Christians will Experience an Extraordinary Age on Earth - Before Jesus Returns

Isaiah 65:

17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.
24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I w ill answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.

Great promises of God

Unless you believe in some bizarre and strange assemblage of resurrected believers and non-resurrected sinners, this particular portion of scripture is talking about the positive outcome of spreading and acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ comprehensively - before He returns.
Some get thrown by verse 17, where it says this: "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."

Many equate this with the period of time when we're resurrected and living in our new bodies forever. It's obviously not what it's talking about here. Jesus initiated the creation of the new heavens and new earth when He was incarnated. He was the Lord from heaven, we're told in the Bible. He came down out of heaven as the foundation stone of this new Jerusalem, and the gathering in of the first believers around Him, as evidenced by the 12 apostles being mentioned in Revelation 21:14.

"And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."

They were the foundation of the wall of the city, and they were living human beings formed and shaped by the words of Jesus. This is one of the reasons we're taught to set our minds on things above and not things of the earth. It's not that we're to think of mystical, strange things we believe are residing in heaven, but are to rather embrace the higher things represented in the person of Jesus Christ, which He spoke of and displayed in His person, and throughout the entirety of the scriptures. 

The culmination of all of this is revealed primarily in verses 20-23. It promises a world where babies won't die prematurely, where old men will live a long life, where the fruit of our labor will enjoyed while we're alive on earth, where we won't have what we build or plant taken away from us.

Some of the struggles we now have will be gradually removed as the effects of the curse are reversed in conjunction with obedience to the word of God. This will take time to work out, but this span of time and all it represents will happen before the return of Jesus Christ to resurrect all of us.
There really will be a golden age on the earth. These verses in the Bible give us a glimpse into what it will be like when God's people walk in obedience to all His commands.

Everything the vast majority of people want are promised to be fulfilled by the Lord. Our job while we're on planet earth is to do our part by walking in obedience to the light we now have, advancing and hastening the day when God will be glorified on the earth by a people that reflect His true nature.

This is also confirmed and reinforced by 2 Corinthians 5:17. It says this:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The word creature there is more accurately "new creation." Also notice old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. Paul was saying that the promises in Isaiah 65 were already in motion. That was almost 2,000 years ago. God continues to work toward that end in His people.

Understanding Biblical law and post-resurrection changes

Genesis 2:

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 3:

3 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.


Much of the misunderstanding concerning the ongoing validity and requirements of the moral law revealed to Moses, is some continue to believe it means needing to obey the law in order to be saved or regenerated. Even that has been refuted an unknown number of times, it continues to be thrown in the discussion on the matter. 

Here we'll look at some scriptures dealing with the subject, starting with what the major nature of the of sin when it came into the world after the temptation concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

What believers need to know about that is it was the temptation for Eve to autonomously determine what was good or evil. That of course meant whether or not God revealed it or not, or if it was outside of God's assessment, nature or laws.

After the fall, over time God eventually gave the details of the law through Moses, although it was revealed at different levels to some men before that, including Abraham.

Most of us understand this, so I want to go forward to the New Testament, post-resurrection scriptures to talk about the fact some of the laws were rescinded after Jesus Christ was resurrected, while others remain in place to this day, and will forever, as they're a reflection of the very nature of God, which can never change.

Here is the scripture most used that I have come across, which many believe reveals as having completely gotten rid of the law of God in its entirety.

Colossians 2:13-15

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
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;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.


Where people get this wrong is in regard to the idea that all the law was nailed to the cross, which is interpreted as also including the moral law. The mistake is made in not taking it into the context of what Paul was writing about.

This was an obvious reference to the law that was written against us, but in particular with the sacrificial part of the law. This is what was nailed to the cross. We would no longer have to sacrifice animals to temporarily have our sins forgiven, because the lamb of God, in His death, had taken away sin forever from those being drawn to and putting their faith in Him.

With that of course is the fact we have had our sins forgiven as a result of our faith in Jesus Christ. The ordinances or laws no longer were taken into account, and forgiven and forgotten forever by God. That is of course Christianity.

What I've heard many suggest is this is a reference to the law as a whole being nailed to the cross. This makes no sense though in light of the numerous scriptures contradicting that assumption, which point to various laws and commandments we're not only to adhere to, but if we aren't adhering to them, are considered to be not in the faith; it's part of having discernment concerning who is or isn't a true believer.

