"The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake;
he will magnify the law, and make it honourable." -Isaiah 42:21

 "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." -Matthew 5:18

 "For not the hearers of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be   justified." -Romans 2:13,

"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the
Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." -Acts 5:32

"... if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." -Matthew 19:17

The law and the Gospel are intimately connected. They are closely associated. If the divine law had never been transgressed, there would have been no need of the Gospel. Since the basis of God's government and authority is the immutable law, when this divine code was violated, a remedy for sin was essential. The saving grace of God is His only remedy. -F.C.Gilbert "Messiah in His Sanctuary" p. 20

Since the Cross of Jesus there has been one attack after another on the Law of God. Many churches that have started since then have even gone so far as to "Rewrite" the Ten Commandments to fit their fleshly desires. Kind of like, "Creating God in their own image." Case in point... The Catholic church has Omitted the second Commandment in their Catechism merely because they prefer statues. Then in order to fill the gap created, they moved the remaining up one notch and "split" the tenth Commandment in two. (SEE: St Joseph Catechism) Some churches claim Jesus abolished the Ten Commandments when He died on the cross, using Ephesians 2:15 as their basis of evidence. "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;..." The obvious here is that the verse states that it was the Commandments contained in ORDINANCES that was abolished at the cross. Not the Ten Commandments. Colossians 2:14-17 has also been said to prove the Commandments abolished. But if you read it you will find it was, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances", again. These ordinances were "added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made" Galatians 3:19   It's rather blunt here as to why the "Commandments contained in ordinances" were added. It also states they were only added TILL the seed should come. And who was this seed?... "And to thy seed, which is Christ" Galatian 3:16

The commandments contained in ordinances were added to prepare the people for the FIRST arrival of Messiah. They showed their faith in the coming Messiah by keeping the ordinances. And when Jesus died on the cross the ordinances were no longer needed because he fulfilled them all. But what are these ordinances?  Colossians 2:14-17 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." 

The "ordinances" were a series of laws that Moses penned to prepare the people for the "things to come". The "ordinaces" are no different than the ordinances of small towns and cities where they only apply up to city limits. The Ten Coommandments can be compared to the Constitution of the United States, and the ordinances are the local laws of the cities. Fact is, the word "ordinance" is NOT the same as the word "commandment" is it? Plus, did you notice that in verse 16 it states, "...Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink..." The word "therefore" denotes that it is speaking of the previous topic of the ordinances. So, I ask, WHERE in the TEN COMMANDMENTS does it speak of "meat and drink?" Nowhere! The ceremonial law talks volumes on meat and drink, but the Law of God does not. So, it is impossible that the "ordinances" and the commandments are the same thing.

Also notice that nowhere in the Ten Commandments do we see any mention of, "holydays or new moons" as this passage declares is part of the "ordinances." The Old Testament people were just as much believers in Jesus as the New Testament people. The obvious difference is they looked FORWARD to Jesus coming the first time. We await His second coming today. All the "meat, drink, holy days, & sabbaths" were all abolished at the cross, because Jesus fulfilled their purpose perfectly.

And by the way... the "sabbaths" mentioned here are not the weekly Sabbath of God Almighty. This passage calls these "sabbath days" (plural) as a "shadow of things to come." The weekly Sabbath (singular) of the Lord can in no way be a shadow of something future. The "shadowy" things appeared AFTER sin came into the world. It was a way to deliverance from sin. All the "shadowy things" pointed forward to the arrival of Jesus as Saviour to the cross as an offering for sin. It was after sin started that the Lord declared these shadows were necessary for man to perform. These sabbaths were to be an evidence that the people believed the Messiah would come to permanently wash away their sins. But the weekly 7th day Sabbath was instituted IN EDEN, before sin entered the world. In other words, the annual sabbaths pointed FORWARD to a future event. The Seventh Day Sabbath points backwards to the ultimate event. Creation. It denotes a REMEMBRANCE of the work of Creation. And when we keep that Sabbath holy, we "remember" Him as our Creator.

Read Leviticus 23:24-38 and you will find that the sabbaths mentioned in Colassians chapter 2 are the "annual sabbaths" that acknowledged certain events. Make special note that it even says in Verse 38 of Leviticus 23 that these annual sabbaths are BESIDES the Sabbath of the Lord. Jesus said Himself...  "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Matthew 5:17 The simplest way I know to explain it is. The children of God were symbolically keeping the ordinances in the past looking forward to Jesus where He would actually fulfill them in reality. (Notice the "sabbaths" of Leviticus...Count them and you will find they come too frequently to be considered WEEKLY Sabbaths )

Leviticus 23:23-38, "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, (sabbath #1 day #1) a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest,  (sabbath #2 day# 10) and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.(sabbath #3 day #9) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.(sabbath #4 day #15) Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.(sabbath #5 day #8) These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD."

