Many churches today teach the Ten Commandment law was abolished or nailed to the cross.  As the reader will learn in this book, the only reason why anyone would try to do away with the law of God is to keep from obeying it, more specifically, the first two, and especially the fourth.

    The first commandment tells us we are not to worship any other gods than the God of heaven.  The second says we are not to make any graven images or bow down and worship them as do the pagans and heathen.  Yet one church, the Catholic church, does this very thing by venerating and worshipping graven images of saints, Mary, Jesus and the apostles.

    To get around the second commandment the church has removed it from their bibles, dividing up another to take its place.  Thus they have changed God's immutable law predicted in Daniel 7:25.  "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:..." They have also changed the fourth commandment, and the day of worship as we shall show you in another chapter.

    Of the three, the fourth commandment is the special target of those who want to do away with God's law.  This is the seventh day Sabbath command which was instituted as the day of worship by God when He finished creating the world.  But keeping the seventh day Saturday Sabbath is in direct opposition to the customs of the religious world which, almost without exception worships on Sunday the first day of the week, or the Muslims whose holy day is Friday the sixth day.

    The final test for mankind will be over God's eternal moral law and whether a person will obey God or man.  To understand why God's eternal law WAS NOT nailed to the cross and done away with is of crucial importance to anyone seeking eternal life.

TWO LAWS - THREE TYPES

    Those who believe and teach that the law has been done away with and nailed to the cross make the mistake of not recognizing that throughout the Bible there are two distinct and separate laws mentioned. One is God's Ten Commandment law, and the other the Old Covenant Law, often referred to as the Ceremonial Law, or the Law of Ceremonies which and referred to by Paul as "the Handwriting of Ordinances." The two have nothing in common.
 As described in the Bible, these two laws are quite different, even though they are both referred to by the common term LAW.  But to believe that this word always and invariably refers to the same law, makes it impossible to harmonize the scriptures on this subject.  As we consider the differences, the distinction between the moral and ceremonial laws will be very clear.  The difference between them must be recognized and understood in order to understand and harmonize the Word of God.  It is difficult to comprehend how any student of the Holy Bible can confuse the two, and yet profess faith in the inspiration of the Scriptures, for they make plain the difference between the two both before Christ and after.

TWO LAWS:

    Buck's Theological Dictionary defines the difference between these laws.  "Moral law is that declaration of God's will which directs and binds all men, in every place, to their whole duty to him.  It was most solemnly proclaimed by God himself at Sinai.  It is denominated perfect (Ps 19:7), perpetual (Matt 5:17,18), 2 holy (Rom 7:12), good (Rom 7:12), exceeding broad (Ps 119:96)."

    "The Ceremonial law is that which prescribes the rites of worship used in the Old Testament times by Israel.  These rites were typical of Christ, and obligatory only till Christ had finished his work, and began to erect his gospel church.  (Heb 7:9,11; 10:1; Eph 2:16; Col 2:14)."

THREE TYPES:

    The laws which God delivered to Moses were of three types.  The MORAL 10 Commandment Law written by God in tables of stone.  The Ceremonial law, written by Moses on parchment which contained two parts the  JUDICIAL , and the CEREMONIAL.  This Law of Ceremonies with its two parts constitutes the Old Covenant or the Handwriting of Ordinances as mentioned by Paul, and is what was nailed to the cross.

WHAT THESE LAWS WERE FOR:

    THE CEREMONIAL LAW pertained only to those observances of sacrifices and offerings, and various methods of purification and cleansing, which were typical of Christ.  His sacrifice alone was able to take away sins.  This was the law that Paul spoke of abrogating and disannulling.

    THE JUDICIAL LAW consisted of those regulations which God prescribed to the Jews for their civil government and was the standing law of their nation.  Their state was a theocracy; and, as in other commonwealths, the chief magistrates gave laws to the people.

    THE MORAL LAW, according to Webster "prescribes to men their religious and social duties; in other words, their duties to God and to each other.  He goes on to say that, the moral law is contained in the decalogue, or the ten commandments, written by the finger of God on two tables of stone, and delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai."

COVENANT (CEREMONIAL) LAWS NOT TEN COMMANDMENTS:

    Even though the Ten Commandments were a commanded covenant, they did not constitute the Old Covenant By comparing them.  the differences between them are most evident.