So to conclude the moral law has been nailed to the cross and have the writers of the New Testament, under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, say we're still required to obey those laws, would make them to be utterly ridiculous and schizophrenic.

To press the issue, it would mean a person could murder, steal, rape or pillage the property, wife, children, among other heinous sins, and not be held accountable for it because the law has been nailed to the cross. That's nonsensical. Again, what was nailed to the cross was the law as a means of salvation, not as a means of living out our lives in our interactions with others.

Law referred to here is law of priesthood, not moral law (Hebrews 7:11-28)

Hebrews 7:

11 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?
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
21 (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:)
22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:
24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.


Where most make the assertion it confirms the law is no longer in effect is with verse 12, where it says since the priesthood has is "being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law."
This has nothing to do with obeying the moral law of God, but is in regard to the law concerning the priesthood, which had been supplanted by Jesus Christ as our high priest, and by all true believers now being priests unto our God.

The law concerning the priesthood and all its ordinances, including what they were to where, the sacrifice of animals, and all the rest, had been annulled and had been ended. Jesus Christ fulfilled all of that, and was of a totally different order than that of Aaron. The law of how we are to behave toward others, remained the same.

After all, how could God ever get rid of going good to our fellow human beings? It would cheapen the cross and change nothing. Also, the law was said to have been written in our hearts, which means they remain in place.

Implications of the law and the fall
 

Numbers 15:

37 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them ; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.
41 I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.


An interesting an instructive thing to contemplate is tying in the fall and what Eve saw when being tempted, with the reason behind Numbers 15:37-41 and 1 John 2:15,16. All of them tie into what our eyes are seeing, meaning not in only what we are physically viewing, but in the accompanying lust associated with it.

For example, in Gen. 3:6, it says this about Eve and how she viewed the tree, "that it was pleasant to the eyes."

Also in Numbers 15, we should consider this: "that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:" - this goes back to temptation in garden.

Finally in 1 Jn. 2:15,16, John communicates this strong message:

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The reason we are to continue to read and remind one another of the requirements of the moral law as revealed to Moses, and confirmed numerous times in the New Testament, is because we're prone to be tempted by our lusts for various things in this world. As a matter of fact, that is the definition of world from the point of view of God. This is what came in with the fall, and a major reason the law still is in force, in order to keep us anchored in the commandments of God from an objective point of view.

It's also why there is so much sin and false Christianity in the world. If we throw out what God commands us, we become gods unto ourselves and do whatever our lusts and emotions drive us to do.
After all, if there is no law and it's been nailed to the cross, God supposedly had removed all restraint from us. The truth is many are literally casting off all restraint in order to live their lives in accordance with their own lusts.

There's a lot more to say about this, but just from these scriptures and comments you can see that God's moral law as revealed in the Bible is still the standard we are to live by, and the cross of Jesus didn't take that away, but reinforced it.

By giving the Holy Spirit to help us, we are able to live an obedient and godly live in this world. There will be times when we sin, but if we're His, we won't be able to live a life of sin.

The Arts: Visual Reminders Help Us to Obey God

Some thoughts on how Christians can use the arts to encourage obedience to God

Numbers 15:38-40

38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:

39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.

Dt. 22:12

Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.

Mt. 23:5

But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

The main concern and requirement of God in relationship to those who bear His name is that they walk in obedience to His commandments. In the verses above, we get a simple but effective look at how God gave instructions so His people could be helped in remembering His commands, and to obey them.

In Matthew 23:5 we also see how something as simple and humble as that was abused by the religious leaders of Jesus' day, when they lengthened the cords on the fringe or tassels, depending on the version being read, for the purpose of positioning themselves as superior to other people. Jesus hated this, and called them out on it, among other things.

The fact this was a law given by God to the children of Israel, meant these were to be seen, in the same fashion we are to let our lights shine before men. We don't do these things in order to attract attention, but neither do we neglect to do them when in the presence of people, or interacting with them. That's why they were commanded to display them for all to see. It reminded them of their responsibility before God, but also revealed it to the world.

The word "borders" in Mt. 23:5 is the same as fringe, cords or tassels mentioned in the book of Numbers.

The point in bringing these verses up is they represent a methodology employed by God to help His people to remember to reflect on the laws of God, and of course to obey them. When the blue cord was viewed it called to their attention the commandments of God and the required obedience to them.

Color Blue

The color blue is mentioned here in reference to the cord because it represented the law throughout the Bible. It was in this case a tool God gave His people to trigger remembrance of what He expected of them.

