Grace and Truth Came Through Jesus Christ

UNDERSTANDING THE LAW OF MOSES IN THE LIGHT OF THE NC GOSPEL

JOHN 1:17 SAYS: ‘For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Let us consider the impact of these words. What is the Spirit communicating? What is the new principle of action implied? How can it stand in the face of Moses’ Law? Does the Spirit intend to set these two comings at variance?

John 8….
In the story of Jesus dealing with the woman caught in the act of adultery, we begin to see the NC Gospel application, freedom from the law of Moses without discontinuing its authority or diminishing its relevance ….. the NC Gospel application is discovered in the suspension of the law of Moses without doing away with it.

The Gospel could be compared to the invention of the airplane, in the temporary suspension of the law of gravity, as flying has no effect upon that law directly and still is in full force, while the law of lift is being applied. The Law of Moses being compared to gravity, Jesus being the airplane, the Spirit being the fuel, the pilot the NC participant.

To supersede gravity, there first be the need for the airplane. And to continue to supersede relies upon maintaining the fuel supply. To run out of fuel (is to fall from grace) is to bring the law of gravity fully back into play. A Christian must rightly divide, not choose a side. We must distinguish that gravity, the Law of Moses, is applicable to the World, but not to the Believer. An example we can find in capital punishment, which is sanctioned for the World but not for the Church.

John 8:1-11
‘Moses, in the Law, commanded that such should be stoned; but what sayest Thou?’ The question before the Lord was; “what do you say? ….Is the law of Moses right? Has not God declared it in His everlasting law given to Moses? Are we not commanded, nay commended to do so?”
(There are distinct similarities in the words and spirit of those moderns who have aligned themselves with OC like thinking.)

They had heard of how Jesus had owned authority over the law of Moses. [Matthew 5] They longed to set Jesus at variance with Moses that they might accuse Him. Therefore, having declared the justice of her being stoned under the law of Moses, and having predetermined that He was likely to judge somehow against the law of Moses, and then they would have Him where they wanted Him…a breaker of the law of Moses, and worthy of its judgment.

The Lord kneeling down quietly began to write in the dirt, seemingly at a loss as what to respond as they press Him for an answer. Here we know the Lord is not stumped or at a loss for words. In these moments, the Lord, while looking at the ground, silently and slowly writing in the dirt, so redirects their thoughts off the scripted scene before them. We suppose He moves upon their consciences. Then speaking in a quiet humble tone says, “he that is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” He continues looking down, avoids looking at them as not to agitate their pride, and waits. Believer, consider and understand the Wisdom and see grace and truth.

The question is no longer: is the law of Moses Just? Should it not be carried out? But, who shall carry out the judgment of the law of Moses? By questioning this of them, He has neither denied the validity of the Law of Moses nor did He sanction doing away with it. In either response, for or against, they would have found accusation against Him. Jesus continuing to look down, one by one they are convicted by His Words and departed. Now observe that this was not “mercy” on their part, for He did not plead that they have mercy, but addressed the greater issue before not in question… the condemning of their motives, and a realization that they could not stone her without condemning themselves. See then and let us understand the conscience being the target for purging in the NC, on which the law of Moses had little affect. [Hebrews 9:9]

Thus we begin to get the meaning of John’s words of contrasting in John 1:17…. The law of Moses is here not being refuted, done away with, but suspended. Justice is suspended not denied. This is in essence the Gospel Age, of grace and truth; justice in the Law is not done away with, but is suspended in grace and truth. In fact, it continues sanctioned in the World, the distinction being found in the call for a faithful co-ruling Bride.

Grace and truth suspends, defers justice through and in Jesus Christ. It pauses and yields, allowing for the mighty emergence of meeting the just judgment in the Law of Moses by the perfect eternal propitiation offering of the Suffering Messiah, who now declares Mercy in and through Him. He alone is Righteous, He alone without sin, He alone then may administer the justice of Law. He alone may extend Mercy and Grace. He alone has the right to say, “….neither do I condemn you, go….”AND yet reserving the right to administer the justice of His Law at a later time seen in the…. “go and….sin no more….” a Word to the Church. All the while, reserving the World and the unjust under the Law of Moses wherein He shall also exercise severe judgment. [2 Peter 2:9 with Matthew 25]

Something is said here that the Law of Moses can not say. Christ shows His superiority to the Law of Moses. Not only has He not condemned, contrary to the Law of Moses, He has commanded….sin no more. As it would be impossible for her/us not to sin in some form or fashion, Sin no more..signifies three things:

1) she/we must be translated out of the kingdom of satan

2) she/we must have freedom from the Law of Moses

3) sanctification is a process…and that under “…the Law of the S(s)pirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” [Romans 8:2]

Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, sets free from the kingdom of satan, the master of sin [Colossians 1:13]… AND… the Law of Moses. “…the strength of sin is the law (of Moses)…” [1Corinthians 15:56] ‘Sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under Law, but under grace.’ [Romans 6:14] Under grace means under His Law of the S(s)pirit of life.