    The Old Covenant Was Faulty: It promised little and vanished away.  (Heb.  8:7,8,13).  The description of this law in Hebrews does not fit in any respect the perfect Law of God.

    The Old Covenant Was Not The Law Itself, but is an expansion of the Ten Commandments.  It was to show Israel how to live and act in accordance with its principles.  The Bible says the Old Covenant was written "concerning all these words" (Ex.  24:7,8), which means those words written in God's law WAS NOT THE LAW ITSELF.

    The Bible puts it another way.  Referring to the Ten Commandments, God said to Moses.  "After the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel" (Ex.  34:27,28).  God's covenant with Israel had to do with the keeping of the law.  - "the tenor of the words."

    Romans 9:4 Mentions Both Laws: "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law...." Here the 3 law is mentioned, as well as the covenants (plural).  This would include both old and new covenants, and distinguish them from the "giving of the law," which is the Ten Commandment law.

    The Substitution Test: Using Romans 3:31 and substituting the words Old Covenant for the word "law" shows conclusively that they cannot be the same laws.  "Do we then make void the old covenant [law] through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the old covenant [law]."

THE TWO LAWS CONTRASTED?

    The following points clearly point out the difference between the two laws, and strikes a mortal blow to the delusion that the law of God was nailed to the cross.

    1) The Ten Commandments Were Spoken By The Lord in the hearing of all Israel (Deut. 5:22-29). And when He had spoken these TEN COMMANDM.ENTS He added no more.  This distinction and honor has not been given to any other law or document ever communicated by God to men.  The ceremonial, or ritual law, was communicated to Israel through Moses (Deut 1:1-5).

    2) The Moral Law Written By God Himself On Stone (Ex 24:12).  It is the only instrument of his handwriting that we have any knowledge of in the universe,Great honor was thus conferred upon the moral law by its Omniscient Author.  Writing it upon the enduring rock represents the immutable character of the law itself.  The ritual law was written by Moses in a book (Deut 31:24).

    3) The Moral Law In Itself Is Right True and "good" and applies to holy and unholy throughout the universe (Neh 9:13).  But the ceremonial law was made only for those who were NOT GOOD, and could not have been given to anyone other than sinful beings.  It constantly said to man.  "You are not good." It only had application to a state that was "not good." (Heb 7:19) When it served its purpose, it ceased.

     4) The Moral Law Was "Ordained To Life," (Eze 20:11-13) to preserve life.  If it had always been faithfully and perfectly obeyed, death could never have entered the world.  Unending life would have been the result.  Death is the wages of sin.  But the ceremonial law was not given till after death entered the world, (Eze 20:25) and ever so strict obedience to it alone would not confer immortality.

     5) "The Law Of The Lord Is Perfect Converting The Soul." exclaims the psalmist (Ps 19:7).  Hence, perfect obedience to it would make perfect character - perfect men and women.  But the word of the Lord says that the ritual law made nothing perfect (Heb 7:19).

    6) Jesus Did Not Come To Destroy The Law: (Matt 5:17) says that he did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.  To fulfill a law is to keep it perfectly.  This Jesus did - He never sinned once - He was without sin.  But it is truthfully asserted of Him, that he did abolish the ceremonial law.  (Eph 2:15)

    7) Christ Magnified The Law: It was predicted by the prophet Isaiah, that Christ would "magnify the law," and make it honorable (Isa 42:21).  This Jesus did by His divine teaching.  His holy life, and last, but not least, by His death upon the cross.  A thing is neither magnified or made honorable, if it is put out of existence as is claimed about the ten commandments.  But Jesus did take the ceremonial law out of the way (Col 2:14), nailing it to his cross.  The very event above all others which magnified and made honorable the MORAL law, ABOLISHED the ceremonial law.  Hence, they could not be one and the same.

    8) A Perfect Law Of Liberty: The apostle James, in speaking of the moral law, calls it a "law of liberty," a "perfect law of liberty" (James 2:12).  They that obey this law, walk at liberty.  They have the only liberty that is worth the name.  They have a conscience void of offense toward either God or man.  Christ, through the gospel, brings the soul to this liberty, and this liberty is not LAWLESSNESS, but freedom from condemnation through repentance and reformation.  It is not freedom (liberty) to continue sinning! The Word of God calls the ceremonial law a YOKE OF BONDAGE (Gal 5:1).  How wide and apparent the contrast between these two laws.

