The Old Law Does Bring a Curse Pt-1

“¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” ¹¹ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” ¹² Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”

What Pattern are you following? What Law are you Under?

The Psalmist wrote, “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! 2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! 3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! 4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! 5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150).

This Psalm promotes many questions. We’ll consider in this issue the question, “Can we praise God in His sanctuary?”. In subsequent issues we’ll address questions concerning “Spirit and Truth” worship (John 4:24) such as: Should the church today still sound the trumpet, play the lute, harp, timbrel, and dance etc? Let me begin with the following statement. If you choose to live as a Jew, refuse Christ’s law for the New Testament church, choosing to keep the Levitical laws then you are required to keep all 12 of the commands in Psalm 150. But if you are a New Testament Christian, you need to understand that the church Christ established on the day of Pentecost is by no means under the Levitical law, but under the new law of Christ.

1 Cor 9:21 “to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law” Paul made it clear, he is not under the Old Law, but now under the law toward Christ. The reason is Paul wants to impress every reader that no man is free from divine rule in his life. Yes, we are free from the bondage of keeping Moses’ law, but we are not free from God’s divine authority, thus, we are still “under the law to Christ.” Man sins so easily because of his tendency to break from the yoke of divine law. Meditate and try to feel the terrible, dreadful surprise those who refused to be restricted by the law of Christ, which comes from God commandments for the church. Concerning the judgement day Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). In context, Jesus isolate and pinpointed their true crime; “iniquity” or “lawlessness”.

The church is “under the law to Christ.” Our decisions in life must be made in harmony with our King’s will, as He rules us through His law, as we make our journey from earth to heaven. Jesus’ law is not the old covenant of the Old Testament. Hebrews 7 and 12 says, “For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.” Jesus is our new High Priest “by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant” (Heb. 7:22), “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second” (Heb. 8:7), “In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete…” (Heb. 8:13).

In Psalm 150 verse 1 we read “Praise God in His sanctuary”. My friends the church building is not sacred, it is not a shrine, it is not God’s sanctuary. The church, that is the body of Christ, that is its members, is God’s temple, His sanctuary. The “building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” is not brick and mortar like the old sanctuary, but is a spiritual body not made with hands, “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Eph. 2:19-22). We cannot praise God in His sanctuary, for it was destroyed, never to be rebuilt in 70 A.D.

Read through Hebrews 9, meditate on it. It is clear—there was an earthly sanctuary where everything commanded in Psalm 150 was done. “Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary.” (v.1). It equally states that there were limitations of the earthly service; “It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience— 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.” (v.9-10). It was physical until “the time of reformation”. In our time, the last days, as recorded in verses 11-15, the new Heavenly Sanctuary exists. “11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.” Now Jesus is the Mediator of the new covenant (New Testament), that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

God has provided a pattern, for all believers to be united in “mind and judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10; Phil. 1:27). The Bible is the revealed standard by which we: Receive the knowledge of truth (John 8:31-32, 17:17), and we must approach God in faith (Heb. 11:6, Rom. 10:17). Therefore, in the congregation as God’s people we respect Jesus as our only authority (Matt. 28:18-20), and we acknowledge Him in every way as the only Head of the church, His body (Eph. 1:20-23). We are determined to do and say only those things which are authorized by Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17). All teaching and preaching must be of the truth (Eph. 4:15), of the “word of God” (2 Tim. 4:1-5), and that is the truth of the “doctrine of Christ” (2 John 9-11). That would be truth without apology and without tampering (Gal. 1:6-10). The word of God is the one and only guide for every soul. It is the revealed pathway of Christ to man to guide us from where we are, to where the Father is (John 14:1-6). It is the “pattern of sound words” to which we are loyal only (2 Tim. 1:13).

In doing the works of faith, we are not forgetting our need for God’s grace. We know that all the good works, even if accomplished entirely, will not get one of our toes into Heaven. We will never “deserve” Heaven. We rely the grace of God, supplied to us through His merciful love and blood. However, God has applied the stipulation of obedience to His will for the hope of His grace. We are told in Ephesians 2:8 that we are “saved by grace” but it is “through faith”. From rightly dividing the scripture, as we’re commanded (2 Tim. 2:15) we know faith is not just acceptance of God’s existence—it is obedience to His will (James 2:19). Our faith must be alive and working—because “faith without works is dead” (James 2:14-18, 20-26). We absolutely trust in God’s grace—but without denying His will, as do most religious denominations. His word directs us to His expected works (Eph. 2:10; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). We provide the knowledge of God’s word in this place, won’t you come and study with us?

Next Issue: Can we use instruments in the New Testament Church, like David did in the Old?

As always, in Love

Dave Scarpino

“14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant…”           (Hebrews 9:14-15)