"IF YOU FOLLOW THE ISRAELITE LAW, CHRIST HAS BECOME USELESS TO YOU" (Gal.5:3,4)

A large number of people who might call themselves Biblical Christians, sometimes quote from the Israelite law of the Old Testament (the Law of Moses) saying that this is "God's law", presumably expecting others to accept that the six hundred and thirteen pre-Christ Israelite laws are applicable to the present day society we find ourselves in. Sometimes a person may quote from the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament), perhaps from Deuteronomy or Leviticus saying: "God says you must do this!" or "God says you must not do that!"

This is particularly pertinent for a Christian Spiritualist who may be told by Fundamentalists that Christian Spiritualism is 'an abomination' to God and apparently ‘backing it up’ by quoting from Leviticus 19:31 or Deuteronomy 18:10-12. The Christian Spiritualist is thus shunned by many so-called mainstream Christian authorities, even denying them access to Bible study courses.

However, such Fundamentalists have been led astray. Firstly, they do not understand the gift of Spirit Communion and the dangers that were involved to such a debased people who were regularly capable of child-sacrifice (Jer. 7:31) and were of such a low moral character that they were inviting to themselves very degrading spiritual powers indeed. Secondly, people naming themselves Christians who quote allegiance to the law of Moses have been led astray because they have misinterpreted the meaning of Jesus Christ's accomplishments and His purpose.

Quite simply, the Bible states that Mosaic Law ended with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Followers of Christ are not under the Law of Moses: "He did away with the law of the commandments in regulations" (Eph. 2:15), and to this can also be added the fact that Gentiles do not have to follow the Law of Moses: "I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" (Gal. 2:14). It is manifestly bizarre that people calling themselves Biblical Christians make a point of preaching the absolute opposite of strong and clear Biblical statements.

If we are being asked to live by such a moral code, then we are also being asked to accept some highly undesirable practices (ignoring for now the possibility that Mosaic laws have not been altered during the course of time by unscrupulous Levites with their own power-agenda). For instance, one such law states that people could own other people as property (being their "money"), and, moreover, the owners could legally beat those poor slaves with "a rod", and not have to face any legal consequences whatsoever if the "servant" or "maid" did not die within "a day or two". The only punishment for the owner would occur if the life is literally beaten out of the physical body of the so-called maid or servant "under his hand" producing instant death (Exodus 21:20,21). One wonders how battered partners regard this notion.

A Fundamentalist who claims that others must adhere to even one regulation stated in Mosaic Law is bound by the whole of Mosaic Law: "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised (one of the Mosaic laws), that he is a debtor to do the whole law" (Gal. 5:3). Someone cannot just choose to adhere to one law and not adhere strictly to all the others, or this would literally demonstrate Pharisaical hypocrisy.

With the New Covenant there was a new spiritual law - the law of the Spirit - Old Testament law was abrogated through Christ 2,000 years ago under a new testament. There should be little doubt about this fact as there are numerous references to it in the Bible: (Rom.13:8,9 & 3:21 & 7:6 & 13:8 & 13:10 - 2Cor.3:5,6 & 3:13,16 - Gal.2:12 & 3:2,3 & 3:5 & 3:10 & 3:11 & 3:19 & 3:23 & 3:24,25 & 4:31 & 5:2 - Eph.2:15 & 3:4,5 - Phil.3:8,9 - Col.2:14 & 2:16 & 2:20 - Heb.8:7,8 & 10:20).

Mosaic Law was there for those not yet in a position to follow the Christ Way - the Way laid down by Christ, the way of the Spirit. Prior to Christ's birth, life, death and resurrection, a chosen people singled out for example would have to submit to a written Law. This was instead of a Law written into the hearts and minds (Heb. 8:10; Jer. 31:33) of those that could now follow the Christ Way and the law of the Spirit because of the accomplishments of Jesus the Christ.

Indeed, it is impossible to keep the whole Law of Moses anyway, for should one of the most insignificant laws be breached then the whole of the Law of Moses was breached: “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” (Gal. 3:10). Something else was needed and that was Christ Himself and a New Covenant establishing the Law of the Spirit: “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” (Gal. 3:13) .

Christ came to fulfil the written Law of Moses and the prophets, and in so doing, ended the written Law of Moses: "Christ is the end of the law" (Romans 10:4). The Christ Law of the Spirit is: "written not with ink but with the spirit of the living God; not in the tablets of stone, but in the fleshly tablets of the heart" (11 Cor. 3:3). That Law is based on love for God instead of fear of God; love for God because of the love that God has for His children which was demonstrated so wonderfully and perfectly through God's own Christ when He subjected Himself to the laws of His own creation, living as man lives yet overcoming all weakness and temptation, and finally achieving all He set out to do.

Whatever may be said about the Law of Moses, it cannot be denied that Jesus Himself prepared the way by traversing the boundaries of (Old Testament) traditional religious thought e.g. talking with women in public (John 4); justifying of disciples not observing purification laws (Matthew 15:1); commanding the carrying of a bed on the Sabbath (John 5:8 & 10); picking and grinding grain by hand and by example encouraged others to do so (Mark 2:23) and perhaps more tellingly He quoted an instance of transgression of Mosaic Law as justification for His own actions: "(David) did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him" (Mark 2:26). Just as tellingly, Christ gives a practical example of the substitution of a new compassionate law for an old Mosaic law (which demanded the stoning of adulteresses) when He saved an adulteress from certain death and instead told her to mend her ways and that He, in God's Name, did not condemn her (John 8:1-11).