FIVE "sabbaths" that are defined as "feast days" of the Lord within a 15 day period, and again, that's BESIDES the weekly Sabbath of the Lord. The Lord is rather blunt here. He is listing 5 "sabbath days" that fall on certain "days of the 7th month" that will actually fall on different days of the week every year. And then He makes special note that we understand these to be BESIDES the Sabbath of the Lord in verse 38. And did you also notice the meat and drink offerings mentioned in Leviticus? This absolutely confirms that they are the same thing that is being spoken of in Colossians 2:14-17. Fact is, IF this "law contained in ordinances" is the same as the "Law contained in stone" then I ask for all those reading to share with me the commandment that is written within the Ten Commandments that speaks of "meat and drink" offerings. Biblical fact is...

Hebrews 9:1,10 "Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation."

One more point must be stressed here. It stated this in Colossians 2:17, "...Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ" Let me ask you this... when I stand in front of a light source I cast a shadow correct? Now, if you find that shadow I cast and follow it you will eventually come to my body, correct? Does my shadow continue on behind me? No, it stops at the body does it not? All those feast days are shadows of things that Jesus did in reality. When you follow those shadows you will eventually come to rest before the body of Jesus Christ on the cross. There is no shadow beyond the cross. the "ordinances" were nailed to that cross. He did EXACTLY as those shadows depicted He was to do.

So... what did Jesus Himself think of the Royal Law of God His Father?  "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." John 15:10   Some hold to their beliefs because this was said by Jesus BEFORE the cross. So what did the Apostles believe AFTER Jesus died and resurrected? Did they keep the Ten Commandments, and what was their example to us?

1 John 3:22 says, "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." 1 John 5:2 states, " By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments." 1 John 5:3 declares, " For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." For the sake of space I'll refrain from typing numerous verses that prove the early Christian church indeed KEPT the Ten Commandments in loving obedience to their Heavenly Father. These three I just quoted should be all the Christian needs. Why? They are IN THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE and the Apostles themselves penned those words as inspired Truth for all those after them to embrace. And yes I know it's impossible for us to keep the Ten Commandments, for the flesh is weak. The events surrounding Mt. Sinai proved that nicely. That's my ENTIRE point! We have proven to God that we cannot keep the Ten commandments in our fleshly bodies. That is one of the many reasons why Jesus died for us. We're too weak to do it alone, we NEED Him to help us.

• Hebrews 8:10 ...I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts
• Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
• Romans 8:3,4 ...God sending his own Son... That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

  We can't do it without the soul steering help of Jesus. Jesus walked as we should have walked, and then He died the death we deserve for our sins. He did it ALL for us, and He is STILL doing it today. For He also said, ... "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:20

Let's take that statement, "lo, I am with you alway, even to the END OF THE WORLD" and further drive home the reality of His law. In Matthew 5:18 we read, "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." Until "Heaven and earth pass" away we understand that the Law of God will be here ALWAYS EVEN TO THE END OF THE WORLD do we not? Fact is, the Heavens and the Earth have NOT yet passed away have they? And all has NOT yet been fulfilled has it? And seeing how the Earth, and Heavens are still here, the Law must still be binding, and seeing how the Law is still binding we see that Jesus is still with us EVEN TO THE END OF THE WORLD.

  More than a few have even claimed 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 only Jews enter Heaven? Note the following chart, it unveils ALL TEN Commandments can be found in the Old and New Testament.  

How's it possible to say we need not keep the Ten Commandments when it's found in BOTH Testaments? How's it possible for some to preach it's SIN to keep God's Ten Commandments? This is a dangerous statement in risk of judgment. For the Word puts it plain that we, "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. "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 ."  IIJohn1:6

One more point I would like to make regarding the notion that "only Jews" much keep the Law. Were you aware that Abraham kept the Ten Commandments? In Genesis 26:5 we read, "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." This is biblical evidence that many many years before the first Jew was ever born, man kept the Ten Commandments. Plus, the 4th Commandment concerning the Sabbath was instituted at least 2500 YEARS before the first Jew was born. In the week of creation the Lord blessed and hallowed the Seventh Day as a day to be kept holy to remember what He did that week as Creator. Adam and Eve kept Sabbath!

By the way... have you ever noticed what Ecclesiastes is truly saying here? 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 "future" event right? And even if they DO understand the prophetic facts regarding the investigative judgment, as far as Ecclesiates chapter twelve is considered, 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. Also have them make special note that they should consider the statement that "God shall bring every work into judgment" in that passage. And also make them aware that FIRST it is mentioned in that passage that the whole duty of man is indeed KEEPING the Ten Commandments. And directly after making that statement the Bible declares mankind is JUDGED by how he performs HIS DUTY. And what is that duty that is judged? "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man"

In blunt "street preachin" lingo... 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 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. Fact is, even the investigative judgment is NOT finished until the man stops breathing, is judged reprobate, or probation ends. In either case, the judgment is not finalized as of yet, and that also confirms the Ten Commandments are STILL valid today. To believe otherwise is to declare Ecclesiastes chapter twelve a lie.

Question: "What are the differences between God's Law contained in stone and Moses' law contained in ordinances?"

Ever notice the similarities of the early church "human nature" just like we see today? Did not the early church look to abolish the Law of God simply because they claimed to be Christians?

• Romans 6:15, "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."

Yes it appears Paul had to deal with "OUR TYPE" of theology back then as well. So... why do we need a new covenant / testament?

Hebrews 8:7-9, "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, 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."