Four corners of cloak or outer garment

In Dt. 22:12 when it mentions making "fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture" in the King James version, it's simply another way of saying making fringes on the four corners of an outer garment or cloak.

What's important there is the number four refers to creation in the Bible, and it without a doubt means, when included with remembering God's laws, is that we are to take dominion on the earth by doing so in accordance with the revealed will of God in the Holy Scriptures.

Do Not Love the World

1 John 2:15-17

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

I think it's obvious that Numbers 15:39, when saying these things should be done in order "that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes," was what John was thinking of when penning the portion of his letter above. 

Even when we're attempting to do things for and unto God, it must be done in according to what is revealed in His word. If not, we will only do that which we are seeking for ourselves. It's one of the reasons there is so much failure in works thought to be done in the name of God, when in reality they're works we've conjured up in our own minds and hearts, from what we've seen naturally and in accordance with our own wills.

Artistic relevance

What I wanted to call attention to in this article is that those with interest in the arts, including all segments of the sector - illustration, writing, video, audio, music, audio, and any other means of communicating through artistic skills, should use these verses as a foundation to work from.

Art in all its forms, needs to be primarily used by Christians as a means of stimulating and triggering the memories of people to learn and obey the commands of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. This can be done in a plethora of ways - both subtle and obvious - but it should be the end or our artistic endeavors.

The point is the color blue and the fringes or tassels are part of the fashion of the people of God in that day, and they were included in the clothes they wore as part of the means of stirring them up to walk in obedience to God.

In the end, we are to be shown beauty, holiness, God's law, God's character, and all the things revealed in the Bible, by creative Christians, in order to stimulate God's people to remember and adhere to what God has commanded.

The arts have been among the worst abusers of talent, as they have represented, probably more than any area of life, what the world is and enticing people to participate in the "lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life."

Christians need to totally buy back or redeem this area of life by creating all sorts of wholesome and compelling works that glorify God and remind, challenge and call people to walk in obedience to Him.

And as the challenge of Jesus to the religious leaders of His day shows, it must be done in a way that the creatives themselves are totally sold out to understanding God's commands and walking in obedience to them. Just doing something creative isnt' enough, it must be reinforced by the lives being lived by the artistic people creating things.

Also important, doing it for the sole purpose of being seen and implying you're more spiritual than someone else, just because you can create a quality piece of work, means we would be doing nothing more than those people Jesus strongly rebuked for doing things only for show.

New Testament and the Law: Romans 3

Law established through faith

Romans 3

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Justification by faith

One of the more confusing and ongoing misunderstandings about the law of God when it transitioned to the post-resurrection era, is the failure of believers to understand the difference between justification, which can only come through faith, in order that no man can boast, and holiness or practical transformation, which God expects all believers to work and move in obedience toward.

As the scripture above states, "by the law is the knowledge of sin." While we are only saved by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and have hope because of His resurrection, it has nothing to do with learning the law of God and with the help of the indwelling Spirit of God, increasingly obeying it as we grow in understanding of its requirements in various situations and circumstances.

Romans 3:31

Verse 31 is the key scripture I want to focus on here, because the other scriptures confirm what every true Christian already knows, that only by faith in Jesus Christ and not works are we saved.

Law also established by faith

The verse says this: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

This is another one of those clear statements in the Bible that can't be misunderstood unless it's willingly misunderstood. We don't get rid of the law because faith in Jesus Christ, without the law, has brought us justification before God. Rather, the law is established by faith. It can't get any clearer than that.

What that means is obedience and conformity to the revealed law in the Holy Scriptures is established by faith in Jesus Christ. That's how we go about searching out the law and obeying the revelation we have of it. Since faith in Jesus Christ means we have the Spirit of God now dwelling within us to empower us to obedience, it's now possible to line up with God's requirements in a way the Old Testament saints didn't have the ability to. The Holy Spirit is what makes the difference in our ability to walk in obedience to His laws.

A book looking at the law from a different perspective

For those not familiar with the Bible, one of the enormous tasks Paul had when he performed his ministry was to work through the implications of justification by faith without the works of the law, but then to turn around and call believers to walk in obedience to that same law.