Thus, we clearly see the introduction of moral compassion for these people who had been shaped and disciplined over the centuries by a Law which was to vanish and be replaced by a new Law: "In that he saith, a new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away" (Heb. 8:13). The preparation for a massive change in attitude towards the Law of Moses which would soon come about was being laid so skilfully by Christ Jesus. Words can say many things to man, but actions do indeed speak louder than words, and Christ knew that although many of the words that He spoke would not be written down and some would not be recorded in the manner that He spoke them, His actions would be a living testimony and example.

The New Christ Law, the Law of the Spirit, abrogated the Old Law of Moses. Indeed, "whoever is justified by the (Israelite) law, Christ has become of no effect to you, and ye are fallen from grace" (Gal.5:3,4); "For all the (Israelite) law is fulfilled in one word, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Gal.5:14); "If righteousness comes by the (Israelite) law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal.2:21); "But if you be led by the Spirit, you are not under the (Israelite) law" (Gal.5:18).

Yet in spite of the overwhelming amount of Biblical statements to the contrary, many Fundamentalists are still able to quote Mosaic Law as if we must adhere to it and are bound by it. One of the greatest mistakes of such followers of Fundamental Literalism comes from something Jesus Christ is reported as saying: "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil" (Matthew 5:17). The Literalist might say: "There, you see, straight from the mouth of Jesus, we are to obey the injunctions of Mosaic Law! We must obey it even to the smallest full stop!"

Putting aside the fact that Jesus was addressing the descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel, we need to look at the much larger picture because it is very instructive. The Literalist in this instance is taking something completely out of context and ignoring the intended meaning and reason for this saying of Christ Jesus.

In short, God's Plan included taking a people and making them an example for all time. These very wayward and spiritually backward people were inviting to themselves, as well as being unprotected from, the influence of low and debased spirits, due to their lack of moral and spiritual standards. To these people God gave a set of strict laws for their own benefit and disciplining, i.e. Mosaic Law, which He gave to spiritual beings to pass on to a mediating human (Gal. 3:19). Also to these people He sent messages and instructions through dedicated and disciplined mediums or prophets. These messages were for various reasons, the most vital reason being the foretelling of the birth of Christ, His life, His death, His resurrection, and what He would achieve by all of this: demonstration of God's love for His children and their ultimate salvation.

God's Christ, as the Man Jesus, knew only too well what His Mission was. He had left His Godhead and proceeded forth from the Father and in doing so He had relinquished His power (John 8:42) and subjected Himself to everything a human being is subject to; in short, to incarnate (become flesh) as a human being in order to fulfil His Mission. And His Mission included fulfilling the prophecies about Himself. Thus the Cross had to be, there was no other course, it had been preordained from the Godhead. The Cross was an essential part of the Mission because of the unimaginable power and essential influence it would bring to a world which was in a state of almost unsalvageable spiritual degradation.

Thus, the Law of Moses was in force for the descendants of the first Israelites until the prophecies were fulfilled by the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Jesus made absolutely certain that He fulfilled every word, every full stop of the Law and prophecies, to complete the preordained Plan in its entirety and to perfection: "one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled" (Matthew 5:18).

It perhaps needs to be pointed out for the benefit of the Fundamentalist who claims allegiance to any law of Moses, that Jesus used the word: "until", meaning that Mosaic Law and its binding status for the Israelite descendants would change when "all is fulfilled". And of course every sincere seeker of truth should know that Jesus did in fact make sure that "all is fulfilled" and said so Himself: "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." (Luke 24:44). Indeed, "He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures...Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day" (Luke 24:45,46).

This clearly and plainly explains why the Fundamentalist's claim that all are subject to the Law of Moses (or even one of the laws) is erroneous and greatly misleading. When a person quotes from Deuteronomy or Leviticus saying: "God says you must do this" or "God says you must not do that", then that person is demonstrating they he or she has misunderstood the true meaning of Christ's accomplishments. Christ's instructive statement: "I did not come to destroy but to fulfil" (Matthew 5:17) is so full of beautiful meaning now that all things are indeed: "fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning" Jesus the Christ; namely, His birth, His life, His trial, His nailing to a tree and His reappearance three days after death. Thus, with that accomplishment, the fulfilment of Mosaic Law was achieved, and "the old (law) was ready to vanish away" (Heb. 8:13) and be replaced by a New Covenant, the Christ Law, the Law of the Spirit.

The new Law of the Spirit is truly spiritual because it now encompassed the law of the heart as a law-keeper with its conscience and contrition, compassion and forgiveness and most importantly, love. The true Christ Spirit produces fruits "against which there is no law" (Gal. 5:22,23). Moreover, "he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'Do not commit adultery', 'Do not murder', 'Do not steal', 'Do not covet', and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: 'Love your neighbour as yourself. Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law (Rom. 13:8-10)". "The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbour as yourself' " (Gal. 5:13).

Putting aside the Law of Moses and adopting Christ's commandment to love God and one another (Matt. 22:37), we are doing the Will of Christ: "let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God (1 John 4:7)". It is not the Will of Christ to follow the law of Moses; a final reiteration for clarity: "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Gal.5:3,4).

Tony Bisson