Please understand that a "covenant" is no different than a "testament" according to Strong's # 1242...

Understand that the Lord God did not change His part of the arrangement / covenant / testament with the people of Israel. Scriptures declare it was "finding fault with them, " that lead to the need of a "new covenant." The Lord's agreement in the beginning never changed. He still declared all His blessings on those that would keep His Laws. Their part of the arrangement was simply to KEEP His laws to receive the blessings He had planned for them.

Exodus 19:5-6, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."

And as we know, when Moses returned 40 days later, they had already broken that covenant they said they would keep in verse #8. The Law of God never changed since then. His "part of the arrangement" remains the same. Malachi 3:6 says, "For I am the LORD, I change not..." Our part had to change because we are the ones that "had fault." The Lord made no error, nor could he. Nothing evil comes from above! The people are the ones that made the error, not the Lord. A new covenant is needed. But how will the Lord do it?

Hebrews 8:6, "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises."

We NEED this better covenant and better promises because we have no more strength than the Jewish people of their day. Think about that. Think about how they had an open physical sign of the Almighty's presence on a daily basis in the desert for forty years. And still they broke His laws. They saw Him split the Red Sea, and defeat their enemies Yet they still murmured in the desert. Now look at today when there are no apparent "columns of smoke or fire" or "red sea's splitting" declaring His blunt presence to boost our faith. So, since we are no stronger, and in fact in many ways weaker than they, HOW is He going to help us?

• The Old Covenant was an arrangement between God and His people.
• The New Covenant is an arrangement between God and Jesus Christ

THAT'S THE BETTER COVENANT! It is no longer between us and God the Father. It is now between Jesus and His Father. The Lord didn't re-write His laws or His "arrangement" between man and Himself at all. Instead, Jesus came to do what WE COULD NOT DO! He kept the covenant with His Father FOR US as a man. He did so in the exact same human body we have as well! Jesus actually makes it far easier for us to keep His Father's Law because He is placed it deep within the heart of every true follower. And here's your Biblical proof...

• Hebrews 8:10, "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:"

That's the covenant that He has made with us. It is a better covenant because He has placed His laws in our minds and wrote them in our hearts! Ever notice this... ?

• Isaiah 8:16, "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples."

Where's the SEAL placed? Did He not say that He will be our God, and we will be His people, and He will put His law in our MINDS? Did you catch that? The SEAL... the MIND?

• Romans 4:11, "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith..."

My point is this, the Scripture uses the words, sign, seal, mark interchangeably. Fact is, the Mark of the Beast is a SEAL on the forehead / mind is it not? (For an in-depth look at the Mark of the Beast, click here) It's a sign of allegiance to the devil is it not? Just as the seal of God that is placed in the foreheads of His children in Revelation 7:3 is a sign of their allegiance to God.

• Revelation 7:3, "...Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."

Look at the children of Israel when the Lord was sending an angel of death among them. He told them that the first born of every household will die unless they kill a lamb and place it's blood upon the doorposts of their home. When the angel arrives he will "Passover" every house that has blood on the doorposts. 

Now, let me ask you this. Did the blood on the doorposts save them? No it did not. But let me ask you, was their serious consequences if they chose NOT to put the blood there? YES! The first born would most assuredly die! Many say, "It doesn't make a single bit of difference if I keep His commandments or not," I say unto you, yes it does! It certainly won't save you if you keep them, but there are serious consequences if you don't.

• Exodus 12:13, "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."

What's that word "TOKEN" mean?

That "sign" "token" "mark" or "seal" is actually WRITTEN IN BLOOD! The blood of the Lamb. The one who walked as we should have walked. He did it for us, and sealed it with His very own blood on the cross. 

• Galatians 3:29, "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
• Ephesians 2:12, "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:"

Remember when He said, "I WILL BE YOUR GOD, AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE" in Hebrews 8:10? Now when you come to Christ you enter into that covenant with Him. He sealed it on the cross with His blood to prevent any change being made to it. And it will NEVER change!

• Luke 16:17, "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail."

THE SEAL OF GOD IS IN HIS LAW.

"Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God."
Ezekiel 20:12,20

The Sabbath is just as much a SIGN, SEAL or MARK of God as the blood on the doorposts of old. It is a PROOF that you ARE His child, and He IS your God. Anyone, and almost ALL "Christians" of today keep 9 of the Ten Commandments. But only those that PROVE they are children of God are those that keep His Sabbaths. For the Sabbath truly is a SIGN, MARK, and SEAL of the living God that He is your God, and you are His people. For ALL the Bible facts about the Sabbath, click here. That's what makes the Sabbath important. It proves to the world AND the Lord that you are HIS. 

Exodus 31:13, "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you."

This passage does not say it is a sign between me and you UNTIL JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS. It says THROUGHOUT your generations. 

Have you ever signed a document to validate or confirm that it is authentic? Have you ever given your "seal of approval" on something? Have you ever "marked" an item of yours as proof of ownership? In government, this is a fact of life. As we know, signing a document actually authenticates that document. An official seal or signature always has three distinct features:
 

•  (1) The name of the official

•  (2) The title

•  (3) The territory

When the President of the United States signs a bill into law, he will sign it, 1.Name “George Bush” 2.Title “President” 3.Territory “of the United States of America.” EVERY document must be signed or sealed in this manner for it to be an official legal document.

