The system is quite simple there are two overarching Covenants. The First given at Siani the second given in Christ. Christ did not open up but actually set aside the Old Covenant. Secondly Christ made two people one (Ephesians 2) by giving them the sign of the New Covenant which is a circumcised heart. I am currently in a post-introductory phase of this system. So to be clear we affirm with is widely known as the Doctrines of Grace and hold to what is coined Lordship Salvation due to work of Christ on the cross which fulfilled Jeremiah 31. Leave us any questions and feel free to dialogue with me anytime.
Hebrew 8:6-13
6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
8 For he finds fault with them when he says:
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah,
9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers
on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they did not continue in my covenant,
and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws into their minds,
and write them on their hearts,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor
and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’
for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more.”13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Grace & Peace Mr. Lionel Woods,
I enjoy your website/blog and affirm your mission and purpose of your site.
Iam a Reformed Evangelical Christian – wondering what about the “Latino/Hispanic Reformed Christian Community”.
Where are the Latino/Hispanic Reformed Christian Ministers and Scholars? We also need a book entitle “Being Latino and Reformed”!?
There are many Latino/Hispanic christians in unhealthy churches – lack of sound biblical and theological teachings.
The Latino/Hispanic Christian Community are in deep need of Reformed Biblical Theology!
By His Grace,
Pedro Rodriguez
New York City
Hey brother, I can’t speak for that community at all. I am sorry that I don’t know much about it; however, your are free to say Latino and Reformed Ministries and we will be with you. I don’t know of many Latino Word of Faith preachers or who theology effects your community. Let me know if I can be of any help.
Lionel,
Came across your blog from Monergism.com. Visited your web site also. I will be praying for you and your family, I will pray for your ministry as well. May I suggest a book to read ” Always be Ready” by Dr Greg L Bahnsen, the foremost reformed apologist of our time. (my opinion of coarse) He passed away at a young age but his ministry has continued. It is called Covenant Media Foundation / http://www.cmfnow.com/. I would be glad to send the book as a gift. If I may, could I keep in touch?
William
Acts 17:28
‘for in him we live and move and have our being.’
Thank you very much Mr. Tyler. I would love the book but no need if it will cost you anything. I can purchase it myself.
I want to add that R.C. Sproul may be the foremost living Reformed apologist of our time. I love Renewing Your Mind radio broadcasts, found at http://www.ligonier.org/, although I was first introduced to Reformed theology listening to Greg Bahnsen. It’s through Sproul that I’ve come to have an understanding and appreciation of Reformed Theology.
Sproul thinks we are heretics Mary.
Lionel,
Why do you say Sproul thinks we are heretics?
Hey Brian here are a couple of articles.
http://www.pressiechurch.org/Theol_2/death_of_the_decalogue.htm
Here is an open letter response. Now you and I can discuss this I just wanted to show you the debate.
http://solochristo.com/theology/nct/reisinger-lettertosproul.htm
We then have Barcellos write:
http://www.amazon.com/Defense-Decalogue-Critique-Covenant-Theology/dp/0965495590
And Reisinger wrote:
http://www.amazon.com/Defense-Jesus-New-Lawgiver/dp/1928965245/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218734078&sr=8-2
Let me know what you think.
Lionel,
I believe the crux of the matter is summed up in this paragraph.
‘Claiming that NCT is antinomian requires two qualifications. First, NCT is not morally antinomian. It does not say that we should “continue in sin that grace might increase.” Second, NCT is not typically antinomian. In many ways, it is more dangerous than explicit antinomianism because it acknowledges many Reformed doctrines. However, it seeks to redefine the moral law, drives a wedge between Old and New Testament sanctification, and destroys the foundation of much of the Reformed view of the law. Thus, NCT fits within the theologically antinomian camp. ”
Barcellos seems to be caught up on semantics. i can not find the ambigiuty that he is expresses.He almost contradicts himself by saying that it is not morally antinomian. But then he states that,”it seeks to redefine moral law.” From what I can see and understan there is not redefining but a repackaing of sorts. Where the law was a schoolmaster ( Gal. 3:24-25) it has now been repackaged in the gospel through the works of Jesus.
Maybe I have missed it and but the scriptures no ascribed as does your new moniker “a better covenant.” To make something better does not necessitate a doing away with the old, just a improvement of quality and benefit.
Just mt thoughts
True indeed Brian,
I would disagree on one point you made which is:
“To make something better does not necessitate a doing away with the old, just a improvement of quality and benefit.”
This comes from
2 Corinthians 3-4 (paticually Pau calling the Old Covenant a ministry of death)
also
Hebrews 8-9 (where the word obsolete is used twice paticularly in 8:13).
This could be a long conversation. But when I say a “Better Covenant” the old is vanished and the New is in full force. At least this is what the writer of Hebrews says.
Great point, I stand corrected.
Lionel-
Do you mind if I post a huge comment regarding the question of whether the Old Covenant and New Covenant can stand in force at the same time?
Also, are you interested in me e-mailing you the entire set of lessons on the law that I used to have posted on my blog?
If you want them, they are yours.
