God (through John) made the contrast between Moses and Christ:
John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
God (through Paul) made the contrast between Moses and Christ:
Rom 10:4-13 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law,
That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
6 But the righteousness which is of faith (also Phil 3:9) speaketh on this wise,
Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven?
(that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep?
(that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? (What saith what?
What saith the righteousness which is of faith?
What saith the scripture?
What saith the law of Moses?
It is a quote from the OLD testament - Deut 30:14):
The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart:
that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
(What word of faith do WE preach?
The same word that was near Israel in the OLD testament,
the same word that was in their mouth,
the same word that was in their heart?
THAT IS .... the same word of faith, which WE preach.
PAUL brought that OLD testament word of faith .... into his CURRENT epistle.
We are able ministers of the NEW covenant (2 Cor 3:6), not the OLD one.
We preach Jesus and the resurrection - like Acts 4:2,33, 17:18; 1 Pet 1:3):
9 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. ('Mid-Acts-ers' won't use this verse for salvation. They say it pertains to ISRAEL, not us. "Well, 'mid-Acts-ers', what about the 'no difference' issue? Does that not apply to salvation through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ's death and resurrection? Sure, it does!")
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, (Paul quoting the OLD testament? .... and applying it in the dispensation of grace? Yes!)
Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 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.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (another OLD testament quote - Joel 2:32)
Did the law end for good?
The OLD covenant of the law could not perfect the saints ....
so Jesus Christ came in the flesh, and kept the law perfectly;
then He died to pay the penalty of sin, bring in the NEW covenant of grace,
and give His perfect righteousness to all who believe:
Rom 8:2-4 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 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:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The NEW testament blood of the cross is what brings us close to God (Col 1:20).
The OLD testament law could not do that .... but the NEW testament did .... with its better hope:
Heb 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did;
by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Look how much better .... in so MANY ways .... the NEW covenant is, than the OLD:
The NEW covenant has better things:
Heb 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
The NEW covenant is a better testament:
Heb 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety (certainty, guarantee, assurance) of a better testament.
The NEW covenant is a better covenant .... based on better promises:
Heb 8:6 But now (a favorite phrase of the ‘mid-Acts-ers’, except they don’t want any Hebrews’ ‘but now’ .... they only want Paul’s ‘but now’) hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
The NEW covenant has the better sacrifice, Jesus Christ:
Heb 9:23-26 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
The NEW covenant has reserved better goods (wealth, possessions, property) in heaven:
Heb 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
The NEW covenant has a better country .... a better city .... in heaven now (Gal 4:26) .... but will one day come to earth (Rev 21:2-4):
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (also see John 14:2-3)
The NEW covenant has a better resurrection .... never to die again:
Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: (also see Rev 2:11, 20:6 and Matt 24:9)
The NEW covenant has a better thing .... being made perfect.
The OLD covenant could not do that (Heb 7:19):
Heb 11:39-40 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
The NEW covenant of grace has Jesus Christ in the middle, making peace:
Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
The OLD testament gave an idea of the better NEW testament, but its continual sacrifices could never remove sins.
So Jesus Christ came and sacrificed Himself (Eph 5:2, Heb 7:27, 9:26) one time, for all time:
Heb 10:1-14 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.
He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
Since Jesus Christ took away the OLD covenant .... to replace it with the NEW covenant.
Why would He go back to the OLD one? He won’t!
Why not? His sacrifice was good to sanctify all who believe .... one time, for all time:
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Jesus’ sacrifice was good forever.
There is never any need to go back to the OLD sacrifices:
12 But this man (Jesus Christ), after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. (also see Psa 110:1, Matt 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:43, 1 Cor 15:23-25, Heb 1:13)
Surely by now, this issue should be clear.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ perfected those who are sanctified forever. Why would He return to OLD testament sacrifices .... ANYTIME .... even in a "future millenial reign"? He won’t!
The ONE sacrifice He made .... was good forever:
14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
What blessed truths to know about the NEW testament, which GOD (through PAUL) said that WE are able ministers of (2 Cor 3:6)! Yet ‘mid-Acts-ers’ DIVIDE them AWAY because they are in Hebrews. Because of their extreme and hyper-dividing, they refuse nearly 80% of the Bible (53 of 66 books) .... everything that PAUL did not write. They constantly cry, ‘Mystery, mystery, mystery’. But they are what is mysterious with their extreme and hyper-dividing. They will be ashamed for disregarding God’s word of truth (2 Tim 2:15) .... that they took a chart and a man’s word instead. How tragic! I know what I’m talking about since I did it for nearly 30 years. Thank God my eyes are now open.
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar;
as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Since .... "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Rom 10:4) .... then, why would God ever go back to an OLD covenant of LAW that could not perfect the saints .... AFTER we have had ALL these BETTER things? He won’t!
Jesus Christ made the law unable to judge us believers as guilty .... because HE bore the penalty of our sin:
2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Eph 2:15 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;
Why would God reinstitute the law, after Jesus annulled it? He won’t!
Jesus Christ wiped away the law that condemned us, and got RID of it:
Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Why would God bring the law back into effect after Christ took it away? He won’t!
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you:
for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
How do all these scripture verses effect the ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensational’ doctrine that Christ will reinstitute OLD testament sacrifices in the temple, and the Levitical priesthood, and circumcision, for 1,000 years?
Did the law end for good?
It was abolished and blotted out!
God said it; that settles it! I believe it! Do YOU?
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
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