As we all know, there is a government in heaven,(Isaiah 9:6) and God’s legal document is His Law, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS! Look in the midst of the Commandments and you'll find the Seal of God! "

Without getting into too much detail, one can see that the "seal" or "Sabbath" of God is actually an "image" of His authority as Creator. When we keep His Sabbath we are expressing that we recognize and worship Him as our Creator. Everyone I come across agrees that the Jews kept the Sabbath in the Old Testament. Everyone I come across also agrees 100% that Jesus kept the Sabbath as well. I have a question then. What about AFTER Jesus? If the covenant was going to be changed it would have to be changed BEFORE Jesus died, right?. We all know that it is impossible to change a "testament" or a "covenant" or a "last will and testament" AFTER the Testator dies. Did Jesus ever change the Sabbath to the first day of the week BEFORE He died? There is not a single solitary verse in the Old or New testament before or after Jesus that declares the Sabbath was changed. Not one. Fact is, the law demands perfection. Whether it be God's law or man's law makes no difference. All law demands perfection in following it. 

• Matthew 5:48, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

How can I be perfect?

• Hebrews 5:9, "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;"

OBEDIENCE is the KEY!

Common sense affords us this reality. Many people believe that all they need to do is believe in Jesus as Messiah and they have Heaven guaranteed. With that type of theology, Satan will be guaranteed Heaven as well. For it is written in, James 2:19 that,"...the devils also believe, and tremble."

Think of it this way. Look at Adam and Eve. They too believed in Christ. In fact, Jesus was often found, "...walking in the garden in the cool of the day: " -Genesis 3:8. They SAW Him and conversed with Him. They had no problem believing in Him. So what got them cast OUT of the garden? DISOBEDIENCE!

How was Jesus "perfected?" What does this mean? It means He lived a life in perfect obedience to God's law. I challenge everyone reading this to show me one verse where Jesus broke the Law of God. You may as well not waste your time, there is no such verse. Not a one. So... why was Jesus to be perfected? Was there a reason for this?

• Colossians 1:28, "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:"

We are imperfect. No matter how hard we try we cannot keep the law. This has been proven in Scriptures, and this has been proven in reality. Yet, Jesus did walk perfectly. And if we have Him as Saviour, so shall we. Jesus kept the law in perfection for ME. Jesus kept the law of God in perfection for YOU as well. And since He is IN us now, will He do no less? In a nutshell...?

• Romans 5:18-19, "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

One thing must be realized here. It was prophecied that Jesus was on a mission when He came here. He was on a mission prophecied in Isaiah 42:21. The Word tells us that Jesus was to come and, "...he will magnify the law, and make it honourable."

Jesus proved the Law was a necessity for the Christian. He is our example on how to walk. So many believe that they do not have to keep the Law. Yet it is written in Romans 2:13, "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be   justified." Some preach that the Gospel of Christ makes the Law of God of no effect. But the Word of God proves time and time again that Christ Himself condemned that lie throughout His Word.

BOTTOM LINE:

Truth is, since the law of the Lord is perfect according to Psalm 19:7, Acts 22:3 & James 1:25, then every variation from it must be evil. Those who disobey the commandments of God, and teach others to do so, are condemned by Christ.

Furthermore...

A few Biblical Facts
Common Rebuttals to the Biblical Truth

Rebuttal #1    THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WERE MADE FOR THE JEWS
Rebuttal #2    THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE FOR JEWS ALONE
Rebuttal #3:   JESUS CAME TO FULFILL THE LAW
Rebuttal #4:   THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE NO LONGER NEEDED
Rebuttal #5:   THE NEW COVENANT IS LOVE, NOT KEEPING THE LAW
                     5a  The REAL definition of love 
Rebuttal #6:   WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW BUT UNDER GRACE
Rebuttal #7:   IF WE HAVE FAITH WE NEED NOT THE LAW!
Rebuttal #8    I AM A CHRISTIAN AND I AM "WITHOUT" OR "NOT UNDER" THE LAW
Rebuttal #9    I NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT THE "CURSE OF THE LAW"
Rebuttal #10  AFTER JESUS DIED THE COVENANT WAS CHANGED
Rebuttal #11  CHRISTIANS NEED NOT OBEY THE LAW
Rebuttal #12  YOUR PREACHING US BACK UNDER THE OLD COVENANT!
Rebuttal #13  GAL 3:10 & ROM 3:20 SAY WE ARE CURSED BY KEEPING THE LAW
Rebuttal #14  I FOLLOW THE LORD PERFECTLY, AND I CHOOSE SUNDAY AS SABBATH!
Rebuttal #15  AM I NOT "DEAD TO THE LAW" NOW THAT I AM A CHRISTIAN?
Rebuttal #16 JEWS WERE FIRST TO KEEP THE LAW, THEREFORE IT'S MADE ONLY FOR THEM!
Rebuttal #17 DOES BEING "LEAST IN HEAVEN" MEAN YOU WILL STILL BE THERE?
Rebuttal #18 GENTILES WEREN'T UNDER "MOSAIC" LAW, AND THEREFORE UNDER THE "ROYAL LAW."
Rebuttal #19 WE WON'T HAVE TO KEEP THE LAW IN HEAVEN!
 NOTES         WHY DOES THE DEVIL ATTACK THE LAW
                    -The Ten Commandments-

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Rebuttal #1: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WERE MADE FOR THE JEWS

Biblical facts...