Be my guest. I have done quite a bit of studying on the NC but any additional help would be a blessing also. I have read quite a bit of Reisinger’s work and some work from IDS. My email is lionelwoods@gmail.com
Lionel-
You have an excellent grasp of NCT and I have learned a lot from you through your posts.
I like how your posts make me think. When someone can teach like you do in a way that makes people think through the issues for themselves, it is a very effective.
That’s very nice. Thank you.
Lionel,
This old sinner enjoys your blog! As you know, we discovered each other on Allen Knox’s blog. I was teaching the Scriptures from a young age (long before any formal training). For many years I didn’t know I was not only of Reformed persuasion, but also NCT. Also recommend Reisinger’s writings.
I taught what the Scriptures taught! Still do! I don’t mention the labels much. Strange isn’t it how people will love what you teach until you mention either label.
Hey Brother John,
I agree wholeheartedly. Maybe I should just avoid the labels? Thanks for your wisdom and insight.
Seems I have to do some reading. If Sproul says you are heretics then I have to do some investigating to find out what the differences are between what you think and what he thinks. Can you point me to something that can help me figure this out?
Mary
Here is an open letter from Reisinger to Sproul. I think this may be a good place to start. It is a little long but here you go
http://www.soundofgrace.com/jgr/index074.htm
To sum it up those of Covenental persuasion (Barcellos and Sproul namely) believe that those who have New Covenant convictions are “anitnomians”. This is what Paul is refuting as a theological heresy in Romans 6. Many of the Jews were confused by Paul’s emphasis on Grace and salvation apart from the “Law” (meaning the Old Covenant law that was given to Israel at Sinai). They felt if the “Law” wasn’t to govern the conduct and morality of man then the only other option was lawlessness or those “against” (anti) “nomian” (law). So as a believer I would say that we are not bound by the Old Covenant “Law” as was given to Israel but we are governed by the Law of Christ which so happens to restate 9 of the 10. The one difference being the Sabbath or what Covenantal fellas call the “Lord’s Day”. There is no such precedent in scripture for it.
We would also say that the law is broken up into Cermonial, Civil and Moral. This is a false categorization that the Bible never makes. Violating the so called “cermonial” law made you guilty of breaking the entire law. And nowhere does bible every call the 10 commandments the “transcendant moral law of God” as most would say. This could take pages upon pages to discuss in totality but the link above should get you started.
It is long past time for Sproul and others to repent and stop slandering their NCT brothers in Christ with the fasle accusation of antinomianism.
NCT does not teach lawlessness.
The Law of Christ
This is the body of law that came through Jesus and the Apostles that is directly applicable to believers today. The Law of Christ is comprised of over 100 commands, is comprehensive and gives no permission to sin. The Law of Christ contains all that God requires of believers. Matthew 7:12, Matthew 28:18-20, John 10:30, John 5;23, John 12:47-50, John 14:15,21, John 15:10,14, Acts 1:1-2, Acts 20:20,27, Romans 2:12-16, Romans 13:8-10, 1 Corinthians 7:19, 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, 1 Corinthians 14:37, Galatians 5:13-14, Galatians 6:1-5, Ephesians 4:25-32, James 2:8-12, 2 Peter 3:1-2, 1 John 2:3-6, 1 John 3:21-24, 1 John 4:21, 1 John 5:2-3
Lesson 19 – WHAT LAW ARE CHRISTIANS UNDER?
* Heb. 1:1-2: God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his son.
This passage tells us that God has spoken to men in various ways at different times throughout history. But regardless of the manner in which God’s will was expressed, it would have been sin to disobey that will. When God speaks, it is a sin to disregard what he says, is it not?
God told Adam what to do and what not to do; Adam disobeyed God’s command and plunged the entire race into sin. God told Abraham to trust him to produce the promised son; Abraham disobeyed, tried to help God out, and began the historical enmity between Arabs and Jews. God told Moses to speak to the rock; Moses disobeyed and struck it. For this, Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land.
The Bible is full of God’s commands, and it is full of the record of man’s disobedience to his commands. Not all those commands apply to us today; we aren’t required to tend the Garden of Eden, or build a large box in anticipation of a worldwide flood, or sacrifice our sons on mountaintops. Some of the commands, though, that were given to the patriarchs ARE for us, because we have the SAME commands repeated in the New Testament- love and honor God, avoid idolatry and immorality, and do good unto others, for example. Those commands concern eternal principles of morality that are ever and always in force.
God told the Israelites to obey the entire law that he gave them on Mt. Sinai; he promised to bless them for that obedience, and he also threatened to punish their disobedience. The rest of the Old Testament is a record of their continual disobedience, and of God’s just punishments. We have shown in this study that that old law of Sinai was done away at the cross, that the covenant based on that law has been abolished, and that we Christians are not under the commands of that old law as a code of life.
However — this does not mean that we Christians are left lawless! In spite of all the teaching in the New Testament about the law of Christ, legalists cannot seem to avoid accusing others [those who stand on the truth of the New Testament concerning the abolition of the law] of desiring to be lawless, unrestrained, and sinful. They contend that without the law of Sinai, there is no law for us to obey, and they proceed to call us by a very ugly name — ANTINOMIAN.