We may go to Romans chapter 1 and 2 to find this contrasting distinction again addressed between the law of Moses and grace and truth, where Paul explains the religious motives and error of the same, like spirit and actions of those who reproached Christ in the example of the woman taken in the act of adultery. Here in these few chapters, the Spirit reveals the hypocrisy of the religious mind aligned with the Law of Moses, who being a proponent for it, in the first place, confuses knowing it with doing it. And in the second place, does not let it do its work in leading them to the spiritual understanding that they are hopelessly condemned under it and are in need of a Messiah, such as one who could free them from this great debt owed to God that they could never pay. But rather, they set up their religion of works, loosely designed around the Law of Moses, in order to justify themselves. Here again the Spirit brings Gospel light to their darkened understandings, and that, without ever refuting the justness of the law of Moses.

Paul declares in Romans 2:1-9: “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that (critically, hypocritically) judgest: for wherein thou judgest another (in the evil spirit of hypocrisy), thou condemnest thyself (for you are judged under the very law you confess to be your own); for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? (This same spiritual reality being what Christ brought to bear upon the consciences of those who “justly” insisted on the adulterous woman’s death.) Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering: (in effect those who ignore the meaning of the law of the S(s)pirit of life in Jesus and insist on the observance and or administration of the law of Moses while being in Covenant with grace and truth….. Comprehend: you cannot be on the ground and in the air at the same time) not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (What is implied here is that great component which is lacking in the law of Moses.) But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; WHO WILL RENDER TO EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: (The end sad result for those who resist the message of grace and truth and stubbornly insist upon justice or righteousness or favor of God being found in the observance or attempting to do ANY of the law of Moses.) To them who by patient continuance in well doing (exclusive to the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus) seek for glory and honor and immortality, (in) eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth (could be exampled by anyone who would, in spite of the Word of Jesus, insist in the administration of the word of Moses, picking up a stone and cast it at the woman), but obey unrighteousness (exampled by Paul as anyone who accepts not the exclusive righteousness found first in Jesus Christ in justification and then in those who deny His Grace unto sanctification), indignation, and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil….”

CHRIST SPEAKS A HEAVENLY DIALECT THAT ONLY THOSE YIELDED TO HIM CAN UNDERSTAND.

We as Christians are no longer children of satan, he is no longer our father. But Christians may remain children of the flesh. And being so minded, are also unable to perceive the meaning of Jesus’ Words. [John 8:43] Christians that have turned back, in any way, unto the Law of Moses deny this as being sin, and thereby deny Grace. [Galatians 5:4] They refuse both. Yes, they are loose from the master of sin but bound to the law of Moses, limited in Grace unto sanctification. Many opinions are regarded as “honest convictions“, but the doctrinal basis (Messianic-ism) is a proud carnal heart at conflict with the Truth of God’s Testimony.

IT IS CHRIST’S WORDS THAT ARE TRUTH ….. WE ARE TO ABIDE NOT IN MOSES WORDS. Truth is unable to set free those who are under the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses only brings condemnation. Freedom to serve God cannot be found under the Law of Moses. The Truth sets us free. What is Truth? Truth is the Words of Christ. The Words we are to continue in and grow from justified and delivered from the kingdom ground of satan into the ground of Christ. There in that ground we are to remain in (abide) and grow. [John15:1-5] Thus the exhortation of verses 6-10. No need for exhortation if there is no part for our wills to play.

Truth is Christ’s Words….doctrinal, prophetic, faith producing AND Truth is His practical actions, all these make up Truth that abiding in will set us free. Again the exhortation is to follow and continue and abide in ME. As there are the many wicked forces that would draw us away from that continuance, satan’s temptations, the World’s threats and promises, the inward fallen nature. O what great need to be watchful and prayerful over His Words in this Wicked World, endeavoring always to at least hold on to what we have, but greater to fight for new ground in persistent warfare, being constant, never losing heart for long but quickly rising up in the power of Grace and fighting on.

HIS WORDS ALONE, TAKEN IN FAITH AND ACTED ON, BRING GRACE TO A YIELDED SOUL (even the often failing soul), will hear, “…neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.”

“Slavery, as all confess, is an evil. Israel groaned under it in Egypt. Moses came, and set the nation politically free. But he left them slaves spiritually, toiling to complete the bricks demanded by the Law, perpetually falling back in ‘the tale of the bricks,’ and in their quality; and fearing and feeling the lash of the task master.  He could not set them spiritually free.  But Christ effects for those that accept Him, spiritual freedom. There is a keen desire in our day for political freedom; but many of the politically free are spiritually slaves. There are degrees of freedom in Christ answering to the degrees of knowledge, and of holiness. Christ makes free from human ordinances and priesthood, from worldly pleasures and cares, to find our all in God our Father, and in Christ His Son.” -Robert Govett

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