Genesis 4:7, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."

The definition of SIN = 1 John 3:4, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."

So when the Almighty spoke of sin unto Cain in Genesis 4, he was speaking of the Ten Commandments more than 2000 YEARS before a Jew was born.

Genesis 26:5, "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

Again we see the Almighty speaking of His Commandments HUNDREDS OF YEARS before Jews ever step on the planet.

Genesis 39:9, "There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

 NOTICE THE WORD SIN? This is way before any Jewish people were ever born! Plus, how would Joseph know that adultery was a sin unless he understood the definition of sin is as we know it? And how do we understand that definition? 1 John 3:4, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."

Exodus 15:26, "And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee."

To say they get disease, is to say WHY as well. For those that broke the law had no protection. That fact alone proves the EGYPTIANS could have kept the law as well. Which proves again it is NOT just for Jews! For those that say the Ten Commandments were ONLY given to the Jews, here we see that BEFORE the Tablets which contained the Ten Commandments were carved, the Law was already there!

Exodus 16:28, "And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?"

Ditto.

Rebuttal #2 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE FOR ISRAEL ALONE

Biblical facts...

Jeremiah 31:31, "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:"
Matthew 21:43, "Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

Fact is, according to this verse, they are correct. HOWEVER, who is Israel?

Hosea 2:23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

When was this prophetic statement fulfilled with 100% accuracy?

Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. 

Romans 2:28,29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. 

Romans 9:6-8 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 

Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

In other words… CHRISTIANS = ISRAEL

Rebuttal #3: JESUS CAME TO FULFILL THE LAW/COMMANDMENTS

Biblical facts...

Matthew 5:17, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."

This actually has to be one of the easiest one to expose as error. Some go so far as to define the word, "fulfill" to mean "done away with." So, lets see if that makes sense shall we? Let's re-word that verse to their liking... "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to do away with it" Rather obviously wrong is it not? In fact, it's actually rather a stupid statement. Ever notice how everyone seems to have no problem acknowledging 9 of the 10 commandments? But when it comes to the one and only commandment that the Almighty specifically states to "REMEMBER" it's this one they forget? Do you realize that there is a reason for this?  

So... what does this word "fulfill" mean in this verse?

4137 pleroo {play-ro'-o}
from 4134; TDNT - 6:286,867; v

AV - fulfil 51, fill 19, be full 7, complete 2, end 2, misc 9; 90

Notice the word fulfill used in another verse by Jesus...

Matthew 3:15, "And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him."

According to their theology of defining "fulfill = done away with. They are now preaching Jesus wanted baptism to DO AWAY WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS? Ridiculous isn't it? Jesus come to John to be baptized by him. As the Word declares, John wants to be baptized by Jesus instead. Yet Jesus wants him to go ahead an baptize Him anyway so that He can FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS! Jesus came to magnify the Law. He came to fulfill it. He came to make it real unto us. PLus, what of this passage...

Matthew 5:18, "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."

Let's take that that "lo, I am with you alway, even to the END OF THE WORLD" and further drive home the reality of His law. In Matthew 5:18 we read, "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." Until "Heaven and earth pass" away we understand here that the Law of God will be here ALWAYS EVEN TO THE END OF THE WORLD do we not? Fact is, the Heavens and the Earth have NOT yet passed away have they? And all has NOT yet been fulfilled has it? And seeing how the Earth, and Heavens are still here, the Law must still be binding, and seeing how the Law is still binding we see that Jesus is still with us EVEN TO THE END OF THE WORLD

PLUS, with understanding of the REAL meaning of the word "fulfill" here, what is this verse saying? Not one jot or tittle of the Law will NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW until ALL is fulfilled. Shall we rephrase it the way the World preaches it? This verse especially makes them out to be in grave error. This is how THEY preach it...

THEY SAY... "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 DONE AWAY WITH."

Again, it really comes off as a rather stupid comeback. The Scriptures openly expose them with such ease it's rather laughable at this point is it not? I mean come on already... they are saying that NOT ONE JOT OR TITTLE WILL PASS AWAY UNTIL ALL IS DONE AWAY? ?  ?   ?    ?

One more point to notice here. The passage said... "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Look around! Has the Heaven and the Earth PASSED AWAY? No? Then neither has ONE JOT OR TITTLE of that Law.

Summing it up. The main purpose for the walk of Jesus Christ?

Romans 8:3-10, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, (There's that word FULFILL again!) who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."

And the righteousness spoken of here is the righteousness of the law (that) might be fulfilled in us.. And by the way, the word "FULFILL" in this passage is the exact same word (Strongs # 4137) they say meant "done away with" in Matthew 5:17! Truth is, their own theology exposes them perfectly.