    9) Faith In Christ Establishes The Law (Rom 3:21), and is,manifested by our obedience to the gospel of God.  This faith requires repentance, and repentance must follow a law transgressed.  The faith of Christ (the gospel), has no basis, no significance, no meaning, without the law, for He was the law incarnate.  Every step in obedience to the faith of Jesus established the law.  By this faith the immutability, and unchangeable character of the moral law is attested.  But this faith in the blood of Jesus, since his crucifixion, abolishes and supersedes the bloodly ceremonial law of the old dispensation altogether (Acts 15:24).

    10) Law Is Spiritual: It is an inspired declaration of the apostle Paul that the law is SPIRITUAL (Rom 7:14), hence to be spiritually minded is to have this law written in the mind and in the heart.  God, in the new covenant, has promised to write the law in the hearts of all those who come to Him with repentance and faith (Heb.  8:10; 10:16).  Their sins will be forgiven, and the spiritual mind imparted, which will enable the receiver to delight in the law of God after the inward man.  But the ritual law is CARNAL (Heb 7:16).

    11) "By The Law Is The Knowledge Of Sin." (Rom 3:20) This is a Bible declaration.  "Sin is the transgression of the law," and "sin is not imparted when there is no law," are also Bible statements.  Without God's law sin could not be KNOWN - would not EXIST.  The ceremonial law of the old dispensation did not point out sin, but was addressed to sinners.  With its type and shadows (symbols and objects symbolized), it pointed to Jesus Christ as the Great Physician of the sin-sick soul (Eph 2:17).

    12) Law Was In Christ's Heart: (Ps 40:7,8) It is said of Jesus, that the law of His God was in His heart, and that he delighted to do the will of His Father (Ps 40:7-10).  He says he kept His Father's commandments, and abode in His Father's love (John 13:10).  Certainly he would not abolish that which was thus so dear to Him, and which enabled Him to abide in His Father's love.  But he did nail to the cross the ceremonial law (Col 2:14), hence the two covenants (laws) are not one and the same.

    13) Jesus Took Delight In The Law (Ps 40:7,8), or great pleasure, in doing his Father's law.  But he caused the ritual law to cease (Dan 7:27).

    14) Jesus Was Manifested As A Person In The Law.  Though sinless, He DIED to take away the penalty for our SINS - the PENALTY of the law (1 John 3:5), NOT THE LAW itself.  But he did take out of the way the ceremonial law (Col 2:14).  Hence, they cannot be one and the same.

    15) Moral Law Existed In Heaven Before The Fall Of Adam And Eve (Rom 5:12).  Man's Transgression of this law caused the fall.  The moral law would have been just as obligatory upon man if sin had never entered the world - not so with the ceremonial.  The ceremonial law was instituted in Israel because of their transgression of the moral (ten commandment) law, and belongs to a remedial system.

    16) Moral Law Foundation of God's Government: being holy and perfect, constituting the foundation of God's government and all Heaven, was not affected by the fall, nor will it be affected by the work of redemption or restitution.  Like its Author, it is immortal, immutable, and eternal, and will "stand fast forever" (Ps 11:7,8), but all ceremonial laws expired after they served their purpose.  These laws and ceremonies of olden times, reached their antitype in Christ and have long since passed away (Heb 10:1-6).

    ROMANS 14:5: "One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike.  Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." From the context it is obvious that the apostle has under consideration the "law of commandments contained in ordinances," which law contained a number of days of annual recurrence, set apart for a specific purpose, and inseparably connected with those typical feasts which pointed to Christ and were nailed to the cross.

    The Jewish converts to Christianity did not at once understand the real typical character of many of their laws, and hence were not ready to give up their former observances.  The Gentile converts, having neither habits nor prejudices to bias their minds, saw the truth more clearly.

    The apostle is here evidently counseling mutual forbearance for the time being.  He well knew that if they all maintained their faith in Christ and brotherly love, their differences would be harmonized a little farther on, by greater light upon the disputed subject.

