I see many believers today and pulpits teaching that we are still to be under the Ten Commandments. That we should be obeying them and that God did not ‘do away with them’ when Christ came. From the perspective that the Ten Commandments are God’s absolute truth and are Holy, they are correct but they are missing the point. The Law is dead to the Christian because it is all about how the source has changed. The source for what? For our justification and Salvation and for our righteousness. What do I mean by that? Let’s look at a few Scriptures and then you will see it more clearly:
“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. But that NO MAN IS JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW in the sight of God, it is evident: for, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. AND THE LAW IS NOT OF FAITH: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW, being made a curse FOR US: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” (Galatians 3:10-13 KJV)
In this passage of Scripture we see that there has been a change when the New Covenant came into effect. The just (believers) are to now live by faith with the Holy Spirit indwelling as our source. Jesus Christ is now become our source and God lives within us now as the comforter and Holy Spirit. The Law and Ten Commandments are not to be our source anymore. Our source is God within us! Faith and trust in Him that is indwelling us.
In Romans 7 we are told by Apostle Paul that,
“…ye also are become DEAD TO THE LAW BY THE BODY OF CHRIST; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, WHICH WERE BY THE LAW, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. BUT NOW WE ARE DELIVERED FROM THE LAW, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in NEWNESS OF SPIRIT, and not in the oldness of the letter.”
We are dead to the Law of Moses which had 613 man made laws plus the Ten Commandments given directly by God. We were DELIVERED FROM THE LAW. There has been a change! After receiving Christ as our Savior in belief of the atonement for sins He provided on the cross, we now have the spirit of God dwelling within us. The Holy Spirit within has now become our source and replaced the Law of Moses.
It is all about the source; a person is either following the Ten Commandments or He is following the spirit.
But does that mean it is okay to lie, murder, covet? Does that mean we do not have to follow the morals of the Ten Commandments? Not at all. So what does this mean? Let’s think about this logically a moment. Let’s compare what life is like using these two different, yet connected sources.
⇒ Life Under The Law As Our Source
Living under the Ten Commandments and all the Law of Moses as our source is like us trying our best in our own ability to keep every commandment without fail. So if we are coveting, in self righteous efforts, we keep saying to our self, “Stop coveting. Stop coveting. Stop coveting. Stop coveting!” Yet when we do that, we find ourselves in the same situation as Paul in Romans 7… we keep coveting! It is like a kid who sees a sign on a lawn that reads.. “Do not step on the grass or else!” What does the kid do huh? Stomps around on the grass. (Okay maybe not all kids but you get my point.)
Following the Law as our source will not make you stop disobeying. It also will not forgive the sin you have committed. Romans 5:20 shows us that “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound.” Because the Ten Commandments were given, humankind now sees just how sinful we are. And not only that, it increases our sin. Why? Because we have a sinful nature within us and it is bent toward sinning.
We see in Galatians that some crept in with false teaching that once saved by Grace through Christ, we still have to be following the Law and Ten Commandments. And what did Paul say about believing and living this way? He said it is a VERY SEVERE OFFENSE!
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, LET HIM BE ACCURSED.” (Galatians 2:6-8 KJV)
⇒ Life With The Holy Spirit Within As Our Source
“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE.” (Romans 6:14 KJV)
If we walk in the spirit we avoid the sins of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16). God resides within the believer and so if we find ourselves having trouble with the sin of coveting for example, we need to go to our new source, the Holy Spirit within us. We acknowledge (confess) and thank God for forgiving all my sinful ways and we pray to God knowing that without Christ as our source, we cannot bear good fruit (John 15) in self righteous efforts. We pray to God that we are having a problem with coveting. You want to stop but you cannot do this on your own. “God, please renew my mind on this and help me to stop coveting.” Do you think that is a prayer that God will not honor? Yes it is!
The more we renew our mind by the Word of God and with the help of the Holy Spirit within us to guide us and help us we will eventually come to the place where coveting ends in your life. This is following our new source within, our comforter, the Holy Spirit of God. And His guiding and help will follow the Ten Commandments because they are absolute truth and are Holy and right. Plus, Christ fulfilled them!
You see, Christ fulfilled the Law and now God resides within you as the Holy Spirit. Will the Holy Spirit as the source want you to murder, or lie, or covet? No. The Holy Spirit is Christ in you. Christ follows the Ten Commandments perfectly. Apostle Paul puts it this way, “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Romans 8:10 KJV). This righteousness is not our self righteousness. It is the righteousness we now have because Christ is indwelling us as the Holy Spirit. Having accepted the Free gift of eternal life and forgiveness of our sins through belief on Christ crucified as our sacrificial substitute without our own efforts (John 3:18, Ephesians 2:8-9), we are set free from the punishment of our sins. We now have a newly created spirit within us.
So when you hear that believers are ‘Dead To The Law’, it does not mean the Ten Commandments are not Holy and just and good. It means we are no longer using the Law as our source. Instead believers are to follow the Holy Spirit as our source.
Stop trying to follow the Old Covenant Law of Moses as the source in your life. Start using the Holy Spirit and Christ within you as the source. Abide by Christ and His words (John 15). By doing so, your mind inwardly will be lsowly renwed to the truth and your outward life will start to change as you are slowly but surely transformed into the very image of Christ. And you will find that your life is more in line with the Holy and moral aspects of the Ten Commandments in an increasing basis.