The Law Christ came to fulfill was actually the Law of Moses that held shadowy elements that pointed to the cross. I go into far more detail about that on another page on the site. Click here to see it.

If I were asked to share one passage that proves He came to fulfill the Law of Moses which are customs of the Jewish nations as pertains to feast days. I would quote Acts 6:14 where it says, "For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us."

One last note:

• Romans 13:8-10, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.  For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

Read that passage carefully and you will see that to LOVE actually FULFILLS the Law! The first 4 commandments deal with how we show our love to God. The last 6 deal with how we show love to each other. If you LOVE as Jesus did. You can FULFILL the purpose of the Law as well.

Rebuttal #4: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE NO LONGER NEEDED

Biblical facts...

Exodus 32:15, "And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written."

Have you ever had a contractual agreement with someone? Have you ever signed a LEASE with a landlord? Do you AND the Landlord keep a copy of the lease after agreement is acknowledged by both parties? Do you recall how the people of old said the following words as "agreement" unto the Commandments of the Lord?

Exodus 19:8, "And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD."

What happened immediately after they made this statement? Moses goes up to the mountain to get the Commandments written in stone by the Almighty. By the time he returns the people of Israel have broken ALL TEN of the Commandments! So, how does the Almighty remedy this situation? Does He hatefully EVICT all of the Human race out of existence? Or does He lovingly give us another chance to KEEP THE CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT with Him?

Hebrews 8:6, "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises."

The better covenant, and the better promises are these...

• Hebrews 10:16, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;"
  
• 2 Corinthians 3:3, "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."
• Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

In the Old Covenant, we have man making a promise with God Almighty, and God Almighty making a promise with man. It was a CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT between man and God. But it was broken wasn't it? And not only was it broken. His Word records the fact that the Almighty is aware of the broken agreement.

Hebrews 8:7, "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second."

His Word is indeed proclaiming fault in the "first" or "Old" Covenant here is He not? But WHO was at fault in the Old Covenant? WHO BROKE IT? Did the Almighty break His covenant with Israel? Or did Israel break it with Him?

Hebrews 8:8, "For finding fault with them, 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:"

Mankind broke His covenant. They proved that man could NOT keep the Laws of God. So, did the Almighty decide to ABOLISH His Law altogether so as to allow for His children to attain Heaven? If that is so, then the Law of God would be AGAINST or CONTRARY to the promises He made in the first place. Is this the case?

Galatians 3:21, "Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law."

In other words, the Law is NOT against His promises. Plus we also see another blessed Truth surfacing in this passage. So many believe that because "we" keep the Ten Commandments we feel that doing so SAVES US. Well, if the Law was "salvation" instead of the loving Sacrifice of the Lamb of God in the person Jesus Christ, then it would have been made aware in the Word that to keep the Law would have saved you. Or as Paul puts it, "verily righteousness should have been by the law." 

The "better covenant" was needed. The old Covenant was based on the keeping of the promises of man and their God. The Almighty kept His side of the bargain, mankind messed up. And still, this Almighty Father decides to actually make it VERY easy for us now to KEEP THAT PROMISE we should have kept long ago...

2 John 1:6, "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."
1 John 5:3, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."

Not only is the Law of God the very same commandments, "That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in." But thanks to Jesus Christ we "can do all things" because He helps us. And keeping the promise made long ago is now much easier. He took the Ten Commandments that were in the temple of the Lord inside the ark, and placed them in our "temples." Is it not written that we ARE the temple of the Lord? And is it not also written that He has placed this law on the "fleshy tables of the heart"? And is not the "ark" in the MIDST of the TEMPLE of the Lord? 

Kinda makes it easier to see WHY the Temple veil r-r-r-r-ripped now doesn't it? 

It used to be that Israel said, "We will do all that the lord has said." But now it is reality that JESUS will do it for us INSIDE US! That's why it's so easy to keep His Law now. In fact, it's "not grievous" to keep them because we are governed by His Love. And our LOVING obedience to Him as our Father makes it oh so aware to us as it does the Angels that to kill, lie, steal, etc is just plain WRONG and not right to do. We actually choose not to sin simply because we know it's wrong. Think about that. Did the Almighty have to keep track of the Angels before sin arrived in Heaven? Did He have to constantly remind the two thirds that DIDN'T fall for the lies of Lucifer that it was wrong to do? NO! They KNEW it was wrong and chose not to do it.

By the way... for all you Preachers out there that preach in prisons. Go ahead, tell those convicted murderers they no longer need the Law. I wonder...what Law will they be thinking about breaking? Do you suppose you will live through it? 

Rebuttal #5: THE NEW COVENANT IS LOVE, NOT KEEPING THE LAW

Biblical facts...

James 2:8, "If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:"

Correct! But to walk IN THAT LOVE you must at first be KEEPING THAT LAW. Keeping the Law of God is actually open evidence that you DO love your neighbor. In fact, Jesus summerized the LAST SIX commandments like this...

John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."

Look at the last six commandments and see it is our relationship WITH EACH OTHER. To keep those commandments proves you LOVE your neigbor. Would you show love to your neighbor if you steal from him? Kill him? Covet his wife or his good? Lie about him? Etc... 