    In this text Paul is not referring to the Sabbath day of the 4th commandment.  He is plainly speaking of the laws contained in "the ordinances" associated with meats and drinks, divers washings, and various other things contained in the ceremonial law.

    This next text directs itself to sabbaths and holy days, which are not THE SABBATH of the Lord Thy God. Colossians 2:16: "Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect to a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days." The term "holy day" in the above text is from a Greek word signifying FEAST DAY, and is so translated in every other instance in the common version of the New Testament, altogether about sixty times.  None of the things mentioned in this text are found in the moral law, or ten commandments; but all of them are found in the "handwriting of ordinances," or ceremonial law, hence proving conclusively the CEREMONIAL and NOT the moral law is the one under consideration.  "Sabbath days," plural, is no exception, as there is but one sabbath day in the moral law, and that was instituted before the fall of man, before types were necessary or possible; whereas, the ceremonial law had no less than seven annual sabbath days, which were a "shadow of things to come." (Col 2:17)

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT:

    "Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matt 22:35-40)  The Apostle Paul make clear which commandment Jesus was referring to.  "Owe no man any thing.  but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.  For this.  Thou shalt not commit adultery.  Thou shalt not kill.  Thou shalt not steal.  Thou shalt not bear false witness.  Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love they neighbour as thyself.  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Rom 13:8-10) There should be no confusion about God's eternal law-the Ten Commandments.  Jesus plainly stated that love toward God is the first and great commandment.  This love is shown by keeping the first four commandments which describes what God asks us to do if we love Him.  The second commandment of love so clearly delineated by Paul is love for our neighbor, which is the last six commandments of the decalog.  If we love God, we will not worship other god's, or bow down to them.  We will not make images and worship them as do the heathen and pagans.  We will not take the name of the God of the universe in vain, or speak tritely about or of Him.  Rather, we will reverence and adore Him for His incomprehensible love and tender mercy toward us, that while we are sinners.  He loves us and wants to save us.  Finally we will honor and keep the 7th day Sabbath-the memorial of His creative power in making the world and to recreate us spiritually in His image.  A day we can give special love and praise to Him, free of distractions of everyday life.  This is our chance to be with Him in Spirit and body, to come to worship and praise Him, to commune with Him as friend with friend.  The second commandment of love-the last six, shows our love toward our fellow man.

    These commandments are the basis of all judicial systems in the world.  This moral part of the law says we don't kill people, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness.  We honor our father and mother.  Nobody in their right mind will argue that these have been done away with.

THE LAW INVOLVES A LOVE RELATIONSHIP:

    The Law Within The Heart: When the law, which is the character of God.  His love, His wisdom.  His Spirit is installed within our hearts, our experience can be no other than the ways of righteousness and peace.  For these too are attributes of God's law.  His character dwelling within our hearts.

    Seek Ye The Lord: Obedience to the law of God has been the minimum STANDARD of salvation from the very beginning of time.  Man has made obedience the METHOD of salvation, and herein lies the evil of works.  We see the same risks today in following rites, ceremonies, codes of dress, doctrines, diet, and all other religious practices.  Obedience has absolutely no merit outside of a love relationship with our Lord.  It is as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals.

    Seek His love, His wisdom, His law, and ask Him to place it in your heart.  Seek His character in keeping the law and the beautiful robe of His righteousness will be spread on your shoulders.  Claim the experience of David (contrition, repentance, reformation) by faith, and God will hover over you to bring you into peace with Him.  Thus you learn to love the law and the blessed Redeemer Lawgiver Himself.

    Love makes the difference between legalism - keeping the law as a method of salvation in which God owes you something good in payment for your obedience - and righteousness by faith - in Christ's blood to cleanse you from sin and love of Him and His beautiful character which calls forth an imitation of his character as you live in obedience to His commandments, realizing you have absolutely no merit 7 to be saved.  It is only a gift of God.

    All who desire to know the truth, will see that the law involves a love relationship with God and with our fellowman.  Jesus says.  "If ye love me keep my commandments." Love is the fulfilling of the law.  But you cannot keep this law in your own strength no matter how hard you try.  In the next chapter we will consider just how this can be done.  without making it salvation by works.