What is ANTINOMIANISM? It is a term that means, literally, “against law” [anti (against) + nomos (law)]. Many legalists today to refer to anyone who disagrees with them about the continuing authority of the Law of Moses.
The term antinomian has become a catch-all phrase for people of many different persuasions to use against anyone they see as being too “lax” in some way. But to do this is not only to falsely vilify and slander fellow believers, but also to do harm to the real meaning of the term itself! The term, remember, means “against law.” A true antinomian is a person who would maintain that Christians are under NO obligation at all today in terms of obedience to God’s commands. He would claim that “we are free to sin, so that grace may abound” [ROM. 6:1] and that “we can sin because we are not under law but under grace” [ROM. 6:15].
The apostle Paul anticipated that he himself would be on the receiving end of the accusation that he believed this. So he vehemently denied any such attitude in those passages! And remember – it was this same apostle Paul whom God used to reveal to us the abolition of that old law and the institution of the law of grace. He went to great pains to explain that grace is not license to sin or to be lax in obedience to God’s commands at all.
A true antinomian has no desire to do good works [as we are commanded to do under grace] or to live a holy life [as we are commanded to do under grace], or to remain morally pure [as we are commanded to do under grace], or to do anything in response to divine command — because he figures it doesn’t matter how he lives, since he is saved by grace. If he commits any kind of sin it will not hinder his Christian life at all.
This is an abominable belief, and it is a subversion of the gospel of grace! I am as much opposed to antinomianism as anyone! I believe in a pure life and strict obedience to God’s commands. I believe that the New Testament clearly teaches that the Christian is called to a life of good works, holiness, purity, separation from evil, and obedience to the lordship of Christ.
Martin Luther vehemently opposed antinomianism; in fact, he is the one who coined the term. And yet he taught the abolition of the Mosaic Law, and our freedom from its authority.
Other reformers taught the same thing. So did all of the early church fathers, and a host of great leaders in the history of the church. It is unfair and unjust -it is unchristian- it is a lie and a slander to call a fellow believer antinomian when he, in reality, abhors that doctrine, and is not such a thing at all! One of the most shameful elements of legalism is that legalists are so free with that term in reference to those who disagree with them.
What is legalism? Christians use the term legalism in four related senses:
1) Law-keeping as a requirement for salvation. While there have been some groups that have actually taught this doctrine, most Christians understand that this is a false gospel.
2) Keeping the “letter of the law” without keeping its “spirit” [its true intent]. This can be a problem even for those who understand our freedom from the old law. They approach our new law with the same rigid “rules-orientation” that the Pharisees had. They turn everything into a game of rules, regulations, penalties, and condemnation – and they rob themselves and those they influence of the joy of true heart-obedience.
3) Building a “fence” of unnecessary, extra-biblical commandments around the law. This is what the Pharisees did with that old law, and unfortunately, this is what many Christians do with our new law, too. We may not have direct commands concerning a certain issue, but some don’t let that stop them. They proceed to make all kinds of rules and restrictions in every area of life, binding heavy burdens on their followers just as surely as did the Pharisees.
4) Imposing obsolete Old Testament requirements on New Testament believers. This is the level of legalism that this study has been mostly about, and the one that causes the most problems in the church and between believers. Many Christians, in their ignorance of our complete freedom from that old law, attempt to impose on themselves and on others [through guilt-manipulation, peer pressure, scripture twisting, fear-mongering, and other means] some of the restrictions of that old law without any New Testament warrant for doing so.
The whole controversy is reduced to simply this. Has God, in the New Testament, taught that the law of Moses is done away? Yes. Has he, then, left us without a rule of life? With the law of Sinai gone, are we without law? Of course not! Who could believe such an absurd position?
A couple more questions: Has God, in the New Testament, plainly and fully revealed his will to men and told us what is right and what is wrong? Is the will of God, revealed through his son and the apostles, a higher authority than the Old Testament — or is it not? Are the teachings of the New Testament to be set aside in favor of the law in the Old Testament [For there are many New Testament teachings that would have to be set aside.]? Or have the precepts of the Old Testament been modified [and some of them set aside for good] to harmonize with the law of grace?
The answers to these questions are self-evident. Surely the New Testament contains our law. Surely the New Testament contains all we need for life and godliness. Surely our Lord and Savior has not left us “lawless”. He has given us his law.
According to the New Testament, Christians are confronted with a two-fold danger in this area. On the one hand, we are warned against going back to the irresponsible, careless sins of the Gentiles; we are told not to “walk as do the Gentiles.” On the other hand, we are warned repeatedly not to become entangled in the legalism of the Jews – for that would be to “fall from grace.” The true path for the Christian to follow is the course laid out for us in our New Testament law of grace, which avoids the immorality of the Gentiles, while also avoiding the extreme rules-orientation and self-righteousness of the Jews.
So – with this in mind, just what law, exactly, are Christians under? Well – we can begin with the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is not his word to us our law? Could there be any higher law than that? He said, “The Father and I are one” [JOHN 10:30], and “All men should honor the son even as they honor the Father” [JOHN 5:23]. Then the words of Christ are to be honored as highly as the words of God the Father; the words of Christ are to be honored AS the very word of God – right?
