Is The Law of God Still Valid?

"Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?" -Romans 7:1

"If we comply with the conditions the Lord has made, we shall secure our election to salvation. Perfect obedience to His commandments is the evidence that we love God, and are not hardened in sin. Christ has a church in every age. There are in the church those who are not made any better by their connection with it. They themselves break the terms of their election. Obedience to the commandments of God gives us a right to the privileges of His church. - MS 166, 1898

Since the Cross of Jesus there has been one attack after another on the Law of God. Many churches that have started since the days of the Apostles have even gone so far as to "rewrite" the Ten Commandments to fit their fleshly desires. Paul warned the Thessalonian church back then that, ".the mystery of iniquity doth already work:" -2 Thessalonians 2:7, and as we view church history we see that the Law of God was always the focus of attack. Many new religions popped up over the years that totally omit the Law of God from their doctrinal foundation merely because they could not give up the sins they cherished so much. And yes, even some Christians churches have gone so far as to rewrite the Law in a way that proves they sought to create God in their own image. Worse yet, one has gone so far as to remove portions of the Law entirely so as to keep Pagan doctrines alive in the Christian church. Case in point... The Catholic church omitted the second Commandment in their Catechism merely because they prefer to bow before statues. However, they now had only nine commandments in their dogma. So in order to fill the gap created, they moved the remaining commandments up one notch and "split" the tenth Commandment in two. (SEE: St Joseph's Catechism) This is why the Roman Catholic's list of commandments is always one off when held up along side the Scripture.

Some churches preach to this day that Jesus abolished the Ten Commandments when He died on the cross. They proclaim this assumption by using Ephesians 2:15 as their basis of evidence, which says. "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;..." The obvious truth here is, that the verse states that it was the Commandments contained in ORDINANCES that was abolished at the cross. Not the Ten Commandments contained in stone. The passage in Colossians 2:14-17 has also been used to preach the Commandments abolished. But if you read it you will find it was, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances", again that is mentioned in that passage. According to the Word of God, these ordinances were "added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made" (Galatians 3:19) It's rather clear to see here that the "commandments contained in ordinances" were added by Moses for a specific reason. If we read the passage again we see it also states these ordinances were only added TILL the seed should come. And who was this seed according to Scripture? Galatians 3:16 boldly proclaims, "thy seed, which is Christ."

The commandments contained in ordinances were added by Moses thousands of years ago as a way to prepare the people for the FIRST arrival of Messiah. They showed their faith in the coming Messiah by keeping the ordinances on a regular basis. When Jesus died on the cross, the ordinances were no longer needed because He fulfilled them by all He did while visiting us as Messiah. So, what are these ordinances??In Colossians 2:14-17 it says...?"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:??Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ."?

Right off we see the "ordinances" were a series holy days, new moons, and Sabbath days which is referring to feast days (NOT the seventh day Sabbath) that were to be considered a "shadow of things to come." The word "ordinance" is NOT the same as the word "commandment."

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 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. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." ~ Matthew 5:17-19

By the way, for those skeptics out there that still believe the Law passed away at the cross. Jesus just said in Matthew 5:18 that nary a speck of His Law will pass away till heaven and earth pass and all is fulfilled. With that said, I must ask, is heaven above and the earth beneath still here? And have all prophecies been fulfilled wherein we are in the city of Heaven? No? Then this means His Law is still binding no matter what you may think or have been taught. There is no getting around the simplicity of that statement made by Christ in Matthew 5:18 In fact, how do those that claim His Law was abolished at the cross answer to the New Testament Scriptures that are mostly penned after the cross that speak of His Ten Commandments as still being valid?

Commandment # 1

Old Testament ~ "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." ~ Exodus 20:3

New Testament ~ "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." ~ Matthew 4:10

Commandment # 2

Old Testament ~ "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6?and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." ~ Exodus 20:4-6

New Testament ~ "Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." ~ 1 John 5:21

"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device." ~ Acts 17:29

Commandment # 3

Old Testament ~ "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." ~ Exodus 20:7

New Testament ~ "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed." ~ 1 Timothy 6:1

Commandment # 4

Old Testament ~ "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." ~ Exodus 20:8-11

New Testament ~ "For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." ~ Hebrews 4:4,8-9 (The word "rest" in verse #9?= "sabbatismo" = "A keeping Sabbath" in Strong's #4520)

Commandment # 5

Old Testament ~ "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." ~ Exodus 20:12

New Testament ~ "Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." ~ Matthew 19:19

"Thou knowest the commandments, .......Honour thy father and mother." ~ Mark 10:19