The resistance of the Jews of that period of time made his task all the harder because they told so many lies about his teaching. That confused Gentile believers, and is why Paul had to severely chastise the Galatians for starting to believe circumcision of the flesh was required for salvation.
As I've mentioned a number of times, there are a lot of changes to the law after Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial aspects of the law, which is why we no longer have animal sacrifices, the priesthood of the Old Testament period, or laws that pertained to Israel living specifically in the geography it did. Those among others have been abolished, but the moral laws laid down by God to Moses, definitely remain in effect.

The idea of Jesus dying for our sins and that allowing people to freely murder other people, contrary to the revealed law of God, is preposterous. All the moral laws revealed in the Bible are still required to be obeyed today, with the caveat we have to work through the penalty portion of those laws to see what remains in force, and how we adapt certain penalties for theft that were specific to the agricultural society of that period of time.

In other words, if it's not an animal that is stolen, how does that translate to other types of theft in regard to the penalty of the law? We know theft is wrong, but we have to clarify how to enforce penalties that various types of theft require, but aren't specifically revealed in the scriptures. And we need to do it without making it difficult to understand by the general Christian population.

The conclusion is we are not only justified by faith, but in regard to obedience to the law, it is also established by faith. Faith is the entirety of the matter, and that faith is in Jesus Christ who indwells all true believers by the Holy Spirit.

Law in the New Testament: Jesus Came to Fulfill the Law

Mt. 5:

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 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.

19 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.

There are a couple of important things to consider when looking at what Jesus taught concerning the law. The most obvious is He removed the idea from the minds of those listening to and being taught by Him, that He had come to destroy the law. That would be the equivalent of denying who He was, because the law is based upon the very character of God.



What He was partially dealing with here was the ongoing confusion associated with the religious leaders of tht day. They have been adding a variety of laws to impose upon the people, and they asserted those laws were as authoritative as the laws revealed to Moses by God. The consequence was heavy burdens were laid upon the people which made life miserable and lacking joy because of the heavy weight of the man-made laws they were pressured to obey.

One thing Jesus was dealing with here was to be sure they differentiated between His attack on laws He never made, and those that He did reveal and expect to be continued to be obeyed. I draw that conclusion from the fact Jesus felt the need to tell them this in the first place. Why talk about not destroying the law unless there had grown a misconception among the people that this is what He was communicating to them?

The point is, Jesus didn't come to destroy the law or the prophets, but came to fulfill them. Since He is the example of how we are to live our lives, it is obvious we are also to continue to obey the moral laws revealed by God to us through Moses as well. The difference between then and now is when Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial laws, they were removed from being a requirement, because it would make no sense to sacrifice animals or participate in the symbolic aspects of the feasts, when the fulness and meaning of them were met in Jesus Christ.

Ceremonial laws set aside

Some believers get confused when contemplating the meaning of "Till heaven and earth pass," believing it's a reference to the literal heaven and earth. I don't think that's what it's referring to, because the text itself provides a clue as to when this is going to happen. It's the event surrounding when all will be fulfilled.

At that time there would be some changes to the law, which was what the "one jot or one tittle" refer to. Once the fulfillment took place, at that time there would be some changes to the law. I've heard different ideas concerning when all was fulfilled meant. For example, some believe it was when Jesus died, was buried, resurrected, and ascended into heaven; others believe it was when the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples; still others believe it was when Jerusalem fell.

There are different reasons as to why each of those positions are held, but the point for us today is it doesn't matter concerning the law, as the fulfillment has happened, and some changes to the law were made. The most obvious is the ceremonial laws, which again, don't make sense because Jesus fulfilled them, as He did other symbolic parts of the law. So now there have been some of the jots and tittles of the law that have been changed, but in regard to the moral law, as far as our being required to obey them, they are still in effect.
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All throughout the New Testament that is confirmed. As I've mentioned before, the reason Christians get confused is they lump in the law in relationship to justification with sanctification, and for that reason draw the wrong conclusion that all the law has been forever removed as a way of life.

Moral law

The Bible clearly state throughout its entirety, that the moral laws of God are expected to be obeyed forever. They have come from God and reflect His character and expectations, and nothing has happened, including the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, that has changed that.

Many actually conclude that after the death and resurrection of Jesus, the law has been forever put to rest. That's probably why they live such disobedient and abhorrent lives, and according to the Scripture, aren't saved in the first place.

Once again, here is the proof:

1 John 2:

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

If a person isn't obeying the commandments of God, they don't know Him. Period! That doesn't mean a person will never sin, only that sin as a way of life will be impossible to them if they are truly regenerated. The Holy Spirit within, which has written the laws on our hearts, influences and empowers true believers to obey the laws of God on a consistent basis.

