Divine Laws
In the religious world there is much confusion over the old and new covenants in the Book of God. This is nothing new for it has existed many years.
This confusion is a result of misunderstanding what the Bible teaches in regard to the two covenants, which misunderstanding is a result of a lack of study.
(a) In New Testament days the New Testament writers spent a great deal of time to clear his matter up by showing that both were divine covenants but one was new and the other old. (2 Cor. 3:2-17)
(b) Brethren who tried to bind the old law under the new dispensation were identified and marked as false brethren. Thus, one would he branded as a false teacher today if he were to teach the old law as binding. (Gal. 2:4)
(c) A failure to recognize what the Bible teaches about the old and the new has led many souls to their graves unprepared to meet God. There are some who still believe the Sabbath Day is to be observed. They teach that one who fails to observe the Sabbath will be condemned. People who worship God with instruments of music do so in vain for they try to justify the use of instruments of music by the old law.
(d) What Christians believe about the two laws has been misunderstood. There are many who suppose that we do not believe in the Old Testament as the word of God.
The purpose of this article is to present the truth about the two laws and help clear up some of the false statements made about what Christians believe in regard to the divine laws.
The Truth About The Old And The New
There are many scriptures that could be cited to prove that the old law is no longer binding, but due to the lack of space we will confine our arguments to the 2 Corinthian letter.
(a) 2 Cor. 3:7: "Which glory was to be done away." This plainly states that the old law was to be done away. Keep this in mind.
(b) 2 Cor. 3:11: "For if that which is done away was glorious." Notice the writer now makes the argument that the old law has been done away. In verse 7 he said was to be done away and in verse II he said is done away.
(c) 2 Cor. 3:13: "And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished." Again we see the writer states that the old law was abolished, which means inactive. He did not say which was to be abolished but he said is abolished.
Christians Believe The Following:
(a) That both laws are divine. (2 Pet. 1:21; John 17:8)
(b) That all who lived under the old law and kept the old law will be saved. This is due to the fact that their sins had been rolled forward each year and were finally removed by the shedding of the blood of Christ. (Heb. 10:3; Heb. 9:22)
(c) That the old law has served its purpose and is no longer binding but is to be used for our example. (Col. 2:14; 1 Cor. 10:6)
Now we clearly see that both covenants are divine, but at the same time we see that the first was done away and the second is binding. We shall be judged by the law of Christ. (John 12:48)