward to the coming of the Messiah (Genesis 3:21, Genesis 22:9-13). In the New Testament, men and women are saved by the Christ who has come. IN one instance faith looked forward to the cross; in the other instance faith looked backward to the cross. Jesus is the only means of salvation (Acts 4:12).

Since we are under the New Covenant, is it really necessary to keep God’s law?

The New Covenant is actually older than the Old Covenant. It was given by God Himself in the Garden of Eden when He promised that the Messiah would come to break the deadly hold of Satan upon the human race. The New Covenant contains the promise of redemption from sin through Jesus Christ. He saves us! He writes the principles of the law in our hearts. Love becomes the motivation for obedience. There is a new power in the life (Hebrews 8:10, Ezekiel 36:26, Psalm 40:8). Under the Old Covenant, Israel promised to obey God’s commandments in their own strength. They declared, “All that God says we will do” (Exodus 19:8, 24:3,7). All attempts at external conformity to God’s law lead to frustrated defeat. The law which we cannot keep in our own strength condemns us (Romans 3:23, 6:23). Under the New Covenant, we belong to a new master—Jesus Christ. We have a new heart and a new standing before God (John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:1).