Commandment # 6

Old Testament ~ "Thou shalt not kill." ~ Exodus 20:13

New Testament ~ "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment:" ~ Matthew 5:21-22

"but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder," ~ Matthew 19:17-18

"Thou knowest the commandments, .....Do not kill," ~ Mark 10:19

"For this, ......Thou shalt not kill," ~ Romans 13:9

Commandment # 7

Old Testament ~ "Thou shalt not commit adultery." ~ Exodus 20:14

New Testament ~ "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." ~ Matthew 5:27-28

"but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, .......Thou shalt not commit adultery," ~ Matthew 19:17-18

"For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery," ~ Romans 13:9

Commandment # 8

Old Testament ~ "Thou shalt not steal." ~ Exodus 20:15

New Testament ~ "but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, ........Thou shalt not steal," ~ Matthew 19:17-18

"For this, ......Thou shalt not steal," ~ Romans 13:9

Commandment # 9

Old Testament ~ "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." ~ Exodus 20:16

New Testament ~ "but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, ......Thou shalt not bear false witness," ~ Matthew 19:17-19

"For this, .......Thou shalt not bear false witness," ~ Romans 13:9

Commandment # 10

Old Testament ~ "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s." ~ Exodus 20:17

New Testament ~ "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth." ~ Luke 12:15

"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." ~ Romans 7:7

"For this, .......Thou shalt not covet;" ~ Romans 13:9

How's it possible to say we need not keep the Ten Commandments when it's found in both the Old and the New Testaments? How's it possible for some denominations to preach it's sin to keep God's Ten Commandments after the cross of Christ? They make this claim as if to say we keep the Law as works towards salvation. But the Word was plain we could never keep the Law to get saved because we can only keep it after Christ is present to help us. In other words, we don't keep the Law of God to get saved, we keep it because we are saved! In fact, Romans 10:5 clearly says, "For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.?"

Before Christ came into our lives, as the Old Covenant proved, mankind was literally too weak to keep His Law on their own. We needed a better covenant, or a New Testament. This is why Christ came. "But now hath he (Christ) obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.?For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.?For finding fault with them, (mankind) he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:?Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.?For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel 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:" - Hebrews 8:6-10

Now that we have His Law in our minds and heart thanks to His Holy Spirit, it's far easier to, "hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" Ecclesiastes 12:13,14?"So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty" James 2:12?

According to these faithful verses, the Ten Commandments are not only the "Whole duty of man," but the standard of JUDGMENT used to determine our worthiness of Heaven. To further solidify that fact in the heart, the Word is plain when speaking of the Ten Commandments as that which was to be kept from the beginning. The apostles John was moved by the Lord to declare, "And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it ."?2 John1:6

Many are also taught to proclaim that Commandment keeping is for the Jew and Jew alone. In saying this they un-knowingly condemn all non-Jewish Christians to hell in one fell swoop. This is evident because of what has been written in the book of Revelation for all Christians who trust His Word to read..."Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:14) That city IS HEAVEN. If only Jews are to keep the Commandments, then they are proclaiming only Jews enter Heaven. If this is so, then why does Paul say in Romans 2:10,11, "But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:?For there is no respect of persons with God." And in Romans 10:12,-13, "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.?For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

When do most Christians feel the judgment is to occur? Thanks to all the world wondering after the beast and it's spurious doctrines, universal belief in all denominations that don't understand the theology of the prophecied "investigative judgment" believe it's a far into the future event right? Even if they do understand the prophetic facts regarding the investigative judgment; thanks to Rome's ability to twist the Truth on this out of context, Ecclesiastes chapter twelve appears to them as a way to confirm the "final" judgment is indeed prophecied as a future event for every human that is still being judged today. With that in mind, ask them to read Ecclesiastes 12:13,14 so as to get a better view of the truth here.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

Have them make special note that they should consider the statement that "God shall bring every work into judgment" in that passage. First it is mentioned in this passage that the whole duty of man is indeed keeping the Ten Commandments. Directly after making that statement the Bible declares mankind is judged by how he performs his duty. The question then arises, what is that duty that is to be judged? It is written in that passage that mankind must, "Fear God, and keep his commandments" In blunt easy to understand terms, the Bible says the whole duty of man is to keep the Ten Commandments because the judgment is based on how man performs that?duty. And since the reward that judgment brings is indeed a future event, the Ten Commandments are STILL valid today! For it is written in Revelation 22:12, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." The reward is based on how we are judged. If we are judged worthy, our reward is eternal life. If we are judged unworthy, our reward is eternal death.