The Law of

I was amazed when I realized how many times the words, “THE LAW OF” appears in the Bible. When we think of the “LAW”, we think of the Law as laid down in Ex. 20, but there are many more laws than that. This study will take more than one service.

I. THE LAW OF HER HUSBAND.

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. (Romans 7:2)

1. This applies to the husband as well.
2. This is a life long commitment.
   

   The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
   (I Corinthians 7:39)

   The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. (Matthew 19:3-9)

 

II. THE LAW OF THE JEWS.

While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all. (Acts 25:8)

1. Here Paul is defending himself before Festus against the accusations of the Jews.
2. It is interesting that he said the law of the Jews and not the law of Moses, or the law of God, however he is in a Roman court defending himself against the Jews.

 

III. THE LAW OF A CARNAL COMMANDMENT.

Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. (Hebrews 7:16)

1. Carnal – pertaining to flesh.
2. So we have a law based on the human element of the priesthood.
3. God made Christ a priest after the order of Melchisedec, not after the family of Aaron.
   

   If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) (Hebrews 7:11-21)

IV. THE LAW OF MY MIND.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (Romans 7:23)

1. God has placed in man a consciousness of right and wrong, or a moral conscience.
2. There is within us a conflict between right and wrong.

 

V. THE LAW OF SIN.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:23, 25)

1. The law of sin is that which is against the law of God.
2. Because of Adam’s sin, we are born with a sin nature.
   

   Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Romans 8:7)

3. The natural man is in conflict with the spiritual man and that within himself.

VI. THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.(Romans 8:2)

1. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we are freed from the law of sin.
   

   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: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4)

2. It is not what we do, but what God has done that brings salvation.
   

   Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:5-7)

VII. THE LAW OF CHRIST.

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.(Galatians 6:2)

1. What is the law of Christ?
2. Could it be the law of love? I think so.
   

   A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  (John 13:34)

VIII. THE LAW OF FAITH.

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. (Romans 3:27)

1. The one thing Israel missed in the giving of the Law is the very thing men are missing now and that is faith.
2. We are saved by faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, or not at all.
   

   For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)

   That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (Romans 10:9-15)

IX. THE LAW OF LIBERTY.

So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. (James 2:12)

1. We have been freed from the ceremonial law.
   

   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. (Matthew 5:17-18)

2. God’s moral law is still in effect for the only law not brought into the N.T. is the law of the Sabbath.
3. We have been freed from man made laws.
   

   Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. (Colossians 2:20-23)

X. THE LAW OF MOSES.

And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. (Luke 2:22; 24:44)

If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?
(John 7:23)

And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. (Acts 13:39; 15:5; 28:23)

For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? (I Corinthians 9:9)

1. The law of the Lord.
   

   (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. (Luke 2:23, 24, 39)

2. The law of the fathers.
   

   I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. (Acts 22:3)

3. The law of God.
   

   For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Romans 7:22, 25; 8:7)

4. The law of righteousness.
   

   But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. (Romans 9:31)

5. The law of commandments.
   

   Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (Ephesians 2:15)