The words of Christ are law the same as God the Father’s words are. God promised, in DEUT. 18:18, to raise up the Christ and put his words in the mouth of the Christ. He promised that Christ would speak as he, the Father, commanded him. Hear the words of Jesus:
* JOHN 12:47-50: As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.
Then we shall be judged by the teachings of Christ, not by the old law. Christians will be judged by the gospel. In fact – everyone is going to be judged by the gospel:
* ROM. 2:12,16: For as many as have sinned apart from the law [Who is that? The Gentiles] will be judged apart from the law, and as many as have sinned under the law [Who is that? The Jews] will be judged by the law…in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
This is part of Paul’s argument that everyone is guilty before God. Now – in the age of grace – everyone will be judged according to the gospel that Paul preached –the gospel of grace. That being so, then Christ and HIS law will be the judge of every man.
In an audible voice from heaven, on the Mount of Transfiguration, God said, in JOHN 17: “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. YOU LISTEN TO HIM.” In the “Great Commission,” Jesus declared, “All authority in heaven and in earth has been given to me” [MATT. 28:18]. So the question becomes — does Jesus, our Lord, have a law?
* ACTS 1:1-2: In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, AFTER GIVING COMMANDMENTS through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
Jesus gave commandments to his apostles -and he told them to teach those commandments to others:
* MATT. 28:18-20: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and TEACHING them to OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.
* Gal. 6:2: Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill THE LAW OF CHRIST.
* 1 COR. 9:19-21: Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (THOUGH I MYSELF AM NOT UNDER THE LAW), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law [Gentiles] I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under THE LAW OF CHRIST), so as to win those not having the law.
This is a crucial passage. Paul states clearly that he is NOT under the Law of Moses — that law that the Jews were under. But he goes on to state that he is not, thereby, free from God’s law, because he is under THE LAW OF CHRIST. The law of Christ is distinguished here from the Law of Moses. We are NOT under the Law of Moses, but we ARE under the law of Christ.
Does Christ have a law? Yes -we are under his law, and we are commanded to keep that law:
* JOHN 14:15,21: “If you love me, keep my COMMANDMENTS…. He who has my COMMANDMENTS and keeps them, it is he who loves me.”
* JOHN 15:10,14: “If you keep my COMMANDMENTS, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my father’s COMMANDMENTS and abide in his love…. You are my friends if you do whatever I COMMAND you.”
Jesus gave his commandments to his chosen disciples, and he commanded them to pass those commandments on to us. What are his commandments? Just read the gospels and you’ll find enough to keep you busy for a lifetime: love one another, forgive, be kind, be a servant, be humble, turn the other cheek, control your anger, give generously and sacrificially, go and make disciples, and on, and on, and on. There is no shortage of commandments of Christ for us who love him to obey.
However – we must be wise in discerning among three kinds of statements from Christ: those references to that old law that is no longer in force; those commands given to His chosen apostles ONLY, as his chosen leaders of the church; and those principles that transcend “the law” and are in force today for Christians. Let me give you an example of each of these.
In an earlier lesson we discussed the fact that Jesus never said anything against any of the old law – not the sacrifices, the feasts, the Sabbath, or any of it. He was born under that law, he lived his entire life under its jurisdiction, and it was not abolished until his death on the cross. This is why we find Jesus speaking to his fellow Jews about that law as if it were still in force – because it was!
We have seen that those discussions were not meant to be normative commands for Christians under grace, since we have been freed from the letter of that old law. For example, Jesus often discussed matters of that old law that we know are no longer in force – animal sacrifices, priesthood, temple service, feasts, Sabbaths, tithes –even the temple tax! None of these things is now part of the law of Christ.
Concerning the apostles, Jesus discussed with them their authority over the church, their role in future revelation of God’s word, and other matters that pertained to them only. On the other hand we can find plenty of discussion in the gospels concerning matters of morality and obedience to God’s will that have obviously continued under grace – such as sacrificial giving, forgiveness, love, and so on. Even some of his discussions with the Jews about that old law contain good moral principles that we can apply under grace.
Well – is that all? Do we stop with the direct commands given by the mouth of Jesus? Not at all. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, repeatedly reminds us that he speaks for Christ, and that his commands ARE the commands of Christ. In fact, on several occasions he makes a distinction between his personal advice and commands from Christ.
Look at 1 COR. 7, in which Paul is giving both advice and commands concerning marriage:
* Vs. 6: I say this as a concession, not as a command.
* Vs. 10: To the married I give this command (NOT I, BUT THE LORD).
That word “Lord” is a translation of the special NT term kurios, which refers to Jesus Christ himself. Paul says here that this command is not from him, but from Christ himself. Then in verse 12, he says:
* Vs. 12: To the rest I say this (I, NOT THE LORD)….
Look at verse 19, in which Paul discusses the issue of circumcision:
* Vs. 19: Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision; what really counts is keeping the COMMANDS of God.