So, I agree, the New Covenant is indeed based on love. But to truly love each other we must keep the ten commandments. And by the way, this theology runs true with the first four commandments as well. How so...?

Matthew 22:37-38, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."

Is this something that can be verified as an Old Covenant promise He desired of us? 

Deuteronomy 6:5, "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."

Deuteronomy 11:13, "And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,"

Joshua 22:5, "But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul."

It says.. Heart? Mind?

Hebrews 10:16, "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;"

Want the entire Decalogue (Ten Commandments) summerized in ONE NEW TESTAMENT VERSE?

Luke 10:27, "And he answering said, 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 neighbour as thyself."

The REAL definition of love ...  John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

• Matthew 22:37-40, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. (Christ summarized the first four) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Jesus summarized the last six) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Think about how we as humans show love to one another by keeping The Law of God…

• Do you show love when you don't honor your mother or father?
• Do you show love when you kill your fellow man?
• Do you show love when you commit adultery against your spouse?
• Do you show love when you steal from your fellow man?
• Do you show love when you bear false witness against your fellow man?
• Do you show love when you covet your neighbors wife or anything else that belongs to Him?

If as Christian’s we realize that in order to show love for our fellow man, you must keep all of the last six commandments. Can you not also see as a Christian that to show love unto God is to keep the first four commandments?

If you as a Christian realize that in order to show love for your fellow man, you must keep all of the last six commandments that Jesus summarized as the "second commandment" in Matthew 22:39. Can you not also see as a Christian that to show love unto God is to keep the first four commandments that Jesus summarized in Matthew 22:37,38?

So, I ask you.

• Do you show love for the Lord when you place another god before Him?
• Do you show love for the Lord when you bow down before an image?
• Do you show love for the Lord when you take His name in vain?
• Do you really love Him when you break His Sabbath that He speciafically said was the seventh day, and He specifically said to REMEMBER it? 

I ask those that break His law knowingly. Why is it you can so easily show love for each other, but when you are asked to show love to God, it’s impossible? The REAL Christian will not only keep all ten of the commandments. The REAL Christian will go beyond them because of their love for Jesus! Case in point, Jesus said in Matthew 5:40-41, "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain."

Love always gives more than is required without looking upon it as a burden. 1 John 5:3 said, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." It's no such much that Jesus is FORCING us to love each other. It's more like He is stating we WILL love our fellow man more than the norm simply because Christ's love will be apparent within us. 

The true Christian will go the extra mile simply because their love compels them to do so. They do so with a joyful heart a heart that won't grumble while going the extra mile simply because they feel their fellow man needs them to, and in Christian love they are compelled to show this love. We should go far beyond that which is written. For example, the Law states thou shalt not committ adultery. But Jesus illustrates how much more the true Christian love will abound for Him and His truth by saying…

• Matthew 5:28, "...That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Jesus shows that the true Christian will go far beyond the written letter of the law. Love will always raise the standard. The Christian not only keeps the Ten Commandments. He or she will also go so far as to not even THINK on those things within the heart that are against the Law of their God. We do this because we love Him and want to please HIm with all our hearts! We don’t do this because we don't want to burn in Hell. Christianity isn’t fire insurance! Thoughts like this don't even come to the mind of the true child of God. It truly is a labor of love.

• Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

Rebuttal #6: WE ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW BUT UNDER GRACE

Biblical facts...

This is how the World preaches this verse... Romans 6:14-15, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace..."

AND THEY STOP!
But let us continue on and finish the verse shall we...

• Romans 6:14-15, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."

Popular theology is that if we sin AFTER salvation we can no longer loose our salvation because we are under grace. I have NUMEROUS verses listed here that prove that a bogus lie... answers.htm#8 My favorite verse is of course...

• Hebrews 6:4-8, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned."

What is Paul talking about when he says were not UNDER the Law? What does under the law mean? FIRST we need to define SIN

• The definition of sin = 1 John 3:4, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."
• The penalty of sin = Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
• The cost of sin = 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."  1 Corinthians 6:20, "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

To be "under the Law" means to be "under the curse" of the Law, and according to Roman 6:23, the wages of sin is DEATH.

Biblical fact is...

• Daniel 9:11, "Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, (to transgress = sin) even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us… because we have sinned against him."

Daniel is rather clear here. To transgress the law (sin) means the CURSE is poured upon us. We are then under the curse of the law when we break it!

• Galatians 3:10, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
• Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"

Here it’s made quite clear to be a Christian we are REDEEMED from that curse. But my favorite passage on explaining this is…

• Deuteronomy 11:26-28, "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known."

So.. according to Deuteronomy, there is..

• A Blessing if you keep the Law
• A Curse is you break it

The only way someone is UNDER THE LAW is when they BREAK IT. What you do then is deny God’s GRACE. So.. how can you still be UNDER GRACE, when sinning?

• You’re either under grace (not sinning)
• Or under the Law (sinning)

• Romans 2:12-13,16, "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

To further address the "Once saved always saved" issue. Read this passage...

• John 5:14, "Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."

