But I was told the Law was done away | Tomorrow's World

But I was told the Law was done away

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Recently someone asked why his church teaches that "the law is done away, was a burden for the people to keep and was nailed to the cross," while we in the Living Church of God teach obedience to all ten of the commandments. The answer is found in the Bible.

Nowhere does the Bible teach that the Ten Commandments are "done away." The apostles did teach that the Old Testament system of animal sacrifices was replaced by the sacrifice of Christ, but they continued to teach and practice all things Christ taught. One of those plain teaching of Jesus is: "But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matthew 19:17).

Some conclude that the Apostle Paul taught against commandment keeping, but as Peter said, many have misunderstood some things Paul wrote: "as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:16). Paul never contradicted Jesus by teaching commandment breaking.

Some refer to Acts 15 and claim it does away with the necessity to keep the law of God, but it says no such thing. The subject under discussion in Acts 15 was: if circumcision is necessary; not whether the commandments were "done away." Later Paul, in a letter to uncircumcised Gentile Christians said, "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters" (1 Corinthians 7:19). Even the Apostle to the Gentiles taught commandment keeping!

Paul also said, "for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified" (Romans 2:13). We are justified to God by Christ having paid the penalty for our past sins, but the Bible teaches that we should become diligent in keeping the commandments and sin no more.

I repeat with Paul, "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters" (1 Corinthians 7:19). This includes even the fourth commandment, "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:9–10). Paul kept the seventh day Sabbath and taught non-Jews on the Sabbath, "So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath…On the next Sabbath almost the whole (Gentile!) city came together to hear the word of God" (Acts 13:42, 44).

Christians are not permitted to omit any of the Ten Commandments. The Apostle James, said, "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).

Pardon me for pointing this out, but it seems that those who argue against obeying God's law may be trying to free themselves from having to obey God. If they are looking for an excuse to get around the plain teaching of the Bible, I am sure they will find one. But to receive the Holy Spirit and become a Christian, we must begin to obey God: "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him" (Acts 5:32).

If we truly love God, we will begin keeping His commandments, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3).

For more information read our article "The Ten Commandments: A Sacred Law for All Nations" and send for our free booklet The Ten Commandments.