This is a crucial verse for our understanding of what law we are under. Circumcision was one of the most important commands of that old law. But Paul says that it is no longer important. He repeats this statement several more times in the NT [GAL. 5:6; 6:15; ROM. 2:28-29; PHIL. 3:2-9]. In fact, he goes so far as to warn the Galatians that submitting to circumcision is to place oneself under the whole law and fall from grace. And he expresses his wish that those preaching circumcision would go all the way and “cut themselves off” [GAL. 5:12]!
All this concerning something that was central to the old covenant! But now – it is entirely meaningless, and even countermanded by the command of Christ’s apostle. How could this be? The answer is easy: that old covenant has been done away, and so all the details of that old covenant have necessarily been done away as well – the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath, the food laws, the feasts – and especially – circumcision.
But while explaining that circumcision is now meaningless, Paul ALSO states clearly that it is still important to keep the commandments of God. Well, then – if those old commandments are no longer binding, then what commandments could he be referring to but our new commands under our new covenant – the law of Christ, of which he was a chief spokesman. We do not bother about the details of that old covenant, but we are to obey the commandments of God that are given to us under grace. And those new commandments – as illustrated by this issue of circumcision – are not all the same as the old ones.
* 1 COR. 14:37: If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the COMMANDMENTS of the Lord.
To follow Paul IS to follow Jesus, for Jesus is the one who gave his gospel to Paul and commissioned him to write those letters and give those commands and teach the abolition of the old law. There is no contradiction between Jesus and Paul. When Jesus discussed that old law, it was always when dealing with Jews who were under that law. He said that that old law would remain until he fulfilled it. Both he and Paul stated that he fulfilled it at the cross, and Paul explains that it was at the cross that Jesus abolished it. Then Jesus himself gave us his new law of grace – through Paul.
* ACTS 20:20,27: You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house…. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
Does Paul give us commandments? Read his letters! There you will find chapter after chapter, book after book, packed full of instruction on every Christian duty, in every possible phase of it. In these letters Paul, with all the authority of Christ himself, condemns scores of sins. In these same letters he exhorts us to perform scores of good works.
Is this all? Jesus and Paul? Not by any means:
2 PET. 3:1-2: Beloved, I now write to you this second letter that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the COMMANDMENT of us the apostles of the Lord and savior.
So Peter’s words — and the words of the other apostles — are our commandments as well. You want more? What about John? John uses the Greek word for commandment (entole) twenty-eight times. Notice a few examples:
* 1 JOHN 2:3-6: We know that we have come to know him if we obey his COMMANDMENTS. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he COMMANDS is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
* 1 JOHN 3:21-24: Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his COMMANDMENTS and do what pleases him. And this is his COMMAND: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he COMMANDED us. Those who obey his COMMANDMENTS live in him, and he in them.
* 1 JOHN 4:21: And he has given us this COMMAND: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
* 1 JOHN 5:2-3: This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his COMMANDMENTS. This is love for God: to obey his COMMANDMENTS. And his COMMANDMENTS are not burdensome.
And let us not forget James and Jude, and the letter to the Hebrews. All of these have commandments for us as well. There’s your law, Christian! Every sin of which the human heart is guilty is plainly forbidden in the New Testament, over and over again, by the authority of Christ and his apostles. Every good deed that God wants us to be doing can be found explained there.
The spirit of the law — God’s higher, eternal law — every moral principle in the law of Moses that is still in force — every precept that reflected the eternal character of God and that is appropriate to the age of grace — every one, without fail, you can be confident — is reiterated over and over in the NT, with all the authority of the son of God. Not a Christian duty can be named that is not taught in the New Testament. Not a single thing is forbidden by the Old Testament, which would be wrong for a Christian to do, that is not also forbidden in the NT, in some form. On all points the NT is clear and full.
The commands of Christ and his chosen spokesmen — the apostles and writers of the NT books — are “our law.” Christ did not leave us lawless when he abolished the old law. He gave us HIS law, and he told us, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
Everything from the old law that God considered important enough to carry over into our new law is certainly included in the teaching of the apostles. We have a full and clear revelation of God’s will for us in the New Testament.
We have shown in this study that the New Testament clearly and specifically teaches the abolition of the Ten Commandments. We know that, as part of that old covenant – as the very epitome of that old covenant — the Ten Commandments have been done away.
Does this mean that we are left without a moral law? Does this mean that it is now okay with God for us to commit murder, theft, adultery, etc.? Does this mean we are now free to sin with impunity? Of course not! We have a law, and according to OUR law – those things are still wrong! That law is found in the New Testament, and it is written on our hearts under the new covenant.
We are not under the Ten Commandments as a code of life today.
Do we have to turn to the Ten Commandments to find God’s will for our daily lives now? Scripture answers this: “You are not under the law, but under grace.” If this is true, then are the great moral values of the Decalogue thrown away? By no means! Every single moral precept in the Ten Commandments has been restated with increased emphasis in the teachings of grace in the New Testament. The duty or the sin covered by nine of the Ten Commandments is directly named many times over in the New Testament, either in the same words, or in substance. The only exception, as we have noted, is the Sabbath command, which the New Testament specifically abrogates.