This verse amply proves as did the passage I shared earlier in Hebrews 6. IF WE CHOOSE TO SIN after becoming "made whole" then a worse thing will come unto us! The ULTIMATE verse for this rebuttal has to be the following...

• Romans 1:5, "By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:"

Yes, it's true we have been blessed with grace in the age of the church. But according to the Word of God, that grace is what helps us to be OBEDIENT to the faith! Look at Adam and Eve. They are what man was meant to be before the fall. But WHAT was the fall? They were DISOBEDIANT! Many believe all they have to do is believe in Jesus to gain Heaven. They fail to realize that Adam and Eve SAW JESUS face to face in the garden everyday. They had no problem BELIEVING in Him. Even the "devils believe and tremble,"- James 2:19. It was disobediance that caused Adam and Eve's fall.

One last verse from one who is known as the end time prophet...

• Ezekiel 33:13, "When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it."

Iniquity is actually KNOWN SIN. If we are no longer under the law but under grace, and SIN as many assume is ok to do, why does Ezekiel say they die for their KNOWN SINS? It CAN’T be talking about sinners, they DON’T know what sin is UNTIL they find Christ and His perfect Law.

• Romans 3:20, "…for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
• Romans 7:7, "…I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."

So it MUST be talking about people claiming to be God’s people Sinners that have no clue of what the law is, can’t commit KNOWN SIN! Only believers do that. Need I remind you of the believers Jesus spoke of in Matthew 7...

• Matthew 7:21-23, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

They called Him "Lord" in this passage did they not? And at the same time Jesus called them workers of iniquity. Had they been simple sinners unaware of Christ or His Law, they never would have called out, "Lord, Lord" would they?

Being "Under Grace" means simply that.

For example... Picture being pulled over by a cop for speeding. You are not "under" the law until you SPEED. You broke the law and now the "curse" of the law is your just desert, which in this case is the ticket. However, if you ask the cop for mercy, and he gives it... are you allowed to speed now? No, of course not! You are under his GRACE right? So you are then extra careful NOT to break the law now. You don't pull away spraying gravel on the cop because you don't want to insult his MERCY. It's THAT simple.

Rebuttal #7  IF WE HAVE FAITH WE NEED NOT THE LAW!

• Romans 3:31, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
• Romans 6:15, "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."

It appears the early church also thought they no longer needed the law of God once they had the faith of Jesus. Paul tackles this situation directly by stating GOD FORBID! How can one say that, that which brought Him the knowledge of Christ is now no longer needed? Our faith in Christ and what He died for ESTABLISHES that Law. We accepted Christ when we found out we were IN SIN. Now that He showed us our sin, are we to go back to it? Sadly, some do.. For Peter states…

2 Peter 2:21-22, "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

If the Law wasn't blunt and powerful enough to sentence all sinners to death, then why did Jesus come to die for us? And WHY did we accept Him as Saviour? Saviour from WHAT then? If we think faith in Jesus allows us to break His Law, then WHAT are we saved from? People go to Hell for SIN, and according to the Bible SIN = TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW! (1 John 3:4) THAT is what we are saved from!

• Galatians 3:24, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

Many will say that because the Word then says we are no longer "under" schoolmaster that we need not carry the law. I say unto them, what if your schoolmaster was a tightrope walker? After he teaches you all the information you need about tightrope walking do you merely ignore ALL he taught you the day you climb out on a tighrope hundreds of feet in the air? If you have such a strong memory to recall all he taught so as to spare your physical life, why is it you forget all about your eternal life?

• Romans 7:7, "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."

Rebuttal #8 I AM A CHRISTIAN AND I AM "WITHOUT" OR "NOT UNDER" THE LAW

1 Corinthians 9:21, "To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ) that I might gain them that are without law."

Then it is for you I preach. Need I say more?

"under the Law" means to be "under the curse" of the Law.

• Galatians 3:10, "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
• Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"
• Romans 2:12-13,16, "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

Christ hung on that tree to illustrate the ultimate CURSE OF THE LAW. DEATH! For the Word says plain, the wages of sin IS death! Now that we are "saved" from death, we no longer have to worry about the"curse" of the Law because Christ in us helps us to keep the Law perfectly. And since He is doing that, keeping it has become NOT GRIEVOUS" to do so as 1 John 5:3 so boldly proclaims.

Rebuttal #9 I NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT THE "CURSE OF THE LAW"

Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"

Look at the "law" in general for a moment. Take for example the "laws of nature." Can you break the laws of nature and not suffer their curse upon you? What of the law of gravity? Can you leap from a tall building and NOT crash to the ground? The curse of that particular law is DEATH if you break it. No matter how hard you try to explain away, or preach that that law is not for you, or it's curse does not apply to you simply because you are "above the law" or "special" or "non-believing" of it. No matter, the curse will apply to you. Jump from the building, the curse will apply. You will die.

So... I ask, if you cannot side step the mere laws of nature, HOW pray tell can you side step the laws of God? Break His Law, and you will suffer the curse of the law. Plain and simple. Jesus proved that when He died. He dies for our SINS! And the LAw said the "wages of sin is death" does it not? THAT is the curse we are no longer "under" because Christ helps us now to be "overcomers." See Galatians 3:10-14 for a BLUNT lesson...

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