Is God’s Law immutable?
In other words, is the Law of God changeable or alterable? Many declarations have been made to indicate that this is so.
Can Christ, the Son of God, change the Law of His Father? Does He have that authority? Does the Son have the power to overthrow His Father’s will? Would He do such a thing? Is there even such non-compatibility between the Two that would make an overthrow necessary? And if He had the authority to refute His Father’s Law governing Earth, would that affect God’s kingdom throughout the rest of the universe?
This may sound like much conjecture, but really it is applicable and spoken of in the scriptures. Of course we know what Christ, Himself, promised, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:17-19. This was in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah, “The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honourable.” Is. 42:21.
Christ came to put an end to sin, that enemy of His human race, and that which had so crucified His Father. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” Rom. 8:3. Jesus proved that sin is not a fact of life, but an aberration of life. His target, upon coming to Earth, was sin; He had sin in His cross-hairs when He stepped down from His throne in heaven. After 33 years, He successfully condemned sin in humanity and showed that Satan would soon be put out of business.
But the Bible’s definition of sin is in its relation to righteousness. The two are juxtaposed. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1Jn. 3:4. Since sin and righteousness are polar opposites, by condemning sin, Christ magnified His Father’s law, as it was by condemning or diluting the authority of God’s law that Satan offered sin to our first parents. Rather than condemning or diluting or even hinting at destroying His Father’s law, Jesus magnified it. Just read His statements following His declaration to not destroy the law or the prophets: to hate is to kill; to look with lust, and, with one exception, to divorce is to commit adultery; perfection is to love indiscriminately. He not only reiterated the law, but raised the ceiling on righteousness. Actually there never had been a ceiling on the Law until the religious leaders put it there. Originally, the sky was the limit; development had no restrictions, growth in grace was never ending.
Would the Son of God ever overthrow the Law of His Father’s government? Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” Jn. 10:30. So, why would Christ ever work to undermine His Father when a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand?
There is one, however, who does desire to destroy the law of God and cause division in His kingdom. He is the same wily enemy who said, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” To destroy God and everything He stands for is the devil’s one desire. “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth.” “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.” Jn. 8:44;Rev. 13:6.
Lastly, Christ wouldn’t remove the bounds of His Father’s law here on Earth, and thus make this, as some would like to call it, a privileged planet. God is no respecter of persons. He doesn’t play favoritism, not even with planets of His creation. “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Is. 2:22. Why should we accept that the eternal King should alter His Law to suit fallen man’s perverted nature? But, again, there is one who would have Earth without obligation to God’s law; and he has dark purposes for convincing us of that idea. “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin….Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” Jn. 8:34,44.
God never changes. “I am the Lord, I change not.” Mal. 3:6. “In the beginning, God.” “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Gen. 1:1;Ps. 90:2. God is infallible and never changes, and His character, His Law, never needs to change.
Can Christ, the Son of God, change the Law of His Father? Does He have that authority? Does the Son have the power to overthrow His Father’s will? Would He do such a thing? Is there even such non-compatibility between the Two that would make an overthrow necessary? And if He had the authority to refute His Father’s Law governing Earth, would that affect God’s kingdom throughout the rest of the universe?
This may sound like much conjecture, but really it is applicable and spoken of in the scriptures. Of course we know what Christ, Himself, promised, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:17-19. This was in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah, “The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honourable.” Is. 42:21.
Christ came to put an end to sin, that enemy of His human race, and that which had so crucified His Father. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” Rom. 8:3. Jesus proved that sin is not a fact of life, but an aberration of life. His target, upon coming to Earth, was sin; He had sin in His cross-hairs when He stepped down from His throne in heaven. After 33 years, He successfully condemned sin in humanity and showed that Satan would soon be put out of business.
But the Bible’s definition of sin is in its relation to righteousness. The two are juxtaposed. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1Jn. 3:4. Since sin and righteousness are polar opposites, by condemning sin, Christ magnified His Father’s law, as it was by condemning or diluting the authority of God’s law that Satan offered sin to our first parents. Rather than condemning or diluting or even hinting at destroying His Father’s law, Jesus magnified it. Just read His statements following His declaration to not destroy the law or the prophets: to hate is to kill; to look with lust, and, with one exception, to divorce is to commit adultery; perfection is to love indiscriminately. He not only reiterated the law, but raised the ceiling on righteousness. Actually there never had been a ceiling on the Law until the religious leaders put it there. Originally, the sky was the limit; development had no restrictions, growth in grace was never ending.
Would the Son of God ever overthrow the Law of His Father’s government? Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” Jn. 10:30. So, why would Christ ever work to undermine His Father when a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand?
There is one, however, who does desire to destroy the law of God and cause division in His kingdom. He is the same wily enemy who said, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” To destroy God and everything He stands for is the devil’s one desire. “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth.” “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.” Jn. 8:44;Rev. 13:6.
Lastly, Christ wouldn’t remove the bounds of His Father’s law here on Earth, and thus make this, as some would like to call it, a privileged planet. God is no respecter of persons. He doesn’t play favoritism, not even with planets of His creation. “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Is. 2:22. Why should we accept that the eternal King should alter His Law to suit fallen man’s perverted nature? But, again, there is one who would have Earth without obligation to God’s law; and he has dark purposes for convincing us of that idea. “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin….Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” Jn. 8:34,44.
God never changes. “I am the Lord, I change not.” Mal. 3:6. “In the beginning, God.” “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Gen. 1:1;Ps. 90:2. God is infallible and never changes, and His character, His Law, never needs to change.
posted by David | 9:41 AM
5 Comments:
Hi David. I did a post on Haggard.
david, it's really interesting, in a teaching I heard, how everything in the new testament has a "shadow" in the old. The lamb of God, the sacrifice of Jesus is reflected in the kind of sacrifice God wanted from Israel, and all the Jewish holidays are symbolic of the coming Messiah, but were actually fulfilled in Jesus.
Yes, "Gabrielle,"
Its not just interesting, its our salvation to study it and get an inside view of the cross of Christ that He carried all during His life.
If we would carry our cross more, we would find a closer kinship with Him and the faith that really works.
I believe Christ came with a focus on restoring lost relationship. Sin is merely a symptom of that breach in our connection with God. To say that Christ came to end sin is a true statement, but not entirely. Connection with a living God is the surest cure for sin. Not observance of law, or finding just the right balance between how much gospel and how much law to present.
But anonymous, obedience is the surest manifestation of honor to God. He isn't just my equal, He is my superior and deserves honor. Even Jesus is very much my senior. He's our elder brother. He formed the first human from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. He is far from our equal. He is our father too, but a father who desires a relationship of trust as well as obedience. A parent has a closer bond than a peer. Jesus said, If you love Me, keep My commandments." And His commandments are not grievous because we have a trusting relationship with Him.
Anonymous, thanks for visiting.
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