The first commandment – “You shall have no other gods before me” – is found no less than fifty times in the NT, in one form or another. The second commandment forbade idolatry, and that prohibition can be found twelve times. Profanity, the subject of the third commandment, is plainly condemned four times. The fourth commandment was the Sabbath command — and NO such command for the Christian can be found anywhere in the New Testament. On the contrary, the New Testament clearly singles out the Sabbath as having passed away.
The fifth commandment – honor your parents – is taught six times at least. The sixth commandment, against murder, is repeated six times. The seventh commandment, which forbids adultery, is found twelve times. The eighth commandment, against theft, is repeated six times. The ninth commandment concerned lying under oath, but there were related commands in the old law against lying in general. Lying is forbidden at least four times in the NT. The tenth commandment, against covetousness, is repeated nine times.
And besides these nine, of course, we find many, many more of the moral commands of the law repeated again and again in the NT for us to obey. Now, with all these facts before us, how can anyone believe that there could be in any danger that the law of God will be made void if we claim to be out from under the law of Moses and the Ten Commandments? We have nothing to fear in this regard. We can trust our Lord to get it right. If he has cancelled that old written code and given us a new one, then it stands to reason that everything that he really considers important will be in that new code.
Then is the Old Testament to be thrown away? Is it now useless to us? Of course not! It should be received as the inspired word of God, a treasure of precious truth. But it must be studied in the light of the New Testament, and understood in its correct relationship to the gospel. The other side of that truth is that our New Testament is to be studied in the light of the Old Testament, which illuminates, illustrates, and helps explain many truths.
Nothing should be required of Christians simply because it is found in the Law of Moses, or anywhere else in the Old Testament. To bind our consciences, it must be required by OUR law – the law of Christ, the law of liberty, the law of grace – in the New Testament. Do you believe this? Do you understand it? Does this statement bother you? Then you still have not fully understood your liberty, as taught in the New Testament.
In MATT. 22:36-40, Jesus is asked about “the greatest commandment IN THE LAW.” He named two commandments as the greatest – love God supremely, and love your neighbor as yourself. Neither of these two commandments is found in the Ten Commandments at all! Yet Jesus calls these two the greatest of all – and he even says that the entire law AND the prophets [the whole OT] “hang” on these two commandments.
This higher law of love for God and neighbor was the foundation of the Law of Moses, and it is the foundation of our law of grace. It is repeated again and again in the New Testament:
* MATT. 7:12: In whatever way you want others to treat you, you treat them that way, for this sums up the law and the prophets.
This is the same meaning, is it not, as “love your neighbor as yourself”?
* ROM. 13:8-10: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another, for he who loves his neighbor HAS fulfilled the law. For these – you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet -– and whatever other command there may be -– they are ALL summed up in this one rule: Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore, love IS the fulfillment of the law.
Now – this is NOT saying that to love your neighbor, you have to keep that old law. It is saying that if you behave in love toward others, that was the real intent of the law in the first place. Behaving in love toward others does not require one to keep food laws, pay tenth taxes, observe feast days and Sabbaths, and all the rest of those old rituals and rules. But it DOES require us to be unselfish and kind, to abstain from those actions that hurt others [such as murder, theft, adultery, lying, etc.], and to go out of our way to do good for others. All of these things are imbedded in OUR law of grace.
* ROM. 15:1-4: We who are strong ought to bear with the weaknesses of those who are weak, and NOT just please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for HIS good, to build HIM up. For even Christ did not please himself…. For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope.
This tells us that the Old Testament has real value for us, even though we are not under the authority of the Old Testament law. It teaches us, helps us endure, and encourages us. But notice – doesn’t this passage say just about the same thing as “Love your neighbor as yourself”?
Paul’s entire argument in GALATIANS is built on the foundation of the abolition of the Mosaic law. He reiterates again and again that we Christians are NOT under that old law, and that to place ourselves under it is to “fall from grace,” “turn aside from obeying the truth,” and “render the death of Christ meaningless.” In chapter five, he exhorts us to stand in our freedom and resist those who would take us back to that old law, and he even expresses the wish that the Judaizers who were preaching circumcision would “cut themselves off”! Then he states:
* GAL. 5:13-14: You, my brothers, were called to be free. But -– do not use that freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. For the ENTIRE law is summed up in one single command – “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Have you ever heard anyone claim that the liberty given us under grace is dangerous? That we should not really enjoy that liberty, or that we should still restrict ourselves? Is it true that some will abuse liberty? Sure, it is! Many in our free nation do just that with our political freedoms.
But the fact that SOME abuse freedom does not change the fact that we are, indeed, free! And Paul states the solution here. It is not -– as many seem to believe -– to go back under a system of restrictive rules and regulations; Paul warns against that again and again. In fact, in COL. 2:20-23, he states that doing such a thing is actually worthless against the sinful nature. And in ROM. 7 he points out that trying to keep the law actually backfires and stirs up the sinful nature.
What is the solution, then, to the problem of taking our freedom too far? It is found in the command to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are to hold tight to our freedom from those old rules, but at the same time, we are to be occupied with behaving in genuine love toward others; we are to be occupied with serving others, just as Christ came to serve others, not to be served. Unselfishness, love, and caring for others– THAT is the solution to the problem of taking freedom too far, NOT going back into bondage and giving up the freedom that was bought for us at the cross.