Jesus fulfilled all the law, included obedience to all of the moral law, and now the Holy Spirit lives within us in order to continue to work toward that end, conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ. That's what John meant when he added that we are to walk as Jesus walked; that we are to obey the commands of God as He did.

New Testament and Law - the Foundation

1 John 2:

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.


This is the beginning of a lengthy study I'm going to go through concerning the law and the New Testament. There is a complete misconception by concerning law because of the confusion over justification.

The Bible is very clear that justification isn't by works, but only be faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. It is not of works in order that no one can boast that they are righteous. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and only saving faith in Jesus Christ saves us from our sins.

Justification only be faith in Jesus Christ

That said, what we call the New Testament as far as it relates to the Holy Scriptures, is full of references to the law of God, with most of it focusing on it not being the source of eternal salvation, but rather what follows afterward, as far as obedience to the law.

It needs to be understood that not all the law has continued. I still see some people learning of these things asserting that we still need to follow the feasts of the law, even though Jesus totally fulfilled them, as He has done in other areas of the ceremonial law as well.

We'll more into what has been discontinued of the law and what parts of the law are required to be obeyed after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, throughout this series of articles.

But first it must be proven and established that parts of the law are still required to be obeyed, and weren't discontinued after the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. The key verse in the New Testament that clearly affirms this is in the first letter or epistle of John.

You can read the full test I'm using above, but I want to focus on the two verses listed below in this article.

1 John 2:

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Without a doubt the Holy Spirit had John write in this clear manner so there was no confusion by those reading what he wrote in the future. None of it can be carelessly tossed aside or ignored. If a person really has been regenerated, they will keep the commands of God. If an individual isn't keeping the commandments, it's very clear concerning their testimony: it's a lie. The truth isn't in that person according to John, as inspired to write by the Holy Spirit.

There is no getting around this. There is no way any other scripture can be used to counteract it. All other mentions of the law in the New Testament must be understood based upon this clear revelation from John.

We know him, if we keep his commandments

Obviously the next question by many will be what commandments is John referring to. The answer is all of them that were given to Moses that weren't fulfilled by Jesus Christ, or those that the New Testament mentioned have changed.

Those that oppose this conclusion don't really think through their false beliefs. The reason why is this. Do they really think because Jesus died on the cross that it's okay to murder people now because of some false interpretation or misunderstanding of justification versus the moral requirements of the law that are still in effect?

Is it not only okay to murder now, but also to commit adultery and every other type of sexual sin? What about theft? Obedience to parents? Lusting or coveting anything and in some cases, everything our neighbor may have, including their spouses? The list goes on and on.

The idea that the death of Jesus Christ for our sins releases us to harm our neighbors is so outrageous it can't be taken seriously. Love is the fulfillment of the law, and that means we are to interact with and treat our neighbors in accordance with the revealed moral laws of God.

Sure, we must learn their application today, and we also must diligently search out what penalties are still in force, and which have changed as a result of the death and resurrection of Jesus. But one thing is for sure, the laws remain in place and we are expected to obey.

It is so true that John said it is how we know whether or not a person is truly saved or regenerated. As the earlier verses above state, it's not talking about someone sinning, as any of us could fall into a sin, it's the lifestyle of sin that John is referring to here, where a person says they no Jesus Christ but are disobeying the laws of God.

After all, if a person is regenerated or born again, the Spirit of God takes up residence in them. That means the laws of God are not written in our hearts, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to obey them internally and externally. As mentioned, we may occasionally break a commandment, but it's impossible to do so as a way of life. The person doing so is a liar, according to the very words God gave us.

We are to walk as Jesus walked, meaning with the goal of obeying all the laws of God that remain in force.

It's our duty to study and understand them so we know how to treat our neighbor. That's how love is truly defined by the Bible, as those that do no harm to our neighbors. How do we know if we're doing harm to them or not if we don't know what the law is in the first place.

The law has been placed within us by the Holy Spirit, but we also need to understand and reinforce the work of the Holy Spirit by searching out the scriptures. They work together.

Not only is the moral law of God still in place, our salvation is identified in regard to whether we obey them or not. we are never justified by obedience to God's laws, but whether we're saves or not is. We can't live a life of disobedience and be born again. It's impossible. It's a lie.