* JAMES 2:8-12: If you are fulfilling the royal law found in scripture – Love your neighbor as yourself – you are doing well. But if you show favoritism, you sin, and you are then convicted as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the WHOLE law, and yet stumbles at ONE POINT, he is guilty of breaking the WHOLE law! For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” So if you do NOT commit adultery, but you DO commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. You should speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law of liberty.
We have already discussed this passage in depth. James is not trying to bind the Ten Commandments or the Law of Moses on his readers. He is simply explaining the same thing that Paul explained – that the only way to avoid being a lawbreaker is to keep the whole thing perfectly. And no one ever did, or could, do that. This is why James commands us to live according to the “law of liberty.” THAT is the law we will be judged by – NOT the law of Moses.
What is the law of liberty? It CANNOT be the law of Moses, for both Peter and Paul refer to THAT law as a “yoke of slavery” [ACTS 15:10; GAL. 5:1] that only condemned and brought death [2 COR. 3:7,9]. No – the Law of Moses is NOT the same as the law of liberty. The law of liberty is the gospel – the law of Christ – the law of grace, found in the New Testament. How do we obey that law? It’s simple – love God supremely, and love others as ourselves. The New Testament is full of instructions on just how to do that!
Lets look at the “One Another” commands in the New Testament. There are at least thirty-one commands in the New Testament that specifically use those words – “one another.” Just a look at those commands is enough to show us HOW we are to obey the “royal” law of love toward our neighbor.
Ten “Negative” Commands:
Do not judge one another.
Do not put an obstacle in a brother’s way.
Do not sue one another.
Do not bite and devour one another.
Do not be boastful.
Do not challenge one another.
Do not envy one another.
Do not speak against one another.
Do not complain against one another.
Do not seek glory from one another.
Twenty-one “Positive” Commands:
Love one another.
Build up one another.
Admonish one another.
Encourage one another.
Assemble together with one another.
Bear one another’s burdens.
Seek after that which is good for one another.
Be honest with one another.
Show hospitality to one another.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Be at peace with one another.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Give preference to one another.
Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.
Be subject to one another.
Show forbearance toward one another.
Accept one another.
Be kind to one another.
Forgive one another.
Serve one another.
Live and work as members of one another.
If you will study these thirty-one commands in your New Testament, you will find a wealth of instruction on HOW to “love your neighbor as yourself” and thus “fulfill the law.” Indeed – just READING them is convicting enough! You see, there is no need to resort to that old law at all. There is no need for any additional instruction. God has given us everything we need in the New Testament. And these thirty-one commands are only the tip of the iceberg; these are just the ones that use the words “one another.” There are scores of additional commands in our law of grace – and they do comprise a complete and sufficient rule of life for the Christian.
It’s really very simple. Are you saved? Are your grateful for that salvation? Do you love the Lord Jesus? Then keep HIS commandments. Keep the commandments given by him through his chosen apostles. Obey the teachings of grace, which are found in the New Testament. There is your law.
Christ is our Lord and Master, the head of the church. He is our all in all, having all authority in heaven and on earth. He is to judge the world at the last day. How reasonable, then, that he should give his law to his church. And that is just what he has done. We are under the law of Christ. We are under the perfect law of liberty. We are under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus which has set us free from the law of sin and death. We are NOT under the Law of Moses, but we ARE under grace.
Love and gratitude are motive enough! We obey him because we love him. We love him because he first loved us and gave himself for us. He said, “If you love me, keep my commandments…. He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me…. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love…. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.”
Martin Luther taught the abolition of the Law of Moses, including specifically the Ten Commandments. There were those in his day who accused him of advocating license by such teaching. They could not understand his emphasis on freedom at all. They said to him, “If what you are saying is true, then the Christian is free to do whatever he pleases.”
Luther’s answer perfectly fits in with the emphasis of this lesson; he replied, “That is correct. Now — what do you please?” You see, for the true Christian, for the one who has made Jesus the Lord of his life, for the one who is walking in the Spirit and letting the Spirit develop in him the fruits of the Spirit – he pleases to please his Lord. He WANTS to obey. It’s that simple.
If a Christian is NOT yielded to the lordship of Christ, if he is NOT walking in the Spirit –then placing the yoke of the law back on his neck will do NOTHING to turn him around, but will only make things worse. The best motivation I know of for true heart-obedience to the law of Christ is a fuller understanding of grace, of salvation, of our liberty, of our position in Christ, and of our destiny. The blessings of grace and the enabling of the Holy Spirit are all we need to truly obey God’s law for us today.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT?
One last issue to discuss: But what about the Old Testament? Are we just to throw it out? Ignore it? What?
I still study the Old Testament and find it invaluable. I teach from it often. The fact that our “law” is found in the New Testament does nothing to diminish the importance of the Old Testament. In fact, understanding this issue helps us understand the Old Testament better.
Here are some of the things about the OT that are important for us to study:
1) The revelation of God: His self-existence, his names, his attributes, his holiness and righteousness, his faithfulness, etc.
The continuity of God’s purpose throughout all ages. While different ages have different dominant characteristics, they all reflect a unity in God’s purposes.
2) The revelation concerning Satan and the problem of evil.
3) The nature or man and his problem in relation to God.
4) The divine solution to man’s sin problem — blood sacrifice.
5) The requirement of holiness in conduct for God’s people.
6) Prophecy.
7) The union between type and anti-type: persons, places, things, institutions, and events.
The Old Testament is critical to the Christian’s understanding of many important doctrines. But having acknowledged this, we still affirm that the various systems regulating human CONDUCT are not precisely the same in the Old Testament as they are in the New Testament. Some of our rules are different from some of the rules of that old system. Many from that old system have NOT been continued under grace.
And the exact application of these principles must be guarded at every point. We are under grace, and while we draw much truth from the law, and from the rest of the Old Testament, we are free from the obligation to obey the specific rules of that old law. The application of those passages to us is primarily by way of illustration, example, and analogy — such as in Paul’s use of the law stating “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the grain” to illustrate the principle that “a workman is worthy of his hire.”
Thank God for the unity of the scripture. But ALSO thank Him that he has set us free from the rule of the Law of Moses as a code of conduct, and has placed us under “the law of Christ” — “the law of liberty” — “the royal law of love.” We are not under the law, but under grace.
END OF STUDY
New to the New
Thank you for your brief articulation on the position of NCT. While I have in passing read about this particular theological construct written about by others outside your particular camp, its good to get inside perspective and the posts and articles were of great help.
I myself, like many others, have been a long time ardent supporter of Dr, RC Sproul, and his ministry has been a rich wealth of Gods truth. It has helped me to be a more discerning Christian and encouraged me to think critically about the faith and love the Lord with my mind.
However, on this particular issue, I think Dr. Sproul and others would be in error to call your position “antinomian”. While I have only had an introductory cursor glance, there seems to be a distinction without a difference here. While the relationship of the old to the new is important, imho your views would not necessarily cause one to conclude in any fashion having to be antinomian. And for Dr. Sproul to endorse a position of labeling your position as heretical is less then fair when he allows his good friend (and very sound biblical expositor) Dr. John MacArthur to frequently preach and he himself is not in agreement with Reformed CT.
With that said, although I would not hold to NCT belief, its definitely a worthy “in-house” debate and one that I believe should be approached with love, patience and understanding Who is Soveriegn and that the ties that bind us are greater then the straws that seperate.
Lastly, it seems that NCT seeks to somehow establish a middleground between Dispensationalist and Covenant theology. Just a quick word of caution as it is always wise to approach anything “new” in Christian thought with great carefulness, an attempt to possibly tread where we have not before can lead to error. But I am reminded of the words of the early church great Augustine…in the essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, and in all things charity.
May God bless you all in in your pursuit to know Him, serve Him, and live life for His glory!
servantoftheking-
The ‘New” in NCT refers to the covenant God promised in Jeremiah and this same covenant in Christ’s blood that He Himself described as new and that the book of Hebrews indicates made the Old Priesthood, Old Covenant and Old Law of no legal binding effect.
It is not referring to the newness of NCT nor does it describe a new type of CT. NCT is not a new way of interpreting God’s Word and the truths contained within NCT and proponents of the truths expressed within NCT predate both CT & Dispensationalism by about 1500 years.
Although nobody needs Mr. Sproul’s approval on anything, it would be nice if he would correct his error and stop lying about this issue.
I do not think anyone in the NCT camp is holding their breath.
You are indeed correct NCT does not teach antinomianism/lawlessness.
Hutch,
When I read you saying that Dr. Sproul is lying about New Covenant Theology, it makes me bristle. Calling him a liar is saying that he knows NCT does not teach antinomianism, but says it does anyway.
Is that actually the case?
Mary
Mary-
We would have to assume one of two or maybe three things about Mr. Sproul to come to the conclusion that he is not intentionally lying when he says NCT is antinomian.
1) He does not know the definition of the word antinomian.
-or-
2) He does not know what NCT teaches.
-or-
3) Both.
Which begs the question, should someone write about an issue of which they are completely ignorant?
There may have been a time when he did not have all the information and we could come to the conclusion that the esteemed doctor just got his scholarship all wrong, but he has received many gracious letters from NCT proponents correcting his misrepresentations of NCT.
So if there was a time that he was ignorant of the facts, that time has long come and gone.
Many times people who enjoy positions and titles such as Mr. Sproul are very resistant to admitting they are wrong.
He has had ample opportunity to correct his errors and say, “I still disagree with NCT, but it clearly does not teach lawlessness.”
That is what every honest and respectable person would do when proven to have made erroneous and slanderous statements.
If it makes you bristle less, I could say that Mr. Sproul is not being honest with the facts.
BEWARE THE YEAST OF THE PHARISEES
Lionel,
Regarding your comments to Mary about R.C. Sproul thinking your a heretic. I am just learning about NTC so I cannot comment but the fact that you believe in the Gifts to most Reformed you should be stoned
I also don’t believe in the 10 commandments or other things.